Aulacizes quadripunctata ( Germar 1821 )

Dellapé, Gimena, 2016, Description of the female terminalia of twelve species of Proconiini and a key to genera from Argentina (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Zootaxa 4117 (2), pp. 211-225 : 214-215

Aulacizes quadripunctata ( Germar 1821)

Diagnosis. Crown red with an apical and two basal conspicuous black spots; anterior region of pronotum red with conspicuous black spot, and posterior region dark; forewings dark.

Female terminalia. Abdominal sternite VII, in ventral view ( Fig. 5 ), with lateral margins slightly convergent posteriorly, posterior margin deeply emarginate with a convex median process within emargination; surface with setae distributed throughout disc. Pygofer, in lateral view, moderately produced posteriorly; surface with microsetae and a few ventral macrosetae on anterior half and apical region. First valvifers, in lateral view, ovoid; with small spiniform processes on ventral region. First ovipositor valvulae, in lateral view, slightly broadened beyond basal curvature; dorsal sculptured area formed mostly by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines; ventral sculptured area formed mostly by linear processes; apex obtuse with dorsal margin slightly concave ( Fig. 17 ), and denticles on ventral and dorsal margins. Second valvulae, in lateral view, broadened beyond basal curvature; dorsal margin of blade bearing 39 to 41 not continuous teeth, each tooth triangular with denticles on posterior margin ( Fig. 29 ); ducts not reach the teeth; apex rounded ( Fig. 41 ), with denticles on dorsal and ventral margins; preapical ventral prominence small but distinct. Gonoplacs, in lateral view, with small basal spiniform processes; scattered microsetae on ventral margin and a few strong setae on apical region; apex rounded.

Material examined. ARGENTINA. Misiones: San Pedro, 2♂ 1♀, 12/II/1951, Willink & Monrós cols.; Salto Encantado, 1♀, 27/XI/1951 ( IFML); San Javier, 25 de Mayo, 4♂ 11♀, XI/1946, Viana col. ( MACN); San Ignacio, 1♂, 15/XI/1929; Dos de Mayo, 1♀, 2/XII/1957, Biraben col.; Esmeralda, 2♂ 1♀, 14/XII/2011, Alvarez L. col.; San Pedro, 1♂ 2♀, 18/II/2012, hand collection, Dellapé G. col. ( MLP).

Distribution. Brazil and Argentina ( Young 1968): Misiones ( Paradell et al. 2012).

Remarks. The characters from the female terminalia are very similar among the studied species of Aulacizes . However, they are useful for specific identification. Aulacizes quadripunctata can be distinguished by the deeply emarginate posterior margin of sternite VII, in contrast to the other Aulacizes species, in which the posterior margin is slightly emarginate; A. insistans differs by the smaller teeth on the second valvulae of the ovipositor; and in the case of A. basalis , A. conspersa and A. obsoleta the overall shape of sternite VII and the number of teeth on the second valvulae, can be helpful in identification, although this last character may depend on the size of the specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 12. Abdominal sternite VII (ventral view): 1 — Aulacizes basalis, 2 — Aulacizes conspersa, 3 — Aulacizes insistans, 4 — Aulacizes obsoleta, 5 — Aulacizes quadripunctata, 6 — Cicciana latreillei, 7 — Pseudometopia amblardii, 8 — Stictoscarta sulcicollis, 9 — Tretogonia bergi, 10 — Tretogonia cribata, 11 — Tretogonia dentalis, 12 — Tretogonia notatifrons. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 13 – 24. First valvulae of ovipositor, apex (lateral view): 13 — Aulacizes basalis, 14 — Aulacizes conspersa, 15 — Aulacizes insistans, 16 — Aulacizes obsoleta, 17 — Aulacizes quadripunctata, 18 — Cicciana latreillei, 19 — Pseudometopia amblardii, 20 — Stictoscarta sulcicollis, 21 — Tretogonia bergi, 22 — Tretogonia cribata, 23 — Tretogonia dentalis, 24 — Tretogonia notatifrons. Scale: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 25 – 36. Second valvulae of ovipositor, teeth of dorsal margin (lateral view): 25 — Aulacizes basalis, 26 — Aulacizes conspersa, 27 — Aulacizes insistans, 28 — Aulacizes obsoleta, 29 — Aulacizes quadripunctata, 30 — Cicciana latreillei, 31 — Pseudometopia amblardii, 32 — Stictoscarta sulcicollis, 33 — Tretogonia bergi, 34 — Tretogonia cribata, 35 — Tretogonia dentalis, 36 — Tretogonia notatifrons. Scale: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 37 – 48. Second valvulae of ovipositor, apex (lateral view): 37 — Aulacizes basalis, 38 — Aulacizes conspersa, 39 — Aulacizes insistans, 40 — Aulacizes obsoleta, 41 — Aulacizes quadripunctata, 42 — Cicciana latreillei, 43 — Pseudometopia amblardii, 44 — Stictoscarta sulcicollis, 45 — Tretogonia bergi, 46 — Tretogonia cribata, 47 — Tretogonia dentalis, 48 — Tretogonia notatifrons. Scale: 0.1 mm.