Pariaconus pele Percy

Percy, Diana M., 2017, Making the most of your host: the Metrosideros-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Hawaiian Islands, ZooKeys 649, pp. 1-163 : 82-84

Pariaconus pele Percy sp. n. Figures 42, 43, 52 K–N, X–BB

Adult colour.

General body colour dark brown to red-brown, the head and genal processes are often darker or black. Females often appear to have a dark abdomen due to darkly pigmented egg load. Fore wing membrane clear, or slightly fuscous.

Adult structure.

Fore wing apex rounded; spinules distributed in all cells, except few or none in r1; medium-short setae on margins and veins (Fig. 42 A–B). Antennae medium-long (av. length 0.99; ratio AL:HW av. 1.79); genal processes variable medium-long (common form) to long (Kohala form) (ratio VL:GP av. 1.52), bluntly acute to acute; medium-short to short setae on vertex and thorax; distal proboscis segment short (av. length 0.09); hind tibia length subequal to head width (ratio HW:HT av. 1.07) (Fig. 42 C–J). Male terminalia (Fig. 43 A–G): paramere length subequal to proctiger (ratio MP:PL av. 1.01), broader at the base and tapering gradually to apex with anteriorly directed hook; distal aedeagus segment length subequal to paramere (ratio PL:AEL av. 1.07) with base rounded, slightly inflated, and a large hooked apex (ratio AEL:AELH av. 2.30). Female terminalia (Fig. 43 J–M): proctiger medium-long (common form, f. pele ) to short (Kohala form, f. kohalensis ), dorsal surface slightly to moderately convex, with or without medial depression, apex bluntly acute, anal ring medium-short (ratio FP:RL av. 4.23); subgenital plate with slight to moderate medial bulge ventrally, acute apically; ovipositor apex lacking serrations, valvulae dorsalis moderately convex dorsally.

Egg.

Short, broad (almost circular in Kohala form), pigmented brown to dark brown (except tip of pedicel and tail) with surface microsculpturing, medium-long pedicel with slightly inflated tip, tail extremely short or absent (Fig. 43 H–I).

Immature.

Colour and structure: 5th instar: Cream to orange. Elongate ovoid in outline, wing buds protruding with moderate humeral lobes (Fig. 52K). Tarsi with large claws. Circumanal ring small (CPW:RW av. 23.67), u-shaped with a mostly single row of sometimes interrupted cells (Fig. 52 K–L). 1st instar dorsal surface scaly. Chaetotaxy: 5th instar: Head, thorax and abdomen with scattered long to medium-long simple setae, sometimes with clusters of stouter simple setae on the abdomen (Fig. 52K, M). 1st instar (Fig. 52N): Setal arrangement similar to Pariaconus ohiacola but with marginal sectasetae narrow and blunt as in Pariaconus oahuensis (anterior of head with 4-5 pairs, a single pair post ocular, a single pair of sectasetae on the apices of each wing bud, and the abdomen with 7-8 pairs).

Host plant notes.

Known from both glabrous and pubescent morphotypes, but mostly associated with glabrous and semi-pubescent forms.

Island.

Hawaii.

Distribution notes.

The most common species on Hawaii. In addition to a distinct form “Kohala” only known from the Kohala region, within the “common” form there are two groups both of which are widespread: group 1 includes distinct populations from Kona Hema (south west), Kohala (north east), Saddle Rd (central), and Hualalai (north west); group 2 is more mixed with individuals from south, central, east and west, but not from Kohala.

Biology.

Makes flat galls on leaves (Fig. 52 X–BB), galls often have a small depression or raised plug in the centre (Fig. 52 Z–AA). Galls open typically on the lower leaf surface either by irregular cracking, or more rarely by a circular suture around the margin of the gall (Fig. 52 Y–BB). This species often co-occurs with Pariaconus hawaiiensis (e.g. Fig. 4I) and/or Pariaconus pyramidalis (e.g. Fig. 52 X–Y).

Etymology.

Named after Pele, the volcano and fire goddess in Hawaiian mythology (noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition to the generic name).

Comments.

Two forms are recognized (Figs 42-43): form pele (based on the type, is the most common form, generally smaller with slightly shorter genae, longer paramere and longer female terminalia, the egg is more ovoid), and form kohalensis (slightly longer genae, shorter paramere and shorter female terminalia, the egg is almost round and the pedicel shorter). Comparison of paramere shape and size is illustrated in Fig. 43G.

Type material.

Holotype male (slide mounted, BMNH). See Table 2 for details of type and other material examined for this study.