Dicyphus hyalinipennis

Dicyphus hyalinipennis (Burmeister, 1835)

Figures 4, 8, 11

Phytocoris hyalinipennis Burmeister, 1835: 268.

Material examined. ARMENIA: Yerevan, 1♀ 4 VI 1931, V. Popov, 1♀ 3 IV 1935, Richter, 1♀ 5 VII 1935, Ter-Minasyan and Richter, 1♀ 22 V 1938, ffi 201-938, unknown collector. Yerevan, Nubarashen, 1♀ 26 V 1938, ffi 201-938, unknown collector. Yerevan, Avan-Dervezh-Nork, 3♀ 3♂ 8 XI 1939, Richter. Syunik Prov., Merginsky distr., Vargavar, 1♂ 15 VI 1953, Tryapitsyn. Syunik Prov., Merginsky distr., Lichkvaz, 2♂ 17 V 1958, Zaitsev. Syunik Prov., Merginsky distr., Lichk, 1♂ 20 VI 1953, Tryapitsyn, 1♀ 9 VI 1955, Loginova. AZERBAIJAN: Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Ordubad distr., Akulis [Ashaghy Aylis], 1♀ 30 V 1957, Tryapitsyn. Talysh Mts, Lerik distr., Lyalyakyaran, 1♂ 16 V 1909, Kiritshenko. RUSSIA: Krasnodar Terr.: Krasnodar, 1♀ 2 VIII 1939, 5♀ 2♂ 25 VIII 1939, 4♀ 1♂ 30 IX 1939, Rysakov. Ekaterinodar [Krasnodar], 5♀ 4♂, X 1926, Telenga. Abinsky distr., Kholmskaya, 2♀ 8 V 1933, Rysakov. Seversky distr., Ilsky, 1♀ 29 VIII 1995, Neimorovets. St. Kubanskaya near Armavir [Novokubansk], 1♂ 5-8 VII 1934, 3♂ 8 VII 1934, 3♂ 27-28 VII 1935, G. Zimin.

Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination of characters: total body length macropterous male 4.1– 4.6, brachypterous male 3.5–3.8, macropterous female 4.5–4.8, brachypterous female 3.2–3.5; head and pronotum usually strongly darkened; antennal segments I and II sandy brown to orange, basally and apically darkened, segment II less than 1.4 X as long as basal width of pronotum; length of pronotum behind calli in macropterous specimens 1.6–1.9 X as long as calli length; hemelytron usually with two brown spots along apex of corium and darkened apex of cuneus (Fig. 4); left paramere comparatively thick and short with strongly curved extreme apex and comparatively wide, posteriorly rounded dorsal crest (Fig. 11).

This species is similar to D. stachydis in the general appearance but generally darker, with apical process of the left paramere almost straight, not curved at extreme apex and dorsal crest abruptly terminating basally, step-shaped. Sanchez and Cassis (2018) documented distinctions of D. hyalinipennis and D. stachydis in the shape of a pair of aedeagal sclerites, asymmetrical in the former species and symmetrical, weakly arcuate in the latter. (Sanchez & Cassis 2018: figs. 14A, 31C).

Distribution. Dicyphus hyalinipennis is known from the Mediterranean region and Central Europe, east to Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iraq (Kerzhner & Josifov 1999). In the South Caucasus, the species was reported from the Talysh Mts. of Azerbaijan (Gidayatov 1967). Based on the material retained at the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (ZISP), here we provide the first record of D. hyalinipennis from Armenia. In the North Caucasus, this species was recently reported from Krasnodar Terr. (Neimorovets 2003, 2010: Kholmskaya, Krasnodar, Novokubansk, Markotkh Mts. Ridge) and so far, unknown elsewhere.

Host and habitat. Gidayatov (1967) sampled this species from tobacco and tomato fields in Azerbaijan. Ceglarska (1999) studied predation capacity of this species feeding on whitefly pest Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood, 1856) in Hungarian greenhouses with tomato and indicated Dicyphus hyalinipennis as a promising biological control agent.