Nephus caneparii Fürsch & Uygun, 1980

Nephus caneparii Fürsch & Uygun, 1980

( Figs 3a–j)

Nephus caneparii Fürsch & Uygun, 1980: 109 .

Nephus ( Nephus) caneparii : Kovář 2007: 580.

Material examined. Pakistan, Punjab, Chakwal, Khajula, 32°55’15” N, 72°51’59” E, 484 m, 2♂♂, 3♀♀, 28.x.2015, leg. Z. Iqbal ( PMAS – AAUR); GoogleMaps Khajula Dam Area , 32°45’18” N, 72°59’5” E, 785m, 1♂, 1♀, 28.x.2015, leg. Z. Iqbal ( PMAS – AAUR); GoogleMaps Kallar Kahar , 32°46’6” N, 72°41’58” E, 787 m, 2♂♂, 3♀♀, 11.iv.2017, GoogleMaps 2♂♂, 2♀♀, 20.viii.2017, 6♂♂, 9♀♀, 7.ix.2017, leg. Z. Iqbal ( PMAS – AAUR) .

Diagnosis. Nephus caneparii can be easily distinguished from other Pakistani congeners by its large irregular yellowish maculae covering almost the whole surface of elytra ( Fig. 3a), the shape of apical part of penis is also diagnostic ( Fig. 3f).

Description. TL: 1.96–2.07 mm; TW: 1.53–1.55 mm; TH: 0.85–0.95 mm; EL/TW: 0.90–1.10; TL/TW: 1.27– 1.35; HW/PW: 0.62–0.68; PL/PW: 0.50–0.51.

Body broadly oval and moderately convex, dorsum with dense white pubescence ( Fig. 3a); head, mouthparts, and antennae yellow-brown ( Fig. 3b); pronotum reddish brown; elytra reddish brown or black, with large C-shaped yellow to yellow-brown marks, elytral apices brown ( Fig. 3a); antennae composed of 11 antennomeres, scape and pedicel almost entirely fused ( Fig. 3d); abdominal postcoxal line incomplete laterally, parallel to posterior line of ventrite 1, not curved at lateral margin ( Fig. 3c).

Male genitalia ( Figs 3e–h). Penis long; penis capsule inner arm distinctly longer than outer one ( Fig. 3e); apex of the penis with a hook-shaped projection on the inner side at 1/6 th apical length, tip flattened with long and short hair–like appendages ( Figs 3e–f); tegmen with penis guide in lateral view ( Fig. 3g) projected at 3/5 of basal length, and 2/5 of its length abruptly curved into arc, then gradually narrower toward the pointed tip; penis guide in inner view with broader at base then tapering toward apex; parameres slightly shorter than penis guide ( Fig. 3h).

Female genitalia ( Figs 3i–j). Ovipositor with coxites elongate subtriangular, styli present; spermatheca vermiform, with tubular cornu, without clearly defined nodulus or ramus; infundibulum absent.

Prey. During the current study, it feeds on Euphyllura sp. ( Hemiptera : Psyllidae ) (First record for this prey).

Associated plants. Collected from the Lamiales : Oleaceae : Olea europaea Linnaeus and O. ferruginea Royle.

Distribution. Pakistan: Punjab: Chakwal (current study); Turkey ( Kovář 2007); Iran ( Fürsch & Uygun 1980). A new species record for Pakistan.

Remarks. Nephus caneparii was originally described and illustrated by Fürsch & Uygun (1980) from Iran. It is rarely collected in Pakistan and appears host-specific to Euphyllura sp. on olive trees.