On the morphology and preparation of male genitalia in the Fulgoridae - the Southeast Asian genus Penthicodes (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Fulgoridae)

摘要

In many insects, the male genitalia are widely used for taxonomic purposes as they have a sufficiently complex structure possessing many species- or taxon-specific characters. In Fulgoridae, a poor understanding of the structure of the external male genitalia has so far largely prevented their use in systematics. The preparation method described here allows the study of fulgorid genitalia by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) providing an extremely detailed view of genital characters. The homologies of these characters in various fulgorid taxa can thus be assessed for the first time. Using our novel method on species of the genus Penthicodes Blanchard, 1845, which is widespread in Southeast Asia with 12 described species, we also discuss the utility of male genital characters for species delimitation in fulgorids. ((c) 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)