FEMALE GENITALIA AND COPULATION OF THE PLANTHOPPER HYALESTHES OBSOLETUS SIGNORET (HEMIPTERA, FULGOROMORPHA, CIXIIDAE)

Female genitalia morphology in the cixiid genus Hyalesthes - with a sh ort ovipositor-is described in comparison with another long ovipositor cixiid genus Cixius. In Hyalesthes, gonocoxal structures and not only gonapophysian ones are reduced. The circular sclerotized ornamentatio ns of the bursa copulatrix wall, widely distributed in the Fulgoromorp ha, seem to be linked to glandular units. Dissection of Hyalesthes obs oletus Signoret in copula shows that not only the aedeagus and the per iandrium are inserted into the vagina but also the left lateral proces s of the pygofer.