Dutrapona, Gonçalves & Takiya, 2024

Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa & Takiya, Daniela Maeda, 2024, Dutrapona, a new genus and three new species of Gyponini (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Central and South America, Zootaxa 5497 (1), pp. 100-110 : 101-102

Dutrapona gen. nov.

( Figs 1 –45)

Type species. Dutrapona tenuis sp. nov.

Diagnosis Medium to large-sized flattened leafhoppers ( Figs 1 –6). Crown ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ) moderately produced anterad; anterior margin rounded and projected over anterior margins of eyes; surface flat with oblique striations; ocelli ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ) closer to midline and posterior margin of crown. Face (Figs 8, 21, 34) wider than long; frons with surface just below crown-face transition excavated; antennal ledge completely fused to anterior margin of the crown; maxillary plates very narrow, not produced ventrally as far as clypeus apex. Head, in lateral view (Figs 9, 22, 35), with crown-face transition distinct, slender, and foliaceous, with two narrowly separated carinae. Forewing (Figs 10, 23, 36) with appendix very narrow. Metatibia row AD without intercalary setae. Male sternite VIII (Figs 11, 24, 37) subtriangular, longer than wide; without median carina. Male pygofer (Figs 13–14, 26–27, 39–40) with a pair of small denticulated caudoventral processes. Connective (Figs 16, 29, 42) Y-shaped. Style (Figs 17, 30, 43) with blade long, apex acute. Aedeagus (Figs 18–19, 31–32, 44–45) with shaft long and tubular, with a pair of long and slender basilateral processes.

Coloration. Green in life and yellow when preserved, without maculae.

Description. Medium to large-sized flattened leafhoppers (11–18 mm). Head, in dorsal view ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ), slightly narrower than pronotum; transocular width eight-ninths of pronotal humeral width; crown moderately produced anterad, median length about two-thirds of interocular width, anterior margin rounded and projected over anterior margins of eyes; surface flat with fine and oblique striations between eyes and ocelli, extending to anterior margin of crown; ocelli closer to midline and posterior margin of crown; coronal suture distinct. Head, in ventral view (Figs 8, 21, 34), face wider than long; frontogenal suture distant from eye margin by antennal scape diameter, extending dorsally to anterior margin of crown; antennal ledge completely fused to anterior margin of the crown; frons excavated below anterior margin of crown, approximately 1.6 times longer than wide; epistomal suture indistinct; maxillary plates very narrow, not produced ventrally as far as clypeus apex; gena with ventrolateral margins approximately straight; clypeus about 1.5 times longer than its maximum width, lateral margins and apex straight. Head, in lateral view (Figs 9, 22, 35), crown-face transition distinct, slender, and foliaceous, with two narrowly separate carinae; frons and clypeus not inflated. Pronotum, in dorsal view ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ), with transverse striae on disc and posterior third; anterior margin straight; lateral margins straight and slightly convergent anterad, slightly longer than eye length; posterior margin slightly excavated; in lateral view (Figs 9, 22, 35), rounded and moderately declivous anteriorly; head and pronotum in continuous slope. Mesonotum, in dorsal view ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ), visible portion wider than long. Scutellum, in lateral view (Figs 2, 4, 6), flat. Forewing (Figs 10, 23, 36) semihyaline; approximately 4 times longer than maximum width; venation distinct, reticulated or not; crossvein m-cu 1 closer to RM bifurcation than to crossvein m-cu 2; first apical cell, when distinct, narrow, and elongated; appendix very narrow; apex rounded or acutely rounded. Profemur, about 4.5 times longer than high; AD, AM, and PD rows reduced and poorly defined, except for apical setae AD 1, AM 1 and PD 1, respectively; AV row with 2–3 spaced setae at basal third; PV row with 4–6 setae along femur length; IC row formed by slightly arched comb of fine setae, from distal half of femur. Protibia with dorsal surface slightly concave; AD row formed by short setae along the entire tibia length; AV row with short, thin setae that increase in size towards apex, apical setae shorter than diameter of protibia; PD row with 6-10 setae; PV row formed by 4–6 short setae, absent at basal third. Metafemur with setal formula 2:2:1. Metatibia with AD row formed by approximately 13 macrosetae without intercalary setae; AV, PD, and PV formed by approximately 21–22, 24–28, and 50–55 macrosetae respectively; PV row along entire tibia, apical half with one thicker longer seta every 4–6 shorter thinner setae. Metatarsomere I with two rows of short setae, base not cucullate; pecten with 3–5 platellae flanked by one inner and one outer tapered seta. Metatarsomere II pecten with 2–3 platellae, flanked by two inner and one outer tapered seta.

Male terminalia. Sternite VIII (Figs 11, 24, 37) subtriangular, longer than wide; lateral margins converging towards apex; almost completely covering subgenital plates; without median carina. Valve, in ventral view (Figs 12, 25, 38), trapezoid; integument thickening present on anterior margin. Pygofer (Figs 13–14, 26–27, 39–40) with pair of small denticulated caudoventral processes; numerous macrosetae distributed at dorsal half of apical third; long hair-like setae may be present at ventromedian portion. Subgenital plate (Figs 13, 26, 39) short, generally extending to midlength of pygofer; in ventral view (Figs 15, 28, 41), subtriangular or ligulate, ventral surface covered by several short or long hair-like setae. Connective (Figs 16, 29, 42) Y-shaped; dorsal keel absent. Style, in dorsal view (Figs 16, 29, 42), Z-shaped; basal portion of blade strongly curved inwardly; outer lobe reduced; in lateral view (Figs 17, 30, 43), blade long and straight, compressed laterally; apex acute and curved dorsally. Aedeagus (Figs 18–19, 31–32, 44–45) with dorsal apodeme well developed and expanded laterally, without processes; preatrium short; shaft long and tubular with a pair of long and slender basilateral processes; apex weakly sclerotized, dorsally emarginated; gonopore subapical and ventral.Anal tube (Figs 13–14, 26–27, 39–40) membranous and short, covered by pygofer lobes apices.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.

Etymology. The generic name is feminine and is a tribute to Dr. José Alfredo Pinheiro Dutra, founder of the Entomology laboratory at the Biology Institute of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and one of the Brazilian pioneers in the study of leafhoppers, describing more than 15 new species of leafhoppers. The generic name combines his surname with - pona, a common suffix used for generic names in this tribe.

Notes. Dutrapona gen. nov. resembles genera of the Hecalapona complex proposed by Freytag (2022) by sharing the following characteristics: green color (in life) and yellow (preserved) without maculae ( Figs 1 –6); body dorsoventrally flattened (Figs 2, 4, 6); crown moderately produced with anterior margin rounded and projected over anterior margins of eyes ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ); crown-face transition distinct and thin (Figs 9, 22, 35); maxillary plates narrow and not extending to clypeus apex (Figs 8, 21, 34); and forewing with narrow appendix (Figs 10, 23, 36). However, Dutrapona gen. nov. differs from other genera of the Hecalapona complex by its size, because species of the Hecalapona complex rarely exceed 10 mm in length, while species of Dutrapona gen. nov. measure 11–18 mm. Furthermore, in species of the Hecalapona complex ocelli are equidistant between midline and respective inner margin of eye and closer to the anterior margin of the crown or equidistant between the anterior and posterior margins, whereas in species of Dutrapona gen. nov. ocelli are closer to the midline and posterior margin of the crown ( Figs 7 , 20 , 33 ). Finally, in species of the Hecalapona complex, in general, the male sternite VIII has a ventral median carina, while in species of Dutrapona gen. nov. this carina is absent (Figs 11, 24, 37).

Figures

FIGURES 1─6. Dutrapona gen. nov. habitus of type specimens, dorsal and lateral view respectively. 1─2 Dutrapona reticulata sp. nov. male holotype (MEPN). 3─4 Dutrapona tenuis sp. nov. male holotype (MNCR). 5─6 Dutrapona zahniseri sp. nov. male holotype (NMNH). Scale bars = 2 mm.

FIGURES 7─19. Dutrapona reticulata sp. nov. male holotype (MEPN). 7, head and thorax, dorsal view. 8, head and thorax, ventral view. 9, head and thorax, lateral view. 10, forewing. 11, sternite VIII, ventral view. 12, valve, ventral view. 13, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, lateral view. 14, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, posterior view, with detail of caudoventral process. 15, subgenital plate, ventral view. 16, styles and connective, dorsal view. 17, style, lateral view. 18, aedeagus, lateral view. 19, aedeagus, posterior view.

FIGURES 20─32. Dutrapona tenuis sp. nov. male holotype (MNCR). 20, head and thorax, dorsal view. 21, head and thorax, ventral view. 22, head and thorax, lateral view. 23, forewing. 24, sternite VIII, ventral view. 25, valve, ventral view. 26, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, lateral view. 27, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, posterior view, with detail of caudoventral process. 28, subgenital plate, ventral view. 29, styles and connective, dorsal view. 30, style, lateral view. 31, aedeagus, lateral view. 32, aedeagus, posterior view.

FIGURES 33─45. Dutrapona zahniseri sp. nov. male holotype (NMNH). 33, head and thorax, dorsal view. 34, head and thorax, ventral view. 35, head and thorax, lateral view. 36, forewing. 37, sternite VIII, ventral view. 38, valve, ventral view. 39, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, lateral view. 40, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, posterior view, with detail of caudoventral process. 41, subgenital plate, ventral view. 42, styles and connective, dorsal view. 43, style, lateral view. 44, aedeagus, lateral view. 45, aedeagus, posterior view.