Amblyscarta unifasciata ( Fabricius, 1803 ) Mejdalani & Domahovski & Cavichioli, 2019

Mejdalani, Gabriel, Domahovski, Alexandre C. & Cavichioli, Rodney R., 2019, Three new Brazilian species of the sharpshooter genus Amblyscarta Stål, 1869 and redescription of A. unifasciata (Fabricius, 1803) comb. nov. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), Zootaxa 4711 (2), pp. 379-392 : 388-391

Amblyscarta unifasciata ( Fabricius, 1803) comb. nov.

( Figs 51–65 )

Total length (mm). Male 8.8; female 8.6–9.2.

Color ( Figs 51–53 , 65 ). Crown and pronotum orange; crown with two dark brown to black median spots, one at transition to frons and another, larger, at posterior margin; pronotum with anterior margin dark brown to black, irregular small dark brown to black markings on anterior portion, distal third of disk with transverse, transhumeral dark brown stripe (narrowed laterally), narrow area behind this stripe yellowish-blue. Mesonotum brown with small yellow markings, its lateral margins and apex mostly yellow. Ground color of forewing dark brown; basal portion (up to scutellum apex) with small blue spots; transverse, complete transcommissural whitish-blue stripe at level of apical portion of clavus. Face mostly orange; frons with pair of brown stripes on muscle impressions; median portion of clypeus suffused with brown. Legs yellow with brown or dark brown portions.

Male terminalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 54 ), in lateral view, moderately produced posteriorly; posterior margin truncate; without processes; macrosetae distributed mostly on middle third of disk and more ventrally on basal third. Aedeagus ( Figs 55, 56 ) symmetrical; shaft, in lateral view, expanded towards apex; distal half with pair of oblique flanges directed dorsally, forming small apical processes, and pair of smaller ventral flanges; gonopore located apically. Remaining parts of male terminalia, unfortunately, missing from only available male.

Female terminalia. Sternite VII ( Figs 57, 58 ), in ventral view, with rounded projection on posterior margin. “Internal” sternite VIII without distinct sclerites. Pygofer ( Figs 57, 58 ), in lateral view, moderately produced posteriorly; posterior margin narrowly rounded; macrosetae distributed on posterior portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin. Valvifer I ( Fig. 59 ), in lateral view, subtriangular. Valvula I ( Figs 59, 60 ), in lateral view, with acute apex; dorsal sculptured area extending from basal portion to apex of blade, strigate; ventral sculptured area restricted to apical portion, strigate; ventral interlocking device distinct along basiventral half of blade; in ventral view, basal portion of valvula I expanded outwards. Valvula II ( Figs 61–63 ), in lateral view, expanded beyond basal curvature; dorsal margin convex, bearing about 20 teeth; basal portion of most teeth projected dorsally, their posterior portion flat, apical teeth triangular; denticles distributed on teeth and on dorsal and ventral apical portions of blade (ventral denticulate apical portion longer than dorsal portion); preapical prominence distinct; apex obtuse; valvula with ducts extending towards teeth and apex. Gonoplac ( Fig. 64 ) of the usual Cicadellinae type: in lateral view, with basal half narrow; apical half expanded, gradually narrowing towards apex; latter obtuse; tiny denticuli on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin.

Material examined. 1♀, “ GUYANA: \ Courantyne Rv. [River] \ Frederick \ Willian IV Falls ”; “C.A. Hutson , \ iii.1936 \ B.M. 1978-55.” ( DZUP) ; 1♀, “ Camoudi 24-7-1997 \ Gap size MEDIUM \ Quadrat No G12 (3) \ Seed- lings/Saplings”; “Hand collecting/beating \ Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ E. Charles Coll. ” ( MNRJ) ; 1♀, “ Camoudi 3-10-1997 \ Gap size LARGE \ Quadrat No G13 (2) \ Seedlings/Saplings”; “Hand collecting/beating \ Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ E. Charles Coll. ” ( DZUP) ; 1♂, “ Camoudi 4-8-1997 \ Gap size MEDIUM \ Quadrat No J4 \ Seedl/Sapi/ Tree”; “Hand collecting/beating \ Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ E. Charles Coll. ” ( DZUP) ; 1♀, “ Hand collecting/beat- ing \ Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ E. Charles Coll. ”; “ Camoudi 24-4-1997 \ Gap size LARGE \ Quadrat No O7 18 \ Seedlings/Saplings” ( DZUP) ; 1♀, “ CICA 012 \ Eperua rubiginosa \ Camoudi 8/7/1997 ”; “Hand collecting/beating \ Station 882 \ Seedl/Sapi/Tree”; “Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ Y. Basset, Coll.” ( MNRJ) ; 1♀, “ CICA 012 \ Eperua ru- biginosa \ Camoudi 28/5/1996 ”; “Hand collecting/beating \ Station 882 \ Seedl/Sapi/Tree”; “Mabura Hill \ GUYANA \ Y. Basset, Coll.” ( DZRJ) ; 1♀, “ Serra Lombard \ Limão \ 27-8 [VIII] -1961 \ Brasil, AP [Amapá] \ J. & B. Bechyné ” ( DZUP) ; 1♀, “ SERRA do NAVIO \ Terr. [ Território ] Amapá BRASIL \ X-1957 \ J. Lane leg.”; “COLEÇÃO \ J. LANE ” ( DZUP) ; 1♀, “2826”; “ Reserva Ducke \ Mn. [ Manaus ] Am. [Amazonas] Brasil \ Da- 14/08/69 \ Col-A. Faustino” ( INPA) ; 1♀, “ BRAZIL: Amazonas \ Manaus, 1 km W Taruma [Tarumã] \ Falls , 2.III.1981 \ 100m C. Young ” ( MPEG) ; 1♀, “ Brasil Pará \ Mun. [Município] Benevides \ PA-408 Km 06 \ 09/XII/1983 \ L.B. Albuquerque ” ( MPEG) ; 1♀, “ Brasil Pará Tucuruí \ Rio Tocantins \ Jacundá \ 15-V-1984 ”; “ Brasil Pará \ W. Frango ” ( DZUP) .

Remarks. Amblyscarta unifasciata comb. nov. can be easily recognized by the forewing with small blue spots at the basal portion (up to scutellum apex) and with a transverse, complete transcommissural whitish-blue stripe at the level of the apical portion of the clavus ( Figs 51, 52 , 65 , the last one from the female lectotype designated by Young 1965). The orange color of the crown and pronotum ( Figs 51, 52 ), ocelli located distinctly behind the anterior eye angles ( Fig. 51 ), and the aedeagus expanded towards the apex and with flanges ( Fig. 55 ) clearly indicate that this species belongs in Amblyscarta , which is thus the senior synonym of Strictogonia . Amblyscarta unifasciata is recorded from Guyana, French Guiana, and Amapá, Amazonas and Pará states in Brazil ( Melichar 1926, Metcalf 1965, Wilson et al. 1999, present paper).

Figures

FIGURE 65. Female lectotype of Cicada unifasciata Fabricius, 1803 (designated by Young 1965).

FIGURES 51–56. Amblyscarta unifasciata (Fabricius, 1803) comb. nov., male. 51. Body, dorsal view. 52. Body, lateral view. 53. Face, frontal view. 54. Pygofer, lateral view. 55. Aedeagus, lateral view. 56. Aedeagus, ventral view.

FIGURES 57–64. Amblyscarta unifasciata (Fabricius, 1803) comb. nov., female. 57. Distal portion of abdomen, ventral view. 58. Distal portion of abdomen, lateral view. 59. First valvifer and first valvula, lateral view. 60. Apical portion of first valvula. 61–63. Second valvula. 61. Lateral view. 62. Teeth at median portion. 63. Apical portion. 64. Second valvifer and gonoplac, lateral view.