Baluba sharkeyi, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, Tribe Teruliini: new genera and new species of Neotropical leafhoppers with a revised key to genera and species, new records and notes on distribution and taxonomy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae), Zootaxa 2795 (1), pp. 1-45 : 11

Baluba sharkeyi sp. nov.

( Plate1C, Figs. 17–24)

Length: male 6.00 mm., female unknown.

External morphology. Medium size, robust species. General color black and yellow; forewing black with small, circular yellow spots on veins, large yellow spot on apex of clavus and middle of costa, apex yellow; mesonotum and pronotum black, minute yellow spots on pronotum; crown yellow with black spot on each side of middle, with attached, continuous narrow line extending basally; eyes translucent ( Plate 1C); face yellow, clypeus with broad black band on anterior margin, suffused black line on lateral margins. Head narrower than pronotum, anterior margin obtusely angulate; crown broad, about as wide as width of eyes, produced anteriorly about ¼ of entire length, distinctly elevated, lateral margins parallel, carinate, foveate on each side of middle; eyes large, semiglobular; pronotum large, longer than median length of crown, surface rugulose; mesonotum large, about twice as long as pronotum; forewings long, broad, 3 anteapical cells present, outer one closed; clypeus elongate, narrow, median longitudinal carina very distinct; clypellus short, about 1/3 as long as clypeus, narrow, lateral margins nearly parallel.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view triangulate with very long attenuated caudorsal process, small lobe below ( Fig. 17); right subgenital plate long, very narrow, pilose over much of surface ( Fig. 18); style long, shorter than aedeagus, apophysis very slender ( Figs. 19, 20); aedeagus long, narrow, tubular throughout with 2 long slen- der subapical processes, directed basad, in lateral view with lateral apical lobe on ventral margin, gonopore medial, exiting laterally, dorsal apodeme poorly developed ( Figs. 21, 22); connective Y-shaped, stem short, lateral arms connected by membrane, medial longitudinal rib apparent, membranous on each side ( Fig.23); dorsal connective long, base broad, tapered distally ( Fig. 24).

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Amazonas , PNN., Amacayacu, Caña Brava, 3º3’S – 70º3’W, 200m., 29 Aug 01–29 Aug 01, M.2236, Red D., Campos ( IAHC).

Etymology. The name is a patronymic for Dr. Michael Sharkey, University of Kentucky for his work on the Colombia leafhopper fauna and providing much material for study.

Remarks. This species is closest to B. acuta and can be distinguished by the prominent, subapical lateral lobe on the aedeagus ( Fig. 22), the long caudodorsal process of the pygofer ( Fig. 17) and the long, narrow subgenital plate ( Fig. 18).