Cladonota (Lecythifera) crucifixa Gálvez and Flynn, 2021

Flynn, Dawn J. & Gálvez, Juan Enrique Benítez, 2021, A new treehopper species of Cladonota (Stål) (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Membracinae: Hypsoprorini) from Mexico, Zootaxa 4948 (4), pp. 569-574 : 570-572

Cladonota (Lecythifera) crucifixa Gálvez and Flynn , n. sp.

( Figs. 1–3 , 5–8 )

Diagnosis. The intermediate pronotal process of Cladonota crucifixa resembles a diagonal crucifix ( Figs. 1–3 ). It is very similar to the female of C. hoffmanni ( Fig.4 ). See Discussion below for detailed comparison.

Dimensions (mm.). Total length from metopidium to forewing apex ♂ 7.1, ♀ 8.2; length from metopidium to basal tip of posterior process ♂ 7.0, ♀ 7.9; length from metopidium to tip of abdomen ♂ 4.4, ♀ 4.8; width between humeral angles ♂ 2.1, ♀ 2.3; head width across eyes ♂ 1.5, ♀ 1.8; length of forewing ♂ 6.2, ♀ 7.1; maximum width of forewing ♂ 1.7, ♀ 2.3.

Male Holotype. Head. Nearly covered entirely with greyish-white waxlike layer, exposing small dark chestnut head areas near the ocelli (amount of waxlike covering variable among paratypes); ocelli closer to eyes than each other and above a centro-ocular line; head covered with fine dots and short curved yellowish-ochre hairs; supra-antennal lobes long, sub-parallel to clypeus, rounded at apex, with clypeus exceeding beyond apex of supra-antennal lobes by greater than one-third it’s length; clypeus twice as long than maximum width, end truncated, rounded, and pilose. Thorax: Metopidium area above basal line between the eyes expanded, distinct, dark ochre-brown, ridgelike, extending one-quarter up the anterior pronotal process with remainder of anterior pronotal process lighter ochre-brown ( Fig. 7 ). Sunken area above humeral angles with curved setae. Humeral angles not produced. Dorsal carina percurrent with row of silk setae along entire length. Surface of intermediate process and posterior process cancellate-reticulate. Slightly compressed anterior pronotal process arched forward, then recurved toward intermediate process, sinuate in middle, ending in expanded dark oblong, bulbous tip with slight distal ‘V’ notch. Diagonal crucifix-shaped intermediate pronotal process with four extensions on dorsal and ventral edges, extending anteriorly along intermediate pronotal process axis ( Fig. 1 ): first anterior extension hump-like with expanded base; second on anterior edge extension oblong and uniform; third extension on posterior edge wide and oblong; fourth extension on end large and round. Slightly arched posterior process extends to large, vertically rounded oblong tip, exceeding apex of abdomen and attaining end of terminal apical forewing cell. Forewing ( Fig. 8 ): costal region dark brown, sclerotized with cross-linking of squares and pentagons in entire subcostal cell; central wing cells clear and amber; hyaline at claval suture; apical limbus wide and amber.

Female. Similar to male with following differences: tip of female intermediate process (Figs. 2,3) more elongate, less rounded in male ( Fig. 1 ); tip of female anterior pronotal process amber ( Fig. 2 ), dark brown in male ( Fig. 1 ); red above humeral angles ( Fig. 5 ); forewing of female uniformly amber ( Fig. 2 ), in male dark brown in costal region, amber elsewhere (Figs. 1,8).

Etymology: The species epithet crucifixa is named for the intermediate pronotal process which resembles a diagonal crucifix (Latin from cruci fixus meaning ‘one fixed to a cross’).

Distribution. Known only from Mexico.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE 1♂ and 1♀ Paratype ( UNAM): MÉXICO, Puebla, Izúcar de Matam- oros, Cerro el Casahuate San Carlos Buenavista, 20-VII-1990, 1444 meters, col. Juan E.B. Gálvez, 18°29′13″N, 98°30′37.60″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860) . With additional red holotype label, “HOLO- TYPE/ Cladonota crucifixa / Gálvez and Flynn” .

PARATYPES: 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ ( DJFC), MEXICO, Puebla, Izúcar de Matamoros , Cerro el Casahuate San Carlos Buenavista, 17-VII-1996, 1433 meters, col. Juan Enrique Benítez Gálvez, 18 °29′17.26″N, 98°30′42.55″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860) ; 1♂, 1♀ ( ALVC), MEXICO, Puebla, Izúcar de Matamoros , Cerro el Casahuate San Carlos Buenavista, 17-VII-1996, 1433 meters, col. Juan E.B. Gálvez, 18°29′17.26″N, 98°30′42.55 ″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860) ; 13 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, and 2 nymphs ( EBGC), same label data as holotype ; 5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ ( EBGC) MEXICO, Puebla, Izúcar de Matamoros , Cerro el Casahuate San Carlos Buenavista, 17-VII-1996, 1433 meters, col. Juan Enrique Benítez Gálvez, 18 °29′17.26″N, 98°30′42.55″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860) ; 3 ♀♀ ( EBGC) MEXICO, Puebla, Huaquechula, Huaquechula, 12-X-2013, 1784 me- ters, col. Juan Enrique Benítez Gálvez, 18°29′17.26″N 98°30′42.55″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860; 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀ ( EBGC) MEXICO, Puebla, Huaquechula, Huaquechula, 9-XI-2013, 1750 meters, col. Juan Enrique Benítez Gálvez, 18°46′39.67″N, 98°34′01.36″W, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860; 1 ♂ ( EBGC) MEXICO, Puebla, Tehuitzingo, San Francisco de Asis , 31-VIII-2006, 1060 meters, 18°26′30″N, 98°17′20″W, col. Juan Enrique Benítez Gálvez, host plant Euphorbia slechtendalii (Boissier 1860.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. 1–3, Cladonota crucifixa sp. nov. lateral view of male holotype (UNAM) and two females, respectively; 4, Cladonota hoffmanni (Peláez) female lateral view.

FIGURES 5–8. Cladonota crucifixa sp. nov., 5, female (in situ); 6, male (in situ); 7, (male holotype, UNAM): frontal view, 8, forewing.