Tretogonia elegantula, Mejdalani & Domahovski & Rendón-Mera & Cavichioli, 2019

Mejdalani, Gabriel, Domahovski, Alexandre C., Rendón-Mera, Diana I. & Cavichioli, Rodney R., 2019, Tretogonia Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini): two new species from South Brazil and a redescription of T. dentalis Emmrich, 1988, European Journal of Taxonomy 513, pp. 1-14 : 6-9

Tretogonia elegantula sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:095C1480-94C1-4F50-9D3A-D665A64CC627

Figs 10–25

Diagnosis

Dorsum brown with contrasting beige markings on posterior region of crown, anterior half of pronotum, scutellum and forewing (larger spot on basal portion of corium and smaller one at bases of outer and median anteapical cells) ( Figs 10–11 ); style with apophysis forming large apical lobe ( Fig. 16 ).

Etymology

The specific epithet, ʻ elegantula ʼ, refers to the peculiar, distinctive beige markings of the new species ( Figs 10–11 ).

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL • ♂; “ Brasil, Paraná, Tibagi / P. [Parque] E. [Estadual] do Guartelá, 1000m / 24º33′47″S 50 º15′26″W / 23–24.II.2017 Sweep / A.C. Domahovski leg.”; DZUP 215386 .

Paratypes

BRAZIL • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; MNRJ • 1 ♂; “ Brasil, Paraná, Parque / Estadual de Vila Velha / 25º14′S 45º59′W / 16.I.2004 G. Melo & / R. Gonçalves ”; MNRJ • 1 ♀; “ BRASIL, Paraná, Parque / Estadual de Vila Velha / 25º13′5,0″S 50º2′26,9″W / Malaise 1 23. X.2000 / PROVIVE ”; DZUP 215387 .

Type locality

Tibagi (Parque Estadual do Guartelá), Paraná, South Brazil.

Measurements

Body length: holotype (♂) 9.6 mm; male paratypes 9.6–9.8 mm (n = 2); female paratype 10.0 mm.

Description

Male

COLORATION. General coloration ( Figs 10−12 ) brown; body pits with white brochosomes. In dorsal view, head with dark brown to black stripe medially, extending from posterior to anterior margin, distinctly narrower basally and ovate from interocellar area to apex; posterior margin with two narrow beige maculae between coronal suture and inner eye margin, pair of narrow beige stripes between ocelli and inner eye margins. Pronotum with anterior margin narrowly black; anterior half of disk beige, with narrow, transverse irregular black stripe, median line with irregular narrow black stripe, posterior border of beige area black; posterior half of disk uniformly brown. Scutellum mostly beige. Lateral and ventral portions of thorax with small black markings on prothorax and much larger ones on meso- and metathorax, including hind coxa. Forewing with two beige rounded maculae, anterior one larger, margined with dark brown, located between R and claval sulcus; posterior one smaller, with incomplete dark brown margin, located at bases of outer and median anteapical cells; area between beige maculae and basal half of anteapical cells reddish-brown; costal area pale brown; membrane (distal half of anteapical cells and apical cells) pale brown and translucid. Legs with brown, dark brown to black, and beige tonalities; posterior femur with contrasting dark brown and beige areas.

STRUCTURE. Head in dorsal view ( Figs 10−12 ): well produced anteriorly, triangular, median length of crown almost ½ of interocular width and almost 3/10 of transocular width. Other features of head and thorax much as in T. diminuta sp. nov. and in the description of the genus by Young (1968: 166).

TERMINALIA. Pygofer ( Fig. 13 ) moderately produced posteriorly; broadly rounded distally, angulate at apex; with dispersed microsetae and ventroapically with macrosetae; ventral margin with elongate sinuous process originated from basal third, reaching apical margin, apex acute. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 15 ) not fused to its counterpart; triangular; with numerous dispersed microsetae and few macrosetae near apex; dorsal surface with small tooth at median third; plate ( Fig. 13 ) extending as far posteriorly as pygofer apex. Style ( Fig. 16 ) elongate, attaining tooth of plate; extremely expanded apically, forming conspicuous lobe. Connective ( Fig. 16 ) Y-shaped; very short; stalk without median dorsal keel.Aedeagus symmetrical; shaft ( Fig. 17 ) short, straight, without lateral expansions, with dorsal preapical hump; apical region expanded; in ventral view ( Fig. 18 ), shaft somewhat anchor-shaped apically, with pair of preapical short acute processes directed anteriorad.

Female

Externally similar to male but slightly larger (10.0 mm).

TERMINALIA. Sternite VII ( Fig. 19 ) with posterior margin shallowly emarginate, with slight median lobe. Pygofer ( Fig. 20 ) slightly produced posteriorly; posterior margin rounded; surface with small macrosetae mostly near posterior margin and along ventral margin, with scattered microsetae. First valvula ( Fig. 21 ) with dorsal and ventral margins approximately parallel for most of their length beyond basal curvature; apex acute; dorsal sculptured area ( Fig. 22 ) extending from basal portion to apex of blade, strigate; ventral sculptured area ( Fig. 22 ) restricted to apical portion of blade, formed mostly by scale-like processes; ventral interlocking device distinct on basiventral third of blade; in ventral view, basal portion of first valvula not modified or expanded. Second valvula ( Fig. 23 ) expanded beyond basal curvature; preapical prominence inconspicuous; apex obtuse; dorsal margin convex, with about 30 mostly subtriangular teeth; denticles ( Figs 24–25 ) distributed on teeth and on apical portion of blade, except on apex (ventral dentate apical portion slightly longer than dorsal one); blade with ducts extending towards teeth and apical portion (basalmost three teeth without associated ducts). Gonoplac of the usual Cicadellinae type (narrow basally and distinctly expanded apically; apex obtuse; surface with denticuli on apex and extending anteriorly along ventral margin).

Remarks

This new species can be readily distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of features given in the diagnosis. The large forewing beige spots will distinguish T. elegantula sp. nov. from the three species of the genus that are known only from females ( T. albicans , T. conspicua and T. lateritia ). The forewings of T. conspicua have pale spots (see digital images in Wilson et al. 2009), but they are much smaller than those of the new species. As in the case of T. diminuta sp. nov., T. elegantula sp. nov. also keys to couplet six in Young’s monograph due to the absence of basal aedeagal processes ( Young 1968); the same comparative notes provided for T. diminuta sp. nov. apply here because the two new species share the presence of preapical aedeagal processes.

Figures

Figs 10–18. Tretogonia elegantula sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (DZUP 215386). 10. Body, dorsal view. 11. Body, lateral view. 12. Face, frontal view. 13. Valve, pygofer and subgenital plate, lateral view. 14. Pygofer, dorsalview.15.Valve and subgenitalplate, ventralview.16. Connectiveand style,dorsalview. 17. Aedeagus and basal segment of anal tube, lateral view. 18. Aedeagus, ventral view. Scales in mm.

Figs 19–25. Tretogonia elegantula sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (DZUP 215387). 19–20. Distal portion of abdomen (contour of sternite VII highlighted). 19. Ventral view. 20. Lateral view. 21–22. First valvula. 21. General lateral view. 22. Detail of apical portion. 23–25. Second valvula. 23. General lateral view. 24. Detail of median portion. 25. Detail of apical portion. Scales in mm.