Discolopeus colopeus, Stiller, 2019

Stiller, Michael, 2019, A new leafhopper genus Discolopeus and nine new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) associated with shrubs, trees and poisonous plants in South Africa, Zootaxa 4559 (2), pp. 201-244 : 212-214

Discolopeus colopeus sp.n.

Figs 4 a–j, 5j–l, 19c.

Diagnosis. Crown elongate; with faint light brown markings. Subgenital plate ovate; ratio of length to width 1.70– 2.02. Aedeagal shaft short; base sclerotized, with short, paired tooth directed laterally; straight, tubular; membranous; dorsal apodeme in dorsal view C-shaped; aedeagal process compressed, short, with apex truncate. Style apophysis elongate, digitate. Connective with transverse bar straight, arms short. Pygofer lobe with narrow digitate ventral process.

Etymology. Named in Greek with an adjective and noun in apposition for its short aedeagus, kolos, docked, curtailed, shortened, stunted, and peos, penis for the nature of the shortened aedeagus of this species, thus colopeus . Male, female and nymph. Color. Ochraceous to stramineous ground colour. Light brown wedge-shaped markings on crown, or without markings. Pronotum with few brown to dark brown markings. Tegmina with veins embrowned, discal and claval cells with brown markings, or without markings ( Figs 5 j–l). Nymphs examined were all of similar size. Nymphs with three variable colour forms: 1. Light brown or dark brown longitudinal marking, wide across pronotum, narrowed in thorax, wide basally across abdomen, narrow medially across abdomen and wide subapically across abdomen. 2. Stramineous without longitudinal line. 3. Ochraceous with transverse brown bands, pale distally across thorax, pale medially across abdomen.

Male. Measurements. Overall length 2.80–3.92 mm; crown length 0.48–0.53 mm; crown length next to eye 0.38–0.42 mm; pronotum length 0.36–0.38 mm; head width 1.0 3– 1.10 mm; pronotum width 0.97–1.04 mm; ocellus diameter 28.0 µm; interocellar distance 27.0–39.6 µm.

Male. Genitalia. Tergite X with ventromedial circular concavity ( Fig. 4d ). Pygofer lobe digitate ( Figs 4a, 4c ), 10–13 macrosetae dorsomarginally on lobe. Subgenital plate elongate, apex narrowly rounded ( Fig. 4b ); macrosetae variable in position and arrangement, left and right macrosetae sometimes of different length and extending subbasally or medially, lateral margin uniformly rounded towards apex. Ratio of subgenital plate length medially/greatest width = 1.70–2.02 (n=7). Valve ellipsoid ( Fig. 4b ) sometimes with narrow anterior apodeme. Aedeagus with shaft short, membranous, base sclerotized with lateral paired tooth, dorsal apodeme shaped as an inverted C ( Figs 4e, 4f ), preatrium depressed. Aedeagal paraphysis thicker, compressed, apex truncated or rounded ( Figs 4e, 4h ), ventroapical margin serrate and striate sculpture. Style apophysis acuminate, elongate, serrate ventrally, one third length of style, preapical lobe rounded, preapical angle shallow ( Fig. 4e ). Connective with transverse section straight, arms right-angled, short ( Fig. 4g ).

Female. Measurements. Overall length 3.62–3.86 mm; crown length 0.52–0.55 mm; crown length next to eye 0.40–0.43 mm; pronotum length 0.39–0.41 mm; head width 1.1 0–1.17 mm; pronotum width 1.04–1.10 mm; ocellus diameter 28.0 µm; interocellar distance 27.4–40.8 µm.

Female. Genitalia. Sternite VII with wide, deep medial V-or U-shaped notch ( Fig. 4i ). Valvula 1 (as in Figs 2k, 2m ) about as long as wide. Valvifer 1 rhomboid or with more rounded corners, as wide as long, bases of both valvifers attached individually to base of valvula 1.

Material examined. Holotype male. Northern Cape Province. CCDL18469 , Biesiesfontein farm south Springbok , -29.75, 17.9333, 2002/09/29, M. Stiller, sweeping Antizoma miersiana Menispermiaceae . Paratypes. 30♂, 22♀, 21 nymphs, Ibid. holotype.

Remarks. This species is atypical with its short, compressed preatrial aedeagal paraphysis and blunt apex, short, membranous shaft, lateral basal teeth and elongate apophysis of the style. All other species in Discolopeus have the aedeagal paraphysis elongated and rounded, the aedeagus lacking basal teeth and a short membranous shaft and the style apophysis shorter. Macrosetae of the subgenital plate are variable in length and distribution. Of the seven dissected males, one subgenital plate of one specimen had the macrosetae in the distal half, another specimen had macrosetae in both plates in the distal half, and five specimens had macrosetae in the distal 2/3 of the plate. In most specimens the macrosetae of one plate were longer than the macrosetae of the other plate. The subgenital plates in intact specimens of D. diacaenus and D. colopeus cannot be distinguished. Specimens of D. antizomavorus , D. arctus and D. diacaenus were collected at Biesiesfontein, but only those on Antizoma miersiana are included in the former. Discolopeus arctus can be distinguished by the short crown, and male and female genitalia. Specimens of D. colopeus and D. diacaenus are similar in colour, dimensions and the subgenital plate, but differ distinctly in the configuration of the aedeagus, but not the shape of valvifer 1 of the female. Sternite VII of five dissected females, associated with A. miersiana , are of two types. Three females are as in Fig. 2f , and two females resemble the sternite VII of D. diacaenus , as in Fig. 1l . Distribution of this species is in Fig. 19c and its feeding plant in Fig. 18f .

Figures

FIGURE 1a–n. Discolopeus diacaenus n.gen. & sp., male and female genitalia, line drawings. a. Genital capsule, dorsally; b. Genital capsule, laterally; c. Subgenital plate, ventrally; d, e. Aedeagus with tooth subapically and apically respectively, laterally; f, g. Aedeagus with tooth subapically and apically respectively, dorsally; h, i. Style, dorsally, specimen with subapical teeth on aedeagal shaft and apically on shaft respectively; j. Connective, posterior view; k. Connective, dorsally; l Apex, aedeagal process, laterally; m. Style and aedeagus, laterally.

FIGURE 2a–g. Discolopeus diacaenus n.gen. & sp.; male and female genitalia; line drawing. Posterior abdominal apodeme; a. Anterior view; b. Dorsal view; Sternite VII, specimen localities; c. Biesiesfontein; d. Wiedouw; e. Bitterfontein; f. Rondekop; g. Nuwerus.

FIGURE 4a–i. Discolopeus colopeus n.gen. & sp., male and female genitalia, line drawing. a. Genital capsule, dorsally; b. Genital capsule, laterally; c. Subgenital plate, ventrally; d. Tergite X, recess for aedeagal process, ventrally; e. Aedeagus, style and connective, dorsally; f. Aedeagus, laterally; g. Apex, aedeagal paraphysis, laterally; h. Connective, dorsally; i. Sternite VII.

FIGURE 5a–l. Discolopeus gen.n. species; habitus. D. diacaenus sp.n.; a. Biesiesfontein, male, yellow form; b. Calvinia, male; c. Biesiesfontein, male; d, e. Rondekop, male and female respectively; f. Doring River, male; g. Wiedouw, female; D. lissus sp.n.; h, i. Garies, male and female respectively; D. colopeus sp.n., Biesiesfontein; j, k, l. Female, male, pale form, male, dark form respectively.

FIGURE 18a–f. Distribution maps of leafhopper species of Discolopeus gen.n. and associated plants. a. Galenia africana; b. D. diacaenus sp.n.; c. Diospyros austro-africana; d. Diospyros ramulosa; e. Potential natural distribution of D. arctus sp.n.; f. Antizoma miersiana in north western South Africa and southern Namibia.

FIGURE 19a–c. Distribution maps of leafhopper species of Discolopeus gen.n. and associated plants. a. Hyaenanche globosa near Vanrhynsdorp and one record near Citrusdal (red squares); b. Potential natural distribution of D. copeus sp.n. in the southwestern parts of South Africa, Western Cape Province; c. Point distributions of D. colopeus sp.n., D. lissus sp.n., D. tetracaenus sp.n., D. thigmacaenus sp.n., D. triacaenus sp.n. and D. viraktamathi sp.n. in Western, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces.