Pravistylus micropygeus, Stiller, 2010

Stiller, M., 2010, Revision of the Southern African leafhopper genus Pravistylus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) 2468, Zootaxa 2468 (1), pp. 1-81 : 31-32

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2468.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EFD356-FFC5-FFCD-6CFF-75958DB2D202
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pravistylus micropygeus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pravistylus micropygeus View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 t View FIGURE 1 ; 2 View FIGURE 2 ac; 3 y; 4 w; 5 u; 6 x; 7 av; 8 ai)

Diagnosis. Pygofer lobe very short, subapical, roundly triangular ( Fig. 1 t View FIGURE 1 ). Aedeagal shaft, lateral view, at least 3 times as long as length of dorsal apodeme; lateral view, base C-shaped, apical third straight ( Fig. 3 y View FIGURE 3 ). Plate median apex pointed, posterior margin truncate, never rounded; lateral margin emarginate ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 ac, 1 t). Female sternite 7 ligula broadly triangular, apex narrow, lobulate ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 av).

Etymology. Greek, for the small (mikros) pygofer lobe (pyge).

Male and female. Ochraceous, sometimes two paired fuscous markings on vertex. Tegmina inner anteapical cell with fuscous mark. Hind wing very small. Tegmina as long as or slightly longer than abdomen ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ai).

Male. Dimensions. (n = 19) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.5–2.7 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.3–2.6 mm; vertex medially 0.4 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 26.0–29.2 µm; ocellocular distance 30.1– 42.9 µm.

Genital capsule. Pygofer square; ventral posterior margin with bulbous projection ( Fig. 1 t View FIGURE 1 ). Pygofer lobe subapical, short, bluntly triangular or rounded ( Fig. 1 t View FIGURE 1 ). Plate apex posterior margin truncate, sometimes slightly concave; medial apex angled acutely; lateral apex obtuse; lateral margin medially variably emarginate, sometimes as much as 90° ( Fig. 1 t View FIGURE 1 ); 5–9 uniseriate, medial uniseriate macrosetae ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ac); plate 0.9–1.1 times as long as wide. Aedeagal shaft, in lateral view, arising ventrally from atrium; preatrium reduced; lateral view, base of shaft C-shaped, apical third straight; shaft more than three times longer than dorsal apodeme; gonopore oblique, lateroventral, subapical ( Figs 3 y View FIGURE 3 , 4 w View FIGURE 4 ). Style distal part far from anterior medial lobe; apophysis elongate, uniformly tapered acutely; preapical lobe obtuse, preapical angle about 45° ( Fig. 5 u View FIGURE 5 ). Connective, in lateral view, straight; in dorsal view with apex of stem narrow, triangular ( Fig. 6 x View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. Dimensions. (n = 14) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.6–2.8 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.6–2.9 mm; vertex medially 0.4–0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.9 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 28.0 µm; ocellocular distance 32.4–45.6 µm.

Genitalia. Sternite 7 base rectangular; ligula posterior margin broadly triangular; notch very narrow, formed by two contiguous lobe-like processes ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 av).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal. Sani Pass, 29°35ʹS, 28°18ʹE, 2520 m, 20.iv.2002, M. Stiller, E. Breytenbach, DVac, grass and forbs ( SANC). Paratypes. 21♂, 11♀. KwaZulu- Natal. 6♂, same data as above, DVac, Aristida monticola (Poaceae) ; 14♂, 11♀, same data as above, but DVac, grass and forbs; 1♂, Lower Loteni east, 29°33ʹS, 29°44ʹE, 1492 m, 26.xii.2004, M. Stiller, sweeping, regrowth after fire ( BMNH, INHS, SANC).

Remarks. This species is similar to P. indistinctidiscus , as both have similar proportions of the aedeagus and style. However the acutely truncated posterior margin of the plate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ac), the more pronounced step in the lateral margin of the plate ( Fig. 1 t View FIGURE 1 ), the greater diameter of the aedeagal shaft ( Fig 3 y View FIGURE 3 , 4 w View FIGURE 4 ) and the style that extends further into the plate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ac) are features that differentiate P. micropygeus from P. indistinctidiscus . The plate of some specimens of P. indistinctidiscus also have an acutely pointed apex, but it is never truncated ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ah), and generally most specimens of P. indistinctidiscus have the plate dimensions slightly larger than that of P. micropygeus . In P. indistinctidiscus the plate is 1.0–1.4 times as long as wide, and in P. micropygeus it is 0.9–1.1 times as long as wide.

The sternite 7 of the female of P. micropygeus ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 av) is similar to that of P. interdiscus from Royal Natal ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ad). This is definitely not a teneral condition, or due to parasitism. Intermediate forms are also unknown. Perhaps copulation, or more likely the act of oviposition might cause the apex of the ligula to expand.