Pravistylus odontiophallus, Stiller, 2010

Stiller, M., 2010, Revision of the Southern African leafhopper genus Pravistylus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) 2468, Zootaxa 2468 (1), pp. 1-81 : 36-37

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2468.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10537719
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EFD356-FFF8-FFF6-6CFF-72858C29D5FC
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pravistylus odontiophallus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pravistylus odontiophallus View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 x View FIGURE 1 ; 2 m & n View FIGURE 2 ; 3 m View FIGURE 3 ; 4 k & l View FIGURE 4 ; 5 View FIGURE 5 ag & ah; 6 j & k; 7 bj & bk; 8 as)

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft, dorsal view, with one side of apex minutely serrate, sometimes depressed; lateral view, C-shaped, apex straight, base of shaft compressed ( Figs 3 m View FIGURE 3 , 4 k & l View FIGURE 4 ). Plate apex variable, acutely triangular or narrowly rounded, not produced significantly, macrosetae near apex ( Figs 2 m & n View FIGURE 2 ). Style distal part separated from anterior medial lobe ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 ag & ah).

Etymology. Greek, with teeth (odontion) laterally on the apex of the aedeagal shaft (phallus).

Male and female. Ochraceous, without any significant markings. Tegmina with veins translucent; hind wing small, rounded, about 0.25 times as long as tegmina ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 as).

Male. Dimensions. (n = 8) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.3–2.6 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 3.0– 3.1 mm; vertex medially 0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Width: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7–0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 28.0 µm; ocellocular distance 40.0– 54.5 µm.

Genital capsule. Pygofer, in lateral view, with ventral posterior margin straight, contiguous with pygofer lobe ( Fig. 1 x View FIGURE 1 ). Pygofer lobe narrowly rounded; lobe about as wide as the pygofer ( Fig. 1 x View FIGURE 1 ). Plate apex variable: acutely triangular ( Fig. 2 n View FIGURE 2 ); narrow, triangular with apex narrowly rounded ( Fig. 2 m View FIGURE 2 ); subbasal lateral margins with paired, clumped fine setae; macrosetae subapical; plate 1.9–2.2 times as long as wide. Aedeagus, in lateral view, with shaft arising medially from atrium; C-shaped, with apex straightened, base compressed ( Fig. 3 m View FIGURE 3 ); dorsal view, shaft with one side of apical third finely denticulate laterally, denticulations mirrored in some specimens ( Figs 3 m View FIGURE 3 , 4 k & l View FIGURE 4 ), apex sometimes depressed ( Fig. 4 l View FIGURE 4 ). Style distal part separated from anterior medial lobe; apophysis apex acute, with 3–4 ventral teeth ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 ag & ah). Connective, in dorsal view, with stem base constricted; in lateral view, straight ( Figs 6 j & k View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. Dimensions. (n = 6) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.1–2.5 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.7–3.0 mm; vertex medially 0.4–0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Width: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7–0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 24.0–29.7 µm; ocellocular distance 38.6–50.0 µm.

Genitalia. Sternite 7 hind margin variable: ligula short ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 bk) or, ligula long, wide, triangular ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 bj).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Mpumalanga. Boschhoek Farm , 24°49ʹS, 30°37ʹE, 1300 m, 16.i.1994, sweeping grass and forbs ( SANC) GoogleMaps . Paratypes 9♂, 4♀. Mpumalanga . 4♂, 1♀, same data as holotype GoogleMaps ; 4♂, 3♀, Caspersnek , 24°44ʹS, 30°43ʹE, 1360 m, 15.xi.2005, DVac, moribund grass; both M. Stiller ( BMNH, SANC) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. The unique feature of P. odontiophallus is the one-sided, lateral serration of the apex of the aedeagal shaft, visible in dorsal, ventral or posterior view in cleared specimens. Sometimes the apex is depressed, as in the specimen from Caspersnek ( Fig. 4 l View FIGURE 4 ), and still with one side bearing teeth. The pygofer lobe ( Fig. 1 x View FIGURE 1 ), plate ( Figs 2 m & n View FIGURE 2 ), and style ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 ag & ah) of this species is similar to that of P. pollediscus sp. n. ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad, 2 t, 5 ai–ak), and to a lesser degree P. digitidiscus ( Figs 1 h View FIGURE 1 , 2 c View FIGURE 2 , 5 View FIGURE 5 ad) and P. longitrunculus ( Figs 1 p View FIGURE 1 , 2 k View FIGURE 2 , 5 e View FIGURE 5 ). The aedeagus provides the most reliable means of identification. In the lateral view the shaft of P. odontiophallus is C-shaped, arises medially from the atrium, and has a compressed base and tapers toward the apex ( Fig. 3 m View FIGURE 3 ). In dorsal view one side of the apex is denticulate ( Fig. 4 k View FIGURE 4 ), and sometimes depressed ( Fig. 4 l View FIGURE 4 ). In the other species mentioned above, the shaft arises ventrally from the atrium, with the shaft narrow along most of its length, and bears no teeth ( P. digitidiscus ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 ad, 4 ab) and P. longitrunculus ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 ab, 4 z)). Pravistylus odontiophallus represents a species with a modified aedeagal shaft. The other species with some form of modification are P. caenophallus and P. scolophallus sp. n. In P. caenophallus the aedeagal shaft has a single, bilobed mediodorsal ridge and expanded apex ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ak). In P. scolophallus the aedeagus has the preatrium is a spine-like process ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 aj). The bulbous apex of the shaft in some specimens of P.eductus ( Figs 3 n & o View FIGURE 3 , 4 m & n View FIGURE 4 ) and P. exquadratus ( Figs 3 p & q View FIGURE 3 , 4 o View FIGURE 4 ) is not considered as a modification.