Retevolatus, Stiller, 2021

Stiller, Michael, 2021, New macropterous leafhopper genera and species within the tribe Bonaspeiini from the Fynbos biome of South Africa (Insecta, Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae), African Invertebrates 62 (1), pp. 1-45 : 1

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.62.54721
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BF44E5BA-47C5-4562-BC40-8CF482B6BBA7
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/81FAE41D-B7E3-4E1D-A58A-55DD586D1977
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:81FAE41D-B7E3-4E1D-A58A-55DD586D1977
treatment provided by	African Invertebrates by Pensoft
scientific name	Retevolatus
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Retevolatus View in CoL gen. nov. Figures 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9

Type species.

Retevolatus flexiverpus sp. nov. by present designation.

Diagnosis.

Male and female elongate, macropterous, 5.0-6.0 mm long, with brown to dark brown vermiculous or irrorate color pattern on tegmina, crown apically with paired rhomboid or amorphous dark brown markings (Figs 1A-I View Figure 1 , 2A-C View Figure 2 ), in lateral view with margin at crown rounded, above submargin and disc, disc flat (Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). Crown narrowly rounded to face, anterodorsal margin shagreened. Male subgenital plate with uniseriate lateral macrosetae (Figs 6H View Figure 6 , 8I View Figure 8 , 9H View Figure 9 ). Pygofer lobe either with serrate posterior process variable in shape and orientation or acute subapical or basal process. Aedeagus with shaft tubular, curvate, concave, with single apical (Figs 6A, B View Figure 6 , 8A View Figure 8 ) or subapical process (Fig. 9A View Figure 9 ), directed anteriad or dorsoanteriad. Female with sternite 7 with shallow (Fig. 9J View Figure 9 ) or deep, wide V-shaped (Fig. 6M, N View Figure 6 ) or globular notch (Fig. 8J View Figure 8 ).

Male and female.

Color. Base color ochraceous to stramineous. Crown with paired rhomboid or amorphous dark brown markings at apex (Figs 1A-I View Figure 1 , 2A-C View Figure 2 ). Pronotum with light brown and dark brown markings, variable in size and shape (Figs 1A-I View Figure 1 , 2A-C View Figure 2 ). Scutellum with light brown scutellar triangles, medially stramineous with dark brown paired markings and brown suture (Figs 1A-I View Figure 1 , 2A-C View Figure 2 ). Tegmina uniformly reticulate and irrorate, costal cells and fourth apical cell sometimes with dark brown markings; vannal cells at margin variable, sometimes unmarked (e.g. Figs 1E View Figure 1 , 2A View Figure 2 ) or whitish (e.g. Figs 1A, H View Figure 1 , 2C View Figure 2 ). Legs ochraceous to stramineous; subapical brown, irregular band on pro- and meso-femur; metafemur with brown longitudinal line at apex; all tibia with areola of setae embrowned.

Measurements.

All specimens of all species. Length from apex of crown to apex of tegmina 4.97-6.00 mm. Crown length medially 0.37-0.45 mm. Crown length next to eye 0.30-0.35 mm. Pronotum length 0.56-0.65 mm. Head width across eyes 1.33-1.53 mm. Pronotum width 1.24-1.43 mm. Ocellus diameter 46.3-61.1 µm; interocular distance 83.8-107.8 µm. Crown angle 117.0-122.9°.

Wings.

Tegmina with four apical cells; outer and central anteapical cells, inner anteapical cell and inner discal cells merged (Fig. 7L View Figure 7 ). Hind wing with vannal lobe large, greatest length 0.4 times greatest width of hind wing, four apical cells (Fig. 7M View Figure 7 ).

Profemur.

Anteromedial margin with basal AV setae short, 10-12 spine-like; intercalary setae disjunct without AV1 differentiation, 9-11, subapical AM1 longer and thicker than any setae in IC.

Metatibia.

Setal formula at apex 2+2+1; apical pair subequal, shorter than long median seta, median setae with one very long and the other very narrow and about half as long. Basal seta subequal to long median seta.

Metatarsi.

Metatarsus 1 apex with four rounded platellae and one acute platella; metatarsus 2 apex with two lateral acute and two medial, rounded platellae.

Abdominal apodeme.

Anterior abdominal apodeme with variable median lobes, rounded to angular, contiguous or separate. Lobes smaller in the female anterior apodeme.

Male.

Genitalia. Anal tube. Incised about half way into pygofer. Rectangular laterally, conical or rectangular in dorsal view (Figs 6J, K View Figure 6 , 8E, G View Figure 8 , 9F, G View Figure 9 ).

Pygofer.

About as long as wide; fold straight to sublinear basally at about 45°, extended deeply into pygofer; anterior apodeme narrow. Process either at apex of pygofer lobe (Fig. 6K View Figure 6 ), or process at base of pygofer or subbasally on pygofer (Figs 8F View Figure 8 , 9G, I View Figure 9 , respectively).

Pygofer lobe.

Pygofer lobe distinguished posteriad of point of articulation of anal tube and pygofer. Shape rounded or acute, with dorsal or ventral margins rounded or straight. Desclerotized, lobe-like process either absent (Fig. 7A-K View Figure 7 ), or mediad of pygofer process (Fig. 8H View Figure 8 ) or obscured mediad of desclerotized lobe apex (Fig. 9I View Figure 9 ); sclerotized pygofer process variable in shape, origin and orientation as follows:

1. Process apical, compressed, variably serrate or denticulate, posterior margin concave or straight, symmetrical or asymmetrical (Figs 6K View Figure 6 , 7A-K View Figure 7 ), sometimes damaged (Fig. 7A, E, K View Figure 7 ).

2. Process ventro-basal, in lateral view concave, orientation dorsoposteriad, acuminate, tubular (Fig. 8F, G View Figure 8 ).

3. Process subapically on ventral margin directed posteriad, acuminate, sublinear, tubular (Fig. 9G, I View Figure 9 ).

Subgenital plate.

Right-angled elongate triangular, 2.9-3.7 times longer than width at confluence of valve and subgenital plates. Macrosetae uniseriate, marginal (at apex) to submarginal (at base), 7-15, variable in number between left and right subgenital plate (Figs 6H View Figure 6 , 8I View Figure 8 , 9H View Figure 9 ). In lateral view apical third curved (Fig. 9G View Figure 9 ) or angled dorsad (Fig. 8G View Figure 8 ) or apex very short, angled dorsoposteriad (Fig. 6K View Figure 6 ).

Valve.

Posterior margins straight, acute (Fig. 6H View Figure 6 ) or obtuse (Figs 8I View Figure 8 , 9H View Figure 9 ); lateral margins sublinear, acute; anterior margins sinuous.

Aedeagus.

Dorsal apodeme short (up to one third of shaft); preatrium if present very short; shaft narrowly (Figs 6A-C View Figure 6 , 9A View Figure 9 ) or widely concavely curvate (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ); shaft either with apex with right-angled, single, orientation anteriad, (Fig. 6A-C View Figure 6 ) or acutely angled (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ), long or short process, or subapex with single, anteriad process (Fig. 9A View Figure 9 ); gonopore either on posterior margin of shaft (Fig. 6A-C View Figure 6 , 6K View Figure 6 ), subapically, basad of recurved process, oblique (Fig. 6A-C, E, F View Figure 6 anterior, Fig. 8A, B View Figure 8 , ventral), or incised at apex (Fig. 9A, B View Figure 9 ).

Style.

Elongate, with elongate apophysis; length to width ratio 3.1-3.7 (ratio length from apex of apophysis to apex of medial arm (sagittal plane) to greatest width across base). Width across preapical lobe slightly wider than width at base of apophysis (Figs 6I View Figure 6 , 8D View Figure 8 , 9E View Figure 9 ).

Connective.

Y-shaped, with narrow, Y-shaped sclerotized frame with arms and stem equidistant, desclerotized region at base of arms, arms narrow (Figs 6G View Figure 6 , 8C View Figure 8 , 9C View Figure 9 ), straight in lateral view (Fig. 9D View Figure 9 ).

Female.

Genital capsule. Sternite 7. Transversely rectangular (0.6-0.8 times longer than wide), with deep (depth 0.5-0.6 times greatest length of sternite 7) (Fig. 6M, N View Figure 6 ) or shallow (depth 0.4-0.5 times greatest length of sternite 7) V-shaped excavation (Figs 6L View Figure 6 , 9J View Figure 9 ). Excavation in R. semicurviverpus sp.nov. semi-circular (Fig. 8J View Figure 8 ).

Valvifer 1.

Broadly rounded dorsal and ventral margins, anterior margin obtuse or rounded, posterior margin acute, sometimes angled medioposteriad, commonly posteriad; longer than wide or as long as wide (Figs 3D View Figure 3 , 4A, B, F View Figure 4 , 5B View Figure 5 , 6O-R View Figure 6 , 8K, L View Figure 8 , 9K, L View Figure 9 ). Dorsal margin narrowly right-angled mediad. Valvifers joined membranously at anterodorsal margin.

Valvula 1.

Curvate, lanceolate (Figs 4D View Figure 4 , 5A View Figure 5 ). Sculpture strigate (Figs 3A-C View Figure 3 , 5C, D View Figure 5 ).

Valvifer 2.

As in Fig. 4J View Figure 4 .

Valvula 2.

Apical third serrate (Figs 4E View Figure 4 , 5E View Figure 5 ), with fine teeth in trough (Figs 3E, H View Figure 3 , 4G, H View Figure 4 , 5G View Figure 5 ), short protrusion dorsomedially (Figs 3G View Figure 3 , 5E View Figure 5 ).

Valvula 3.

Shape in all species as in Fig. 4K View Figure 4 ; single row of macrosetae submarginally near apex (Figs 3F View Figure 3 , 4C, I View Figure 4 , 5F View Figure 5 ), commonly 4-5, rarely three or six.

Etymology.

Named for the net-like color pattern of the tegmina, in Latin, and verb in apposition. Net, rete, and flying, volatus, for functional wings. Gender masculine.

Discussion.

This new genus is recognized by its color pattern, size and configuration of the male and female genitalia. The genus is tentatively placed in Bonaspeiini as it does not share all the features of the tribe. Similar color patterns to that of the new genus are found in the following genera of other tribes: Libengaia Linnavuori, 1969 ( Opsiini ), Dagama Distant (Fig. 2F, G View Figure 2 ), Allophleps Bergroth, 1910 (see Webb and Viraktamath 2017), Houtbayana decemnotata Linnavuori ( Athysanini ), an unknown and unplaced genus and species with elongate crown (Fig. 2D, E View Figure 2 ), undetermined Selenocephalini (Fig. 2H-J View Figure 2 ) and even in some Discolopeus Stiller, 2019 species ( Bonaspeiini ) have a resemblance in marking at the apex of the crown. One male specimen of an unknown species of the new genus was examined, which suggests additional species of the genus are still to be found and described. This specimen has widely curvate style apophysis, oriented mediad, connective similar to that of R. semicurviverpus sp.nov. and R. subspiniverpus sp.nov., and the aedeagus very short, thickened, basal paired process and lateral denticulation. Externally the specimen resembles the three new species of Retevolatus described here.