Sakakibarana, Gonçalves & Takiya & Mejdalani, 2017

Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa, Takiya, Daniela Maeda & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2017, Sakakibarana, a new genus of Gyponini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae) from the Amazon Rainforest, Zootaxa 4281 (1), pp. 219-224 : 220-222

Sakakibarana gen. nov.

( Figs 1−12 )

Type species: Sakakibarana amazonica sp. nov., by present designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis. Body robust ( Figs 1, 2 ); crown short ( Fig. 1 ); crown and face transition distinct and subfoliaceous ( Fig. 2 ); pronotum strongly declivous ( Fig. 2 ); male pygofer with caudal process ( Figs 6, 7 ); aedeagus with dorsal apodemes with pair of processes ( Figs 11, 12 ).

Description. Medium to large-sized, robust, pale brown leafhoppers ( Figs 1, 2 ).

Head, in dorsal view, slightly produced anteriorly, median length of crown approximately half the interocular width and two-sevenths the transocular width; anterior margin slightly rounded; surface slightly concave, texture with parallel transverse striations; ocelli large, equidistant between anterior and posterior margins of crown and closer to midline; coronal suture evident on basal half of crown ( Fig. 1 ). Transition between crown and face defined, slender and subfoliaceous ( Fig. 2 ). Face distinctly wider than long; frontogenal sutures surpassing antennal ledges, extending to anterior margin of crown; antennal ledges, in frontal view, horizontal, adjacent to anterior margin of crown, not extending over frons; frons slightly swollen, dorsal third concave and with transverse striations; lateral margin distant from eye margin, as far as maximum width of clypeus; epistomal suture indistinct; clypeus longer than wide, lateral margins parallel; genae and maxillary plates strongly narrowed ventrally ( Fig. 3 ).

Pronotum with width slightly greater than transocular width; lateral margins, in dorsal view, convergent anteriorly; posterior margin concave; disk transversely striated ( Fig. 1 ); strongly declivous anteriorly, in lateral view ( Fig. 2 ). Mesonotum with scutellum slightly swollen. Forewings hyaline; venation distinct, not reticulated; membrane without punctures; apex rounded; appendix narrow, extending only to second apical cell ( Fig. 4 ). Forelegs with femoral AV and PV rows formed by small setae; protibiae with AV row formed by setae subequal in size, shorter than tibia width, distal half with thicker setae; PD row with four or five short setae; PV row developed, with about seven setae. Hindlegs with tibiae with AD row with long spiniform setae with bases prominent and with two or more intercalary microsetae distributed along entire length; PV row with setae of apical half heterogeneous in length and thickness, with long, thick setae followed by four short setae; first tarsomeres with outer row of setae indistinct and inner row with cucullate setae, apex with four platellae; second tarsomeres with apices with two apical platellae.

Male terminalia. Pygofer with caudal process ( Figs 6, 7 ); aedeagus with dorsal apodemes bearing pair of processes ( Figs 11, 12 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Amazonas, Pará); French Guiana.

Etymology. The generic name is feminine and is a tribute to Dr. Albino Morimasa Sakakibara in recognition of his remarkable contribution to our knowledge of the Brazilian Auchenorrhyncha. The suffix -ana is common in names of other Gyponini genera.

Notes. An unpublished phylogenetic hypothesis based on morphological characters combined with sequence data from nuclear 28S rDNA and mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I recovered Sakakibarana gen. nov. as sister to the genus Tenuacia DeLong, 1977 (Gonçalves et al. in prep.). Sakakibarana gen. nov. shares the following morphological characteristics with Tenuacia , especially with the subgenus Tenuacia : (1) male pygofer with elongate caudal process ( Figs 6, 7 ); (2) styles with apex curved dorsally ( Fig. 10 ); (3) connective V-shaped ( Fig. 9 ); and (4) aedeagus with shaft long and tubular and dorsal apodemes with processes ( Fig. 11 ). However, Sakakibarana gen. nov. can be easily distinguished from Tenuacia by having a robust body, short crown, pronotum strongly declivous anteriorly, and forewing without numerous scattered dark maculae ( Figs 1, 2 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 2. Sakakibarana amazonica sp. nov., male paratype. 1 − 2, dorsal and lateral habitus, respectively.

FIGURES 3 − 12. Sakakibarana amazonica sp. nov., male paratype. 3, head, frontal view. 4, right forewing. 5, sternite VIII, ventral view. 6, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate and anal tube, lateral view. 7, right half of pygofer, valve and anal tube, dorsal view. 8, left subgenital plate, ventral view. 9, connective and right style, dorsal view. 10, left style, lateral view. 11, aedeagus, lateral view. 12, aedeagus, caudal view.