Guyalna pygmaea, SANBORN, 2020

SANBORN, ALLEN F, 2020, Eight new species and three new records of Neotropical cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Venezuela, Journal of Insect Biodiversity 16 (1), pp. 6-37 : 11-14

Guyalna pygmaea sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

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Type material: Holotype. “ VENEZUELA: Guarico / 44 km S. Calabozo / 8 34’N 67 35’W, 60m. / Hato Masaguaral / 28–II–86, R.B. / Miller & L.A. Strange ” male ( FSCA). Paratype. Same data as holotype, one female (AFSC) .

Etymology. The name is in reference to the small body size of this species (Gr. pygmaios, dwarf, pygmy).

Remarks. This is one of a group of small species of Guyalna including G. cuta ( Walker, 1850) , G. nadae Gogala, Šporar, Sanborn & Maccagnan, 2015 , G. nigra Boulard, 1999 , G. parvula ( Jacobi, 1904) , G. platyrhina Sanborn & Heath, 2014 , and G. sublaqueata ( Uhler, 1903) .

Description

Ground color tawny marked with piceous and castaneous.

Head. Head wider than mesonotum, slightly wider than lateral angles of pronotal collar, tawny with piceous spots on anterior vertex along supra-antennal plate, on frons anterior to median ocellus, extending to left lateral ocellus in holotype, surrounding lateral ocelli in paratype, spot on lateral vertex anterior to medial angle of eye, eye margined in piceous, and posteromedial corner, medial margin and anteromedial margin of supra-antennal plate piceous, piceous posterior to eye, castaneous between lateral ocelli and piceous mark on anteromedial vertex extending onto frons, castaneous on epicranial suture posterior to ocelli. Head covered with short silvery pile dorsally, longer posterior to eye, denser in paratype. Ocelli ochraceous, eyes testaceous. Ventral head tawny with transverse castaneous fascia on gena between eye and postclypeus, lorum tawny with castaneous medioventral margin. Postclypeus centrally sulcate, tawny, darker on dorsal surface, castaneous in anteroventral central sulcus extending into transverse grooves decreasing lateral extension in posteroventral grooves, ochraceous spot on apex, with ten transverse grooves. Anteclypeus castaneous with tawny anterior margin, carina, and posterior margin. White pile on lorum, gena, lateral postclypeus and lateral anteclypeus, long white pile on lorum, gena, and anteclypeus. Mentum ochraceous, labium ochraceous with lateral castaneous fascia becoming piceous distally with castaneous tip, reaching to sternite II. Scape castaneous with ochraceous distal margin, remaining antennal segments castaneous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax tawny marked with castaneous and piceous. Prothorax with castaneous fascia on either side of midline, expanding laterally on both ends to form triangular marks, posterior mark also expanding posteromedially to connect in posterior ambient fissure on midline, mark wider in paratype, castaneous fascia in posterior half of paramedian fissure, mark denser and extending onto middle of disk between paramedian and lateral fissures in paratype, short silvery pile on disc and within fissures, denser in paratype. Pronotal collar tawny, piceous spot on anterior to lateral angle on margin of lateral part of pronotal collar, covered with short silvery pile laterally, across entire pronotal collar in paratype. Mesothorax tawny, submedian sigillae piceous except for castaneous medial margin, lateral sigillae castaneous with piceous anterior and curved fascia along posteromedial margin to posterior apex, tapering castaneous marks posterior to submedian sigillae, piceous between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, scutal depressions piceous, piceous spot on posterior of anterior arms of cruciform elevation, piceous fascia on lateral margin in wing groove. Short silvery pile on anterior disc, longer and denser silvery pile on anterolateral, lateral and posterior mesonotum, in wing groove, on lateral cruciform elevation, and between anterior arms of cruciform elevation. Metanotum tawny with long, dense silvery pile medially. Ventral thoracic segments tawny except castaneous basisternum 2, katepimeron 2, and lateral episternum 3, katepimeron 2 and basisternum 3 castaneous in paratype. Thoracic sternites covered with white pubescence and long white pile.

Wings. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline. Venation ochraceous at base becoming castaneous and finally piceous distally, with castaneous spot on base of radius & subcostal vein, piceous between radius & subcostal vein and costal margin, castaneous arculus, castaneous spot at node, posterior of proximal half of anal vein 2 + 3 piceous. Basal cell hyaline, pterostigma extending to radial crossvein, basal membrane of fore wing grayish, posterior lighter. Hind wing venation proximally tawny becoming piceous distally except ochraceous radius posterior and cubitus anterior, and castaneous anal vein 2, castaneous spot on base of anal vein 3, anal vein 3 with curved terminus, about half as long as anal vein 2. Anal cell 3 and anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3, anal cell 1 along anal vein 2 grayish, infuscation along grayish in anal cells 2 and 3.

Legs. Legs light tawny with castaneous fascia at base of fore femoral spines, castaneous distal fore and middle tibiae, castaneous proximal and distal tarsi, castaneous tips to pretarsal claws. Fore femora with proximal spine angled, secondary spine upright, longer than primary spine, tertiary spine very small, all spines castaneous, primary and secondary spines with tawny tips. Tibial spurs and tibial combs tawny with castaneous tips. Legs with long silvery pile and white pubescence on coxae and trochanters. Meracanthus ochraceous with castaneous base, elongated, pointed, curved mediad, not reaching posterior opercular margin. Female meracanthus as in male except reaching posterior of sternite II.

Opercula. Male operculum light tawny with castaneous base and lateral margin, castaneous mark posterior to meracanthus, area lateral to meracanthus domed, covered with white pubescence, slight rectangular extension at lateral base, lateral margin straight to rounded posterolateral margin forming an acute angle between lateral and posterior margin, posterior margin sinuate with central region bent ventrally, medial margin rounded reaching to lateral trochanter, opercula not meeting medially, not reaching to anterior of sternite II posteriorly, barely covering tympanal cavity medially not covering tympanal cavity posterolaterally. Female operculum similarly shaped and colored except for curved posterior margin, reaching to lateral meracanthus medially and middle of sternite II posteriorly.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites tawny, female tergite 7 with green posterior margin, female tergite 8 with castaneous anterior margin, tergite 1 edged posterolaterally with piceous, tergite 2 edged anteriorly with piceous, tergites covered with silvery pile along midline and radiating from posterior tergite margins, very dense on dorsolateral tergites 2– 4, denser in female paratype, piceous pile on lateral tergites 2 and 3 in male, piceous pile forming an arch from lateral tergite 6 to middle of tergite 3 and back to opposite lateral tergite 6, tergite 7 with piceous pile across dorsum, long white pile radiating from tergite 8. Timbal cover tawny, dorsolateral margin smoothly curving around posterior timbal cavity, incomplete exposing timbal dorsally, anterolateral margin rounded, ventral margin straight, parallel to long body axis. Timbal white with two castaneous ribs visible through opening in timbal cover. Male sternite I tawny with piceous spots on either side of posterior midline, sternite II tawny with castaneous mark in middle of anterior margin in tympanal cavity, sternites III–VI tawny with castaneous marks on midline, castaneous mark only on sternite III in female paratype, male sternite VII castaneous with tawny posterolateral corners, sternite VIII tawny with V-shaped notch posteriorly, male sternite III–VI translucent, long white pile radiating from sternites VII and VIII, epipleurites tawny, sternites and epipleurites covered with white pubescence, denser laterally. Female sternite VII tawny with castaneous spot on midline and in middle of lateral sternite, with single open U-shaped notch to rounded posterolateral margin. Female abdominal segment 9 castaneous with tawny posterior margin and ventral surface, piceous posteroventral margin, dorsal beak castaneous, covered with silvery pile and radiating long silvery pile, dense golden pile on posteroventral corner. Dorsal beak angled dorsally, not extending to length of castaneous anal styles. Posterior margin of abdominal segment 9 smoothly curved.

Genitalia. Male pygofer tawny with castaneous mark on anterodorsal margin and posterior margin on midline, anal styles tawny marked with castaneous, anal tube ochraceous. Dorsal beak absent. Pygofer basal lobe tawny, widening distally with curved posteroventral margin and extended piceous posterodorsal terminus, extending half of pygofer length. Uncal dorsal crest triangular emerging at slightly oblique angle with rounded terminus. Lateral branch of uncus with lateral terminus recurved ventrally, posteromedial margin curved almost meeting under the median uncus to surround aedeagus, not as long as lateral portion of lateral branch of uncus. Aedeagus castaneous with large ochraceous terminal membrane.

Female gonocoxite IX tawny. Gonapophysis IX castaneous, gonapophysis X castaneous with piceous tip. Ovipositor sheath extends beyond dorsal beak. Long golden pile radiating from ovipositor sheath.

Measurements (mm). N = one male or one female. Length of body: male 14.80, female 14.45; length of fore wing: male 20.35, female 21.45; width of fore wing: male 6.55, female 6.75; length of head: male 2.20, female 2.20; width of head including eyes: male 6.20, female 6.55; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: male 5.90, female 6.35; width of mesonotum: male 4.85, female 5.30.

Diagnosis. Guyalna pygmaea sp. nov. can be distinguished from the majority of Guyalna species by the small body size and the lack of wing infuscation or bronzing. Only G. cuta , G. nadae , G. nigra , G. parvula , G. platyrhina , and G. sublaqueata have body sizes approaching G. pygmaea sp. nov. The completely piceous lateral and submedian sigillae quickly separate G. nadae , G. nigra , and G. sublaqueata from the new species. The piceous abdomen and timbal cover quickly distinguishes G. nigra and the transverse piceous fasciae on some or all of the anterior abdominal tergites and piceous timbal cover quickly distinguish G. cuta and G. parvula from this new species.

Distribution. The new species is known only from the type locality in the state of Guárico in north central Venezuela.

Figures

Figure 2. Guyalna pygmaea sp. nov. A, habitus, holotype male (top) and paratype female (bottom); B, holotype male dorsum; C, holotype male timbal; D, paratype male operculum; E, paratype female operculum; F, paratype male lateral view of genitalia; G, paratype male posterior view of genitalia; H, paratype female lateral view of genitalia; I, paratype female ventral view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 5 mm; C–E, 2 mm; F–I, 1 mm.