Nesocerus quinquespinosus, Krishnankutty & Dietrich, 2011

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2011, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of an endemic leafhopper genus Nesocerus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from Madagascar, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (3), pp. 499-543 : 533-534

NESOCERUS QUINQUESPINOSUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4S, T , 11O–U , 16I, J )

Diagnosis: This species differs from other species of Nesocerus as follows: pygofer with basiventral process extending ventrad; aedeagus with five processes and subapical processes longer than apical processes. This species is similar to N. trimaculatus in having five aedeagal processes but differs in their relative lengths and in the presence of a basiventral pygofer process.

Description: Length of male, 5.9–6.6 mm; female, 6.1– 7 mm.

Coloration: Crown with pair of median transverse black stripes near anterior margin, pair of lateral round black spots and median transverse patch near posterior margin. Antennae with pedicel dull black, scape and flagellum light yellow. Frontoclypeus with median narrow discontinuous; clypeogenal sutures bordered by narrow black stripe. Gena without markings. Clypellus bordered by black marking. Pronotum with pair of large round black spots along anterior region, a median inverted T-shaped stripe, pair of small round black spots near posterolateral margin. Mesonotum with basal black triangle bordered by light marking, median diverging black lines not extending posterad of scutellar suture. Forewing with claval vein white with alternate brown coloration. Fore and hind femur with black stripe along ventral and dorsal margin, respectively.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex wider than base, in profile slightly convex. Rostrum not extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m1 crossvein absent. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 18–20, nine to ten, and 12 macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer broad without posterodorsal process, with inner process having round apex and preapical tooth extending ventrad along posterolateral margin; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plate in lateral view weakly depressed; in ventral view lateral margin broadly convex, with macrosetae confined to lateral and mesal margin. Style in lateral view with narrow apodeme; apophysis slender, elongate, curved dorsad, tapering to dorsally hooked apex. Connective in dorsal view Y-shaped, articulated with preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium broad; socle poorly developed; shaft in lateral view narrow, curved broadly anterad, slightly tapered near apex; apex in posterior view with pair of short terminal processes extended laterad, another pair of ventrolaterally directed subapical long processes, not extending beyond half length of shaft; single long, slender unpaired process arising basal to subapical processes near right lateral margin of shaft, arched ventrally to left and extended to base of shaft; gonopore apical on posterior surface of shaft basad of terminal processes.

Female genitalia: Second valvulae in lateral aspect blade-shaped, gradually narrowed to apex; apical third of dorsal margin with irregularly arranged projections; ducts conspicuous.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province Antsiranana, Reserve Spéciale de l’Ankarana, 22.9 km south-west of Anivorano Nord , 80 m, 12°54′32″S, 49°6′35″E, 10.–16.ii.2001, B. Fisher, C. Griswold et al., BLF2857 ( CAS) . Paratypes: one male, two females, same data as holotype ( CAS, INHS) ; one male, MADAGASCAR: Province Antsiranana, Reserve Spéciale d’Ambre, 3.5 km, 235° southwest of Sakaramy , 325 m, 12°28′8″S, 49°14′32″E, 26.– 31.i.2001, Fisher, Griswold et al., beating low vegetation, tropical dry forest, BLF2660 ( INHS) ; one female, MADAGASCAR: Province d’Antsiranana, Reserve Spéciale d’Ambre, 3.5 km, 235° south-west of Sakaramy , 325 m, 12°28′8″S, 49°14′32″E, 26.– 31.i.2001, Fisher, Griswold et al., malaise trap in tropical dry forest, BLF2661 ( CAS) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words quinque, meaning five and spinosus, meaning thorny, referring to the five processes of the aedeagus.

Figures

Figure 4. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus recurvus.; C, D, Nesocerus dorsalis; E, F, Nesocerus dentatus; G, H, Nesocerus unimaculatus; I, J, Nesocerus nigrum; K, L, Nesocerus tristriatus; M, N, Nesocerus brevipinguis; O, P, Nesocerus nanus; Q, R, Nesocerus mananarensis; S, T, Nesocerus quinquespinosus.

Figure 11. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, O), male subgenital plate in ventral (B, I, P) and lateral views (C, J, Q), aedeagus in lateral (D, K, R) and caudal views (E, L, S), style in lateral view (F, M, T), style and connective in dorsal view (G, N, U). A–G, Nesocerus nanus; H–N, Nesocerus mananarensis; O–U, Nesocerus quinquespinosus.

Figure 16. Nesocerus spp. Second valvulae of female. left - lateral view, right - detail of sculpturing. A–B, Nesocerus trilineatus; C–D, Nesocerus sclerophyllus; E–F, Nesocerus tulearensis; G–H, Nesocerus dentatus; I–J, Nesocerus quinquespinosus; K–L, Nesocerus uniprocessus.