Docalidia acutula, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, New species in the Neotropical genus Docalidia with a key to known species, notes on distribution, taxonomy and a synoptic catalogue of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae: Teruliini) 2952, Zootaxa 2952 (1), pp. 1-86 : 17

Docalidia acutula , sp. nov.

(Plate 1B, Figures 10–17 )

Length. Male 6.80 mm., female unknown.

External morphology. Moderately large, robust species. General color of dorsum concolorous yellow except for black anterior half of mesonotum; forewings with veins of clavus ivory; eyes translucent (Plate 1B); face yellow; clypeus with row of short, black, transverse stripes on lateral margins, large black spot below each eye.

Head distinctly narrower than pronotum, anterior margin broadly rounded; crown broad, about as wide as eye, produced distally about ¼ of entire length, disk foveate of each side of middle; eyes large, semiglobular; pronotum slightly shorter than crown, surface rugulose; mesonotum large, about twice as long as pronotum; forewings long, very broad, venation typical of genus; clypeus long, broad, lateral margins broadly convex, median longitudinal carina very prominent; clypellus about 1/3 as long as clypeus, narrow, lateral margins expanded apically, median ridge inflated.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view triangulate, with moderately long, stout caudodorsal process, caudoventral process absent ( Fig. 10 ); right subgenital plate long, narrow, with few short setae in distal ¼ ( Fig. 11 ); right style long, shorter than aedeagus, numerous setae along margin of distal half and apically, dense spongy cover in distal 1/ 3 in lateral view ( Figs. 12, 13 ); aedeagus asymmetrical, in lateral view broadly sinuate, shaft tubular, preatrium exceptionally long, very long, needle-like subapical process closely appressed to shaft, almost hidden, directed basally, gonopore medial on ventral margin ( Figs. 14, 15 ); connective T-shaped, arms stout, stem short, membrane absent ( Fig. 16 ); dorsal connective very narrow, expanded basally ( Fig. 17 ).

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Meta, PNN, Sumapare, Cabaña Las Mirlas , 3º48’N. 73º52’W., 710 m., Malaise, 29/05/2004 – 19/06/2004, H. Vargas, Leg., M. 4688 (HB).

Etymology. The name is descriptive for the subtle, almost hidden, very fine, needle-like aedeagal ventral process.

Remarks. From D. oriellyi Nielson to which it is similar in preatrial and aedeagal configurations, D. acutula can be distinguished by the pygofer which lacks the basal flange on the caudodorsal process, absence of caudoventral process, dense spongy, marginal covering in the apical 1/3 of the style and the longer preatrium and ventral process of the aedeagus. The former species is known from Guyana and Ecuador, the latter locality represented by a male specimen depicting variation in genitalia features. (For comparison, see Nielson, 1979 e:247; Nielson, 1992f:303).

Figures

FIGURES 10–17. Docalidia acutula, sp. nov. (10) pygofer, lateral view; (11) right subgenital plate, ventral view; (12) right style, lateral view (Fig. 13); right style, dorsal view (14); aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view (15); aedeagus, ventral view (16); connective, caudal view (Fig. 17); dorsal connective (dorsal view).