Scoposcartula talitae Leal, Mejdalani et Cavichioli

Leal, Afonso H., Mejdalani, Gabriel & Cavichioli, Rodney R., 2005, Two new species of the Neotropical leafhopper genus Scoposcartula (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), Zootaxa 848, pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Scoposcartula talitae Leal, Mejdalani et Cavichioli , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

Diagnosis. Crown, pronotum, and scutellum ( Fig. 1 ) dark brown to black, with pair of lateral white maculae on pronotal disc. Forewings ( Fig. 3 ) dark red with three elongate transverse white maculae. Paraphysis ( Fig. 8 ) branched, asymmetrical, with left branch located ventrally, shorter and curved; right branch located dorsally, distinctly longer, and with apex curved ventrally.

Length. Male, 13.0– 13.9 mm.

Head and thorax. Head ( Fig. 1 ) with median length of crown about four­tenths interocular width and one­fourth transocular width; ocelli located on pair of coronal foveae and closer to inner eye margin than to median line of head; epistomal suture ( Fig. 2 ) complete; clypeus not produced, with upper portion continuing contour of frons in profile, lower portion more nearly horizontal than remainder of face. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) with width approximately equal to transocular width; disc transversely striated and glabrous; posterior margin almost rectilinear; dorsopleural carinae complete, declivous anteriorly. Forewings ( Fig. 3 ) with distinct veins, opaque, without punctures; membrane not clearly delimited. Hindfemoral setal formula 2:1:1. Other morphological characters of head and thorax as in the generic description (see Young 1977: 669).

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 4 ), in lateral view, subtriangular with apex truncate; macrosetae on posterior portion, extending anteriorly along ventral margin. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 5 ) triangular, tapered towards apex, with few macrosetae near apex. Styles ( Fig. 6 ), in dorsal view, extending approximately as far posteriorly as connective apex; apical portion curved, digitiform, directed outwards. Connective ( Fig. 6 ), in dorsal view, T­shaped; arms short; stem long and thin, narrowed towards apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 7 ) symmetrical, without basiventral process; shaft, in lateral view, with two tiny dentiform processes on dorsal margin. Paraphysis ( Fig. 8 ) asymmetrical, branched, with left branch located ventrally, shorter and curved; right branch located dorsally, distinctly longer, and with apex curved ventrally.

Female unknown.

Color. Head, pronotum, and scutellum ( Fig. 1 ) dark brown to black; forewings ( Fig. 3 ) and abdomen red. Face ( Fig. 2 ) with white elongate macula on central portion extending from margin of crown to mid­length of frons; two white maculae including lateral margins of frons and part of genae and lora; rostrum brown. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) with two white maculae on lateral portions extending to lateral lobes. Forewings ( Fig. 3 ) dark red with three white elongate transverse maculae: basal one on corium and clavus, extending from costal portion to anal portion, median one mostly on corium, extending from costal portion over discal and brachial cells and reaching distal half of clavus, distal one on corium mostly across anteapical cells; apical margin of forewings with dark brown area including second to fifth apical cells and part of first apical and anteapical cells. First and second pairs of legs mostly brown up to apex of femora, tibiae and tarsi dark brown; third pair of legs mostly red up to apex of femora; tibiae and tarsi brown to dark brown.

Etymology. This species has been named after our colleague Talita Torelly Mauro, who collected the holotype.

Type material. Holotype: male, Brazil, “Santa Teresa [19°56’S, 40°36’W]/ ES [State of Espírito Santo]\ Reserva do Museu [de Biologia Professor Mello­Leitão]\ 16/X/2003 \ T. T. Mauro col.”, MNRJ. Paratype: male, “Parque Sooretama [nowadays Reserva Biológica de Sooretama; 19°14’S, 40°18’W] \ LINHARES Esp. Santo [State of Espírito Santo]\ BRASIL V­1953 \ P A. Teles Col.”, DZUP.

Taxonomic notes. The color pattern of S. talitae is very different from that of the other species in the genus, so that the new taxon can be easily recognized by external examination only. The new species shares with S. perrisi , S. limitata , S. inspergata , S. flavovittata , and S. tobiasi the presence of an asymmetrical paraphysis ( Fig. 8 ) with a branch, process, or projection. However, among these, it shares only with S. perrisi and S. flavovittata the absence of a basiventral process on the aedeagus ( Fig. 7 ). The pygofers of S. talitae ( Fig. 4 ) and S. flavovitatta are also similar, particularly because of the truncate apex. The male genitalia of these two species differ mostly in the relative size and shape of the branches of the paraphysis ( Fig. 8 ). In S. talitae the dorsal (right) branch is shorter and less curved than in S. flavovittata and the ventral (left) branch is longer and curved, whereas in the latter species it is straight.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Scoposcartula talitae sp. nov. (1) Crown, pronotum and scutellum; (2) face (antennae not entirely illustrated); (3) right forewing; (4) male pygofer, lateral view; (5) valve and left subgenital plate, ventral view; (6) left style and connective, dorsal view; (7) aedeagus and anal tube, lateral view; (8) paraphysis, lateral view. Figure 3 from male paratype, others from male holotype.