Amplicephalus (Nanctasus) paralbivenosus, Duan & Dietrich, 2018

Duan, Yani & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2018, Notes on the Neotropical leafhopper subgenus Amplicephalus (Nanctasus) Linnavuori (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Deltocephalini) with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4455 (3), pp. 555-562 : 558-559

Amplicephalus (Nanctasus) paralbivenosus sp. n.

( Figs 4–6 )

Length. Male: 3.6 mm; female: 3.9–4.1 mm.

Coloration and morphology. Ground color pale brown marked with brown, dark brown ( Fig. 4A–D ). Crown white with brown, dark brown marks ( Fig. 4A–C ). Pronotum with irregular T-shaped white medial marking surrounded by orange brown pigment, four dark brown anterior spots and six orange brown posterior stripes ( Fig. 4A–C ). Mesonotum with symmetrical orange brown markings ( Fig. 4A–C ). Face mostly brown, with paired white marks ( Fig. 4E ). Forewing pale brown, veins white, cell borders dark brown ( Fig. 4A–D ). Most of abdominal sternites dark brown. Femora and tibiae with dark brown marks ( Fig. 4D–E ).

Head wider than pronotum, anterior margin angulate in dorsal view ( Fig. 4A–C ). Crown shorter medially than distance between eyes ( Fig. 4A–C ). Anteclypeus tapering apically, not extended to ventral margin of face. Lorum semicircular, narrower than anteclypeus, well separated from lateral margin of face ( Fig. 4E ). Pronotum slightly longer than crown ( Fig. 4A–C ). Forewing exposing apex of pygofer or not, with numerous extra crossveins ( Fig. 4A–D ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe apex rounded, with numerous macrosetae in distal half ( Fig. 5A–B ). Valve angulate caudally ( Fig. 5C ). Subgenital plate subtriangular, lateral margin incurved, with macrosetae arising laterally ( Fig. 5D ). Style with articulatory arm short; preapical lobe angulate; apophysis claw-like, short, apex not acute, slightly laterally curved ( Fig. 5E ). Connective slightly shorter than aedeagus. Aedeagus apex with relatively shallow, narrow V-shaped emargination, shaft curved 30° dorsad in lateral view, dorsal surface with small triangular subapical lobe on either side, dorsal membranous hood at base weakly developed, amorphous, with numerous conspicuous microtrichia, gonopore poorly delimited on dorsal surface ( Fig. 5F–G ).

Female. Sternite VII posterior margin with broad median weakly trilobed flap overlapping pair of lateral lobes ( Figs 4F , 6E ). Sternite VIII partially sclerotized, folded dorsad of sternite VII at rest, with pair of ovoid submedial sclerites not visible in uncleared specimens ( Fig. 6E ). First valvula with dorsal sculpturing imbricate, merging with short strigate ventral sculptured area distally ( Fig. 6A–B ). Second valvula moderately slender and nearly same width through most of length, dorsal margin with several small irregularly spaced teeth alternating between sides in distal half, toothed section horizontal, apex gradually and evenly tapered to acute point ( Fig. 6C–D ).

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, Argentina: Chaco P.N. Chaco, 70 m, 26° 48′ 50"S, 59°36′ 52"W, 10 Jan 2008, C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, AR10–5 ( MLP) . Paratypes: 1♀, Argentina: Chaco P.N. Chaco, 70 m, 26° 48′ 50"S, 59°36′ 52"W, 10 Jan 2008, C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, AR10–6 ( INHS) ; 1♀, Argentina: Chaco P.N. Chaco, 70 m, 26° 48′ 30"S, 59°36′ 23"W, 11–13 Jan 2008, Dietrich et al. Malaise trap, AR10–3 ( INHS) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is based on the similarity of this species to Amplicephalus (Amplicephalus) albivenosus (Osborn) .

Remarks. This species resembles A. (N.) bolivicus Linnavuori in coloration and shape but the latter differs in its larger size, truncate female sternite VII, and aedeagus with shaft more deeply split and nearly straight in lateral view. Its placement in A. ( Nanctasus ) is supported by the presence of numerous extra crossveins on the forewing and a membranous hood covering the base of the aedeagus dorsally (see also Discussion below).

Figures

FIGURE 4. External features of A. (N.) paralbivenosus sp. n. A–C: habitus, dorsal view; D: habitus, lateral view; E: face and part of thorax, anteroventral view; F: the end of female abdomen, ventral view. A: male; B–F: female.

FIGURE 5. Male genitalia of A. (N.) paralbivenosus sp. n. A: pygofer lobe, lateral view; B: pygofer and segments X–XI, dorsal view; C: valve, ventral view; D: subgenital plate, ventral view; E: style, dorsal view; F: connective and aedeagus, dorsal view; G: same, lateral view.

FIGURE 6. Female of A. (N.) paralbivenosus sp. n. A: first valvula; B: detail of first valvula; C: second valvula; D: detail of second valvula; E: female sternite VII–VIII, ventral view.