Decursusnirvana, Gao, Min, Dai, Wu & Zhang, Yalin, 2014

Gao, Min, Dai, Wu & Zhang, Yalin, 2014, Two new Nirvanini genera from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Zootaxa 3841 (4), pp. 491-500 : 492-493

Decursusnirvana gen. nov.

Type species: Decursusnirvana fasciiformis sp. nov. Gao & Zhang

Description. Medium-sized leafhoppers with dorsal coloration white to pale yellow, slightly to strongly marked with black. Head slightly produced angularly, about as long as the length of pronotum. Crown nearly flat or slightly convex, entire anterior and lateral margins separated from face by distinct carina, surface with fine irregular striations sublaterally converging towards apex; coronal suture obvious; eyes fairly large; lateral margins in front of eyes straight and triangularly produced anteriorly; ocelli small, submarginal, some distance in front of inner margin of eyes (Figs. 1 – 2). Face slightly convex, frontoclypeus in profile oblique, ca. 45o from horizontal, with median longitudinal carina on basal half; antenna longer than combined length of crown and pronotum; anteclypeus wide basally, tapered in distal two thirds; apex truncate, extended beyond the gena; lorum small, narrow, well-separated from lateral margin of gena (Figs. 7 – 8). Pronotum with median length shorter than or equal to that of crown; pronotum slightly wider than head, anterior margin roundly produced, posterior margin slightly concave, sides carinate. Scutellum almost as long as head, transverse depression distinct, nearly reaching lateral margin (Figs. 1 – 2). Forewing with venation obscure; four apical cells; appendix very narrow (Figs. 4–5, 32). Hind wing with venation complete ( Fig. 33 ), four apical cells present, submarginal vein coincident with costal margin and very close to apical margin. Front femur with setae AM1 and AV1 enlarged; intercalary row with 12 setae with more distal setae progressively larger; row AV with one enlarged basal setae and ca. 6 shorter setae more distad; PV setae absent. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2+1+1; tibia with ca. 20, 13, 12, and 29 setae in rows AD, PD, PV, and AV, respectively.

Male genitalia. Pygophore lobe well developed, divided by horizontal cleft into dorsal and ventral sections, with several macrosetae at posterior margin, with or without process at ventral margin. Anal tube not long but strong, well sclerotized, with paired basolateral lobes. Subgenital plate weakly subsegmented at base, subparallel through most of length with single ventral longitudinal row of macrosetae; numerous short fine setae sparsely distributed over surface laterad of macrosetae. Style apical process short, curved laterally, apex expanded and cheliform; lateral lobe well developed with group of small setae. Connective Y-shaped with arms short and widely divergent, stem long and arched in lateral view. Aedeagus without atrium, shaft with basal half straight and apical half strongly curved ventrally, with pair of processes, gonopore apical on posterior surface.

Female genitalia. Female with sternite VII produced medially; first valvula in lateral view ( Figs. 10 – 11 ) broadened from base to ca. 1/3 distance from apex, apical fifth tapered, with oblique concatenate sculpturing basally, transitioning to strigate sculpturing and extending from dorsal to ventral margins distally, ventral preapical sculpturing imbricate; second valvula ( Figs. 12 – 13 ) with toothed distal blade broadened, less than half total length of valvula, with some sparse, waved teeth; third valvula ( Fig. 14 ) with 8 – 10 stout ventral submarginal setae preapically.

Etymology. The genus name, a combination of decursus, referring to the decurved aedeagal shaft with ventral gonopore, and Nirvana , the type genus of the tribe in which this new genus is placed, refers to the appearance of the aedeagus in these insects and is treated as a feminine noun.

Diagnosis. Decursusnirvana is referable to the tribe Nirvanini within the subfamily Evacanthinae based on the incomplete median carina of the frontoclypeus, presence of a single enlarged basal seta on front femur row AV, and forewing semi-opaque in basal three fourths, and venation visible but somewhat obscure basally. The new genus is externally similar to Oniella Matsumura, 1912 in body form, wing venation, and male genitalia, but it differs from the latter by the body being less depressed and shorter, pygofer ventral appendage much shorter or absent, and aedeagus shaft with basal half straight and apical half strongly curved ventrally. The new genus also resembles Chudania Distant, 1908 , but the latter has the aedeagus curved dorsally with the basal half well sclerotized and apical half membranous.

FIGURES 1–9. 1–3, dorsal view; 4–6, lateral view; 7–9, face. 1, 4, 7, Decursusnirvana excelsa n. comb.; 2, 5, 8, Decursusnirvana fasciiformis sp. nov.; 3, 6, 9, Sinonirvana hirsuta sp. nov. (♀).

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 33. Wings of Decursusnirvana fasciiformis. 32, forewing; 33, hindwing.

FIGURES 10 – 14. female ovipositor of Decursusnirvana fasciiformis sp. nov. 10, first valvulae, lateral view; 11, apical half of first valvulae, lateral view; 12, second valvula, lateral view; 13, apex of second valvula, lateral view; 14, second valvifer and third valvula, lateral view.