Myerslopia rakiuraensis, Szwedo, 2004

Szwedo, Jacek, 2004, A new genus and six new species of ground-dwelling leafhoppers from Chile and New Zealand (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Myerslopiidae), Zootaxa 424 (1), pp. 1-20 : 11-13

Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 16–21 )

DIAGNOSIS: Distinctly smaller than M. magna ; lateral lobe of pygofer with caudad projection (lack of such projection in M. magna ); genital styles with apical half strongly turned dorsad and twisted, with apex narrow and acute, directed mediad (in M. magna styles not twisted in apical portion and with more rounded apex not directed mediad); genital plates slightly narrower at base, with median fissure narrower and deeper than in M. magna .

DESCRIPTION: Total length 3.53–3.73 mm (males). General colour dark brown with lighter emarginations in anterior part, tegmina light brown with slightly darker veins and prominences. Lower portion of frontoclypeus and median portion of anteclypeus tawny. Body covered with setiferous light brown bullae.

Head with compound eyes as wide as pronotum with paranotal lobes, anterior margin foliaceous, produced anteriad, crown in anteromedian portion distinctly concave, slightly elevated in median line at base, two lateral impressions shallow, posterolateral tubercles indistinct.

Frontoclypeus with lower pair of protuberances slightly tumid, upper pair indistinct, anteclypeus about half of frontoclypeus height, with two callused medial prominences, one near base and the other contiguous with apex.

Pronotum narrow, collar­like, with paranotal lobes small, triangular, posterior margin almost straight, median ridges indistinct, mesonotum wide at base, as long as pronotum in mid line, slightly convex.

Tegmina ( Fig. 16 ) about 2.5 mm long, 1.3 mm wide, irregularly oval with tapered apex, coriaceous, punctate, each puncture with setiferous bulla. Costal margin ridge­like, thickened in basal portion, forming two distinct ridges, external and internal slightly bent under tegmen. Vein R with one elongate tubercle just beyond half of tegmen length, longitudinal protuberance of common stem M+Cu absent, vein M with one oval tubercle at the level of joined commissure protuberance, in 1 / 3 distance from apex, vein Cu with oval eminence about half of tegmen length. Claval suture with two elongate ridges basad and just before half of tegmen length. Claval vein with indistinct protuberance in form of longitudinal ledge in distal portion of vein.

Hind wings lacking.

Fore legs covered with setae, row AV of tibia with three longer, stiff setae in half length. Mid legs slightly longer, tibia covered with setae; hind legs more slender, femur with two apical setae, with tibia about 1.35 mm long, rows PD and AD with four stout macrosetae, row AV with three stout macrosetae in distal half, row PV with two stout macrosetae in apical part, apex of hind tibia on ventral surface with proximal row of 7 spurs of spiniform plate and seta and distal row of 7 spurs of base and seta. Tarsomeres with numerous irregularly arranged setae, basitarsomere about as long as combined length of mid and apical tarsomeres, external plantar margin with row of 7 thicker setae, a few similar setae also on plantar surface, mid and apical tarsomere subequal in length, covered with setae, claws distinct, arolium bilobate.

Pygofer ( Figs. 17 & 18 ) wider than long, genital plates fused basally with valve, elongate, slightly narrowed at base, turned medially at apex, with latter clublike, dorsal surface with sclerotized, curved ridge, extending along caudal margin, with a few long setae, caudal margin with microsetae along its length. Aedeagus ( Figs. 19 & 20 ) complex, phallobase hemitubular, subquadrate basally, slender and short endotheca directed anteriad, then arched dorsocaudad, theca transparent forming tube­like sheath, tapered to apex. Genital style ( Fig. 21 ) with apical half strongly turned dorsad and twisted, with apex narrow and acute, directed mediad, medial ridge and caudal margin covered with a few long setae.

Female unknown.

Most of external characters, e.g. median elevation of crown at base and two apical setae on hind femur, are also to be observed in examined nymphs from the same area.

ETYMOLOGY: From Maori name of Stewart Island—Rakiura.

MATERIAL STUDIED: Holotype, male; MHNG; Labelled [ NEW ZEALAND: Stewart / Island, SI, Oban, Fern / Gully, 80m, 6.II.1992 / podocarp­hardwood / for., D. Burckardt #35a]; [handwritten Myerslopia / det. D. Burckardt / 94]; red label [HOLOTYPE]; [ Myerslopia / rakikuraensis Szw. ♂ / det. J. Szwedo; 2002]. Paratype, male, same date and locality.

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: MHNG, 8 nymphs 3 rd –5 th instar, same date and locality.

Figures

FIGURES 16–21. Fig. 16. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. left tegmen (scale bar 1 mm); Fig. 17. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. pygofer in right lateral view (scale bar 1 mm); Fig. 18. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. pygofer in ventral view (scale bar 1 mm); Fig. 19. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. aedeagus and left style in dorsal view (scale bar 0.1 mm); Fig. 20. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. aedeagus in lateral view (scale bar 0.1 mm); Fig. 21. Myerslopia rakiuraensis sp. nov. right genital style in lateral view (scale bar 0.1 mm).