Nesophrosyne melemele Denis & Bennett, 2017

Bennett, Michael D. Denis Gordon M., 2017, Description of Nesophrosyne melemele sp. n., an Endemic Hawaiian Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) Associated with Myoporum sandwicense (Scrophulariaceae), Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 49, pp. 47-50 : 48-50

Nesophrosyne melemele Denis & Bennett

Diagnosis. Length: male = 2.88 mm, female = 3.58 mm. Yellow colored species. Head and vertex rounded. Frontoclypeus with a dark narrow (stylized) heart-shaped marking. Yellow saddle mark present. Aedeagus with pronounced distal processes, hooking laterally to almost 1/3 length of aedeagal arms.

Description. Dorsum ( Figure 1A ): Yellow colored species. Head rounded with vertex weakly produced. Pronotum predominately yellow with posterior edge light brown, extending 1/2 pronotal length and tapering towards lateral edges. Scutellum yellow; centrally split by diffuse dark vertical triangle that is variable in width and length; further subdivided by thin bowed dark horizontal line curving posteriorly. Forewing cells hyaline to infuscate, darkest forms with cells dark brown colored; veins darkly colored throughout; outer anteapical cell present. Clavus with diffuse yellow saddle mark with anterolateral margins fading to dark brown; yellow color broadening towards anterior claval edges.

Venter ( Figure 1A ): Face with clypellus yellow. Gena and lorum yellow. Antennal sockets yellow. Frontoclypeus broadly dark or brownish; vertex and edges pale, tapering towards posterior base creating a stylized heart-shaped mark on face. Thoracic plates dark. Legs pale. Ventral abdominal segments pale with infused dark bands along anterior edges.

Genitalia ( Figure 1B–F ): Pygofer bluntly rounded with posterior apex rising to near dorsal edge; dorsal edge flat; ventral lobe reduced with ventral edge angled towards apex; 7 macro setae irregularly distributed. Subgenital plate with dense setae distributed along its lateral edges. Aedeagus with paired aedeagal arms widely splayed, rising conspicuously higher than central apodeme; gonopore preapical; apical processes elongate, extending just above gonopore and hooking to approximately 1/3 length of aedeagal arms. Style with apophysis curved, widening at base; preapical lobe with flat lateral and posterior edges, appearing angular; articulating arm short and triangular; posterior appendages with microsetae. Connective close in length to styles with posterior edge notched; anterior arms bowed and widely splayed with ends hooking mesad.

Distribution: Hawaiian Islands, Kauai, Polihale Beach. Elevation: 3 meters

Measurements: Body: male (n = 7) = 2.89 mm (2.7–3.0 mm); female (n = 5) = 3.58 mm (3.2–4.0 mm). Genitalia: (n = 4): pygofer = 0.45 mm (0.44–0.45 mm); style = 0.34 mm (0.33–0.35 mm); connective = 0.27 mm (0.26–0.28 mm); aedeagus lateral length = 0.28mm (0.27–0.30 mm); aedeagus posterior height = 0.26 mm (0.24–0.28 mm).

Type material: Holotype: 1 male, Hawaiian Islands , Kauai , Polihale State Park. GPS: 22.29222222, 159.95972222. Elevation: 3 m. Collected on 5-Jan-2010. Host plant: Myoporum sandwicense . Coll. G.M. Bennett. Deposited at the University of Hawaii Insect Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Paratype material: 7 males and 5 females with the same locality information and collection date as the holotype material (see above) . Additional material was also deposited in the University of Hawaii Insect Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA .

Etymology: Melemele is the Hawaiian word for yellow. It was chosen to describe the predominately yellow body coloration observed in male and females of this species.

Notes: Host plant: Myoporum sandwicense . Previous work referred to this species under the provisional designation as “N. sp. 126” (Bennett and O’Grady 2012).

Figures

Figure 1. Nesophrosyne melemele sp. n. endemic to Kauai: (A) dorsal and ventral habitus, (B) male pygofer lateral view, (C) connective dorsal view, (D) style dorsal view, (E) aedeagus posterior view, and (F) aedeagus lateral view.