Elginus latus, Stiller, M., 2009

Stiller, M., 2009, Revision of Elginus Theron (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with the description of two new genera and comments on the grassland leafhopper fauna in South Africa, Zootaxa 2135 (1), pp. 1-56 : 17

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2135.1.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BD0C4B-FFA9-D16A-FF46-FD4FFC4D2BBF

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Elginus latus
status

sp. nov.

Elginus latus View in CoL sp.n.

( Figs 63 View FIGURES 51–77 , 90 View FIGURES 78–104 , 117 View FIGURES 105–130 , 142 View FIGURES 131–156 , 167 View FIGURES 157–179 , 192 View FIGURES 180–205 , 218 View FIGURES 206–232 )

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft very long, depressed, laterally with tooth at apex and tooth subapically on opposite sides.

Etymology. Latin, broad, for lateral expansion of aedeagal shaft.

Dimensions. Male (n = 1). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 3.2 mm, vertex 0.5 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm; scutellum medially 0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 1.0 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm; scutellum 0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 42 µm.

Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagal shaft very long, 3.0 times as long as dorsal apodeme; flattened dorsoventrally; gonopore subapical, ventral, flanked by single apical and single subapical lateral tooth ( Figs 63 View FIGURES 51–77 , 90 View FIGURES 78–104 ). Connective elongate ( Fig. 117 View FIGURES 105–130 ). Plate elongate, almost reaching apex of pygofer; apex truncate; basal medial margins fused, posterior margins fused to valve ( Fig. 142 View FIGURES 131–156 ). Pygofer lobe apex broadly rounded ( Figs 167 View FIGURES 157–179 , 192 View FIGURES 180–205 ). Style apophysis with apex acute, base rectangular; extending half-way into plate; apophysis 0.6 times as long as median arm ( Fig. 217 View FIGURES 206–232 ).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal. Ashburton , (29°30ʹS 30°29ʹE), 12.xii.1978, J.G. Theron ( SANC). GoogleMaps

Remarks. The aedeagal shaft is very long, and flattened dorsoventrally. Other species with a flattened shaft are E. bispinus , E. cavatus , E. dexteruncus , E. semialatus and E. unispinus . The style, pygofer and plate configuration of the latter show some resemblance to that of E. latus . Each species has a distinct allopatric distribution. Species with similar distribution, such as E. oriens are distinctly different, with a short, tubular shaft and short plate with dorsal tooth. Elginus minutulus is most similar, although its aedeagal shaft is tubular and much shorter (the shaft is 1.3 times as long as the dorsal apodeme), the plate is shorter and with a rounded apex and style with similar proportions but the shape of the dorsal apophysis is less acute. None of the specimens of E. minutulus , or any other species, showed signs of parasitism that could suggest that E. latus might be parasitized. The specimen has been dissected by the collector, and therefore evidence of parasitism could not be verified. The type locality was revisited twice and only E. oriens was collected, but large parts of the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province are still under collected.

SANC

Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hemiptera

Family

Cicadellidae

Genus

Elginus

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