Elginus bispinus, 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 : 8

Elginus bispinus sp.n.

( Figs 1 , 52 , 79 , 106 , 132 , 181 , 207 , 233 )

Diagnosis. Aedeagus with apex of shaft bifurcate and flattened dorsoventrally, and apophysis of style elongate.

Etymology. Latin, to describe the forked apex of the aedeagal shaft.

Colour. Male & female. Vertex indistinctly marked, without wedge-shaped mark. Fuscous markings in the central cells of the tegmina ( Fig. 1 ).

Dimensions. Male (n = 6). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.7–2.9 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.3–2.4 mm; vertex medially 0.4 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.2–0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm; scutellum medially 0.2–0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7 mm; scutellum 0.4 mm. Ocellus: diameter 17–27 µm; ocellocular distance 41–55 µm.

Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagal shaft flattened dorso-ventrally; shaft short, 1.8 times as long as dorsal apodeme; apex with gonopore flanked by spines; gonopore dorsad ( Figs 52 , 79 ). Connective elongate ( Fig. 106 ). Plate elongate, apex rounded, fused with valve ( Fig. 132 ). Pygofer lobe apex bluntly pointed ( Fig. 181 ). Style apophysis narrow, as long as anterior lateral lobe, up to 7 teeth ventrally; extending through most of plate ( Fig. 207 ).

Dimensions. Female (n = 3). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 3.1–3.2 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 3.1–3.2 mm; vertex medially 0.5 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3–0.4 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm; scutellum medially 0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 1.0 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm; scutellum 0.4 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 39–59 µm.

Genital capsule. Female. Sternite VII apical margin triangular, apex with narrow V-shaped notch ( Fig. 233 ).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Western Cape. Bokfontein Ceres , 32°25ʹS 19°15ʹE, 3.viii.1985, J.G. Theron ( SANC) . Paratypes (5♂, 3♀). Western Cape . 5♂, 2♀, ibid. holotype ; 1♀, Goudiniweg Station Worcester, 33°36ʹ07.74ʺS 19°19ʹ59.88ʺE, 258 m, 13.xii.2004, M. Stiller ( SANC, USIC) .

Remarks. This species is not closely related to species in the Fynbos or Grassland Biomes. No other species has a similarly flattened aedeagal shaft and complex apex of the shaft. Known mainly from one locality in the Fynbos Biome at which E. saltus also occurs. The latter species is larger, with the vertex more pointed, and it has a more variable colour pattern, that is, it either has fuscous paired markings on the vertex or it is darker with most cells of tegmina fuscous and the pronotum and vertex have dark makings. Elginus theroni also appears to occur more widely in the Fynbos Biome and can be recognized because its colouration that is even less distinct or it is without markings on the body.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Elginus species, habitus views. Fig. 1, E. bispinus, male; Fig. 2, E. cavatus, male; Fig. 3, E. cavatus, female; Fig. 4, E. cavatus, nymph; Fig. 5, E. contradens, male; Fig. 6, E. contradens, female; Fig. 7, E. cultellus, male; Fig. 8, E. cultellus, female.

FIGURES 51–77. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, dorsal or ventral view. Fig. 51, E. acutus, ventral view; Fig. 52, E. bispinus, dorsal view; Fig. 53, E. cavatus, dorsal view; Fig. 54, E. contradens, dorsal view; Fig. 55, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 56, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 57, E. denticulatus, dorsal view; Fig. 58, E. dexteruncus, dorsal view; Fig. 59, E. eccentricus, dorsal view; Fig. 60, E. extrinsecus, ventral view; Fig. 61, E. falcatus, dorsal view; Fig. 62, E. furcillatus, dorsal view; Fig. 63, E. latus, dorsal view; Fig. 64, E. levilobus, ventral view; Fig. 65, E. malotiensis, dorsal view; Fig. 66, E. matarei, ventral view; Fig. 67, E. minutulus, dorsal view; Fig. 68, E. oriens, dorsal view; Fig. 69, E. recavus, dorsal view; Fig. 70, E. saltus (Naudé), dorsal view; Fig. 71, E. semialatus, with paired process, ventral view; Fig. 72, E. semialatus, single process, ventral view; Fig. 73, E. theroni, dorsal view; Fig. 74, E. tortuosus, dorsal view; Fig. 75, E. tubulus, dorsal view; Fig. 76, E. unispinus, ventral view; Fig. 77, E. vulgaris, dorsal view.

FIGURES 78–104. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, lateral view. Fig. 78, E. acutus; Fig. 79, E. bispinus; Fig. 80, E. cavatus; Fig. 81, E. contradens; Fig. 82, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 83, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 84, E. denticulatus; Fig. 85, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 86, E. eccentricus; Fig. 87, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 88, E. falcatus; Fig. 89, E. furcillatus; Fig. 90, E. latus; Fig. 91, E. levilobus; Fig. 92, E. malotiensis; Fig. 93, E. matarei; Fig. 94, E. minutulus; Fig. 95, E. oriens; Fig. 96, E. recavus; Fig. 97, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 98, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 99, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 100, E. theroni; Fig. 101, E. tortuosus; Fig. 102, E. tubulus; Fig. 103, E. unispinus; Fig. 104, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 105–130. Elginus species, male, connective, Fig. 105, E. acutus; Fig. 106, E. bispinus; Fig. 107, E. cavatus; Fig. 108, E. contradens; Fig. 109, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 110, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 111, E. denticulatus; Fig. 112, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 113, E. eccentricus; Fig. 114, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 115, E. falcatus; Fig. 116, E. furcillatus; Fig. 117, E. latus; Fig. 118, E. levilobus; Fig. 119, E. malotiensis; Fig. 120, E. matarei; Fig. 121, E. minutulus; Fig. 122, E. oriens; Fig. 123, E. recavus; Fig. 124, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 125, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 126, E. theroni; Fig. 127, E. tortuosus; Fig. 128, E. tubulus; Fig. 129, E. unispinus; Fig. 130, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 131–156. Elginus species, male, plate, Fig. 131, E. acutus; Fig. 132, E. bispinus; Fig. 133, E. cavatus; Fig. 134, E. contradens; Fig. 135, E. cultellus; Fig. 136, E. denticulatus; Fig. 137, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 138, E. eccentricus; Fig. 139, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 140, E. falcatus; Fig. 141, E. furcillatus; Fig. 142, E. latus; Fig. 143, E. levilobus; Fig. 144, E. malotiensis; Fig. 145, E. matarei; Fig. 146, E. minutulus; Fig. 147, E. oriens; Fig. 148, E. recavus; Fig. 149, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 150, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 151, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 152, E. theroni; Fig. 153, E. tortuosus; Fig. 154, E. tubulus; Fig. 155, E. unispinus; Fig. 156, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 180–205. Elginus species, male, pygofer, lateral view. Fig. 180, E. acutus; Fig. 181, E. bispinus; Fig. 182, E. cavatus; Fig. 183, E. contradens; Fig. 184, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 185, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 186, E. denticulatus; Fig. 187, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 188, E. eccentricus; Fig. 189, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 190, E. falcatus; Fig. 191, E. furcillatus; Fig. 192, E. latus; Fig. 193, E. levilobus; Fig. 194, E. malotiensis; Fig. 195, E. matarei; Fig. 196, E. minutulus; Fig. 197, E. oriens; Fig. 198, E. recavus; Fig. 199, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 200, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 201, E. theroni; Fig. 202, E. tortuosus; Fig. 203, E. tubulus; Fig. 204, E. unispinus; Fig. 205, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 206–232. Elginus species, male, style, Fig. 206, E. acutus; Fig. 207, E. bispinus; Fig. 208, E. cavatus; Fig. 209, E. contradens; Fig. 210, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 211, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 212, E. denticulatus; Fig. 213, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 214, E. eccentricus; Fig. 215, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 216, E. falcatus; Fig. 217, E. furcillatus; Fig. 218, E. latus; Fig. 219, E. levilobus; Fig. 220, E. malotiensis; Fig. 221, E. matarei; Fig. 222, E. minutulus; Fig. 223, E. oriens; Fig. 224, E. recavus; Fig. 225, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 226, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 227, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 228, E. theroni; Fig. 229, E. tortuosus; Fig. 230, E. tubulus; Fig. 231, E. unispinus; Fig. 232, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 233–258. Elginus species, female, sternite VII. Fig. 233, E. bispinus; Fig. 234, E. cavatus; Fig. 235, E. contradens; Fig. 236, E. cultellus, associated males with curved aedeagus; Fig. 237, E. cultellus, associated males with straight aedeagus; Fig. 238, E. denticulatus; Fig. 239, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 240, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 241, E eccentricus; Fig. 242, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 243, E. falcatus; Fig. 244, E. furcillatus; Fig. 245, E. levilobus; Fig. 246, E. malotiensis; Fig. 247, E. matarei; Fig. 248, E. minutulus; Fig. 249, E. oriens; Fig. 250, E. oriens; Fig. 251, E. recavus; Fig. 252, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 253, E. semialatus; Fig. 254, E. theroni; Fig. 255, E. tortuosus; Fig. 256, E. tubulus; Fig. 257, E. unispinus; Fig. 258, E. vulgaris.