Nannicerus curica, Guimarães & Rafael, 2022

Guimarães, Daniel Lucas Praciano & Rafael, José Albertino, 2022, Redescription of Nannicerus Maldonado-Capriles, 1997 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae: Chiasmdolini) and description of two new species from North Brazil, Zootaxa 5169 (3), pp. 286-296 : 290-292

Nannicerus curica sp. nov.

( Figs. 15–30 )

Type locality. ZF-2, Manaus , Amazonas State, Brazil .

Diagnosis. Yellow macula of forewing does not reach costal margin ( Fig. 19 ); UFS apex reaching correspondent ocellus ( Fig. 16 ); femora with median black macula ( Fig. 18 ); apodeme of sternite II longer than sternite II ( Fig. 20 ); pygofer without ventral basal projection ( Fig. 21 ); connective without apical longitudinal keel ( Fig. 25 ); dorsal apodeme of aedeagus with subtriangular apex ( Fig. 27 ); aedeagus shaft with lateral spines from base to gonopore ( Figs. 28, 29 ); laterobasal process of anal tube short, with truncated apex, ventrally directed ( Fig. 21, 30 ).

Measurements (mm). Holotype male, total length (to apex of forewing): 5.10; median length of crown: 0.26; length of crown close to eyes: 0.29; width of head: 2.04; width of crown between eyes: 1.00; length of pronotum: 0.60; length of scutellum: 1.04; width of pronotum: 1.67; width of scutellum: 1.38; length of frons: 1.39; width of frons between eyes: 1.02; distance between ocelli: 0.52; ocellocular distance: 0.19; length of clypeus: 0.43; apical width of clypeus: 0.28; basal width of clypeus: 0.26; length of forewing: 4.68. Males (n=10), total length: 5.21– 5.37; median length of crown: 0.22–0.25; length of crown close to eyes: 0.26–0.30; width of head: 2.10–2.11; width of crown between eyes: 1.03–1.04; length of pronotum: 0.61–0.63; length of scutellum: 1.09; width of pronotum: 1.75–1.76; width of scutellum: 1.49–1.50; length of frons: 1.29–1.44; width of frons between eyes: 1.09; distance between ocelli: 0.56–0.57; ocellocular distance: 0.20–0.22; length of clypeus: 0.47–0.53; apical width of clypeus: 0.29–0.30; basal width of clypeus: 0.28–0.29.

Coloration. Male: Color pattern of body as in the generic description, except for: frons with a triangular brown macula on median region; clypeus with apical region black, black margins close to base; basal portion light yellow ( Fig. 16 ). Pronotum with anterior portion brown; two dark brown spots close to anterior portion; two brown macula on median region ( Figs. 15, 17 ). Forewing with a yellow macula mostly on clavus from basal to median region of forewing; costal margin distinctly yellow at basal two-thirds ( Fig. 19 ).

Description. Head with anterior margin of crown rounded ( Fig. 15 ); median length slightly shorter (0.1x) than length close to eyes; approximately 0.4x pronotal length. UFS reaching lower edge of ocellus ( Fig. 16 ). Frons 1.4x longer than wide between eyes; distance between ocelli approximately 2.7x longer than ocellocular distance. Clypeus approximately 0.1x wider apically than basally. Rostrum long, posteriorly crossing metacoxa ( Figs. 16, 18 ). Pronotum with distinctive groups of punctures at median and lateral regions ( Figs. 15, 17 ). Scutellum approximately 0.3x longer than wide. Combined length of crown and pronotum approximately 0.2x shorter than length of scutellum. Apodemes of sternite II longer than sternite II, and anterior region somewhat straight ( Fig. 20 ).

Male terminalia. Pygofer without basal projection ( Fig. 21 ). Subgenital plate 2x longer than pygofer. Connective with apical shaft relatively long; without apical longitudinal keel ( Figs. 24–25 ). Style with preapical lobe slightly rounded, with apophysis rounded apex ( Figs. 24, 26 ). Aedeagus with dorsal apodeme subtriangular apex; shaft with base distinctive inflated, globular; remainder of shaft tubular, with lateral spines from base to gonopore ( Figs. 27–29 ). Anal tube with laterobasal process short, triangular, truncated apex, directed ventrally, ( Figs. 21, 30 ).

Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is given in honor of Mr. Curica (Raimundo Alves), as a way of recognizing his encouragement and support provided to the first author.

Remarks. Nannicerus curica sp. nov. (5.21–5.37 mm) are larger than N. gracilis (3.81–4.35 mm) and smaller than N. grandis sp. nov. (6.76–6.89 mm). The yellow macula of forewing does not reach costal margin ( Fig. 19 ) as in N. grandis . Nannicerus curica and N. grandis have a median black spot on all femora ( Fig. 18 ). Differs from N. grandis specially by the width of apodemes of sternite II, which in N. curica is longer than sternite II ( Fig. 20 ), while in N. grandis the apodemes are shorter than sternite II. Male genitalia of N. curica and N. grandis are very similar. This species can be easily recognized based on: connective shaft without apical longitudinal keel ( Fig. 25 ); dorsal apodeme of aedeagus with subtriangular apex ( Fig. 27 ); laterobasal process of anal tube with truncated apex ( Fig. 21, 30 ).

Bionomy. Specimens were collected at 8 and 16 m high at December/January, February/March, and May.

Material examined. “ BRASIL, Amazonas , Manaus, ZF-2, \ km-14, 2º35’21’’S – 60º06’55’’W, \ 25.ii–13.iii.2018, Malaise gde [grande], 16m \ alt [altura], poente, J.A.Rafael —Rede BIA”, Holotype ♂ INPA . Paratypes. same data of holotype, 1♂ INPA , 1♂ MNRJ ; idem, “ 8m \ alt [altura], lado nascente, JARafael—Rede BIA”, 1♂ INPA ; idem, “ 24.xii.2017 – 08.i.2018, Malaise gde [grande], 8 \ m alt [altura], lado nascente, JARafael”, 1♂ MZSP ; idem, “ 1–15.v.2017, Malaise gde [grande], 8m alt [altura], \ lado poente, J.A.Rafael —Rede BIA”, 1♂: INPA , 1♂ MZSP ; idem, “ 16m alt [altura], \ lado nascente, J.A.Rafael —Rede BIA”, 1♂ INPA ; idem, “ 16 m alt [altura], \ lado poente, J.A.Rafael —Rede BIA”, 2♂ MNRJ .

Figures

FIGURES 15–18. Nannicerus curica sp. nov., male holotype. 15, body, dorsal view. 16, head and thorax, anteroventral view. 17, head and thorax, dorsal view. 18, body, lateral view. Scale bar: 16–17= 0.5 mm, 15,18= 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 19–30. Nannicerus curica sp. nov. male holotype. 19, forewing. 20, apodemes of sternite II, dorsal view. Male genitalia: 21, pygofer, lateral view. 22, subgenital plate, lateral view. 23, subgenital plate, ventral view. 24, connective and style, dorsal view. 25, connective, lateral view. 26, style, lateral view. 27, aedeagus, lateral view. 28, aedeagus, posterior view. 29, aedeagus shaft in detail, posterior view. 30, laterobasal process of anal tube in detail, posterior view. Scale bar: 19= 1 mm; 20–30= 0.2 mm.