Ceratagallia (Ceratagallia) brailovskyi, Pinedo-Escatel & Dietrich, 2017

Pinedo-Escatel, J. A. & Dietrich, C. H., 2017, A new species of the genus Ceratagallia (Cicadellidae: Megophthalminae) from Central Mexico, Zootaxa 4347 (2), pp. 293-300 : 294-297

Ceratagallia (Ceratagallia) brailovskyi sp. nov.

( Figures 1–10 )

Length. ♂ 3.68 mm, ♀ unknown

Description. Relatively robust, general color light brown with darker markings; head, pronotum, and scutellum with brown stripes and discal maculations ( Figs. 8, 10 ). Crown with black spot above each ocellus, slightly longer medially than next to eye ( Fig. 9–10 ). Face brown, flattened, with two parallel lines running from apex of vertex across frontal suture to antennal pits. Ocelli orange. Frontoclypeus, medially flattened, surface brown with many transverse brownish bands on each lateral suture. Genae, clypellus, and lorum with pale brown with form typical of genus ( Fig. 9 ). Pronotum with hind margin dark brown. Legs and ventral sclerites of thorax dark brown. Abdomen entirely black except genital capsule. Genital sclerites brown with black setae. Forewing macropterous with brown veins. Hind wing translucent.

Male genitalia. Apical lobe of pygofer moderately long, broad, with simple setae. Anal hook long directed caudoventrally ( Fig. 7 ). Valve anterior margin excavated medially, articulated with pygofer and fused with subgenital plates. Subgenital plates extended to apex of pygofer, slightly tapered, fused on midline in basal half, apices truncate, posterolateral angles rounded, ( Fig. 6 ). Style thin, long (0.30 mm), bearing long setae on outer edge, twisted at base, marginal teeth poorly developed, apex produced on outer angle and toothed on inner angle ( Figs. 1, 5 ). Aedeagus long (0.3 mm) V–shaped in lateral view, nearly straight beyond atrium, shaft strongly dorsoventrally flattened ( Figs. 3–5 ), apex with pair of short, preapical retrorse spines ( Fig. 4 ). Connective broad, shieldlike, with anterior margin concave ( Fig. 2 ).

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Distribution. MEXICO (Edo. Mexico), see Fig. 11

Material examined. Holotype ( CZUG)— 1♂, MEXICO : Mexico, rt. 15D km #114, 16.5 km W, Atlacomulco 250m, 19° 50' N, 99° 50' E, 8–Nov–2001. C. H. Dietrich Coll., vacuum, 01–063–02 . Paratype ( INHS)— 1♂, MEXICO : Mexico, rt. 15D km #114, 16.5 km W, Atlacomulco 250m, 19° 50' N, 99° 50' E, 8–Nov–2001. C. H. Dietrich Coll., vacuum, 01–063–02.

Measurements. Head width 1.36 mm; medial length of vertex 0.26 mm; eye width 0.25; pronotal width 1.37; length of pronotum 0.57; distance between eyes 0.86; base of style to apex aedeagus 0.034 mm; stylar shaft length (middle lobe and base of style) 0.02 mm; style apex (foot) 0.005 mm; aedeagus length 0.012 mm; connective length 0.01 mm.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Harry Urad Brailovsky Alperowitz for his major contributions to hemipteran systematics.

Remarks. This species is similar to C. ana Hamilton, 1998 and C. bigeloviae (Baker, 1896) , but may be distinguished by the following combination of features: (I) apex of aedeagus linear (curved in C. ana ) ( Figs. 3–4 ); (II) style slender, bearing large setae, base large ( Fig. 1 ); and (III) connective short (long in C. bigeloviae ) ( Fig. 2 ). Ceratagallia sordida , C. ana and C. brailovskyi sp. nov. share similar male genital characteristics (see Hamilton 1998) and probably represent a plesiomorphic lineage (see discussion by Hamilton 1998).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Distribution of Ceratagallia in Mexico.

FIGURE 1 – 7. Male genitalia of Ceratagallia brailovskyi sp. nov. 1. Left style, dorsal view; 2. Connective; 3. Aedeagus, lateral view; 4. Apex of aedeagus, dorsal view; 5. Male genitalia complex; 6. Plates, ventral view; 7. Pygofer, dorsal view.

FIGURE 8 – 10. Habitus of Ceratagallia brailovskyi sp. nov. 8. Head, pronotum, scutellus, and left wing in dorsal view; 9. Face; 10. Habitus and coloration.