Ruppeliana barbarensis, Mejdalani, 2017

Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2017, The Neotropical sharpshooter genus Ruppeliana Young (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): four new species, key to males, and new synonyms, Zootaxa 4329 (5), pp. 436-448 : 438-440

Ruppeliana barbarensis sp. nov.

( Figures 1–7 )

Total length: male holotype 9.8 mm; female paratype 10.3 mm.

Description. External morphology. Head ( Fig. 1 ), in dorsal view, moderately produced anteriorly; median length of crown almost 1/3 of interocular width and approximately 1/2 of transocular width; ocelli located slightly behind imaginary line between anterior eye angles, each ocellus closer to median line of crown than to adjacent anterior eye angle. Frons with central area granular; epistomal suture obsolete medially. Clypeus, in lateral view, with contour of lower portion continuing profile of frons; with fine pubescence at apex. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ), in dorsal view, with lateral margins parallel; dorsopleural carinae rectilinear and declivous anteriorly. Forewings with veins inconspicuous and bases of anteapical cells approximately aligned with claval apex. Remaining characteristics of external morphology as described for the genus by Young (1977: 747).

Color ( Fig. 1 ). Anterior dorsum dark brown to black; crown with pair of large pale yellow areas on antennal ledges extending medially onto ocelli (almost reaching each other) and attaining posterior margin adjacent to eyes; pronotum with two transverse bands, one broad, pale yellow, occupying posterior two-thirds and another narrow, reddish-brown, on posterior third, near posterior margin and covering pale band; mesonotum with large pale yellow area on posterior two-thirds, apex reddish-brown. Face pale yellow; frons with O-shaped macula continuing medially as median macula on clypeus, dark brown to black. Forewings reddish-brown, with four transverse bands extending from costal margin (diagonal one at base of corium and clavus, one anteriorly to claval apex, one crossing anteapical cells and last one on base of apical cells) and two large spots (one on clavus near midlength and another on corium between first and second band), yellowish-green; membrane hyaline. Lateral portions of thorax and legs mostly pale yellow.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 2 ), in lateral view, strongly produced posteriorly; dorsal margin gradually curving ventrally; macrosetae concentrated mostly on apical half; ventral margin, in ventral view, with small blunt projection near median third. Valve ( Figs. 2–3 ), in ventral view, narrow, with anterior margin slightly concave medially. Subgenital plates ( Figs. 2–3 ), in ventral view, elongate, subtriangular, gradually narrowed toward apex; with uniseriate macrosetae and several elongate microsetae along outer margin; in lateral view, not extending posteriorly beyond pygofer apex. Style ( Fig. 4 ), in dorsal view, very long, extending posteriorly much beyond apex of connective; without preapical lobe; apex blunt. Connective ( Fig. 4 ), in dorsal view, very short, V-shaped, arms divergent, stalk very short and with high median keel. Aedeagus ( Figs. 5–6 ), in lateral view, with shaft expanded dorsally mostly at middle portion; in dorsal view, with deep dorsal split; aedeagal atrium well developed as ventral sheath-like portion linked to connective and bearing two pairs of processes: first pair arising basally, slender, very long and extending posteriorly much beyond shaft apex; second pair, in lateral view, a small, inconspicuous projection located dorsoapically at sheath-like portion, not attaining ventral margin of shaft.

Female sternite VII ( Fig. 7 ), in ventral view, with distinct median emargination on posterior margin.

Etymology. The specific epithet, barbarensis , refers to the name of the type locality, Santa Bárbara Municipality, in Minas Gerais State.

Taxonomic notes. In combination with the conspicuous color pattern ( Fig. 1 ), R. barbarensis can be recognized by the extremely elongate basal processes of the aedeagus, which are more than twice as long as the aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 5–6 ).

Type material. Brazil, Minas Gerais State . Holotype: male, “ BRAZIL:\ Minas Gerais \ Santa Barbara [Bárbara]”; “ Caraca [ Serra do Caraça ], i.1970 \ F. M. Oliveira \ B. M. 1971-165” ( DZUP) . Paratypes: one male and one female ( DZUP), same data as the holotype .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Ruppeliana barbarensis sp. nov. 1, female paratype (total length 10.3 mm), dorsal view (antennae and legs not depicted), DZUP. Male genitalia: 2, pygofer, valve, and subgenital plate, lateral view; 3, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; 4, connective and style, dorsal view; 5, aedeagus, lateral view; 6, aedeagus, ventral view. 7, female sternite VII, ventral view.