Afromelampsalta luteofasciata, Sanborn & Villet, 2020

Sanborn, Allen F. & Villet, Martin H., 2020, Afromelampsalta, a new genus, a new species, and five new combinations of African cicadettine cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae), Zootaxa 4731 (4), pp. 531-542 : 534-538

Afromelampsalta luteofasciata n. sp. Sanborn and Villet

( Figs. 2–3 )

Melampsalta sp. a Phillips, Sanborn & Villet 2002: 31.

Melampsalta sp. a Sanborn, Phillips & Villet 2003: 348-349, Table 1.

Melampsalta sp. a Sanborn 2013: 530.

Type material. Holotype. “ SOUTH AFRICA: Grahamstown / EC RSA / 33º19’14”S 26º30’28”E / 28 Dec 2001 / A. SANBORN // in Themeda grassland” male ( AMGS) . Paratypes. “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / Grahamstown / 33º 19.24 S 26º 30.47 E / 28 Dec 2001 / A. Sanborn, coll.” seven males ( AFSC) ; “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / Grahamstown / 33º 19.24 S 26º 30.47 E / 28 Dec 2001 / P. Phillips, coll.” three males ( AFSC) ; “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / Grahamstown / 33º 19.24 S 26º 30.47 E / 28 Dec 2001 / A. Sanborn, coll.” one male ( AFSC) .

Remarks. The type series was collected when the official name of the town was Grahamstown, the locality reflected in the labels on the type series. The town has since been officially renamed Makhanda so that the type locality is Makhanda, East Cape, South Africa.

Etymology. The name luteofasciata is a combination of luteus (L. yellow) and fasciatus (L. banded, striped) in reference to the yellow fasciae on the thorax and abdomen.

Measurements (mm). Male. N = 11, mean (range). Length of body: 14.73 (14.1–15.6); length of fore wing: 14.97 (14.5–15.6); width of fore wing: 6.25 (5.9–6.6); length of head: 1.97 (1.8–2.1); width of head including eyes: 4.22 (4.1–4.3); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 4.98 (4.7–5.2); width of mesonotum: 4.22 (4.0–4.4).

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from A. leucoptera n. comb. by the infuscated veins of the fore wings in that species. The abdominal sternites have a broad, longitudinal fascia in A. aethiopica n. comb. that is lacking in this new species. Afromelampsalta mimica n. comb. can be distinguished by the four or five apical cells of the hind wings and the abdominal tergites that are piceous dorsally with lateral reddish-orange areas. Apical cells 1 and 2 in the fore wing are about the same size in A. limitata n. comb. but apical cell 1 is longer in the new species. Finally, A. cadisia n. comb. can be distinguished by the anterior tawny spots and dorsolateral dark red spots on the pronotum, the ferruginous legs and the cruciform elevation lacking a longitudinal piceous mark.

Description. Ground color piceous marked with ochraceous.

Head. Head about as wide as mesonotum, piceous with ochraceous mark in posterior epicranial suture, on lateral supra-antennal plate, mark on supra-antennal plate extending along anterior margin in some paratypes, along anterior and anteromedial margin in some paratypes or supra-antennal plate ochraceous in some paratypes. Covered with short golden pile dorsally, longer silvery pile posterior to eye. Ocelli rosaceous, eyes dark castaneous. Ventral head piceous, posterior gena and lateral lorum ochraceous, lorum completely ochraceous in some paratypes. Thick silvery pile on lorum and gena. Postclypeus piceous with ochraceous lateral and ventroposterior margins, ochraceous spot on apex extending as a fascia along dorsal midline, fascia separated from spot in some paratypes. Postclypeus with eleven transverse grooves, short golden pile on dorsum, silvery pile in transverse grooves, long, dense silvery pile on lateral postclypeus. Anteclypeus piceous with ochraceous anterior margin and ochraceous spot on posterior carina, completely piceous in some paratypes, covered with long silvery pile. Mentum ochraceous with lateral castaneous fasciae, labium ochraceous with piceous lateral fascia and tip, long silvery pile on tip, reaching to posterior of middle coxae. Antennal segments piceous, scape with ochraceous annular mark distally.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax piceous. Pronotum with ochraceous fascia expanding in middle on midline anterior to pronotal collar, reduced in some paratypes, triangular ochraceous marks on either side of piceous posterior midline anterior to pronotal collar, incomplete transverse ochraceous fascia along anterior margin, lateral scute margined with ochraceous. Pronotal collar ochraceous, castaneous dorsally in some paratypes, with piceous marks across dorsal midline, on lateral margin of pronotal collar lateral angle extending along lateral margin of pronotal collar, lateral margin of pronotal collar ochraceous anteriorly in some paratypes. Pronotum covered with short silvery pile, longer pile laterally. Mesonotum piceous, lateral sigillae surrounded by ochraceous, separated into four dorsal stripes or expanding onto anterior arms of cruciform elevation in some paratypes, posterior wing groove ochraceous, cruciform elevation ochraceous, piceous between anterior arms, across distal anterior arms and along midline, midline mark triangular, reduced, or expanding across proximal posterior arms in various paratypes. Metanotum piceous with ochraceous posterior margin, visible region posterior to cruciform elevation ochraceous on either side of midline. Dorsum covered with silvery pile, longer and denser laterally, posteriorly, between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, in wing groove, and on posterior metanotum. Ventral thoracic segments ochraceous with piceous basisternum 2, piceous spots on posterior anepisternum 2, anteromedial katepisternum 2, medial katepimeron 2, and basisternum 3, covered with long, dense white pile.

Wings. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline with eight and six apical cells respectively. Venation piceous except ochraceous costa and radius & subcostal vein to node, arculus connection to radius & subcostal vein, radius anterior distal to node, cubitus posterior + anal vein 1 and anterior anal vein 2 + 3, proximal cubitus anterior along basal cell light castaneous. Basal cell clear, longer than broad. Pterostigma milky. Basal membrane of fore wing white becoming dark gray posteriorly. Venation of hind wing ochraceous, castaneous distal radius posterior, ambient vein, proximal median vein and tawny anal vein 3. Coloration variable in different wings and in different specimens. Anal cell 3 and anal cell 2 along anal vein 3 gray, anal cell 3 gray along medial margin. Small V-shaped infuscation on plaga between gray regions.

Legs. Legs ochraceous, transverse dark castaneous marks on proximal and distal coxae and trochanters, coxae, trochanters, femora, and fore tibiae striped with castaneous, tibiae with proximal and distal castaneous marks. Fore femora with three parallel oblique spines with curved tips, proximal longest, secondary intermediate in length, tertiary spine smallest with very small apical spine extending from base of tertiary spine, all castaneous. Fore tarsi castaneous, middle and hind tarsi lighter in the middle, tibial spurs and comb castaneous with darker tips. Legs covered with long silvery pile. Meracantha triangular, medial margin angulate, ochraceous with castaneous spot on medial base extending over anterior margin of operculum but not reaching domed region of operculum.

Opercula. Male operculum roughly rectangular, domed centrally, with smoothly rounded posterolateral and posterior margins, lateral side bent dorsally so that lateral margin almost reaches extended hind wing, reaching to anterior of sternite III, ochraceous with castaneous spot on lateral base, dense long white pile across base and sparsely distributed on operculum. Medial margins almost touching medially, curved with straight margins forming an approximate right angle extending from the curve.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites piceous, transverse ochraceous fascia on posterior of tergite 1 along timbal, ochraceous spot on posterolateral tergite 2 next to auditory capsule, posterior and lateral margins of tergites 3–8 ochraceous, amount of lateral ochraceous increasing in posterior tergites so that tergite 8 is mostly ochraceous with anterodorsal piceous spot, covered with silvery pile, denser laterally and posterior to auditory capsule. Timbal cover absent, timbal completely exposed, timbal with four ribs, timbal does not extend below wing base. Sternites and epipleurites ochraceous except piceous sternite I, transverse spots on either side of midline of sternite II, transverse spot on anterior midline and small transverse spots on anterolateral margin of sternite III, male sternites III–V translucent laterally, sternite VIII elongated, ochraceous radiating piceous pile from posterior half, U-shaped when viewed from posterior. Sternites and epipleurites with short silvery pile.

Genitalia. Male pygofer ochraceous with piceous dorsal surface, distal shoulder undeveloped, dorsal beak pointed, curved ventrally when viewed from the side, with long silvery pile posteriorly. Upper pygofer lobe small forming an approximate right angle with curve to dorsal beak, pygofer basal lobes elongated, flattened, adpressed to pygofer. Anal styles reddish with ochraceous margin, anal tube ochraceous. Median uncus lobe dark ochraceous, short, flattened, tapering distally forming a roughly triangular shape. Claspers well developed, castaneous, meeting along midline under median uncus lobe and curving laterad towards pointed apex. Aedeagus tubular, castaneous, restrained by claspers.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Upper Kowie River catchment, South Africa ( Fig. 3 ). The type series was collected at Makhanda (Grahamstown).

Notes on the biology of the species. We collected the species in the Grassy Fynbos of Low and Robelo (1996), calling from grasses between bushclumps.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Afromelampsalta luteofasciata n. gen., n. sp.: A, paratype male; B, paratype male dorsum; C, paratype male fore femur; D, paratype male operculum; E, paratype male lateral view of genitalia; F, paratype male posterior view of genitalia; G, paratype male timbal. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 5 mm; C, 1 mm; D, 2 mm; E–G, 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Distributions of (○) Afromelampsalta luteofasciata n. gen., n. sp. and (●) Afromelampsalta mimica n. comb. Roads and town are marked in grey.