Nesophrosyne broussaisiai Bennett

Bennett, Gordon M & O’Grady, Patrick M, 2011, Review of the native Hawaiian leafhopper genus Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of eight new species associated with Broussaisia arguta (Hydrangeaceae), Zootaxa 2805, pp. 1-25 : 16-17

Nesophrosyne broussaisiai Bennett sp. nov.

( Fig. 7 a)

Diagnosis. Length: male = 4.22mm, female = 5.21mm. A dark species, with three conspicuous pale spots on clavus. Clavus with a central round pale saddle mark, anteriorally flanked by lateral symmetrical pale marks, sometimes showing as clear patches along clavus (see Fig. 7 a); darkest forms with only a central saddle mark. Crown and pronotum with posterior pale bands. Genitalia matching species group description (see Fig. 8 b–g). Endemic to West Maui.

Distribution. USA: Hawaiian Islands, Maui, West Mauna Kahalawai, Pu’u Kukui, ~ 1220m, wet forest ( Fig. 3 ).

Measurements. Body length (n=5): Male (n=5) = 4.22mm (4.15mm – 4.30mm); Female (n=8) = 5.21mm (5.10mm – 5.40mm). Genitalia (n=5): Pygofer = 0.57mm (0.55mm – 0.59mm); Style = 0.47mm (0.46mm – 0.48mm); Connective = 0.28mm (0.27mm – 0.29mm); Aedeagus lateral length = 0.35mm (0.34mm – 0.37mm); Aedeagus posterior height = 0.15mm (0.14mm – 0.16mm).

Material examined. Type Material: Holotype: 1 male, Hawaiian Islands, West Maui, Mauna Kahalawai, Pu’u Kukui, Boardwalk Trail, N20 o 56.078 W156 o 36.985, Elevation: 1220m, 23Nov2009. Host Plant: Broussaisia arguta . Coll. G.M. Bennett, K. Magnacca, P.M. O’Grady. Deposited in the BPBM, Honolulu, Hawai’i. Type #: 17304. Additional Material: 12 males, 11 females, Hawaiian Islands, West Maui, Mauna Kahalawai, Pu’u Kukui, Boardwalk Trail, N20 o 56.078 W156 o 36.985, Elevation: 1220m, Elevation: 940m, 23Nov2009, 7Aug2007, Coll. G.M. Bennett, K. Magnacca, P.M. O’Grady. Deposited in the BPBM, Honolulu, Hawai’i. 1 female, Hawaiian Islands, West Maui, Wet Forest below Nakalalua, Pu’u Kukuii Trail, 1220m, 26May2004. N20o 54’58” W156o 35’37”, Coll: DA Polhemus. Deposited in D.A. Polhemus’s personal collection at the Smithsonian, Washington D.C.

Etymology. The name chosen for this species refers to the host plant genus name it occurs on, Broussaisia .

Discussion. This species is nearly indistinguishable from the East Maui sibling species. Morphologically, the only character that distinguishes N. broussaisiai is the variable color pattern on the clavus, which is generally darker.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Partitioned Maximum Likelihood phylogeny of Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) species reconstructed in RAxML-VI-HPC v 7.2.5 under a GTR + I + Γ likelihood model with 100 bootstrap partitions. Gene partitions are according to the mitochondrial genome (COII, 16 s) and nuclear genome (H 3, Wingless). Subsections A & B highlight species relationships of newly described species occurring on the host plant Broussaisia arguta. A) Silhouette of full Maximum Likelihood phylogeny results. B) Nesophrosyne heopoko’s associated with other species on Kaua’i. C) Relationships of the species within the kanawao species group on Maui and Hawai’i. The numbers above branches are bootstrap support values.

FIGURE 7. Dorsal habitus of the species comprising the kanawao species group: A. N. broussaisiai, B. N. ogradyi, C. N. kaupoi, D. N. kanawao, and E. N. aakokohaikea.

FIGURE 8. Nesophrosyne ogradyi endemȋc tο Μauȋ ̓ Ha 1 eaka 1 ā wȋndward face ∶ a · dοrsum ﹔ b · ma 1 e pygοfer ﹔ c · aedeagus ventral view; d. connective; e. style; f. aedeagus posterior view; and, g. aedeagus lateral view.