Discolopeus copeus, Stiller, 2019

Stiller, Michael, 2019, A new leafhopper genus Discolopeus and nine new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) associated with shrubs, trees and poisonous plants in South Africa, Zootaxa 4559 (2), pp. 201-244 : 219

Discolopeus copeus sp.n.

Figs 9 a–j, 10a–g, 19a, 19b.

Diagnosis. Crown short with orange transverse line between ocelli. Subgenital plate ovate; ratio of length to width 1.41–1.86. Aedeagal shaft ventrally with subapical short paired tooth, shaft apex acuminate in lateral view, truncate in dorsal view, uniformly curved posterodorsally, depressed, sclerotized; dorsal apodeme in dorsal view parallel longitudinal separate bars; aedeagal process thin, gracile, short, as long as shaft. Style apophysis digitate, short. Connective with transverse bar concave, arms short. Pygofer lobe short, with apical and subapical short, blunt sclerotized processes.

Etymology. Named for the chisel-shaped apex of the aedeagus, i.e. scalpiform, kopeus, Greek.

Male, female and nymph. External morphology. Crown about as long medially as length next to eye ( Figs 10b, 10c ). Ground colour ochraceous to stramineous ( Figs 10 a–d). Crown with orange transverse line between ocelli ( Figs 10b, 10c ). Face with brown marking medially on crown above antennal base ( Fig. 10g ). Pronotum with single round to amorphous light brown marking near posterior margin of compound eye. Tegmina with brown markings in numerous cells, veins brown. Nymph stramineous to yellow ( Figs 10e, 10f ).

Male. Measurements. Overall length 4.73–5.06 mm; crown length 0.38–0.41 mm; crown length next to eye 0.36–0.40 mm; pronotum length 0.55–0.58 mm; head width 1.3 9– 1.53 mm; pronotum width 1.24–1.29 mm; ocellus diameter 37.1–46.9 µm; interocellar distance 39.9–52.5 µm.

Male. Genitalia. Tergite X elongate, conical, about as long as pygofer ( Fig. 9a ). Pygofer anterior apodeme wide in dorsal view ( Fig. 9a ), curvate in lateral view ( Fig. 9b ). Pygofer lobe with a short apical sclerotized blunt tooth, directed ventrally and short subapical sclerotized blunt tooth, directed posteriorly ( Fig. 9b ). Valve ellipsoid, without anterior apodeme ( Fig. 9c ). Subgenital plate elongate (length to width ratio 1.41–1.86 (n=7)), apex narrowly rounded, macrosetae in distal half, marginally to submarginally ( Fig. 9c ). Aedeagus with shaft elongate, sclerotized, uniformly curvate dorsoposteriad, apical half scalpiform, subapically with ventral paired tooth; gonopore elongate, dorsal apodeme elongated, longitudinal, paired, disjunct sclerotized ridges ( Figs 9d, 9e ). Aedeagal paraphysis tubular, apex acute, attaining subapex of aedeagal shaft ( Fig. 9d ). Style apophysis in dorsal view triangular, depressed, in lateral view digitate, curved ventrad, preapical lobe ventral, rounded, preapical angle right-angled ( Figs 9f, 9g ); style situated near base of subgenital plate ( Fig. 9b ). Connective with transverse section concave, arms short, right-angled to mid-section ( Fig. 9h ).

Female. Measurements. Overall length 5.43–5.64 mm; crown length 0.42–0.46 mm; crown length next to eye 0.41–0.44 mm; pronotum length 0.61–0.64 mm; head width 1.5 1–1.58 mm; pronotum width 1.36–1.42 mm; ocellus diameter 42.0–57.4 µm; interocellar distance 56.0 µm.

Female. Genitalia. Sternite VII posterior margin shallowly concave ( Fig. 9j ) or sinuous with shallow, medial V-shaped notch ( Fig. 9i ). Valvifer 1 elongate, about two times longer than wide, posterior margin broadly rounded. Valvula 3 with 1–2 rows of macrosetae, marginal row with numerous setae, submarginal row with few setae.

Material examined. Holotype male. Western Cape Province. CCDL12880, Matsikammaberg near Vanrhynsdorp, -31.6, 18.7333, 1995/08/11, M. Stiller, sweeping Hyaenanche globosa Picrodendraceae . Paratypes. 11♂, 22♀, 38 nymphs. Western Cape Province. 1♂, CCDL26234, Slagboom, -33.2333, 19.2833, 1967/12/29, J.G. Theron, sweeping; 6♂, 6♀, CCDL26235, Clanwilliam Cedarberg, -32.5, 19.25, 1976/12/21, J.G. Theron, sweeping; 1♀, CCDL26236, Clanwilliam, -32.1667, 18.8833, 1978/10/08, J.G. Theron, sweeping; 1♀, CCDL26237, Clanwilliam, -32.1667, 18.8833, 1983/01/19, J.G. Theron, sweeping; 4♂, 11♀, 38 nymphs, Ibid. holotype; 1♂, 2♀, CCDL26248, Jamaka farm #5, -32.3442, 19.0097, 2016/12/12, M. Stiller, sweeping Aspalathus galeata Fabaceae .

Remarks. Discolopeus copeus is characterized by the short crown with transverse orange band, and together with D. viraktamathi , it is longer than the other species of Discolopeus . The short crown is found in D. arctus and D. thigmacaenus with the latter species with numerous brown to dark brown markings on the crown. The pygofer lobe in D. copeus has an apical and subapical process, whereas D. arctus the processes are much longer and one membranous and the other sclerotized. In D. thigmacaenus the pygofer lobe is produced into an elongate, ventrad acuminate process. Discolopeus copeus is the only species with a depressed apophysis of the style and with the apex curved ventrad. The aedeagus with its scalpiform shape, ventral paired short teeth and disjunct longitudinal dorsal apodeme bears no resemblance to D. arctus or D. thigmacaenus or any other species of Discolopeus . Distribution records from Clanwilliam and Jamaka indicated additional feeding plants to H. globosa . Distribution records of H. globosa are in Fig. 19a (http://newposa.sanbi.org, last accessed April 2017) indicate a restricted distribution, and not found at Clanwilliam and Jamaka, where few records suggest other associated plants. The potential natural distribution of D. copeus is in Fig. 19b .

Figures

FIGURE 9a–j. Discolopeus copeus n.gen. & sp., male and female genitalia, line drawing. a. Genital capsule, dorsally; b. Subgenital plate, ventrally; c. Genital capsule, laterally; d, e. Aedeagus, laterally and dorsally respectively; f, g. Style, dorsally and laterally, respectively; h. Connective; i, j. Sternite VII, variation in posterior margin.

FIGURE 10a–g. Discolopeus copeus n.gen. & sp., habitus. a, b. Male, laterally and dorsally respectively; c, d. Female, dorsally and laterally respectively; e, f. Nymph, early and late instar respectively; g. Face, male.

FIGURE 19a–c. Distribution maps of leafhopper species of Discolopeus gen.n. and associated plants. a. Hyaenanche globosa near Vanrhynsdorp and one record near Citrusdal (red squares); b. Potential natural distribution of D. copeus sp.n. in the southwestern parts of South Africa, Western Cape Province; c. Point distributions of D. colopeus sp.n., D. lissus sp.n., D. tetracaenus sp.n., D. thigmacaenus sp.n., D. triacaenus sp.n. and D. viraktamathi sp.n. in Western, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces.