Pravistylus macropygeus, Stiller, 2010

Stiller, M., 2010, Revision of the Southern African leafhopper genus Pravistylus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) 2468, Zootaxa 2468 (1), pp. 1-81 : 28

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2468.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10537707
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EFD356-FFC0-FFCE-6CFF-77E58851D192
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pravistylus macropygeus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pravistylus macropygeus View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 q View FIGURE 1 ; 2 View FIGURE 2 ae & af; 3 s; 4 q; 5 s; 6 r; 7 ap & aq; 8 ae)

Diagnosis. Pygofer lobe elongate, narrow; 1.3–1.6 times as long a width at base ( Fig. 1 q View FIGURE 1 ). Aedeagal shaft relatively short, up to twice as long as length between dorsal apodeme and preatrium ( Fig. 3 s View FIGURE 3 ). Plate apex broadly rounded; 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 ae & af).

Etymology. Greek, for the long (makros) and narrow pygofer lobe (pyge).

Male and female. Ochraceous. Paired light brown markings on vertex and medially of ocellus. Pygofer lobe fuscous; posterior margin of pygofer near anal tube with dorsolateral paired or contiguous fuscous markings. Tegmina rarely with fuscous markings. Hind wing less than one third as long as tegmina ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ae).

Male. Dimensions. (n = 39) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.0– 2.3 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.3–2.9 mm; vertex medially 0.4–0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7–0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 22.5–29.6 µm; ocellocular distance 36.4–47.3 µm.

Genital capsule. Pygofer square; ventral posterior margin bulbous, partially sclerotized; dorsal posterior margin lobate ( Fig. 1 q View FIGURE 1 ). Pygofer lobe unique: more elongate and narrower than in any other species of Pravistylus , acutely triangular, 1.3–1.6 times as long as basal width; about one third as wide as width of the pygofer; longer and narrower than in any other species ( Fig. 1 q View FIGURE 1 ). Plate posterior margin broadly rounded, similar to that of P. lobus ; setation variable, up to 10 macrosetae subapically ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ae), or sometimes without macrosetae ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 af); 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide. Aedeagal shaft, in lateral view, arising ventrally from atrium; preatrium short; shaft relatively short (up to twice as long as dorsal apodeme); gonopore oblique, lateroventral, subapical ( Figs 3 s View FIGURE 3 , 4 q View FIGURE 4 ). Style distal part far from anterior medial lobe; apophysis basally parallel-sided, apex acutely truncate; preapical angle acute; preapical lobe right-angled; anterior medial lobe long ( Fig. 5 s View FIGURE 5 ). Connective, in lateral view, straight; with apex curved dorsally; in dorsal view of uniform width, stem one third as long as arms ( Fig. 6 r View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. Dimensions. (n = 11) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.1–2.3 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.8–3.1 mm; vertex medially 0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3–0.4 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.9 mm; pronotum 0.8–0.9 mm. Ocellar diameter 17.9–29.2 µm; ocellocular distance 37.9–52.4 µm.

Genitalia. Sternite 7 hind margin produced into triangular ligula, about half as wide as base of sternite; apex notched ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 ap (ligula long) & aq (ligula short)).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Free State. Platberg, summit W, 28°10ʹS, 29°12ʹE, 2319 m, 11.i.2007, sweeping, Themeda triandra and Tristachya leucothrix common ( SANC). Paratypes. 45♂, 17♀. Eastern Cape. 1♂, Ongeluksnek, site 39, 30°20ʹS, 28°19ʹE, 1824 m, 5.xii.2005, MDTP survey. Free State. 1♂, Golden Gate National Park, 28°30ʹS, 28°40ʹE, 8.i.1986, J.G. Theron; 2♂, 1♀, Phuthaditjhaba, 20 km W, 29°31ʹS, 28°38ʹE, 1950 m, 6.iii.2002, M. Stiller, J. du Plessis, sweeping, common grass species: Bothriochloa insculpta , Cymbopogon excavatus , Digitaria sp. , Eragrostis capensis , E. curvula , E. gummiflua , E. plana , Paspalum dilatatum ; 2♂, Golden Gate, site 3, 28°30ʹS, 28°37ʹE, 1960 m, 22.x.2005, MDTP survey, white and blue pan trap; 2♂, Golden Gate, site 5, 28°31ʹS, 28°34ʹE, 1890 m, 23.x.2005, MDTP survey, yellow and white pan trap; 3♂, 1♀, Golden Gate, site 8, 28°30ʹS, 28°39ʹE, 2065 m, 25.x.2005, MDTP survey, sweeping, also white pan trap; 5♂, 2♀, Platberg, E near masts, 28°15ʹS, 29°12ʹE, 2362 m, 11.i.2007, sweeping, Themeda triandra and Tristachya leucothrix common; 14♂, 6♀, same data as holotype; 4♂, 2♀, Muller’s Pass near summit 27°51ʹ39.68ʺS, 29°41ʹ10.15ʺE, 1878 m, 25.xii.2008, M. Stiller, sweeping grass & forbs. KwaZulu-Natal. 12♂, 2♀, Oliviershoek Pass, summit, 28°33ʹS, 29°05ʹE, 1741 m, 27.xii.2004, sweeping, Themeda triandra dominated pasture, regrowth after fire; 1♂, Little Switzerland Hotel, hillside W slope, 28°35ʹS, 29°03ʹE, 1600 m, 8.v.2007, sweeping; 2♀, Little Switzerland Hotel, ridge summit, 28°34ʹS, 29°02ʹE, 1770 m, 8.v.2007, sweeping, grass in Protea veld; all M. Stiller. Mpumalanga. 2♂, 3♀, Ossewakop, Wakkerstroom, 27°23ʹS, 30°09ʹE, 2160 m, 7.iii.2002, M. Stiller, J. du Plessis, DVac, on rocky outcrop and tall grass on deep soil ( BMNH, INHS, SANC).

Remarks. The distinctly elongate and narrow pygofer lobe, that is longer than in any other species, is the unique feature of P. macropygeus . This species is closely related to P. indistinctidiscus . Both have similar plate proportions and shapes. In P. indistinctidiscus the plate is 1.0–1.4 times as long as wide with a similarly rounded apex ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 ag & ah). That of P. macropygeus is 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide and also with a rounded apex ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 ae & af). The aedeagal shaft in P. indistinctidiscus ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 af) is also much longer than that of P. macropygeus ( Fig. 3 s View FIGURE 3 ). The style of P. indistinctidiscus is more acute and the dorsal apophysis is elongate and narrow ( Fig. 5 q View FIGURE 5 ), whereas in P. macropygeus it is less acute and the dorsal apophysis is short and wide ( Fig. 5 s View FIGURE 5 ). Also the convex lateral margins of the ligula of the female sternite 7 of P. indistinctidiscus ( Figs 7 x View FIGURE 7 –aa) differs from that of P. macropygeus , that is narrower and more triangular ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 ap & aq). Pravistylus lobus has a similar plate shape to both the species above, but has the apex of the connective fused with the paraphyses. However, no other species has a similarly elongate and narrow pygofer lobe.