Osbornellus pallidus Beamer

Domínguez, Edwin & Godoy, Carolina, 2010, Taxonomic review of the genus Osbornellus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Central America 2702, Zootaxa 2702, pp. 1-106 : 95-97

Osbornellus pallidus Beamer

( Figs. 59a–59e)

Osbornellus pallidus Beamer 1937: 106 , DeLong and Knull 1946: 32, Oman 1949: 122, Metcalf 1967: 2192. Osbornellus separatus DeLong 1942: 97 , Metcalf 1967: 2196. New synonymy.

Redescription. Length: 5.2 mm. Member of the O. rarus group ( Fig. 1b). Vertex angulate; median length about equal to distance between eyes at posterior margin. Pale apical dot with wide, curved, lateral dashes tapering to ocelli. Dark brown line behind marginal markings, narrow brown line in front. Wide diamondshaped spot behind apex connected to apical dot. Dark brown spot behind each ocellus with oblong pale spot on inner margin slanted toward diamond-shaped spot. Large orange spot on each side of anterior half of coronal suture halfway to eyes. Brown transverse stripe at apex of coronal suture. White mark narrowly margind with brown. Narrow white line along inner margin of eyes, slightly expanded at ends. Pronotum mottled light brown with band of irregular light and dark spots along anterior margin, sometimes with orange band anteriorly. Scutellum with broad, pale yellow band running down center, posterior half bordered laterally with narrow brown line, anterior half narrowed slightly with small brown dot on each lateral margin. Large orange spots in basal angles, small white dot on anterior margin between yellowish band and each orange spot; basal two-thirds of each lateral margin with brown dot between two white dots. Anterior wing transparent, yellowish white, with many oblong brown patches; veins and apices brown, usually with brown spots along costa and commisural line.

Male genitalia: Pygofer about 1.5 times as long as greatest width; moderately projected posteriorly, apical portion wide; macrosetae long, dispersed along apical half of pygofer ( Fig.59a). Valve triangular. Plates long, wide at base, apex rounded and setae plumose ( Fig. 59b). Style with apex of apophysis truncate and large basal portion ( Fig. 59c). Aedeagus in ventral view with base square, margins straight; shaft long, straight, slender, apex pointed, lateral extension of dorsal projection curved ( Fig. 59d). Ventral processes arising from base, as long as shaft, very narrow, straight apices pointed. In lateral view shaft curved dorsad, slightly longer than ventral processes; dorsal projection long, slender, tapered, slightly curved caudad, apex truncate. Ventral processes curved dorsad, narrowly separated from shaft ( Fig. 59e). Gonopore subapical.

Diagnosis. Very similar to O. rarus , but in ventral view the ventral processes of O. pallidus are straight, whereas in O. rarus they are curved apically.

Distribution: USA, Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica; 1170 m.

Material examined: COSTA RICA: San José: 1 female, San Antonio, Desamparados, 1170m, 1-III-1993, M. Nielson, A. M. Mora ( MZCR) . Cartago: 1 male, San Ramón de Tres Rios , 24-XI-1992, M.W.Nielson, Carolina Godoy (MZCR) . HONDURAS: Francisco Morazán: 2 male, El Zamorano, 1970, #1, George F. Freytag ( HIC) . NICARAGUA: Chinandega: 1 specimen, San Pedro del Norte , 15-X-89, trampa lumínica6 voltios, col. S. Valle, Id. Freytag 1996 ( SEAN) ; 3 specimens, Jinotega, km 147.5 carretera Matagalpa- Jinotega, 18-XI-94, J.M. Maes ( SEAN) . Matagalpa: 2 specimens, Fuente Pura, 10-IV-94, J.M. Maes & A. De La Fuente ( SEAN) .