Balera floripara, Catalano, Maria Ines, Paradell, Susana L. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2013

Catalano, Maria Ines, Paradell, Susana L. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2013, First report on the leafhopper genus Balera Young (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae, Alebrini) from Argentina, and description of a new species, ZooKeys 352, pp. 1-7 : 3-4

Balera floripara sp. n. Figs 1A, 2 A–G

Description.

Length of male 3.7-3.8 mm. Ground color pale-yellow; crown, pronotum and scutellum with yellow markings; forewing with longitudinal yellow stripes on clavus and along CuA in corium, apical tip of clavus dark brown, with brown markings on bases of apical cells and apices of anteapical cells arranged in radial pattern (Fig. 1A).

Male: First sternal apodemes (1S) (Fig. 2A) enlarged with apices overlapping. Second sternal apodemes (2S) (Fig. 2A) slender and elongate, reaching sixth segment, apices capitate. Pygofer (Fig. 2B) with posterior margin produced, with short, acute apical process directed dorsad and row of very long, thin setae on postero-ventral margin. Subgenital plate (Fig. 2C), in lateral view, with basal half strongly tapered, apical half with margin parallel through most of length, apex with a small spine slightly curved; basal half with several long macrosetae irregularly arranged and row of moderately long, slender microsetae on dorsal margin, apical half with medial row of short, stout setae. Style (Fig. 2D), in lateral view, sigmoid with three preapical setae. Connective (Fig. 2E) triangular. Aedeagus (Figs 2 F–G) with preatrium nearly as long as shaft, dorsal apodeme compressed, racket-shaped in lateral view, incompletely fused to shaft; shaft short and broad, apex bifurcate, without processes; gonopore apical.

Material examined.

Holotype male, ARGENTINA: Jujuy, P.N. Calilegua 1600m 23°41'1"S, 64°54'0"W, 14-16 January 2008 Dietrich et al col. Malaise trap [MLP]. Paratypes: 2 males, same data as holotype [INHS].

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the arrangement of the five dark markings on the forewing arranged radially in the form of a flower.

Note.

This species closely resembles Balera bracata but has a short process on the pygofer and the aedeagus is wider with the apical bifurcation shorter.