Signoretia kintendela Takiya & Dietrich, 2013

Takiya, Daniela M., Dietrich, Christopher H. & Viraktamath, Chandra A., 2013, The unusual Afrotropical and Oriental leafhopper subfamily Signoretiinae (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae): taxonomic notes, new distributional records, and description of two new Signoretia species, ZooKeys 319, pp. 303-323 : 317

Signoretia kintendela Takiya & Dietrich sp. n. Figs 13, 14 , 34-36

Body length.

Holotype, 7.4 mm.

Description.

Crown ( Fig. 13, 14 ) elongate, median length approximately six-tenths of interocular and half of transocular width; median longitudinal carina well developed. Male pygofer ( Fig. 34 ) with ventral appendage short, spiniform, produced posteriorly beyond pygofer lobe apex. Valve short, rectangular. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 34 ) extended posteriorly beyond pygofer lobe apex by approximately one-third lobe length, with numerous long, fine setae distributed evenly over entire length of dorsum. Connective ( Fig. 35 ) Y-shaped; without dorsal median keel or median anterior lobe. Style ( Fig. 28 ) slender, tapering towards apex; apex directed laterally, with several denticuli preapically. Aedeagus ( Figs 35, 36 ) with ventral paraphysis-like structure with pair of elongate, recurved distal processes expanded preapically; dorsal part without sclerotized apodemes, consisting only of shaft, shaft strongly compressed, extended posterad, abruptly bent dorsad in distal third, distal part sinuate. Anal tube ( Fig. 34 ) segment X with pair of posterolateral lobes each bearing small spine and several denticuli and at base with separately articulated robust process with pygofer, extended ventrad and terminating in anteriorly directed spine.

Coloration.

Stramineous to white ( Figs 14 , 15 ). Crown ( Fig. 14 ) with paired black markings at base of crown and paired maculae at apex of crown. Etymology. The specific epithet, “kintendela”, means “cicada” in Kongo language ( Bentley 1895).

Notes.

Signoretia kintendela sp. n. shares with other members of the pacifica group ( Linnavuori 1978) the fusion of the aedeagal shaft to the paraphyses-like structure consisting of the robust and sclerotized paired basal aedeagal appendages and elongate preatrium. If the robust process interpreted herein as arising from the membrane between the anal tube and pygofer lobe was viewed as an anal tube appendage by Linnavuori (1978), then in the pacifica group, the new species is more similar to Signoretia congoensis and Signoretia augur because these species share a single pair of processes at base of the anal tube. Nevertheless, the new species can be distinguished from these and all other Signoretia by the shorter ventrocaudal processes of the pygofer lobe and very long and slender rami of basal appendages with sinuous and foliaceous apex.

Type material.

Male holotype, "Rep. of Congo: Dept Pool;\ Iboubikro; Lesio-Loun Pk.\ 3°16.196'S, 15°38.267'E \ 330m, malaise trap, A138\ 23.x.2008, Braet & Sharkey", INHS.

Figures

Figures 2 - 14. Habitus photographs. 2, 3 Chouious tianzeus, dorsal and lateral 4 - 6 Phlogis sp. from Malaysia, dorsal and details of head lateral and face 7 Phlogis sp. from Thailand, lateral 8, 9 Preta gratiosa, dorsal and lateral 10 - 12 Signoretia delicata sp. n., detail of head, dorsal, lateral, and frontal 13, 14 Signoretia kintendela sp. n., dorsal and lateral.

Figures 31 - 36. Male genitalia of new species of Signoretia. 31 - 33 Signoretia delicata sp. n. 31 genital capsule, lateral view 32 connective, styles, and aedeagus, dorsal view 33 connective, styles, and aedeagus, lateral view 34 - 36 Signoretia kintendela sp. n. 34 genital capsule, lateral view 35 connective, style, and aedeagus, dorsal view 36 aedeagus, ventrolateral view.

Figures 21 - 30. Terminalia of Chouious, Phlogis and Preta. 21 - 24 Chouious tianzeus, male genitalia 21 genital capsule (without anal tube), lateral view 22 dorsal connective, caudal view 23 connective, styles, aedeagus, dorsal connective, and anal tube, lateral view 24 aedeagus caudal view. 25 - 27 female terminalia of Phlogis sp. from Malaysia 25 sternite VII, ventral view 26 first valvula of ovipositor, lateral view 27 second valvifers, second valvulae and gonoplacs of ovipositor, lateral view 28 Phlogis sp. from Thailand, sternite VII, ventral view 29, 30 Preta gratiosa 29 pygofer and segment X of anal tube, lateral view 30 subgenital plates, connective, styles, and aedeagus, lateral view.

Figures 15 - 20. Fore- and hindwing. 15, 16 Phlogis sp. from Thailand. 17, 18 Preta gratiosa. 19, 20 Signoretia aureola.