Portanus phoenicius, Souza, Stephanie Pereira De & Takiya, Daniela Maeda, 2014

Souza, Stephanie Pereira De & Takiya, Daniela Maeda, 2014, Description of two new species of Portanus Ball, 1932 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Portanini) from Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3857 (3), pp. 444-450 : 448-449

Portanus phoenicius sp. nov.

(Fig. 5–8, 20–26)

Type-locality. Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, Piracuruca, Piauí State, Brazil.

Diagnosis. Pygofer lobe with posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 20 ), dorsocaudal margin with tooth turned inwardly ( Fig. 21 ); aedeagal apex with pair of elongate processes directed ventrally ( Fig. 25 ), each with one serrate margin ( Fig. 26 ), and lateral pair of rounded flanges directed ventrally ( Fig. 26 ).

Measurements (mm). Males: body length, 4.00; crown length, 0.30–0.38 (holotype); transocular width, 1.00; interocular width, 0.50; maximum pronotum width, 0.88–1.00 (holotype =0.94); forewing length, 3.00–3.25 (holotype =3.20). Females: body length, 4.50; crown length, 0.38; transocular width, 1.00; interocular width, 0.50; maximum pronotum width, 1.00; forewing length, 3.50.

Description. Head (Fig. 5–8), in dorsal view, with transocular width longer than crown median length; anterior margin angulate; frontogenal sutures reaching ocelli; texture shagreen except paired elliptical smooth areas at posterior half. Pronotum (Fig. 5, 8) as wide as transocular width; lateral margins angulate; dorsopleural carina inconspicuous; posterior margin straight; texture smooth with fine transverse striae. Mesonotum (Fig. 5, 8) with scutum smooth and scutellum shagreen. Forewings (Fig. 5–6) with inner anteapical cell open at base (m-cu2 absent); median anteapical cell slightly longer than outer one.

Coloration. Head and thorax (Fig. 5) brown. Crown and mesonotum light-brown, pronotum brown, and venter brownish-yellow; some specimens with discolored areas at face. Pronotum (Fig. 5) with several ivory speckles. Mesonotum (Fig. 5) mostly ivory with paired large discolored lateral triangular areas at anterior half and paired small round discolored areas in between, appearing brown. Forewings (Fig. 5–6) translucent brown; veins marked with dark brown with small white spots; four hyaline regions on costal margin at apical half; apex completely dark brown. Female abdomen brown dorsally and brownish-yellow ventrally.

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe ( Fig. 20–21 ), in lateral view, as long as high; posterior margin rounded; dorsocaudal margin with tooth turned inwardly; macrosetae distributed at dorsal half of lobe. Valve ( Fig. 22 ), in ventral view, subquadrate; as long as wide. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 22 ), in lateral view, extending posteriorly farther than pygofer apex; apical third abruptly upturned; basal third with transverse unpigmented line; ventral surface with few uniseriate robust macrosetae and several long and fine microsetae at apical half. Connective ( Fig. 23 ), in dorsal view, Y-shaped; basiventral process short. Styles ( Fig. 23–24 ), in dorsal view, with apical fourth wide and appearing bifid because of an elongate and robust preapical lobe; preapical region and apex of preapical lobe more sclerotized and sculptured; apex acute. Aedeagus ( Fig. 25–26 ), in lateral view, with shaft tubular and short, ventral margin expanded as lateral flange directed dorsally throughout most of its length, flange at apex folded and extended ventrally; dorsal apodemes absent; apex with pair of elongate processes directed ventrally, that may cross at median axis, each with posterior margin serrated at apical portion.

Female genitalia. Genitalia morphology indistinguishable from that of Portanus hastatus sp. nov. ( Fig. 15–19 ).

Remarks. Portanus phoenicius sp. nov. is indistinguishable from many other Portanus species based on color pattern, being most similar to P. pictus Carvalho & Cavichioli, 2001 , P. uhleri Kramer, 1964 , and P. xavantes Carvalho & Cavichioli, 2001 because they share the broad aedeagal apex with a pair of elongate processes directed ventrally, which may cross in posterior view and have the apex acute. However, it can be distinguished from these and other Portanus species by the characteristics given in the diagnosis, especially the well-developed lateral pair of apical rounded flanges on the aedeagus.

Etymology. The species epithet is in allusion to the phoenician civilization. The "seven cities" rocky formations, emblem of the Sete Cidades National Park, where the holotype was collected, are mythically thought to be evidence of phoenician settlements in Brazil ( Martin 2008).

Type-material. Holotype: male, “ Brasil (PI), Piracuruca \ P. N. de Sete Cidades \ Posto do ICMBio \ 04°05’57”S / 41°42’34”W ", "Armadilha Malaise \ 01–15. xii. 2012, F. \ Limeira-de-Oliveira, J. \ S. Pinto Júnior, cols.", CZMA.

Paratypes: 1 male, same label data as holotype, DZRJ. 1 male, same label data as holotype, DZUP. 1 female “ Brasil (PI), Piracuruca \ P. N. de Sete Cidades \ Posto do ICMBio \ 04°05’57”S / 41°42’34”W ", "Armadilha Malaise \ 16–31. xii. 2012, F. \ Limeira-de-Oliveira, J. \ S. Pinto Júnior, cols.", DZRJ. 1 male, “ Brasil: PI, Piracuruca–PN de Sete \ Cidades, Riacho da Bananeira \ 4° 5’ 59,00” S 41° 40’ 48,00” W \ 189m Malaise \ 19–21.IV.2012 \ Limeira de Oliveira, R. & Takiya, D. M.", DZRJ.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 26. Portanus phoenicius sp. nov. 20 – 26, male genitalia. 20, genital chamber, lateral view. 21, anal tube and pygofer, caudal view. 22, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view. 23, connective and right style, dorsal view. 24, right style, lateral view. 25, aedeagus, lateral view. 26, aedeagus, caudal view. All scale bars are 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 19. Portanus hastatus sp. nov. 9 – 14, male genitalia. 9, genital chamber, lateral view. 10, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view. 11, connective and right style, dorsal view. 12, right style, lateral view. 13, aedeagus, lateral view. 14, aedeagus, caudal view. 15 – 19, female genitalia. 15, sternite VII, ventral view. 16, pygofer, lateral view. 17, gonoplac, lateral view. 18, valvula I, lateral view. 19, valvulae II, lateral view. All scale bars are 0.25 mm.