Hecalus erectus, Naveed & Zhang, 2018

Naveed, Hassan & Zhang, Yalin, 2018, Review of the grass feeding leafhopper genus Hecalus Stål (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of four new species from Pakistan, Zootaxa 4415 (3), pp. 580-590 : 581-583

Hecalus erectus , sp. nov.

( Fig. 1A–H ; Plate IA–C)

Length. Male: 5.8–6.3mm; female: 7.5–7.8mm.

Colouration and Morphology: Yellowish green in colour (Plate IA). Crown and face with submarginal fuscous lines (Plate IC). Eyes with orange colour (Plate IB). Pronotum yellowish. Scutellum with one longitudinal yellowish fuscous line in middle. Forewings subhyaline and hindwings hyaline. Forewings with black spot at end of clavus. Crown subangularly produced; broadly triangular with a dorsal marginal ridge. Ocelli on margin next to eyes. Genae strongly sinuate below eyes. Pronotum as wide as head, laterally carinate. (Plate IA).

Genitalia: Pygofer lobe abruptly narrowed medially, subacute apically, heavily setose in posterior half ( Fig. 1A ). Valve broadly triangular. Subgenital plates elongate, broad basally, tapered apically with 5–6 submarginal setae ( Fig. 1D ). Connective “Y”-shaped with small and broad stem, as broad as long ( Fig. 1C ); lateral arms wide apart. Style with pointed, claw-shaped apophysis, anterior half with scales; preapical lobe poorly developed ( Fig. 1B ). Aedeagus with long dorsal apodeme (curved distally) ( Fig. 1F ). Aedeagal shaft laterally gradually compressed, tapered distad; broader at middle than at apex with pair of identical apical processes ( Fig. 1E–F ). Aedeagal shaft not smooth throughout, with pair of apical flares dorsally ( Fig. 1E ). Gonopore apical.

Type material: Holotype: ♂, Pakistan, Punjab Prov., Lalian City , 21 May 2016, Coll. Hassan Naveed . Paratypes: 3♂, 3♀, same data as holotype .

Remarks: This new species is very close to H. ghaurii Rao & Ramakrishnan, 1990 in having the pygofer lobe subacute apically and aedeagal shaft broad at middle and tapering at apex. But it differs in having the aedeagal shaft laterally gradually compressed; not smooth dorsally with lateral flares near apex. Style and connective shape are also different from H. ghaurii Rao & Ramakrishnan, 1990 .

Etymology: The term “ erectus ” refers to the apex of aedeagal shaft being straight.

PLATE I. A–C. Hecalus erectus sp. nov.; D–G. Hecalus ghaurii Rao and Ramakrishnan n. rec; H–J. Hecalus muzaffarabadensis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hecalus erectus sp. nov. A. PygoPhore, lateral view; B. style, dorsal view; C. connective, dorsal view; D. subgenital Plate, dorsal view; E. aedeagus, dorsal view; F. aedeagus lateral view; G. aPex of aedeagus; H. female seventh sternite, ventral view.