Spartidelphax, Bartlett, Charles R. & Webb, Mick D., 2014

Bartlett, Charles R. & Webb, Mick D., 2014, The planthopper genus Spartidelphax, a new segregate of Nearctic Delphacodes (Hemiptera, Delphacidae), ZooKeys 453, pp. 19-36 : 22-23

Taxon classification Animalia Hemiptera Delphacidae

Spartidelphax gen. n.

Type species.

Delphacodes penedetecta Beamer, 1950.

Diagnosis.

Body robust, stramineous with dark markings on intracarinal region of face (anterior to the Y-shaped carina of vertex), including areolet, genae, and usually also lateral portions of abdominal terga. Body not compressed (unlike Prokelisia ). Head, including compound eyes, slightly larger than pronotum, vertex in dorsal view weakly projecting between eyes. Carinae of head strong and conspicuous, except median carina of vertex; median carina of frons forked on fastigium near dorsal margin of compound eye. Frons with lateral margins subparallel, narrowed between eyes. Lateral carinae of pronotum diverging, not reaching posterior margin; median carina reaching hind margin at shallow notch. Lateral carinae of mesonotum diverging, reaching posterior margin, median carina becoming obsolete in scutellum. Forewings of brachypter clear, subtruncate, leaving several tergites exposed. Apex of hind tibiae bearing 7 (3+4) spines, with 5 (2+3) on basitarsus and 4 on second tarsomere. Calcar with 18-31 teeth (x = 24.0, n=26).

Male terminalia with pygofer rather quadrate in lateral view, dorsocaudal margin of pygofer weakly projecting. Opening of pygofer broad, wider than long, with lateral margins of opening carinae, ventral margin smoothly rounded. Diaphragm strong and conspicuous, dorsal margin broadly U-shaped, bearing median, bilobed armature subtending the aedeagus, much wider than tall. Parameres exerted through broad opening in diaphragm; parameres strongly flattened, sides subparallel, strongly diverging, basal and apical angles weakly developed. Aedeagus widest in basal third, then abruptly narrowed with distal 2/3 strongly downcurved; suspensorium U-shaped, weakly apparent. Segment 10 broad, bearing strongly developed pair of weakly sinuate processes on caudal margins near lateral margins. Segment 11 about 2/3 height of segment 10.

Macropters darker than brachypters, with abdomen and lateral portion of mesonotum more strongly embrowned. Macropterous wings are clear (no dark marking at apex of clavus), exceeding length of abdomen nearly by length of abdomen.

Remarks.

Spartidelphax penedetectus was chosen as the type species since the holotype of Delphax luteivitta is in unsatisfactory condition and the lectotype of Liburnia detecta could not be located (although putatively at the USNM). The holotype of Delphacodes penedetecta Beamer, 1950, is at SEMC.

Spartidelphax is phylogenetically placed at the base of a strongly supported clade with the genera Prokelisia Osborn, Neomegamelanus McDermott, and Tumidagena McDermott based on the phylogenetic investigation of Delphacidae using DNA nucleotide sequence data from four genetic loci (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless and cytochrome oxidase I) and 132 coded morphological characters by Urban et al. (2010). These three genera and Spartidelphax are associated with Spartina Schreb. ( Poaceae , cordgrass), and are abundant in salt marshes in eastern North America. Prokelisia , Neomegamelanus , and Tumidagena are more slender forms with their body weakly to strongly compressed, and their vertex more strongly projecting. Members of Prokelisia are most similar, including having the carinae on their frons bordered by dark (except Prokelisia crocea ), but they are more slender, usually with the frons broadest ventrally, parameres either distally converging or slender and diverging, and the aedeagus is usually upturned. Superficially more similar to Spartidelphax are species now placed in Muirodelphax Wagner, but North American species in this genus lack processes on segment 10. Also similar are Toya Distant, Metadelphax Wagner, and Syndelphax Fennah, but the dorsocaudal angles of the male pygofer of these genera are greatly expanded ( Gonzon and Bartlett 2008).

In the "Key to genera of Delphacidae North of Mexico" of Bartlett et al. (2014), Spartidelphax keys to couplet 75, where Spartidelphax can be inserted in place of the entry for Delphacodes detecta and Delphacodes penedetecta .

Etymology.

The generic name is an arbitrary combination of letters formed by combining a truncation of Spartina (the host grass genus) with -delphax, a common termination used in delphacids. The name is to be treated as masculine ( Delphax was affirmed as masculine by ICZN 1961).

Key to species of Spartidelphax (males)