Stenogiffardia bifurca, Gnezdilov, 2019

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M., 2019, First record of the genus Stenogiffardia (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) from Madagascar, with description of a new species and a key to species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (2), pp. 549-554 : 550-552

Stenogiffardia bifurca sp. nov.

( Figs 5–18 , 20 , 24, 25 )

Type locality. Madagascar, former Fianarantsoa Province, Ranohira, 22º33.434´S 45º24.944´E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Madagascar, Fianarantsoa / Province, Ranohira / 22º33.434´S 45º24.944´E / 08.i.2011, V. M. Gnezdilov // sweeping of grasses including Cynodon dactylon ’ ( ZIN, dry-mounted, glued on a card label) . PARATYPES: 2♀♀, same data as the holotype ( ZIN); 1 J, ‘ Madagascar, Antananarivo / 18º54.753´S 47º31.318´E / 06.i.2011, V. M. Gnezdilov // sweeping of grasses along the street’ ( MNHN); 1 J, ‘ Madagascar, Toliar Province / 21º41.001´S 45º08.777´E / Mangoky River, 08.i.2011 / V. M. Gnezdilov // sweeping Cephalostachium sp. on sandy coast’ ( ZIN); 3 ♀♀, ‘ Madagascar, Toliar Province / Massif du Makay / 21º35.759´S 45º06.811´E / 12.i.2011, V.M. Gnezdilov // sweeping vegetation in dry forest’ ( ZIN – 2 ♀♀, MNHN – 1 ♀); all specimens dry-mounted, glued on card labels.

Description. Measurements. Total body length: males 3.5–3.7 mm, females 4.7–5.0 mm.

Coloration. General coloration yellowish green ( Figs 5–9 ). Apex of vertex with a brown spot. Frons light brown in some specimens. Ocelli black. Rostrum, thorax from below, coxae, fore and middle femora, except for apices, and anterior margins of hind femora black. Abdominal sternites III–IV (sometimes III–VI) medially black in females. Abdominal sternites III–IX black, except laterally and posteriorly, in males. Female sternum VII with a wide dark brown median stripe in some specimens. Pygofer basally on dorsal side with a pair of black triangular spots in males and with a dark brown to black transverse stripe and pair of triangular spots in females. Socles of setae on apices of hind tibiae and first and second metatarsomeres dark brown. Claws dark brown. Apices of styles black.

Structure. Head elongate, narrowing apically, with rounded apex (in dorsal view) ( Figs 6, 7, 9 , 20 ). Vertex twice (in males) or 2.5 times (in females) as long as wide between eyes, with a weak groove reaching the level of ocelli. Frons without median carina. Rostrum short, apical segment cylindrical. Brachypterous or submacropterous. In brachypterous specimens, fore wings reaching hind margin of tergite V; hind wings oval, rudimentary, half as long as fore wings ( Figs 5, 6, 8, 9 ). In submacropterous female, fore wings reaching hind margin of tergite VIII; hind wings almost as long as fore wings ( Fig. 7 ). Fore wing with 5 apical cells and 3 anteapical cells. In a single submacropterous female examined, right and left fore wings slightly differ in venation: R 1–2, r-m 1–2, M 2–3, im 1–2, m-cua 1–2, CuA 2 ( Figs 17, 18 ). Hind femora with 2 + 1 + 1 (in one female 2 + 1 + 1 + 1) macrosetae apically.

Male genitalia ( Figs 10–16 ). Anal tube small. Pygofer lobe with caudal margin at nearly right angle and microsetae nearby ( Fig. 16 ). Genital valve nearly triangular. Subgenital plates as long as pygofer, narrowing apically, with rounded apices and microsetae ( Figs 13, 16 ). Connective long, with stem as long as arms ( Figs 10, 12 ). Style with straight, acuminate apex, sharp tooth near the base and a spiraling row of denticles extending subapically ( Figs 14, 15 ). Aedeagus with ventral side strongly bifurcate, evident in caudal view ( Figs 11, 12 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 5–7 , 24, 25 ). Ovipositor protruding far beyond pygofer apex ( Figs 5–7 ). Hind margin of sternite VII convex medially, with two concavities on either side ( Figs 24, 25 ). Brachypterous specimens with a small tooth in each concavity ( Fig. 24 ).

Diagnosis. Aedeagus strongly bifurcate ventrally. Style with straight, acuminate apex.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin adjective bifurcus – two-pronged, referring to the furcation of the ventral side of the aedeagus.

Figures

Figs 5–9. Stenogiffardia bifurca sp. nov. 5 – female,

Figs 10–16. Stenogiffardia bifurca sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia. 10 – connective, dorsal view; 11 – aedeagus, ventral view; 12 – aedeagus and connective, lateral view; 13 – genital valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; 14 – subgenital plate with style, dorsal view; 15 – same, lateral view; 16 – anal tube, pygofer, genital valve, and subgenital plates, lateral view.

Fig. 17–18. Stenogiffardia bifurca sp. nov., paratype, submacropterous female, fore wings. 17 – right fore wing; 18 – left fore wing. Length of the wings 2.2 mm.

Figs 19–23. Stenogiffardia spp., female head and pronotum. 19 – S. elongata Evans, 1977, holotype (after EVANS 1977, modified); 20 – S. bifurca sp. nov., paratype; 21 – S. parvula (Kirkaldy, 1906) (after ZAHNISER 2012, modified); 22 – S. acuminata (Naudé, 1926) (after NAUDÉ 1926, modified); 23 – S. ceylona (Zahniser, 2008), paratype (after ZAHNISER 2008, modified).

Figs 24–30. Stenogiffardia spp., female sternite VII. 24 – S. bifurca sp. nov., paratype, brachypterous specimen; 25 – same, paratype, macropterous specimen; 26 – S. spica (Emeljanov, 2002), paratype; 27 – S. parvula (Kirkaldy, 1906) (after ZAHNISER 2012, modified); 28 – S. ceylona (Zahniser,2008), paratype (after ZAHNISER 2008, modified); 29 – S.graminea (Theron, 1982) (after THERON 1982, modified); 30 – S. acuminata (Naudé, 1926) (after NAUDÉ 1926, modified).