Nesocerus latus, Krishnankutty & Dietrich, 2011

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2011, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of an endemic leafhopper genus Nesocerus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from Madagascar, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (3), pp. 499-543 : 537-538

NESOCERUS LATUS SP. NOV. ( FIGS 5K, L , 13O–U )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished by the following unique characters: black transverse bands restricted to crown; pronotum and face without markings; pygofer with short sinuate acute process arising subdorsally on posterolateral margin; aedeagus with dorsolaterally directed, single forked subapical process and dorsally directed basal process and shaft apex in posterior view broad and rounded.

Description: Length of male, 4.3 mm.

Coloration: Crown with pair of rectangular-shaped black markings with central yellow spot extending to ocellus. Antennae with scape and flagellum yellow; pedicel yellow. Frontoclypeus, gena, lorum, clypellus, and legs without any black markings. Pronotum with oblique broad bands separated medially. Mesonotum with basal black triangle without any median marking. Scutellum unmarked. Forewing hyaline with claval vein white, dark bands along anal veins.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex as wide as base, in profile flat. Rostrum extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m1 crossvein absent. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 11, eight, and eight macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer broad, with short acute process arising near posteroventral margin; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view weakly depressed, lateral fold near base, with short fine setae; in ventral view lateral margin near base broadly convex gradually tapering towards apex, with macrosetae confined to distal two thirds of lateral and mesal margins. Style in lateral view with narrow apodeme; apophysis slender, elongate, tapered beyond midlength to dorsally directed hooked apex. Connective in dorsal view Y-shaped, stem and anterior arms short, stout, articulated with preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium narrow; socle well developed; shaft in lateral view moderately broad, uniform in width throughout its length, straight, with dorsally directed long pair of processes arising near the base; apex in posterior view broadly rounded near apex, dorsolaterally directed long process arising subapically on posterior surface of shaft; gonopore subapical on posterior surface.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Province, 7 km south-east of Andasibe National Park head-quarters, 1050 m, 18°57′45″S, 48°27′9″E, 23.iii.–7.iv.2001, M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala malaise trap, in tropical forest, MA-01-08A-04 ( CAS).

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word latus , meaning broad, referring to the broad apex of the aedeagal shaft.

Figures

Figure 5. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus asymmetricus; C, D, Nesocerus uniprocessus; E, F, Nesocerus compressus; G, H, Nesocerus flexus; I, J, Nesocerus breviprocessus; K, L, Nesocerus latus; M, N, Nesocerus basiprocessus; O, P, Nesocerus serratus; Q, R, Nesocerus convolutus.

Figure 13. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, O), male subgenital plate in ventral (B, I, P) and lateral views (C, J, Q), aedeagus in lateral (D, K, R) and caudal views (E, L, S), style in lateral view (F, M, T), style and connective in dorsal view (G, N, U). A–G, Nesocerus flexus; H–N, Nesocerus breviprocessus; O–U, Nesocerus latus.