Faltala, Zahniser, 2021

Zahniser, James N., 2021, Revision of the New World leafhopper tribe Faltalini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and the evolution of brachyptery, Zootaxa 4954 (1), pp. 1-160 : 53-55

Faltala Oman

Type species: Faltala brachyptera Oman, 1938 ; designated .

Faltala Oman, 1938: 385 [original description, new species, illustration, morphology]; Evans, 1947: 233 [classification]; Linnavuori, 1959: 153, 159–160 [key, description, illustration]; Metcalf, 1967: 1606 [catalogue, classification]; Linnavuori & DeLong, 1977: 199 [key]; Cheng, 1980: 100 [new species]; Oman et al., 1990: 213, 319 [catalogue, classification]; Zahniser & Webb, 2004: 669 [key]; Zanol, 2008: 36 [catalogue]; Remes Lenicov & Paradell, 2009: 264–267 [key, illustration, morphology, distribution, discussion]; Zahniser & Dietrich, 2010: 508 [classification]; Zahniser & Dietrich, 2013: 85 [classification]; Dietrich et al., 2017: 61, 65 [phylogeny, DNA sequences]; Zahniser, 2007 [online catalogue]; Freytag & Gaiani, 2017 [online catalogue]

Diagnosis. Faltala can be distinguished from other genera of the tribe by the brachypterous males and females with reticulated venation on the forewings, the short and robust body form, ocelli close to eyes (2x–3x their own diameter from eyes), frontoclypeus texture predominantly shagreen, and male pygofer with a distinct posterodorsal tooth.

Body. Male, 3.1–3.7 mm. Female, 4.0– 4.5 mm. Body length 2.8x–3.2x greatest width of pronotum (male), 3.0x– 3.4x (female). Crown distinctly angled to face; anterior margin of head shagreen laterally to smooth or irregularly rugose apically. Crown length (males and females) 0.75x–0.9x interocular width; texture of discal region smooth, shagreen laterally near eyes to irregularly rugose apically; depressed before apex. Ocelli slightly dorsad near anterior margin; 2x–3x their own diameter from adjacent eye. Frontoclypeus mostly shagreen, sometimes smooth medially; slightly to distinctly depressed medially. Antennal sockets situated near middle of eyes. Pronotum strap-like; carinate laterally; texture anteriorly smooth or shagreen, posteriorly transversely strigate. Scutellum texture shagreen. Protrochanter with stout apical AV seta, with several other fine setae. Profemur row AV with ~8 relatively long thick setae,; intercalary row with ~5–6 fine setae; AV1 present; AM1 present; dorsally with pair of apical macrosetae. Protibia dorsal macrosetae 4+4. Mesofemur row AV with numerous stout setae. Mesotibia dorsal macrosetae 4+4. Metafemur apical macrosetae 2+2+1. Metatibia slightly bowed in dorsal view. Metatarsomere I about as long as II+III combined; slightly expanded toward apex; plantar surface with two rows of 3–4 tapered setae; apex with row of 5 platellae flanked one each side by tapered seta. Brachypterous. Forewing with veins reticulated. Hindwing small, flap-like; rounded at apex; anterior margin of hindwing meeting metanotum near midlength; posterior margin of hindwing not differentiated much beyond posterior margin of metanotum.

Color. General color whitish with substantial brown to dark brown or black markings. Crown with characteristic pattern of white markings bordered with brown or black: medially with Y-shaped marking; posterior margin white, each side with roughly Y-shaped marking with stem originating at base of eye; apex with longitudinal whitish mark bordered heavily with dark brown or black; intermacular areas tawny. Face often speckled with dark brown; with or without brown arcuate markings. Pronotum with reticulate network of whitish stripes and maculae, bordered by dark brown or black; with intermacular areas tawny. Forewings with veins whitish; with pits between reticulations tawny; usually with one or more pairs of brown spots. Abdomen with three pairs of ivory stripes, bordered by dark brown; interstitial areas tawny with dark brown specks; tergite VIII laterally with dark brown spot prematurely terminating lateral ivory stripe. Dorsal side of male pygofer with dark medial spot.

Male. Pygofer incised dorsally usually to near midlength; always with distinct posterodorsal tooth; ventrally produced to varying degrees; without long macrosetae; with numerous small setae arranged variably. Subgenital plates shape variable: short and rounded, sinuate, subquadrate, quadrate, or triangular; with or without short macrosetae laterally; with numerous very short setae laterally and apically. Valve broad, triangular. Connective Y-shaped; stem shorter than anterior arms. Style broadly bilobed basally; preapical lobe distinct or not; apophysis digitate, rounded base and tapered at apex, or truncate; with some to many setae near base of apophysis; apophysis usually with some tuberculate or imbricate texture. Aedeagus with large atrium; with shape and configuration of shaft variable; articulated with connective. Phragma variously sclerotized. Segment X membranous dorsally and laterally; sclerotized ventrally.

Female. Pygofer short, compact; with ~8–12 short macrosetae ventrally and toward apex. Ovipositor tip extending beyond pygofer apex. Sternite VII more than 2x as broad as median length; posterior margin variable. Sternum VIII sclerotized below VII; extending anterad as broad membranous lobe. First valvula relatively straight in lateral view; dorsal sculpturing pattern densely granulose, submarginal with distinct unsculptured band on dorsal margin; VSA present, distinctly delimited, sculpturing granulose. Second valvula lanceolate, without dorsal teeth. Gonoplac with two to three rows of short setae ventrally and at apex.

Distribution. Argentina, Paraguay.

Remarks. Despite a relatively large amount of variation in the structures of the male genitalia, the color pattern and external morphology are remarkably similar among species.

The four species included in the phylogenetic analysis here were strongly supported as a monophyletic group.

The relationship of the genus to other Faltala group genera was not well-resolved.

Included species:

brachyptera Oman, 1938 ( Argentina)

catalanoae n. sp. ( Argentina, Uruguay)

furcipennis Cheng, 1980 ( Paraguay)

paradellae n. sp. ( Argentina)

viscacha n. sp. ( Argentina, Uruguay)

Key to species (males) of Faltala

1. Posteroventral apex of pygofer terminating in a downturned claw-like spine (37D); caudal margin of pygofer with upturned tooth situated at apex of lobelike extension (37D); aedeagal shaft narrow, arising ventrally from base of aedeagus (37H)............................................................................................... F. viscacha

1’. Posteroventral apex of pygofer not terminating in a downturned claw-like spine (33D); caudal margin of pygofer with tooth not situated at apex lobelike extension, emerging from pygofer margin (33D); aedeagal shaft thicker, arising dorsally from base of aedeagus (33H)...................................................................................... 2

2. Aedeagus in lateral view with two large branches toward apex, more or less T-shaped (32H, 33H)..................... 3

2’. Aedeagus not branched or T-shaped in lateral view (31H)..................................................... 4

3. Subgenital plate lateral margin sinuate, apex roundedly pointed (33F); style apophysis incrassate, club-like (33G,Q)................................................................................................ F. furcipennis

3’. Subgenital plate lateral margin straight, apex broadly truncate (32F); style apophysis not incrassate, slightly widened before attenuated apex, directed laterally (32G)......................................................... F. catalanoae

4. Pygofer ventral lobe broadly triangular, not projecting very far (31D); subgenital plate narrow throughout its length, nearly paralleling margin of valve, apex roundedly pointed (31F); apex of aedeagus with broad flanges in caudodorsal view (31I).......................................................................................... F. brachyptera

4’. Pygofer ventral lobe narrow, projecting far beyond dorsal half of pygofer (34D); subgenital plate longer, apex truncate (34F); apex of aedeagus without lateral flanges in in caudodorsal view (34I)................................. F. paradellae