Paraclorindaia, 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 : 86-87

Paraclorindaia n.gen.

Type species: Paraclorindaia pinguis n. sp.

Diagnosis. Paraclorindaia can be distinguished from other genera of the tribe by the brachypterous males and females with reticulated forewing venation, discal texture of crown smooth, ocelli 1/3–2/5 distance from eye to head apex situated on or close to anterior margin of head, crown length at most 0.75x interocular width, texture of frontoclypeus predominantly smooth and shiny, male pygofer posterodorsally with 4–6 moderately long macrosetae, and male pygofer with posteroventral tooth or claw.

Body. Male, 4.8–5.4 mm ( P. vesperis is likely less than 4.8 mm; total length not available from single known dissected specimen). Female, 6.0– 6.8 mm (female of P. vesperis not known). Body length 2.6–3.6x width of pronotum (males), 3.3–3.7x (females). Crown bluntly or sharply angled to face; anterior margin of head not foliaceous or foliaceous, texture smooth or with irregular blunt carinae, without single sharp carina traversing margin (as in Clorindaia ). Crown length (males and females) 0.5–0.75x interocular width; texture smooth, shiny to irregularly rugose, without shagreen texture. Ocelli present, distant from adjacent eye by 1/3–2/5 distance from eye to crown apex. Frontoclypeus mostly smooth, shiny, with some irregular rugose or shagreen areas ventrally. Antennal sockets near middle of eye. Pronotum broad, straplike; carinate laterally; texture smooth or shagreen anteriorly, with transverse furrows posteriorly. Scutellum texture irregularly rugose or shagreen. Protrochanter with stout apical PV seta; with several other short setae. Profemur row AV with 9–15 relatively long thick setae; intercalary row with 5–9 fine setae; AM1 present; AV1 present; dorsally with apical pair of macrosetae. Protibia dorsal macrosetae 5+4. Mesofemur row AV with numerous short stout setae. Mesotibia dorsal macrosetae 5+5 or 5+4. Metafemur apical macrosetae 2+2+1. Metatibia in dorsal view slightly bowed throughout length. Metatarsomere I length about equal to II+III combined; slightly expanded apically; plantar surface with two rows of tapered setae; apex with row of 6 platellae flanked on each side by tapered seta. Brachypterous. Forewing veins reticulated. Hindwing short, lobelike; anterior margin of hindwing differentiated to wing base; posterior margin of hindwing not differentiated much beyond posterior margin of metanotum.

Color. General color whitish or dark brown. Whitish maculae on center of crown forming distinctive humanlike figure pattern, with arms outstretched; pronotum with three or four pairs of whitish longitudinal stripes bordered by dark brown, with intervening area tawny to dark brown, whitish stripes sometimes interrupted or incomplete. Abdomen with 3–4 pairs of whitish stripes, as on pronotum.

Male. Pygofer only shortly incised dorsally beyond posterior margin; in lateral view subquadrate; posteroventral corner with or without hooklike process or tooth; posterodorsally with 4–6 distinct macrosetae; with other shorter setae posteriorly. Valve large, triangular; more than 2x wider than median length. Subgenital plates more or less triangular in shape; margins convexly rounded; with 1–2 irregular rows of macrosetae traversing across middle of plate; lateral margin with numerous short thick setae. Connective Y-shaped; stem longer than anterior arms. Styles broadly bilobed at base; preapical lobe acutely angled, apex rounded; apophysis digitate, slightly incrassate medially, texture densely tuberculate and transversely irregularly rugose. Aedeagus with base broad in lateral view, subrectangular in shape; with narrow shaft arising posterodorsally from base, curved anteriorly, symmetrical or asymmetrical; apex flared; articulated with connective. Phragma strongly sclerotized in part, forming twisted plate from inside of pygofer to dorsal margin of aedeagal base, bulbous medially with small setae. Segment X mostly membranous, sclerotized ventrally as pair of lamellate plates.

Female. Pygofer with several short macrosetae ventrally and toward apex. Ovipositor tip extending beyond pygofer apex. Sternite VII more than 2x as broad as median length; posterior margin slightly excavated. First valvula relatively straight in lateral view; dorsal sculpturing pattern granulose, submarginal with distinct unsculptured band on dorsal margin; VSA present, distinctly delimited, sculpturing granulose. Second valvula lanceolate, slightly expanded subapically; without dorsal teeth. Gonoplac with one row of short setae ventrally and at apex.

Distribution. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay

Etymology. The name reflects the similarity of the new genus to Clorindaia . It is feminine in gender.

Remarks. The two representatives of Paraclorindaia included in the phylogenetic analyses here were resolved as a monophyletic group ( Fig. 91 ) with relatively strong branch support. The genus was resolved in a clade with the two species of Kramerana included the analyses, but a close relationship between these genera seems unlikely. It seems more likely that Paraclorindaia is closely related to Clorindaia based on the shared characters of the smooth texture of the frontoclypeus and similar color pattern on the crown.

Included species:

brasileira Zahniser, 2004 n.comb. ( Argentina, Brazil)

pinguis n. sp. ( Argentina, Uruguay)

vesperis n. sp. ( Argentina)

Key to species (males) of Paraclorindaia

1. Anterior margin of head thin, sharply angled to face; pygofer posteroventral tooth long, claw-like............ P. brasileira

1’. Anterior margin of head not thin (55B, 58B), more broadly angled to face; pygofer posteroventral tooth short, not claw-like (55D, 58D).......................................................................................... 2

2. Body robust (55A,B); pygofer relatively elongate, rectangular in lateral view (55D); subgenital plates widely set from each other, not meeting medially (55F); aedeagal shaft asymmetrical (55I)..................................... P. pinguis

2.’ Body not as robust (58A,B); pygofer shorter, square in lateral view (58D); subgenital plates meeting medially (58F); aedeagal shaft symmetrical (58I,Q)....................................................................... P. vesperis

Figures

FIGUIRE 91. Strict consensus tree from MP analysis of 51 morphological characters. Numbers below branches are MP bootstrap scores. The plesiomorphic condition is macroptery for both males and females (Hecalocorica bidentata ♂ shown in up- per left). Key stepwise transitions leading to brachyptery occur on clades A (char. 20; forewing of Hecullus bracteatus ♀ and hindwing of Acrolithus brevis ♀ shown), B (char. 22; Acrolithus brevis ♂ shown), and C (chars. 20 & 22; Dietrichana pampas ♀ shown).