Revision of Vilargus Theron (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from South Africa Stiller, M. Zootaxa 2010 2010-11-11 2674 1 1 25 8RP5F Stiller, 2010 Stiller 2010 [151,403,151,177] Insecta Cicadellidae Vilargus Animalia Hemiptera 4 5 Arthropoda species bicornicans sp. nov.  ( Figs 1–3, 35–42).   Diagnosis.Aedeagus dorsally with transverse, ovoid dorsal apodeme, laterally with tapered process arising lateroventrally from basal part of shaft, and curved dorsad, shaft and process of similar length. Plate medial margin straight, posterior margin broadly rounded, lateral margin rounded, sometimes slightly sinuous. Pygofer and pygofer lobe extending well beyond apex of plate; posteromedial margin below pygofer lobe with medially curved sclerotized lobe. Female with sternite 7 posterior margin with narrow, parallel-sided notch.   Etymology.Latin, bi,two, cornus, horn, referring to the aedeagus appearing to have two horn-like structures.  Colour. Male, female and nymph. Ochraceous ( Figs 1–3, specimens from Dordrecht, Eastern Cape Province).  Male. Dimensions. (n=65) Length from apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.2–2.3 mm, length from apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.5–2.8 mm, median length of vertex 0.4 mm, length of vertex next to eye 0.3 mm, length of pronotum 0.3 mm, width of head 0.8 mm, width of pronotum 0.7–0.8 mm, diameter of ocellus 27–30 µm, ocellocular distance 28–41 µm.  Genitalia.Aedeagus, dorsally, dorsal apodeme transverse, reniform; shaft tapered, with ventrolateral, tapered process ( Fig. 35); laterally, process basally widely merged with shaft, tapering towards apex; shaft tubular, both curved dorsad, of similar length; gonopore dorsal, apical ( Fig. 36). Connective symmetrical, stem slightly wider than width across arms ( Fig. 37). Style with anterior medial arm short, not extending beyond base of apophysis, acutely angled to base; apophysis elongate, apex truncate, with teeth ventrally on posterior margin, fine serration ventromedially ( Fig. 38). Plate in general roundly triangular; medial margin straight, posterior margin broadly rounded, lateral margin rounded, sometimes slightly sinuous ( Fig. 39); 2–5 marginal macrosetae. Pygofer, laterally, dorsal and basal ventral margins parallel, distal ventral margin angled dorsad, medially with sclerotized, rounded protrusion ( Fig. 41); dorsally as in Fig. 40. Pygofer lobe short, rounded ( Fig. 41); extending well beyond apex of plate.  Female. Dimensions. (n=36) Length from apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.3–2.5 mm, length from apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 3.0– 3.4 mm, median length of vertex 0.5 mm, length of vertex next to eye 0.3 mm, length of pronotum 0.3 mm, width of head 0.9 mm, width of pronotum 0.7–0.9 mm, diameter of ocellus 26–31 µm, ocellocular distance 35–47 µm.  Genitalia.Sternite 7 posteriorly with narrow, deep notch, narrower, and deeper than in any other species ( Fig. 42).   Material examined.  Holotypemale. South Africa.  Eastern Cape Province. Dordrecht, 31°32ʹS, 26°57ʹE,  1436 m,  26.iv.2006, M. Stiller, DVac, short grazed grass and forbs in road reserve ( SANC).  Paratypes. 68♂, 41♀, 4 nymphs.  Eastern Cape Province.  1♂, 3♀, Cathcart, 32°18ʹS, 27°12ʹE,  20.i.1984, J.G. Theron, sweeping;  1♂, Ongeluksnek, site #44, 30°20ʹS, 28°21ʹE,  1740 m,  5.xii.2005, MDTP survey, sweeping;  1♂, Ongeluksnek, site #39, 30°20ʹS, 28°19ʹE,  1824 m,  8.xii.2005, MDTP survey, sweeping;  1♂, Prentjiesberg, 31°07ʹS, 28°10ʹE,  1428 m,  11.xii.2005, MDTP survey, sweeping;  7♂, 3♀, Penhoek, between Aliwal Northand Queenstown, 31°26ʹS, 26°41ʹE,  1854 m,  19.iv.2006, DVac, grazed pasture;  13♂, 5♀, 1 nymph, Charlton Farm, N Somerset East, 32°40ʹS, 25°40ʹE,  1271 m,  23.iv.2006, DVac, pasture with tufted, ungrazed (unpalatable) grass;  23♂, 17♀, Doon Farm, Thomas River, Cathcart, 32°28ʹS, 27°17ʹE,  1115 m,  24.iv.2006, DVac, grass on rocky outcrop covered with aloes;  19♂, 12♀, 3 nymphs, ibid., holotype;  1♂, between Dordrechtand Rossouw, 31°48ʹS, 26°06ʹE,  1767 m,  26.iv.2006, DVac, road reserve;  2♂, 1♀, Groendal, Dordrecht, 31°09ʹS, 27°06ʹE,  1804 m,  26.iv.2006, DVac, road reserve; all collected by M. Stiller( BMNH, INHS, SANC).   Remarks.The plate of  V. bicornicans( Fig. 39) resembles that of  V. pumilicans( Figs 72, 73) and to a lesser extent with that of  V. budenticans( Fig. 47). However, there are marked differences in the aedeagal configuration of these three species.  Vilargus pumilicanshas an elongate ventral paraphysis and short aedeagal shaft ( Figs 68, 69),  V. budenticanshas a short ventral paraphysis and long aedeagal shaft ( Figs 43, 44) and  V. bicornicanshas a dorsally curved shaft and ventrolateral tapering process arising from the base of the shaft ( Figs 35, 36). The female sternite 7 of  V. bicornicanshas a notch that is narrower, parallel-sided and deeper ( Fig. 42) than that of any other species of  Vilargus.None of the dissections of 13 malesand 5 femalesshows deformities. 2006-04-26 SANC M. Stiller South Africa 1436 -31.533333 Dordrecht 1215 26.95 4 5 1 Eastern Cape holotype [151,823,1455,1482] South Africa Eastern Cape Province 4 5 109 41 68 Eastern Cape paratype 1984-01-20 J. G. Theron South Africa -32.3 Cathcart 1211 27.2 4 5 4 3 1 Eastern Cape paratype 2005-12-05 South Africa 1740 -30.333334 Ongeluksnek 1222 28.35 4 5 1 1 Eastern Cape paratype [280,1381,1530,1556] 2005-12-08 South Africa 1824 -30.333334 Ongeluksnek 1222 28.316668 4 5 1 1 Eastern Cape paratype 2005-12-11 South Africa 1428 -31.116667 Prentjiesberg 1218 28.166666 4 5 1 1 Eastern Cape paratype 2006-04-19 South Africa Penhoek 1854 -31.433332 Queenstown 1216 26.683332 Aliwal North 4 5 10 3 7 Eastern Cape paratype 2006-04-23 N Somerset East South Africa 1271 -32.666668 Charlton Farm 1209 25.666666 4 5 18 5 13 Eastern Cape paratype 2006-04-24 South Africa Doon Farm 1115 -32.466667 Cathcart 1210 27.283333 Thomas River 4 5 40 17 23 Eastern Cape paratype [923,1379,1716,1743] 2006-04-24 South Africa Doon Farm 1115 -32.466667 Cathcart 1210 27.283333 Thomas River 4 5 31 12 19 Eastern Cape holotype 2006-04-26 South Africa 1767 -31.8 Rossouw 1214 26.1 Dordrecht 4 5 1 1 Eastern Cape paratype 2006-04-26 BMNH, INHS, SANC M. Stiller South Africa 1804 -31.15 Dordrecht 1218 27.1 Groendal 4 5 3 1 2 Eastern Cape paratype