Batracomorphus pakistanicus, Naveed & Sohail & Islam & Zhang, 2020

Naveed, Hassan, Sohail, Kamran, Islam, Waqar & Zhang, Yalin, 2020, Newly reported genus Batracomorphus Lewis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae) from Pakistan with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4789 (1), pp. 297-300 : 299

Batracomorphus pakistanicus sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 A–J)

Length. Male: 6.1mm; female: 7.6mm.

Yellowish ochraceous ( Fig. 1A ). Crown almost parallel sided and not declivous anteriorly, transversely rugose, foremargin of crown smoothly rounded to face ( Fig. 1 A–C). Frontoclypeus broad, transversely rugose, frontoclypeus separat- ed from clypellus by very distinct clypeoclypellar suture ( Fig. 1C ). Pronotum wider than head including eyes, declivous anteriorly with anterior margin shagreened, rest transversely rugose, posterior margin slightly concave, 2.2x wider than long ( Fig. 1A ). Mesonotum with median length more than median length of pronotum, transversely rugose, basal triangles shagreen ( Fig. 1A ). Forewing with numerous minute pits giving rise to posteriorly directed setae ( Fig. 1 A–B). Hind femoral chaetotaxy 2+2+1.

Pygophore with 10–12 short macrosetae, dorsal margin evenly produced, anteriorly declivous, caudoventral margin smooth and rounded apically, ventral process arising near midlength on ventral margin, straight and parallel-sided in basal half, slightly curved dorsad near midlength and tapered to sharp point, reaching dorsal margin, without obvious sculpture ( Fig. 1D, J ). Subgenital plate weakly sclerotized, longer than wide with dorsolateral lobe bearing dense group of long hair-like setae, basal stem well-developed ( Fig. 1E ). Connective ‘Y’-shaped with stem longer than arms ( Fig. 1F ). Style elongate, slightly curved at midlength, apex slightly expanded with crenulate lateral flange, abruptly hooked mesally ( Fig. 1F ). Aedeagus with dorsal apodeme well-developed, about half as long as shaft, partially sclerotized; shaft elongate, more or less of uniform width in lateral and posterior view, with pair of slightly expanded lateroapical flanges and relatively shallow distal incision distad of elongate gonopore ( Fig. 1 G–H).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Pakistan: Punjab: Murree Hills , 2291m, 26 August 2017, coll. Hassan Naveed. Para- types: 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology. The new species is named after the country, for this is the first Batracomorphus species described from Pakistan.

Remarks. The species is similar to B. allioni (Turton) a Palaearctic species, in lacking the dorsal marginal row of setae on the subgenital plate and having a laterally expanded apex of the aedeagal shaft, but differs in having a relatively longer aedeagal shaft that is more or less of uniform width, and the pygofer ventral process pointed instead of broadened distally. It also resembles B. julus Knight from the Philippines, but differs in the shape of the pygofer ventral process which is less curved compared to the latter and the aedeagal shaft which has the lateral expansion much shorter compared to that in B. julus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Batracomorphus pakistanica sp. nov. A. habitus, dorsal view (with slightly damaged head); B. habitus, lateral view; C. face; D. pygofer lobe, lateral view; E. subgenital plate, dorsal view; F. connective, style & aedeagus, dorsal view; G. aedeagus, lateral view; H. aedeagus, caudoventral view; I. aedeagus apex, caudal view; J. pygofer, lateral view.