Elginus contradens, Stiller, M., 2009

Stiller, M., 2009, Revision of Elginus Theron (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with the description of two new genera and comments on the grassland leafhopper fauna in South Africa, Zootaxa 2135 (1), pp. 1-56 : 9-10

Elginus contradens sp.n.

( Figs 5, 6 , 54 , 81 , 108 , 134 , 159 , 183 , 209 , 235 )

Diagnosis. Aedeagus symmetrical with shaft generally straight and gonopore at apex. Plate sclerotized laterally, medially mostly unsclerotized and with apex produced into medially directed tooth.

Etymology. Latin, contra, opposite, opposed and dens, tooth, for the opposed teeth on the apex of the subgenital plate.

Colour. Male & female. As in Figs 5, 6 .

Dimensions. Male (n = 12). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 3.1–3.2 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.7–3.0 mm; vertex medially 0.4 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm; scutellum medially 0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.9 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm; scutellum 0.4–0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 21–30 µm; ocellocular distance 39–50 µm.

Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagus symmetrical; shaft tubular, tapering, more or less straight in dorsal and lateral views; shaft 1.3 times as long as dorsal apodeme; dorsal apodeme roughly pentagonal; gonopore apical ( Figs 54 , 81 ). Connective as in Fig. 108 . Plate elongate, triangular with apex produced into medially directed tooth; medial margin and adjacent region membranous; lateral margin sclerotized; 5–7 marginal macrosetae ( Fig. 134 ). Pygofer lobe angulate ( Figs 159 , 183 ). Style with apophysis almost straight, 0.8 times as long as basal part; style extending half-way into plate ( Fig. 209 ).

Dimensions. Female (n = 14). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 3.3–3.5 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 3.3–3.8 mm; vertex medially 0.5–0.6 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3–0.4 mm; pronotum medially 0.4 mm; scutellum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Maximum widths: head 1.0– 1.1 mm; pronotum 0.9 mm; scutellum 0.5–0.6 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 42–55 µm.

Genital capsule. Female. Sternite VII with bell-shaped ligula, bearing variable knob-like process at apex, 2 pillars between sternite VII and VIII ( Fig. 235 ).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Eastern Cape. Qacha’s Neck , 30°10ʹ1.60ʺS 28°35ʹ35.20ʺE, 1717 m, 29.xi.2005, sweeping and blue pan trap, MDTP survey (Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project) ( SANC) . Paratypes (18♂, 11♀, 5 nymphs). Eastern Cape . 12♂, 11♀, 5 nymphs, ibid. holotype ; 2♂, same data but, 30°10ʹ4.50ʺS 28°36ʺE, 1720 m, 28.xi.2005, sweeping, MDTP survey ; 4♂, Prentjiesberg, 31°2ʹ26.02ʺS 28°12ʹ24.88ʺE, 1575 m, 12.xii.2005, sweeping, MDTP survey; all in grassland ( AMNH, BMNH, SANC) .

Remarks. The coloration and vertex markings of this species is similar to that of a number of other species of this genus. In terms of genitalia, the male pygofer, style and connective are similar to a number of species of Elginus , but the symmetrical aedeagus and the configuration of the plate bear little resemblance to any other species of this genus. Only E. oriens bears some similarity in the shape of its aedeagus, although the apical half of the shaft and the gonopore are asymmetrical. The plate in E. denticulatus bears a dorsal tooth at its apex, but otherwise shows no further resemblance to this species. In the female the sternite VII is similar to that of E. unispinus in that it has a rectangular ligula, and to E. theroni in that it has a bell-shaped ligula. It is included in Elginus even though the aedeagus is symmetrical and the unique shape of the plate, but also because the shape of the style, pygofer and sternite VII of the female resembles that of the other species of Elginus . Dimensions of both sexes also coincide with those of other species of Elginus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Elginus species, habitus views. Fig. 1, E. bispinus, male; Fig. 2, E. cavatus, male; Fig. 3, E. cavatus, female; Fig. 4, E. cavatus, nymph; Fig. 5, E. contradens, male; Fig. 6, E. contradens, female; Fig. 7, E. cultellus, male; Fig. 8, E. cultellus, female.

FIGURES 51–77. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, dorsal or ventral view. Fig. 51, E. acutus, ventral view; Fig. 52, E. bispinus, dorsal view; Fig. 53, E. cavatus, dorsal view; Fig. 54, E. contradens, dorsal view; Fig. 55, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 56, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 57, E. denticulatus, dorsal view; Fig. 58, E. dexteruncus, dorsal view; Fig. 59, E. eccentricus, dorsal view; Fig. 60, E. extrinsecus, ventral view; Fig. 61, E. falcatus, dorsal view; Fig. 62, E. furcillatus, dorsal view; Fig. 63, E. latus, dorsal view; Fig. 64, E. levilobus, ventral view; Fig. 65, E. malotiensis, dorsal view; Fig. 66, E. matarei, ventral view; Fig. 67, E. minutulus, dorsal view; Fig. 68, E. oriens, dorsal view; Fig. 69, E. recavus, dorsal view; Fig. 70, E. saltus (Naudé), dorsal view; Fig. 71, E. semialatus, with paired process, ventral view; Fig. 72, E. semialatus, single process, ventral view; Fig. 73, E. theroni, dorsal view; Fig. 74, E. tortuosus, dorsal view; Fig. 75, E. tubulus, dorsal view; Fig. 76, E. unispinus, ventral view; Fig. 77, E. vulgaris, dorsal view.

FIGURES 78–104. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, lateral view. Fig. 78, E. acutus; Fig. 79, E. bispinus; Fig. 80, E. cavatus; Fig. 81, E. contradens; Fig. 82, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 83, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 84, E. denticulatus; Fig. 85, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 86, E. eccentricus; Fig. 87, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 88, E. falcatus; Fig. 89, E. furcillatus; Fig. 90, E. latus; Fig. 91, E. levilobus; Fig. 92, E. malotiensis; Fig. 93, E. matarei; Fig. 94, E. minutulus; Fig. 95, E. oriens; Fig. 96, E. recavus; Fig. 97, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 98, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 99, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 100, E. theroni; Fig. 101, E. tortuosus; Fig. 102, E. tubulus; Fig. 103, E. unispinus; Fig. 104, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 105–130. Elginus species, male, connective, Fig. 105, E. acutus; Fig. 106, E. bispinus; Fig. 107, E. cavatus; Fig. 108, E. contradens; Fig. 109, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 110, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 111, E. denticulatus; Fig. 112, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 113, E. eccentricus; Fig. 114, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 115, E. falcatus; Fig. 116, E. furcillatus; Fig. 117, E. latus; Fig. 118, E. levilobus; Fig. 119, E. malotiensis; Fig. 120, E. matarei; Fig. 121, E. minutulus; Fig. 122, E. oriens; Fig. 123, E. recavus; Fig. 124, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 125, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 126, E. theroni; Fig. 127, E. tortuosus; Fig. 128, E. tubulus; Fig. 129, E. unispinus; Fig. 130, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 131–156. Elginus species, male, plate, Fig. 131, E. acutus; Fig. 132, E. bispinus; Fig. 133, E. cavatus; Fig. 134, E. contradens; Fig. 135, E. cultellus; Fig. 136, E. denticulatus; Fig. 137, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 138, E. eccentricus; Fig. 139, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 140, E. falcatus; Fig. 141, E. furcillatus; Fig. 142, E. latus; Fig. 143, E. levilobus; Fig. 144, E. malotiensis; Fig. 145, E. matarei; Fig. 146, E. minutulus; Fig. 147, E. oriens; Fig. 148, E. recavus; Fig. 149, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 150, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 151, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 152, E. theroni; Fig. 153, E. tortuosus; Fig. 154, E. tubulus; Fig. 155, E. unispinus; Fig. 156, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 157–179. Elginus species, male, pygofer, dorsal view. Fig. 157, E. acutus; Fig. 158, E. cavatus; Fig. 159, E. contradens; Fig. 160, E. cultellus; Fig. 161, E. denticulatus; Fig. 162, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 163, E. eccentricus; Fig. 164, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 165, E. falcatus; Fig. 166, E. furcillatus; Fig. 167, E. latus; Fig. 168, E. levilobus; Fig. 169, malotiensis; Fig. 170, E. matarei; Fig. 171, E. minutulus; Fig. 172, E. oriens; Fig. 173, E. recavus; Fig. 174, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 175, E. theroni; Fig. 176, E. tortuosus; Fig. 177, E. tubulus; Fig. 178, E. unispinus; Fig. 179, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 180–205. Elginus species, male, pygofer, lateral view. Fig. 180, E. acutus; Fig. 181, E. bispinus; Fig. 182, E. cavatus; Fig. 183, E. contradens; Fig. 184, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 185, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 186, E. denticulatus; Fig. 187, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 188, E. eccentricus; Fig. 189, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 190, E. falcatus; Fig. 191, E. furcillatus; Fig. 192, E. latus; Fig. 193, E. levilobus; Fig. 194, E. malotiensis; Fig. 195, E. matarei; Fig. 196, E. minutulus; Fig. 197, E. oriens; Fig. 198, E. recavus; Fig. 199, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 200, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 201, E. theroni; Fig. 202, E. tortuosus; Fig. 203, E. tubulus; Fig. 204, E. unispinus; Fig. 205, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 206–232. Elginus species, male, style, Fig. 206, E. acutus; Fig. 207, E. bispinus; Fig. 208, E. cavatus; Fig. 209, E. contradens; Fig. 210, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 211, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 212, E. denticulatus; Fig. 213, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 214, E. eccentricus; Fig. 215, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 216, E. falcatus; Fig. 217, E. furcillatus; Fig. 218, E. latus; Fig. 219, E. levilobus; Fig. 220, E. malotiensis; Fig. 221, E. matarei; Fig. 222, E. minutulus; Fig. 223, E. oriens; Fig. 224, E. recavus; Fig. 225, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 226, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 227, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 228, E. theroni; Fig. 229, E. tortuosus; Fig. 230, E. tubulus; Fig. 231, E. unispinus; Fig. 232, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 233–258. Elginus species, female, sternite VII. Fig. 233, E. bispinus; Fig. 234, E. cavatus; Fig. 235, E. contradens; Fig. 236, E. cultellus, associated males with curved aedeagus; Fig. 237, E. cultellus, associated males with straight aedeagus; Fig. 238, E. denticulatus; Fig. 239, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 240, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 241, E eccentricus; Fig. 242, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 243, E. falcatus; Fig. 244, E. furcillatus; Fig. 245, E. levilobus; Fig. 246, E. malotiensis; Fig. 247, E. matarei; Fig. 248, E. minutulus; Fig. 249, E. oriens; Fig. 250, E. oriens; Fig. 251, E. recavus; Fig. 252, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 253, E. semialatus; Fig. 254, E. theroni; Fig. 255, E. tortuosus; Fig. 256, E. tubulus; Fig. 257, E. unispinus; Fig. 258, E. vulgaris.