Mutilifolia nishidai, Wallace, Matthew S., 2015

Wallace, Matthew S., 2015, A striking new treehopper genus Mutilifolia (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae: Telamonini), from Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3914 (1), pp. 83-88 : 85-86

Mutilifolia nishidai n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 2 A–D, F, G)

Type locality. COSTA RICA, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Estación Biológica.

Description. MEASUREMENTS (mm). Length, female 10.7, male 9.0; head width, female 4.0, male 3.4; width between humeral angles, female 6.4, male 5.0; pronotum height (measured in line where M and Cu veins split in forewing) female 5.0, male 4.1; wing length, female 9.3, male 8.1. COLORATION. Head yellowish orange (female) or dark brown with numerous small cream-colored maculations (male); tip of frontoclypeus yellowish orange (female) or brown (male); dark stripes (wider in male) extending ventrolaterally from pronotal margin. Pronotum mostly yellow, bright green in live specimens ( Fig. 1 A); with wide brown stripe anteriorly bisecting humeral angles (shaped like inverted “U” from lateral view), posteriorly forming acuminate point prior to posterior end of pronotum, stripe narrow at highest point of pronotum, gradually wider towards anterior and posterior edges, separated from yellow coloration by faint white line, postero-ventral edge of pronotum tinged with brown; metopidium yellowish orange (female) or brown with distinct cream-colored maculations (male); humeral angle tips black dorsally and yellow (female) or cream-colored (male) ventrally. Forewing mostly hyaline; with distinct apical maculation, maculation filling terminal portion of limbus, cell formed by veins R4+5 and M1+2, most of cell anterior to vein M3+4, and one third of cell posterior to vein R2+3. Legs yellowish brown, tarsal segments black distally. Body clothed in fine pubescence. STRUCTURE. As described for genus.

Material examined. Holotype male, COSTA RICA, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Estación Biológica, 1530 m, 10°19’08.5’’N, 84°48’32.0’’W, 25-IV-2014 (Kenji Nishida, light sheets), Wallace Research #14-219a1 [ USNM]; 1 female paratype, COSTA RICA, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Estación Biológica, 1530 m, 10°19’08.5’’N, 84°48’32.0’’W, 15-V-2014 (Kenji Nishida, light sheets), Wallace Research #14-219a2 [ USNM].

Notes. This species is named in honor of Kenji Nishida, the collector of the type series, and a valuable contributor to the research and photography of Neotropical treehoppers and other insects.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mutilifolia nishidai, n. sp., holotype: habitus illustrations and right forewing. A, Pronotum and head of live specimen, lateral view (Copyright © 2014, by Kenji Nishida). B, Pronotum and head, lateral view. C, Pronotum and head, anterior view. D, Head and humeral angles, anterior view. E, Right forewing, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Female (A) and male (B – E) genitalia, and metathoracic leg (F, G). A, Mutilifolia nishidai, n. sp., paratype: second valvulae, lateral view. B, M. nishidai, holotype: left lateral plate, lateral view. C, M. nishidai, holotype: subgenital plate and left and right style clasp, ventral view. D, M. nishidai, holotype: aedeagus, lateral view. E, Archasia belfragei (Wallace research, # 09 - 160 c): left style, ventrolateral view. F, M. nishidai, holotype: left metathoracic tibia and tarsus, ventral view. G, M. nishidai, paratype, left metathoracic femur, lateral view.