Nicolaus cornutus, Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2014

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2014, Four new species of the grass feeding leafhopper genus Nicolaus Lindberg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 3784 (5), pp. 528-538 : 534

Nicolaus cornutus sp. nov.

( Figs 5–6 , 41–49 )

Creamy white. Vertex with pale brown marking on either side of median line; four longitudinal brown stripes on pronotum, inner margins of basal triangle on scutum and veins marked with brown. Face with lateral arcuate stripes meeting median ventrally forked stripe. Femora with brown spot before apex. Some specimens lack brown markings.

Head about as long as median length of pronotum. Pronotum about as long as combined median length of scutum and scutellum.

Male genitalia. Pygofer with X-shaped sclerotized ridge ( Fig 42 ); caudally narrowed with pair of pigmented denticles. Subgenital plate small, with sclerotized pigmented area along dorsal submargin, posterior margin emarginate. Style without well defined subapical lobe, apophysis simple. Connective very short. Aedeagus robust, shaft membranous, about 0.75 length of preatrial processes, latter broad at base then narrowed, convexly curved near mid length, apex slightly broadened and foot-shaped.

Female genitalia. Hind margin of seventh sternite medially slightly convexly produced and with median incision. First pair of valvulae gradually narrowed near apex. Second pair of valvulae with teeth placed by distance greater than length of each tooth.

Measurements. Male 4.8–4.9 mm long and 1.2 mm wide across eyes. Female 5.1 mm long and 1.3 mm wide across eyes.

Material examined. INDIA: HOLOTYPE ♂, Karnataka: Dharwar, x.1969, Light trap, Viraktamath ( BMNH). PARATYPES: INDIA: 1 ♂, data as in holotype, 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Karnataka: Raichur, 14.x.1982, Shashidhar Coll; 1 ♀, 16.xi.1980, C.A. Viraktamath; Dharwar, 2 ♀, October 1969, at light, Viraktamath; 1 ♀, October 20, 1969, grasses, Viraktamath; 1 ♂, x.1969, at light, C.A. Viraktamath ( BMNH, NPC, UASB).

Remarks. This species can be distinguished by the vertex lacking a submarginal brown stripe between the eyes, the very short connective and the preatrial processes of the aedeagus tapering to a slightly broadened foot– shaped apex.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Species of Nicolaus. 1 & 2. N. abuensis sp. nov., female; 3 & 4. N. bidentatus sp. nov., male; 5 & 6. N. cornutus sp. nov., male; 7 – 10. Nicolaus bihamatus Xing & Li: 7 & 8. Female from Mudigere; 9 & 10. Male from Shillong.

FIGURES 41 – 49. Nicolaus cornutus sp. nov.: 41. Head and thorax, 42. Face; 43 & 44. Male genital capsule, lateral and dorsal views, respectively; 45. Profemur, anterior view as in Rakitov (1998); 46. Valve and subgenital plate, dorsal view; 47. Style, dorsal view; 48. Connective and aedeagus, dorsoanterior view; 49. Connective and aedeagus, lateral view.