Nesocerus dorsalis, Krishnankutty & Dietrich, 2011

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2011, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of an endemic leafhopper genus Nesocerus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from Madagascar, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (3), pp. 499-543 : 529

NESOCERUS DORSALIS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4C, D , 9A–G )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished by the following combination of characters: falcate posterodorsal process of pygofer with hooked apex; subgenital plate with submarginal macrosetae not extending beyond apical half, without mesal row of macrosetae; style with pointed and sinuate apex and aedeagal shaft in lateral view with apical processes curved anterodorsally.

Description: Length of male, 3.8 mm.

Coloration: Crown with three black markings extending to face. Antennae pale yellow. Frontoclypeus with discontinuous black stripe, dull yellow stripe along muscle impression. Gena with tiny black spot. Clypeogenal suture without any black marking. Laterofrontal suture bordered by black marking. Clypellus mostly dull yellow, with pair of black lines near the base. Legs yellow without any markings. Pronotum dull yellow and greyish yellow along anterior and posterior half, respectively, and with irregular black markings. Mesonotum with dull yellow basal triangle and pair of black longitudinal stripes. Legs, forewings unmarked.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex as wide as base, in profile flat. Rostrum extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m 1 crossvein absent. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 16, ten, and 12 macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer with falcate posterodorsal process with acute apex, process in posterior view with rounded apex; posterolateral margin with long setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view depressed basally, broadened near apex, with long fine setae confined to lateral margin and dorsum of apex; in ventral view strongly convex near base, evenly narrowed towards apex, few submarginal macrosetae scattered along lateral margin confined to apical half. Style in lateral view with broad apodeme; apophysis nearly uniform in width, strongly curved dorsad beyond middle, apex acute. Connective in dorsal view semicircular, fused to preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium broad; socle well developed; shaft in lateral view long, slender, uniform in width along its length, curved dorsad; shaft in posterior view bifurcated with long apical processes extending dorsad; gonopore apical on posterior surface of shaft.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province d’Antsiranana , Parc National Montagne d’Ambre, 1125 m, 12°31′13″S, 49°10′45″E, 21.-26.iv.2001, M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, malaise trap, MA-01-01D-08 ( CAS).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the unique dorsally directed processes of the aedeagus.

Figures

Figure 4. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus recurvus.; C, D, Nesocerus dorsalis; E, F, Nesocerus dentatus; G, H, Nesocerus unimaculatus; I, J, Nesocerus nigrum; K, L, Nesocerus tristriatus; M, N, Nesocerus brevipinguis; O, P, Nesocerus nanus; Q, R, Nesocerus mananarensis; S, T, Nesocerus quinquespinosus.

Figure 9. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, O), male subgenital plate in ventral (B, I, P) and lateral views (C, J, Q), aedeagus in lateral (D, K, R) and caudal views (E, L, S), style in lateral view (F, M, T), style and connective in dorsal view (G, N, U). A–G, Nesocerus dorsalis; H–N, Nesocerus dentatus; O–U, Nesocerus unimaculatus.