Nesocerus recurvus, 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 : 528-529

NESOCERUS RECURVUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4A, B , 8O–U )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished by the following combination of characters: falcate posterodorsal process of pygofer hooked near apex; subgenital plate with median row of macrosetae not extending beyond apical half, mesal row of macrosetae absent; style with subdorsal process and aedeagus with long recurved terminal processes.

Description: Length of male, 4.3 mm.

Coloration: Crown with thin black markings extending to face. Antennae with scape and flagellum yellow, pedicel light brown. Frontoclypeus with irregular black pattern, median black stripe indistinct; border including region along clypeogenal suture black; gena with black marking below eye. Clypellus completely black with a central yellow spot. Pronotum with irregular black markings. Mesonotum with basal black triangle, median longitudinal thin black lines. Scutellum with two median black lines. Legs yellow with light black lines along dorsal margin. Fore and hind femur with light brown bands near base and apex, respectively. Forewing mostly hyaline except basal half with alternate dark brown claval vein.

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 11, eight, and ten macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer broad with falcate posterodorsal process with acute apex; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view slightly depressed basally, broadened near apex; in ventral view strongly convex near base, evenly narrowed towards apex, with long fine setae along lateral margins, a few submarginal macrosetae scattered along apical half. Style in lateral view with broad apodeme; apophysis nearly uniform in width, curved dorsad beyond middle, apex acuminate dorsally with subdorsal flattened process. Connective in dorsal view semicircular, fused to preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium broad directed posterodorsad; socle well developed; shaft in lateral view short, broad, uniform in width along its length, curved posterad; apex in posterior view bifurcated with long terminal processes curved ventrad then recurved anterodorsad; gonopore apical on posterior surface of shaft below the processes.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 1130 m, 22°15′3″S, 47°24′25″E, 21.–28.i.2002, M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala, malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-13 ( CAS) . Paratype: one male, same data as holotype except 26.-31.iii.2002, MA-02-09B-22 ( INHS) .

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the unique recurved 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 8. 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 fasika; H–N, Nesocerus tulearensis; O–U, Nesocerus recurvus.