Doratulina minima (Evans) Zahniser & Nielson, 2012

Zahniser, J. N. & Nielson, M. W., 2012, An extraordinary new genus and three new species of Acostemmini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from Madagascar with comments on the morphology and classification of the tribe, Zootaxa 3209 (1), pp. 28-52 : 49-51

Doratulina minima (Evans) comb. n.

( Figs. 79–83 )

Description. Length of male holotype 2.90 mm, female unknown.

General color tannish throughout; head with orange-red hue; forewings transparent ( Fig. 79 ).

Head. Head subequal in width to pronotum; subconical ( Fig. 79 ); anterior margin rounded to face, acutely angled. Crown narrow, slightly wider than width of eye ( Fig. 79 ); completely shagreen to base. Ocelli next to eyes slightly below anterior margin. Eyes relatively large; distinctly notched near antennal bases in frontal view. Frontoclypeus elongate; shagreen. Clypellus nearly parallel-sided. Genae slightly incised laterally below eye.

Thorax. Pronotum median length less than median length of crown; lateral margins without carinae. Mesonotum very small, about ½ as long as pronotum.

Wings. Forewings with two closed anteapical cells.

Legs. Metafemur apical setae 2+1.

Male. Pygofer incised dorsally to base; dorsal margin sloping posteroventrally; apex lobate; ventral margin undulate; without basolateral membranous cleft; without macrosetae; with distinct short tooth near ventral margin ~2/3 length of pygofer from base ( Fig. 82 ). Valve large, triangular ( Fig. 80 ). Subgenital plates short, rounded; uniseriate laterally ( Fig. 80 ). Connective with anterior arms parallel, separate; stem with 2 longitudinal sclerotized arms, nearly as long as anterior arms ( Fig. 81 ). Style median anterior lobe produced anterad of lateral anterior lobe; preapical lobe short, rounded; apophysis short, digitate ( Fig. 81 ). Aedeagus base triangular; shaft long, slender, whip-like ( Fig. 83 ).

Distribution. Madagascar

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( MNHN). #35/I.S. Madagascar, Foret D’fmboli?, tautly, 11.23.??, F. R. F/ Malagasiella minima Evans, J. W. Evans det. 1952/ Museum Paris, MNHN ( EH) 2704. NOTE: Some details of the forewing and chaetotaxy were obscure due to the condition of the specimen.

Remarks. Evans’ (1954) described this genus and species and he included it in Coelidiinae . Nielson (1975) placed the genus in an unassigned status because the type specimen was not found during a search in 1972 in the MNHN, Paris. Recently the type specimen was found. The species clearly is not a member of Coelidiinae but belongs in the tribe Stenometopiini (Deltocephalinae) .

Malagasiella belongs in Stenometopiini based on the following characters: 1) crown narrow; 2) crown texture completely shagreen; 3) frontoclypeus long, narrow; 4) pronotum lateral margins not carinate; 5) metafemur apex macrosetae 2+1; 6) male pygofer dorsal margin distinctly sloping posteroventrally; 7) male pygofer without basolateral membranous cleft; 8) male pygofer without macrosetae; 9) valve large, triangular; 10) subgenital plates short, rounded; 11) base of aedeagus large and shaft slender and whip-like.

Some of the generic concepts in Stenometopiini are not entirely clear, and there has been some disagreement among workers regarding the recognition certain genera. The two largest genera are Stirellus Osborn & Ball, 1902 and Doratulina Melichar, 1903 . All species of Doratulina occur in the Old World and the majority of species, including the type species of Stirellus , S. bicolor Van Duzee , occur in the New World. Vilbaste (1965) clarified the definition of Doratulina which at the time was confused with Aconura Lethierry, 1876 (Chiasmini) , and synonymized many genera under Doratulina . Subsequently, Emeljanov (1966) considered Doratulina a synonym of Stirellus . However, Doratulina continued to be used by some authors (e.g. Viraktamath, 1976; Kwon & Lee, 1979) and still appears in recent articles (e.g. Mita, 2009), while others considered the two genera synonymous, thus contributing to a confusing history of classification.

Vilbaste (1965) distinguished Doratulina from Stirellus citing the following characters: Doratulina with 1) pygofer longer than Stirellus ; 2) pygofer with minute, strongly pigmented tooth near lower margin, and 3) aedeagus with large preatrium and long stem inserted more or less parallel to preatrium, base circular in cross section (in Stirellus , aedeagus is shorter, stem is shorter and inserted more obliquely to the preatrium, and lower part is semicircular in cross section). Of these characters, the tooth on the pygofer occurs in S. bicolor , which was apparently overlooked by Vilbaste, and thus does not separate the two genera. The other characters seem consistent between Old World and New World species despite the inconsistent placement of species to these genera among leafhopper workers. Further study is needed to clarify the status and definition of these genera. Vilbaste (1965) also cited “other differences in the stylus and connective” between the two but was not explicit. S. bicolor has a somewhat narrowly V -shaped connective while many Old World species have a more broadly U -shaped connective. This and other characters should be explored more thoroughly. For the time being, both genera are recognized here, while acknowledging that their circumscriptions and morphological characterizations need revision. Based on the characters for Doratulina cited by Vilbaste (1965) (pygofer longer than in Stirellus ; aedeagus shaft longer and parallel to base), Malagasiella Evans is synonymized here with Doratulina . It fits well within the limits of this broadly circumscribed genus.

Figures

FIGURES 79–83. Doratulina minima (Evans), male holotype. 79. dorsal habitus; 80. valve and subgenital plate, ventrally; 81. connective and style, ventrally; 82. pygofer, laterally; 83. aedeagus, laterally.