Ampliphax, Bartlett, Charles R. & Kunz, Gernot, 2015

Bartlett, Charles R. & Kunz, Gernot, 2015, A new genus and species of delphacid planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Delphacidae) from Central America with a preliminary regional species list, Zootaxa 3946 (4), pp. 510-518 : 511-512

Ampliphax new genus

Type species. Ampliphax grandis new species

Description. Body pale, rather uniformly colored orangish-brown; macropterous wings clear to slightly infuscate. Head narrower than pronotum, in lateral view head anteriorly projecting, appearing slightly upcurved. Lateral carinae of vertex keeled, meeting at fastigium, other vertex carinae obsolete. Frons parallel-sided, narrower between eyes; median carina forked near fastigium. Vertex much longer than wide. Antennae terete; segment II nearly 2 × longer than segment I; segment II bearing sensory plaques (rhinaria) organized into irregular rows. Lateral ocelli relatively obscure, near ventral anterior margin of compound eye. Lateral carinae of pronotum not reaching hind margin. Hind tibiae with one lateral spine; spinulation of hind leg: tibiae 5 (3+2), basitarsus 7 (5+2), tarsomere II 4. Calcar tectiform with> 25 fine, black-tipped teeth. Male pygofer taller than wide in lateral and caudal view; opening of pygofer weakly keeled, ventral margin with large projection. Diaphragm deeply emarginate, bearing large appendages resting on either side of the aedeagus. Parameres narrow, flattened, and simple, basal angle obscure. Aedeagus simple, flattened and decurved. Suspensorium evident, base elongate and narrowly straplike, distally forked into “Y” to embrace the aedeagus. Anal segment (segment X) conspicuous, quadrate in lateral view bearing a pair of projections at dorsocaudal angle; anal tube (segment XI) elongate, subequal in height to segment X.

Etymology. The genus name is formed from the Latin word ‘ amplus ’ (large) joined as ‘ ampli ’ with ‘ phax ’ (a truncation of Delphax ), to be treated as masculine in gender.

Remarks. This genus is readily recognized by its large size and projected head. The form of the suspensorium, the armature of the diaphragm, and the ventral projection of the pygofer opening are all unusual features. There are no described Neotropical genera that bear obvious similarities, although Pareuidella Beamer , and several species currently misplaced in Euides Fieber , bear roughly similar genital diaphragm structures, but have complex, branched parameres. Neoperkinsiella Muir are of similar size but have flattened antennae. Because this genus is large and of unusual appearance among the Delphacini , specimens are easily found among undetermined collections in museums; nevertheless, relatively few specimens were available for study.