Elginus levilobus, Stiller, M., 2009

Stiller, M., 2009, Revision of Elginus Theron (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with the description of two new genera and comments on the grassland leafhopper fauna in South Africa, Zootaxa 2135 (1), pp. 1-56 : 17-18

Elginus levilobus sp.n.

( Figs 64 , 91 , 118 , 143 , 168 , 193 , 219 , 245 )

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft compressed, C-shaped, posterior gonopore. Style apophysis smooth. Plate apex pointed.

Etymology. Latin, levis, smooth, bald, lobus, elongate projection, referring to the apophysis of the style that is smooth, without teeth.

Dimensions. Male (n = 6). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.5–3.0 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.6–3.4 mm; vertex medially 0.5 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm; scutellum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.9–1.0 mm; pronotum 0.8–0.9 mm; scutellum 0.3–0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 41–55 µm.

Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagal shaft in lateral view compressed, C-shaped, ( Figs 64 , 91 ); long, 1.9 times as long as dorsal apodeme; gonopore posterior. Connective as in Fig. 118 . Plate apex bluntly pointed; median margins diverging; 6 macrosetae ( Fig. 143 ). Pygofer lobe apex rounded ( Figs 168 , 193 ). Style apophysis long, 1.2 times as long as length to anterior medial arm; apex straight, smooth, curved ventrally ( Fig. 219 ).

Dimensions. Female (n = 4). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.6–3.1 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.9–3.5 mm; vertex medially 0.5–0.6 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3–0.4 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm; scutellum medially 0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.9–1.1 mm; pronotum 0.8–0.9 mm; scutellum 0.4–0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 41–60 µm.

Genital capsule. Female. Notch narrow, deep, parallel-sided, flanked by broad, triangular lobes ( Fig. 245 ).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Gauteng. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve , 26°31ʹS 28°14ʹE, 21.ii.1995, M. Stiller, DVac meadow ( SANC) . Paratypes (12♂, 11♀). Gauteng . 1♂, Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve western side, 26°31ʹ12.3ʺS 28°10ʹ57ʺE, 1650 m , 15.xi.2001, sweep, ridge slope N aspect, rock/gravel sandy dry soil, slope moderate, aloe veld; 2♂, Hartebeesfontein 437IR Deneysville, 26°18ʹ43.6ʺS 28°10ʹ46.3ʺE, 1538 m, 10–11.iii.2004, blue & white pan trap, outcrop, dry rocky loam soil, open woodland, gentle slope, M. Forsythe ; 1♀, Tweefontein Farm SW, 25°54ʹ56.6ʺS 27°47ʹ31.8ʺE, 1459m; 1♂, 1♀, Tweefontein Farm E, 25°54ʹ28.9ʺS 27°49ʹ19.6ʺE, 1544 m; all 8.iii.2007, M. Stiller, DVac moribund, dry grass. Limpopo. 1♂, 3♀, Strydpoortberg Pass summit, 24°02ʹ39.06ʺS 29°52ʹ41.94ʺE, 1735 m , 7.xi.2005, M. Stiller, DVac dry moribund grass. Mpumalanga. 6♂, 3♀, Two Rivers Platinum Mine, Dwarsrivier Farm 372KT, 24°57ʹ45.29ʺS 30°05ʹ3.91ʺE, 955 m , 23.iii.2008, P. Hawkes, J. Fisher sweeping, Sekukune Mountain Bushveld , 2♂, ibid. above, 24°54ʹ36.83ʺS 30°05ʹ35.23ʺE, 950 m , sweeping, Euclea open woodland; 3♀, ibid. above, 24°57ʹ36.50ʺS 30°04ʹ48.72ʺE, 1065 m ; 1♀, ibid. above, 24°55ʹ21.18ʺS 30°05ʹ36.02ʺE, 1250 m. ( BMNH, SANC) .

Remarks. The only other species with a smooth apophysis of the style is E. saltus known only from the Fynbos Biome. All other species have the style with its apophysis serrate along most of the ventral margin. The distribution of E. levilobus is unusual, appearing to occur in widely separated northern and southern populations. The female sternite VII is variable, with regard to the depth of the notch and degree of sclerotization. This configuration coincides mostly with that of E. cultellus with the deep cleft, although the latter species was not recorded from the Limpopo locality or nearby localities. The southern locality, that is Suikerbosrand in Gauteng, was revisited, and only produced E. falcatus .

Figures

FIGURES 51–77. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, dorsal or ventral view. Fig. 51, E. acutus, ventral view; Fig. 52, E. bispinus, dorsal view; Fig. 53, E. cavatus, dorsal view; Fig. 54, E. contradens, dorsal view; Fig. 55, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 56, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 57, E. denticulatus, dorsal view; Fig. 58, E. dexteruncus, dorsal view; Fig. 59, E. eccentricus, dorsal view; Fig. 60, E. extrinsecus, ventral view; Fig. 61, E. falcatus, dorsal view; Fig. 62, E. furcillatus, dorsal view; Fig. 63, E. latus, dorsal view; Fig. 64, E. levilobus, ventral view; Fig. 65, E. malotiensis, dorsal view; Fig. 66, E. matarei, ventral view; Fig. 67, E. minutulus, dorsal view; Fig. 68, E. oriens, dorsal view; Fig. 69, E. recavus, dorsal view; Fig. 70, E. saltus (Naudé), dorsal view; Fig. 71, E. semialatus, with paired process, ventral view; Fig. 72, E. semialatus, single process, ventral view; Fig. 73, E. theroni, dorsal view; Fig. 74, E. tortuosus, dorsal view; Fig. 75, E. tubulus, dorsal view; Fig. 76, E. unispinus, ventral view; Fig. 77, E. vulgaris, dorsal view.

FIGURES 78–104. Elginus species, male, aedeagus, lateral view. Fig. 78, E. acutus; Fig. 79, E. bispinus; Fig. 80, E. cavatus; Fig. 81, E. contradens; Fig. 82, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 83, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 84, E. denticulatus; Fig. 85, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 86, E. eccentricus; Fig. 87, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 88, E. falcatus; Fig. 89, E. furcillatus; Fig. 90, E. latus; Fig. 91, E. levilobus; Fig. 92, E. malotiensis; Fig. 93, E. matarei; Fig. 94, E. minutulus; Fig. 95, E. oriens; Fig. 96, E. recavus; Fig. 97, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 98, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 99, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 100, E. theroni; Fig. 101, E. tortuosus; Fig. 102, E. tubulus; Fig. 103, E. unispinus; Fig. 104, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 105–130. Elginus species, male, connective, Fig. 105, E. acutus; Fig. 106, E. bispinus; Fig. 107, E. cavatus; Fig. 108, E. contradens; Fig. 109, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 110, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 111, E. denticulatus; Fig. 112, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 113, E. eccentricus; Fig. 114, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 115, E. falcatus; Fig. 116, E. furcillatus; Fig. 117, E. latus; Fig. 118, E. levilobus; Fig. 119, E. malotiensis; Fig. 120, E. matarei; Fig. 121, E. minutulus; Fig. 122, E. oriens; Fig. 123, E. recavus; Fig. 124, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 125, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 126, E. theroni; Fig. 127, E. tortuosus; Fig. 128, E. tubulus; Fig. 129, E. unispinus; Fig. 130, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 131–156. Elginus species, male, plate, Fig. 131, E. acutus; Fig. 132, E. bispinus; Fig. 133, E. cavatus; Fig. 134, E. contradens; Fig. 135, E. cultellus; Fig. 136, E. denticulatus; Fig. 137, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 138, E. eccentricus; Fig. 139, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 140, E. falcatus; Fig. 141, E. furcillatus; Fig. 142, E. latus; Fig. 143, E. levilobus; Fig. 144, E. malotiensis; Fig. 145, E. matarei; Fig. 146, E. minutulus; Fig. 147, E. oriens; Fig. 148, E. recavus; Fig. 149, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 150, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 151, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 152, E. theroni; Fig. 153, E. tortuosus; Fig. 154, E. tubulus; Fig. 155, E. unispinus; Fig. 156, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 157–179. Elginus species, male, pygofer, dorsal view. Fig. 157, E. acutus; Fig. 158, E. cavatus; Fig. 159, E. contradens; Fig. 160, E. cultellus; Fig. 161, E. denticulatus; Fig. 162, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 163, E. eccentricus; Fig. 164, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 165, E. falcatus; Fig. 166, E. furcillatus; Fig. 167, E. latus; Fig. 168, E. levilobus; Fig. 169, malotiensis; Fig. 170, E. matarei; Fig. 171, E. minutulus; Fig. 172, E. oriens; Fig. 173, E. recavus; Fig. 174, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 175, E. theroni; Fig. 176, E. tortuosus; Fig. 177, E. tubulus; Fig. 178, E. unispinus; Fig. 179, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 180–205. Elginus species, male, pygofer, lateral view. Fig. 180, E. acutus; Fig. 181, E. bispinus; Fig. 182, E. cavatus; Fig. 183, E. contradens; Fig. 184, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 185, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 186, E. denticulatus; Fig. 187, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 188, E. eccentricus; Fig. 189, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 190, E. falcatus; Fig. 191, E. furcillatus; Fig. 192, E. latus; Fig. 193, E. levilobus; Fig. 194, E. malotiensis; Fig. 195, E. matarei; Fig. 196, E. minutulus; Fig. 197, E. oriens; Fig. 198, E. recavus; Fig. 199, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 200, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 201, E. theroni; Fig. 202, E. tortuosus; Fig. 203, E. tubulus; Fig. 204, E. unispinus; Fig. 205, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 206–232. Elginus species, male, style, Fig. 206, E. acutus; Fig. 207, E. bispinus; Fig. 208, E. cavatus; Fig. 209, E. contradens; Fig. 210, E. cultellus, curved aedeagus; Fig. 211, E. cultellus, straight aedeagus; Fig. 212, E. denticulatus; Fig. 213, E. dexteruncus; Fig. 214, E. eccentricus; Fig. 215, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 216, E. falcatus; Fig. 217, E. furcillatus; Fig. 218, E. latus; Fig. 219, E. levilobus; Fig. 220, E. malotiensis; Fig. 221, E. matarei; Fig. 222, E. minutulus; Fig. 223, E. oriens; Fig. 224, E. recavus; Fig. 225, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 226, E. semialatus, with paired process; Fig. 227, E. semialatus, single process; Fig. 228, E. theroni; Fig. 229, E. tortuosus; Fig. 230, E. tubulus; Fig. 231, E. unispinus; Fig. 232, E. vulgaris.

FIGURES 233–258. Elginus species, female, sternite VII. Fig. 233, E. bispinus; Fig. 234, E. cavatus; Fig. 235, E. contradens; Fig. 236, E. cultellus, associated males with curved aedeagus; Fig. 237, E. cultellus, associated males with straight aedeagus; Fig. 238, E. denticulatus; Fig. 239, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 240, E. dexteruncus variant; Fig. 241, E eccentricus; Fig. 242, E. extrinsecus; Fig. 243, E. falcatus; Fig. 244, E. furcillatus; Fig. 245, E. levilobus; Fig. 246, E. malotiensis; Fig. 247, E. matarei; Fig. 248, E. minutulus; Fig. 249, E. oriens; Fig. 250, E. oriens; Fig. 251, E. recavus; Fig. 252, E. saltus (Naudé); Fig. 253, E. semialatus; Fig. 254, E. theroni; Fig. 255, E. tortuosus; Fig. 256, E. tubulus; Fig. 257, E. unispinus; Fig. 258, E. vulgaris.