Elginus semialatus, 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 : 24-25

Elginus semialatus sp.n.

( Figs 31–34 , 71, 72 , 98, 99 , 124, 125 , 150, 151 , 174 , 199, 200 , 226, 227 , 253 )

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft with apex curved laterally; subapical, paired or single, lateral wing-like process.

Etymology. Latin, for subapical wing-like process (alata) on aedeagal shaft, which is either only on one side (semi), or partially paired.

Colour. Male & nymph. As in Figs 31–33 .

Dimensions. Male (n = 23). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.6–2.8 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.3–2.5 mm; vertex medially 0.3–0.4 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.2–0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm; scutellum medially 0.2–0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7 mm; scutellum 0.3–0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 24–32 µm; ocellocular distance 37–44 µm.

Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagal shaft straight, tubular; apex blunt, enlarged laterad; subapically with variable process: paired or single lateral triangular process; shaft short, 1.4 times as long as dorsal apodeme; gonopore dorsal, subapical ( Figs 71, 72 , 98, 99 ). Connective as in Figs 124, 125 . Plate apex rounded; medial margins straight, contiguous or divergent ( Fig. 150, 151 ). Pygofer broadly rounded, symmetrical ( Figs 174 , 199, 200 ). Style apophysis with wide base and apex, narrow projection at apex; extending one-third from apex of plate; apophysis 0.6 times as long as median arm ( Figs 226, 227 ).

Dimensions. Female (n = 21). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 3.0– 3.2 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 3.1–3.4 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 mm. Maximum widths: head 1.0 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm; scutellum 0.4–0.5 mm. Ocellus: diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 48–61 µm.

Genital capsule. Female. Sternite VII with shallow median indentation, flanked by irregular sclerotized areas ( Fig. 253 ), in situ as in Fig. 34 .

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Eastern Cape. Rhodes, 30°51ʹ42.48ʺS 27°54ʹ35.4ʺE, 1965 m, 27.iv.2006, DVac roadside short grass, grazed Eragrostis sp. (Poaceae) , dominant, M. Stiller ( SANC). Paratypes (35♂, 38♀). Eastern Cape. 1♂, Balloch Peak, 30°40ʹ16ʺS 27°42ʹ8ʺE, 2100 m, 28.iii.2005, sweeping Festuca sp. (Poaceae) , no flower; 2♂, 6♀, 6 nymphs, Wildfell Farm, 30°40ʹ6ʺS 27°48ʹ30ʺE, 2180 m, 29.iii.2005, sweeping grazed grass; 2♀, Tele Falls catchment, 30°39ʹ19ʺS 27°50ʹ9ʺE, 2440 m, 29.iii.2005, sweeping two species of Merxmuellera sp. (Poaceae) in river course; 6♂, Halseton Krans, 30°42ʹ39ʺS 27°47ʹ39ʺE, 2200 m, 1.iv.2005, sweeping short grass; 26♂, 36♀, ibid. holotype; all M. Stiller ( BMNH, SANC).

Remarks. Two forms of the aedeagus are recognized: frequently shaft subapically with triangular process on one side, occasionally with a more deformed process on the opposite side ( Figs 71, 72 ). The former variety has the single process always on the same side and with the apical process always curved in the opposite direction. The males of no other species have lateral subapical processes. Females are more difficult to distinguish as the sternites of E. minutulus ( Fig. 248 ) and E. furcillatus ( Fig. 244 ) are similar, with locality possibly providing some guideline for their separation. For instance E. furcillatus probably occurs in the Fynbos Biome, and E. minutulus at lower altitudes near the Drakensberg. Elginus semialatus occurs at high altitude on the western end of the Drakensberg and the Witteberg.

Figures

FIGURES 25–32. Elginus species, habitus views. Fig. 25, E. matarei, male; Fig. 26, E. minutulus, male; Fig. 27, E. oriens, male; Fig. 28, E. oriens, female; Fig. 29, E. saltus (Naudé), male; Fig. 30, E. saltus (Naudé), female; Fig. 31, E. semialatus, male; Fig. 32, E. semialatus, nymph.

FIGURES 33–40. Elginus species, habitus views. Fig. 33, E. semialatus, nymph; Fig. 34, E. semialatus, female sternite VII; Fig. 35, E. theroni, male; Fig. 36, E. theroni, female; Fig. 37, E. tortuosus, male; Fig. 38, E. tubulus, male; Fig. 39, E. tubulus, female; Fig. 40, E. unispinus, male.

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.