Subrasaca diminuta Silva, Cavichioli et Mejdalani

Silva, Roberta Dos Santos Da, Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2013, Descriptions of three new Brazilian Subrasaca species, redescription of S. nigriventris (Signoret, 1855) and a key to males of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), Zootaxa 3722 (3), pp. 372-384 : 373-376

Subrasaca diminuta Silva, Cavichioli et Mejdalani , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–20 )

Length. Male holotype, 5.0 mm; male paratypes, 4.8-5.1 mm (n = 2); female paratypes, 5.4-5.6 mm (n = 2).

Holotype description. Head and thorax. Head ( Fig. 1 ) with median length of crown approximately 1/2 interocular width and 3/10 transocular width. Crown ( Fig. 1 ), in dorsal view, broadly rounded anteriorly; ocelli located slightly anterad of line between anterior eye angles; without transverse concavity before ocelli. Antennal ledges, in lateral view, with anterior margin vertical. Frons convex; muscle impressions distinct; epistomal suture obscure medially; clypeus not produced, contour continuing profile of frons dorsally and more nearly horizontal ventrally. Thorax ( Fig. 1 ) with pronotal width approximately equal to transocular width of head; lateral pronotal margins convergent anteriorly; posterior margin slightly concave; pronotal disk with slight rugae; mesonotum with scutellum slightly transversely striate behind transverse sulcus. Forewings with veins mostly indistinct except at apical portion; texture coriaceous. Other features of head and thorax as in the generic description of Young (1977: 472).

Color. Anterior dorsum (crown, pronotum, and mesonotum) and forewings dark brown to black ( Fig. 1 ). Crown with broad, transverse orange arc, median portion of arc located before ocelli; arc delimiting large, posterior dark brown to black trapezoid area; posterior coronal margin with pair of small brown spots. Pronotum with pair of oblique, elongate orange maculae extending to lateroposterior margins. Forewings with orange markings distributed as follows: clavus with elongate stripe on basal half (extended from pronotal macula), posterior claval portion with large macula; distal half of corium with macula extending from apex of clavus over apical portion of brachial cell and basal portion of inner anteapical cell; distal half of corium with narrow unpigmented stripe along costal margin. Face mostly dark brown to black except brownish-yellow inferior portion; antennal ledges orange; rostrum brownish-yellow. Thorax and legs mostly yellow except dark brown proepisternum, lateral pronotal lobe, and lateral area of mesothorax.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 2 ), in lateral view, not strongly produced posteriorly; posterior margin rounded; without processes; macrosetae distributed mostly on distal third of disk and more anteriorly on ventral portion. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 3 ), in ventral view, subtriangular, elongate, basal third expanded laterally, median and distal thirds gradually narrowed posteriorly; plates connected to each other basally by small, triangular membranous area; in lateral view, not extending as far posteriorly as pygofer apex; with uniseriate macrosetae. Connective ( Fig. 4 ), in dorsal view, Y-shaped; stalk narrow and elongate in comparison to arms. Style ( Fig. 4 ), in dorsal view, elongate, extending posteriorly farther than apex of connective; preapical lobe distinct, with few setae; apical portion digitiform. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) short; in lateral view, with distinct dorsal lobe; latter not constricted, distal portion slightly emarginated; gonoduct distinct, sclerotized. Paraphyses ( Fig. 6 ) symmetrical, with two rami; distal half of each ramus directed dorsoanteriorly, forming distinct angle with basal half, and with spiniform process at base.

Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII ( Figs 7, 8 ), in ventral view, with strongly convex surface; lateral margins convergent posteriorly; posterior margin slightly concave, with small darkly sclerotized area on median portion. Internal abdominal sternite VIII ( Fig. 9 ), in dorsal view, with pair of small sclerites adjacent to each other medially. Pygofer ( Fig. 11 ), in lateral view, moderately produced posteriorly; apical portion narrowed, apex obtuse; macrosetae distributed mostly on posterior portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin. First valvifers ( Fig. 12 ), in lateral view, ellipsoid. First valvulae, in ventral view, moderately expanded basally ( Fig. 10 ); in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ), with apex acute; ventral interlocking device located on basal half of blade, about 2/3 of its length adjacent to ventral blade margin, apical 1/3 directed dorsally; dorsal sculptured area ( Figs 13, 14 ) extending from basal portion of blade to apex, formed mostly by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines, except basally with more linear processes; ventral sculptured area ( Fig. 15 ) restricted to apical portion of blade, formed mostly by scale-like processes. Second valvulae ( Fig. 16 ), in lateral view, with dorsal margin convex, ventral margin mostly straight; preapical prominence ( Fig. 20 ) small but distinct; apex obtuse; about 25 teeth ( Figs 17–19 ) distributed continuously on dorsal expanded portion of blade, most teeth triangular with ascending portion short, descending portion long; basal-most two teeth rounded, inconspicuous; denticles ( Figs 17–20 ) distributed on teeth and on apical portion of blade, except at apex; dorsal dentate apical portion distinctly smaller than ventral one; blade with ducts ( Fig. 18 ) extending to apical portion and to teeth or terminating below latter; few basal teeth without ducts. Gonoplacs, in lateral view, with basal half narrow and apical half distinctly expanded; apex obtuse; tiny setae and few macrosetae distributed on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin.

Etymology. The new species name, diminuta , refers to the small size of the body in comparison to other species of the genus.

Type material. Southeastern and Southern Brazil. Holotype: male, “BR [ Brazil] SP [São Paulo State] Ubatuba PESM [Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar] \ Núcleo Picinguaba \ 1-4\VI\2000 \ Equipe Lab. Ent. UFRJ \ col.” (MNRJ). Paratypes: one female, same data as holotype (MNRJ); one male, one female, same data as holotype except “ 25-28/X/2000 ” (MNRJ); one female, “Picinguaba – Ubatuba / São \ Paulo \ 08-12/VI/2005 \ R. Carvalho & A. Leal col.” (MNRJ); two males, “ 25°48’S 290m \ 48°54’W X/2004 \ Paraná [State] – Brasil \ CAVICHIOLI col.” (DZUP, MNRJ); two males, three females, “S. J. Pinhais / PR [Paraná State] \ Estrada dos \ Castelhanos \ Rio S. João”; “ 296 m \ 25/IX/2004 \ 25°48’41’’ \ 48°54’54’’”; “Cavichioli col.” (DZUP, MNRJ); two females, same data as preceding except “ 18/IX/2004 ” and “Cavichioli & \ Leal col.” (DZUP).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Subrasaca diminuta sp. nov. 1, body, male, dorsal view (length 5.0 mm); 2 – 6, male genitalia: 2, pygofer, lateral view; 3, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; 4, styles and connective, dorsal view; 5, ejaculatory reservoir, aedeagus, and anal tube, lateral view; 6, paraphyses, dorsal view; 7 and 8, female sternite VII, ventral view (macerated and unmacerated specimen, respectively). Abbreviations: BHR = basal half of ramus, DHR = distal half of ramus, SPP = spiniform process. Scale bars: 2 = 0.5 mm; 3, 5, 7 = 0.4 mm; 4 = 0.3 mm; 6 = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 20. Subrasaca diminuta sp. nov., female genitalia. 9, first valvifers and sclerites of internal sternite VIII, dorsal view; 10, bases of first ovipositor valvulae, ventral view; 11, pygofer, lateral view; 12 – 15, first valvifer and first ovipositor valvula: 12, general lateral view; 13, basal portion of dorsal sculptured area; 14, apical portion of dorsal sculptured area; 15, ventral sculptured area; 16 – 20, second ovipositor valvula: 16, general lateral view; 17, basal-most teeth; 18, tooth at median portion; 19, teeth at apical portion; 20, area of preapical prominence. Abbreviations: DEN = denticle, DSA = dorsal sculptured area, DUC = duct, MIN = macrosetal insertion, PPR = preapical prominence, RAM = ramus, SST = sclerite of internal sternite VIII, TOO = tooth, VAL = first valvifer, VID = ventral interlocking device, VSA = ventral sculptured area. Scale bars: 9 = 0.5 mm; 10 = 0.4 mm; 11, 12, 16 = 1 mm.