Ferricixius Hoch & Ferreira, 2012

Santos, Júlio César Do Carmo Vaz, Hoch, Hannelore, Zampaulo, Robson De Almeida, Simões, Matheus Henrique & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2023, Adaptive shifts in Neotropical planthoppers: new troglobitic species and the first surface species of Ferricixius Hoch & Ferreira, 2012 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha Cixiidae) from Brazilian caves, Zootaxa 5330 (3), pp. 375-397 : 377

Genus Ferricixius Hoch & Ferreira, 2012

Type-species. Ferricixius davidi, 2012 , Brazil, MP8 cave (UTM 619795W, 7764761S, 23K), Minas Gerais State, Itabirito municipality.

Diagnosis emended. The genus Ferricixius contains obligatory and facultative cave species, which, due to the presence or absence of troglomorphies, differ strongly in their habitus. The general configuration of the male genitalia, however, is consistent among all four species, and indicates that these species are members of the same evolutionary lineage. The male copulatory organ, the aedeagus, displays a large, flattened process arising from a wide base at about. midlength of shaft that is present in all Ferricixius species, however, varies in shape among them. Although a phylogenetic analysis of the Cixiidae at large including Ferricixius is lacking, we consider this character as homologous in the species here accommodated in Ferricixius , and, to our knowledge unique among Cixiidae , to be a synapomorphy of Ferricixius species. Species in this genus exhibit male genitalia with a bilaterally symmetrical genital segment, laterally trapezoidal with a straight posterior margin, without lateral processes; the ventromedian process is triangular, usually elongated, and usually thinner apically. The anal segment is bilaterally symmetrical, hood-shaped, ventrally concave with straight lateral margins, in dorsal view it is usually almost straight up to the distal third, where it is triangular, with caudal margin usually almost evenly rounded. Genital styles moderately short and spoon-shaped, with many bristles; compressed or “creased” ventral/distal portion; in lateral view, wide on the distal region and narrow near the base; curved ventrodistal margin; apically straight or almost straight; in ventral view elongated with a diamond-shaped basal opening with apical margins serrated. Aedeagal shaft laterally compressed, ventrally exhibiting a large, elongated, laterally compressed process, that is usually weakly concave on right lateral side; this compressed process, is usually irregular and serrated distally; shaft with three spines apically; in right lateral view with two spines, usually one short, one long spine (in F. goliathi sp. nov the shorter spine to be of moderate length) that share the same origin (bifid), the shorter spine usually at least half the length of the longer spine; aedeagal shaft in left lateral view, usually with a moderately long and curved apical spine, which usually does not exceed the middle of the shaft, sometimes this spine occurs more ventrally. Flagellum situated left lateral, approximately the same size as the shaft; membranous portion of the flagellum narrow, bilobed almost tubular; near the base exhibiting a dorsolateral process; this process usually concave (weakly) over ¾ of its length, apically it is flattened dorsoventrally with rounded and irregularly dentate lateral margins, rarely with a short, hook-like process apically. Other characters can also be useful for generic diagnosis, such as 4–5 lateral spines and 4–6 apical teeth on the hind tibia, usually with 2 transverse carinae (apical and subapical—evanescent in some species) dividing the vertex in 2 compartments (apical and subapical), vertex narrowest at the level of the subapical carina, post- and anteclypeus fused, and mesonotum flattened in lateral view. Females resemble males but are moderately larger. The female genitalia exhibit a tubular, moderately short segment-X, curved dorsally and straight ventrally; epiproct very short; paraproct moderately large, (about 1/3 to ¼ of length of segment-X). Segment IX is laterally rounded; ovipositor arc-shaped, not surpassing the segment X.