Colistra semialius, Stiller & Webb, 2022

Stiller, Michael & Webb, Michael D., 2022, Leafhoppers of the Fynbos Biome of South Africa: Colistra, Proekes, Proekoides and a new genus (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae, Bonaspeiini), Zootaxa 5199 (1), pp. 1-79 : 20-23

Colistra semialius sp. n.

( Figs 2A–K , 9A–P , 10A–P , 31B )

Material examined.

Type locality. Holotype male, South Africa, Western Cape province, Grootwinterhoek Nature Reserve , Porterville, -32.997, 19.059, 8 Feb. 2022, M. Stiller leg., sweeping Erica inflata Ericaceae ; CCDL28602 , SANC.

Type specimen. Holotype male, glued to triangle card, pinned, with genitalia in microvial pinned to specimen. Original label “ R.S. A. Groot- / winterhoek / Nature Reserve / -32.997 / 19.059 8.ii. / 2022 M. Stiller” “sweep / Erica / inflata / Ericaceae ” “ SANC Pretoria / Dbase# CCDL / 28602”.

Paratypes. 80♂♂, 55♀♀, 99 nymphs.

South Africa, Western Cape province:

9♂♂, 10♀♀ 7 nymphs; Algeria Forest Station; -32.37, 19.06; 4 May 2011; ibid. holotype, and 1♂ DVac Restio ; CCDL 27860; BMNH, INHS, SANC.

1♂; wetland near Cedarberg Pass; -32.41, 19.12; 5 May 2011; M. Stiller leg.; DVac Restio sp. Restionaceae ; CCDL 28552; SANC.

1♂; Jamaka farm #1; -32.34, 19.02; 11 Dec. 2016; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Metalasia densa Asteraceae ; CCDL 26706; SANC.

1♀; Jamaka farm #7; -32.34, 19.01; 12 Dec. 2016; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Aspalathus acocksi Fabaceae ; CCDL 26705; SANC.

3♂♂, 3♀♀; Jamaka farm #6; -32.34, 19.01; 12 Dec. 2016; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Stoebe sp. Asteraceae ; CCDL 26704; SANC.

9♂♂, 9♀♀, 8 nymphs; Kruisementvlei & Wolf Kloof farms, Piketberg; -32.805, 18.662; 7 Feb. 2022; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Erica sp. Ericaceae ; CCDL 28607; SANC.

34♂♂, 17♀♀, 60 nymphs; ibid holotype; BMNH, INHS, SANC.

20♂♂, 12♀♀, 15 nymphs; Grootwinterhoek Nature Reserve, Porterville; -32.997, 19.059; 8 Feb. 2022; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Erica or Salaxis sp. Ericaceae ; CCDL 28605; SANC.

2♂♂, 3♀♀, 9 nymphs; Grootwinterhoek Nature Reserve, Porterville; -32.997, 19.059, 8 Feb. 2022; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Anthospermum sp. Rubiaceae ; CCDL 28606; SANC.

Diagnosis. Apex of shaft about as wide as midsection; aedeagus with dorsal apodeme short, partially fused to shaft, about one third as long as shaft; lateral paired teeth subbasally on shaft, subapical posterior margin with single tooth; preatrium elongated, slightly shorter than shaft.

Etymology. Named for the intermediate features of the aedeagus, i.e., shaft apex as in C. parvulus , and elongate preatrium as in C. bucapitatus sp. n. and C. acapitatus sp. n. Latin, semi, half and alius, another, other. Gender masculine.

Description.

Male, female and nymph.

Color.

Head. Deltate marking at apex of crown small as in Fig. 2A , or well developed as in Fig. 2B–E ; paired circular marking near base of head weak ( Fig. 2A, B, D ) or well developed ( Fig. 2C, E ).

Nymphs. As in Fig. 2J, K .

Pronotum. Dorsally 2–4 pairs of brown marks, variable, separate ( Fig. 2A, B ) or partially or entirely merged ( Fig. 2E ).

Tegmina. Costa white to yellow, brown marking in inner and outer costal cells next to R1a (cross vein between outer and inner costal cells); brown marking in inner and outer discal cells, claval cells and 1–3 apical cells ( Fig. 2A–G ).

Morphology.

Tegmina. Veins in male in Fig. 9O , female in Fig. 10O .

Hind wing. Elongate (length/width=3.17–3.54), narrow, costal margin straight ( Fig. 9P ); female in Fig. 10P .

Measurements.

Male (n=70). Apex of crown to apex of tegmina 2.80–3.12 mm, apex of crown to apex of abdomen 2.65–3.13 mm; crown length 0.48–0.53 mm; crown length next to eyes 0.34–0.38 mm; pronotum length 0.34–0.39 mm; head width 1.10–1.22 mm; pronotum width 1.00– 1.12 mm; ocellus diameter 24–29 µm; interocular distance 42–56 µm; crown angle 93–102°; crown length/crown length next to eye=1.35–1.48; head width/pronotum width=1.07–1.12; ocellus diameter/interocular distance=0.45–0.67; crown length/pronotum length=1.29–1.53; pronotum length/ pronotum width=0.32–0.36.

Female (n=55). Apex of crown to apex of tegmina 2.81–3.09 mm, apex of crown to apex of abdomen 2.61–3.36 mm; crown length 0.46–0.56 mm; crown length next to eyes 0.33–0.40 mm; pronotum length 0.32–0.40 mm; head width 1.05–1.29 mm; pronotum width 0.95–1.18 mm; ocellus diameter 24–30 µm; interocular distance 40–56 µm; crown angle 88–106°; crown length/crown length next to eye=1.26–1.54; head width/pronotum width=0.99–1.19; ocellus diameter/interocular distance=0.46–0.69; crown length/pronotum length=1.24–1.57; pronotum length/ pronotum width=0.30–0.37.

Terminalia.

Male.

Segment 10. Lateral margin convergent, slightly convex, in dorsal view length/width=0.86–0.98 (n=5) ( Fig. 9A, B ).

Pygofer lobe. 4–5 macrosetae, 55–76 µm in length; membranous lobe as in Fig. 9B , detail in Fig. 9D, E, F .

Subgenital plate. Greatest length/greatest width=0.93–1.26. Apex of apophysis of style extended less than half-way into subgenital plate ( Fig. 9C ).

Style. Greatest length/greatest width=3.47–4.38, length apophysis/greatest length=0.21–0.23; apophysis apex narrowly rounded, apophysis angle 49–70°; anterior lateral lobe subparallel to base of style, broad ( Fig. 9G ); apophysis acuminate, apex straight, base curvate.

Connective. Greatest width across arms/width of apex of stem=1.97–2.25, length arms/length stem=1.36–2.04; angle of arms 83–91°; greatest length/greatest width=0.44–0.56 ( Fig. 9N ).

Aedeagus. Apex of shaft slightly wider than medial width ( Fig. 9K–M ). Anterior apex of shaft with slight rounding, broadly rounded or acute ( Fig. 9K–M , respectively); apical to lateroapical margin denticulate; posterior subapical margin with single tooth at margin of gonopore and lateroposterior to lateral margin subbasally to medially with triangular, paired teeth ( Fig. 9J–M ). Dorsal apodeme about one third as long as shaft, with short, transverse, rounded dorsal apices, in posterior or anterior view with concavity between apices ( Fig. 9H, I ). Preatrium elongate, about as long as shaft, obtusely angled to shaft ( Fig. 9H, I ).

Female.

Sternite 7. Isosceles trapezoid (distal width/basal width=0.60–0.63, greatest length/greatest width=0.48–0.55), lateral margins curvate or straight; medially margin rounded with small, narrow, bilobed projection ( Fig. 10A ), or narrow, uniform projection ( Fig. 10B ).

Valvula 1. Parallel-sided, apex acuminate ( Fig. 10G ), sculpture pattern commonly reticulate, striate towards base ( Fig. 10M ); sculpture at apex ( Fig. 10K ), midsection ( Fig. 10L ).

Valvula 2. Serration less than half the length of valvula 2 ( Fig. 10H ), teeth curvate, trough with fine teeth; serration and sculpture at apex in Fig. 10N .

Valvula 3. 5–12 marginal to submarginal macrosetae at apex, 25–36 µm in length, short setae up to 17 µm ( Fig. 10E, F ).

Valvifer 1. Rhomboid with dorsal and ventral margin somewhat rounded, anterior margin narrowly rounded, posterior margin acute ( Fig. 10C, D ). Length/width=1.16–1.64.

Valvifer 2. Apices narrowly rounded, sculpture pattern confined, marginal and submarginal reticulate or densely set with microtrichia and few circular structures, one specimen with seta ( Fig. 10I, J ). Length/width=2.52–2.82. Sculpture examined in four valvifers of four dissected ovipositors.

Remarks. This species has the short dorsal apodeme, about one third as long as shaft, and an elongate preatrium about as long as the shaft. Variation is the acute to rounded anterior apex of the aedeagus and position of paired teeth more medial or more posterior, closer to or more basal of the single, posterior tooth. There is resemblance to the denticulate apex of the aedeagal shaft in this species and in C. parvulus , but C. semialius sp. n. with greater variability ( Fig. 9K–M ) as well as in the medial denticulation. The shape of the female sternite 7 resembles that of C. parvulus but is more trapezoid, i.e., width apex/width base in C. semialius 0.60–0.63, and C. parvulus 0.65–0.67. Proportions of valvifers 1 and 2 are similar in C. semialius and C. parvulus . Modelled distribution is in Fig. 31B .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Colistra species, habitus view, dorsally, laterally and ventrally. A–K, C. semialius sp. n. A, male, without marking in disc, Algeria Forestry Station specimen. B, male, small marking in disc, Jamaka specimen. C, male, large marking in disc, Algeria Forestry Station specimen. D, female, small marking in disc,Algeria Forestry Station specimen.E, female, large marking in disc, Algeria Forestry Station specimen. F, G, lateral view, male, female respectively. H, face, male. I, sternite 7. J, K, nymph, Algeria Forestry Station specimen, light brown and dark brown specimen respectively. L, M, Colistra parvulus (Linnavuori, 1961), nymph, Fisantekraal, late and early instar, respectively. A–G, J–L, scale=1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Colistra semialius sp. n., line drawings, male. A, genital capsule, dorsally.B, genital capsule, laterally. C, subgenital plate, ventrally. D, pygofer lobe, laterally. E, pygofer, lobe, dorsally. F, pygofer, lobe, caudally. G, style. H, aedeagus, anteriorly. I, aedeagus, laterally. J, aedeagus shaft apex posteriorly. K–M, aedeagus shaft, apex, laterally. K, wide region of denticulation. L, acute region of denticulation. M, narrow region of denticulation. N, connective. O, tegmina. P, hind wing.

FIGURE 10. Colistra semialius sp. n., line drawings, female. A, sternite 7, Jamaka specimen. B, sternite 7, Algeria Forestry Station specimen. C, valvifer 1, Jamaka specimen. D, valvifer 1. E, valvula 3. F, valvula 3, apical setae. G, valvula 1. H, valvula 2. I, valvifer 2. J, valvifer 2, sculpture, apex. K, valvula 1, sculpture, apex. L, valvula 1, sculpture, midsection. M, valvula 1, sculpture, base. N, valvula 2, sculpture, apex. O, tegmina. P, hind wing.

FIGURE 31. Potential natural distribution models, Colistra species. A, Colistra parvulus (Linnavuori, 1961). B, C. semialius sp. n. C, C. bucapitatus sp. n. D, C. acapitatus sp. n.