Ruppeliana grossii, Mejdalani, 2017

Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2017, The Neotropical sharpshooter genus Ruppeliana Young (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): four new species, key to males, and new synonyms, Zootaxa 4329 (5), pp. 436-448 : 440-442

Ruppeliana grossii sp. nov.

( Figures 8–14 )

Total length: male holotype 8.8 mm; male paratypes 8.8–9.6 mm (n = 4); female paratypes 9.7–10.5 mm (n = 3).

Description. External morphology. Head ( Fig. 8 ), in dorsal view, moderately produced anteriorly; median length of crown almost 1/2 of interocular width and approximately 1/3 of transocular width; ocelli located on or slightly behind imaginary line between anterior eye angles, each ocellus approximately equidistant from adjacent anterior eye angle and median line of crown. Frons, in lateral view, flattened medially or not, with slight median protuberance on lower third; central area granular; epistomal suture indistinct medially. Clypeus, in lateral view, slightly pubescent on lower portion. Pronotum ( Fig. 8 ), in dorsal view, with lateral margins slightly convergent anteriorly; dorsopleural carinae rectilinear and declivous anteriorly; disk of pronotum with distinct depression medially on anterior portion; with few faint striae medially. Mesonotum slightly transversely striate behind transverse sulcus. Forewings without distinct membrane; veins inconspicuous; bases of anteapical cells approximately aligned with or slightly more proximal than claval apex. Remaining characteristics of external morphology as described for the genus by Young (1977: 747).

Color ( Fig. 8 ). General ground color dark brown to black with yellowish-white to bluish-white maculae. Crown with two pairs of maculae, one on antennal ledges and another medially between ocelli (which may be reduced or absent in PARNASO specimens; see type material below); with or without small central mark at transition to face. Face with longitudinal stripe from antennal ledge, covering most of gena and extending onto lorum; frons sometimes with pair of small maculae or longitudinal lines on lower half; clypeus with pair of maculae adjacent to upper lateral margins. Pronotum with three maculae, larger pair lateromedially and single small spot anteromedially (absent in PARNASO specimens); with or without small mark medially on posterior third of Caledônia specimens. Mesonotum with macula or maculae behind transverse sulcus (absent in some PARNASO specimens). Forewings with two rounded marks on clavus, one basally (reduced or absent in PARNASO specimens) and another near scutellar apex (which may be formed by small spots); corium with one macula (or series of spots in Caledônia specimens) just behind claval macula near scutellar apex; apical half of costal margin light brown in Caledônia specimens or with longitudinal bluish-white band (sometimes formed by set of small maculae) in PARNASO specimens. Lateral portions of thorax sometimes with small maculae. Legs brown to brownish-yellow with brown areas. Abdomen dark brown to black.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 9 ), in lateral view, strongly produced posteriorly, posterior margin narrowly rounded, ventroapical margin with slight reentrance; macrosetae on apical half; in ventral view, ventral margin with small protuberance near apical third; processes absent. Valve ( Figs. 9–10 ), in ventral view, narrow, subrectangular, posterior margin slightly concave. Subgenital plates ( Figs. 9–10 ), in ventral view, elongate, subtriangular, gradually tapering toward apex; with uniseriate macrosetae along outer margin and fine setae dorsally; in lateral view, extending posteriorly almost as far as pygofer apex. Style ( Fig. 11 ), in dorsal view, extending posteriorly beyond apex of connective, with slight preapical outer lobe, apex blunt. Connective ( Fig. 11 ), in dorsal view, short, Y-shaped, stalk very short, narrow, with high median keel. Aedeagus ( Figs. 12–13 ) with shaft, in lateral view, with broadened apex; in dorsal view, with deep dorsal split; atrium well developed as ventral sheath-like portion linked to connective and bearing two pairs of processes, one basal, very long, slender and acute apically, exceeding aedeagal apex, and another located dorsoapically at sheath-like portion, short, fingerlike, directed dorsally, rounded apically, not exceeding aedeagal dorsal margin.

Female sternite VII ( Fig. 14 ), in ventral view, with posterior margin broadly and shallowly emarginate medially.

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of our friend, the coleopterologist Dr. Paschoal Coelho Grossi (Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco), who collected some of the specimens herein described.

Taxonomic notes. Ruppeliana grossii can be recognized by the dark brown to black ground color of the body with yellowish-white to bluish-white maculae ( Fig. 8 ), which is unique within the genus (see Wilson et al. 2009 and Carvalho et al. 2014 for comparison with the other known species).

Type material. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro State . Holotype: male, “PARNASO [ Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos]/ RJ [Rio de Janeiro State]/ Brasil \ XII/2007 \ Lab. [Laboratório de] Ecologia de Insetos /\ UFRJ col.”; “ S22°27’18,7’’ \ W43°01’32’’ \ 1761m ” ( MNRJ) . Paratypes: nine males, same data as the holotype ( MNRJ); two males , same data as the holotype ( DZUP); two males , same data as the holotype ( DZRJ); one male , same data as the holotype except “ II/2008 ” ( MNRJ); two females , same data as the holotype except “ S22°27’06,6’’ \ W43°00’49,8’’ \ 1603m ” ( MNRJ); one female , same data as the holotype but without geographic coordinates and altitude ( MNRJ); six males and five females, “ BRASIL, RJ, Nova Friburgo ,\ Pico do Caledônia \ 14.I.2009 2219m \ P.C. Grossi leg.” ( DZUP); two males and one female , same data as preceding ( MNRJ); one male and one female , same data as preceding ( DZRJ).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Ruppeliana grossii sp. nov. 8, male holotype (total length 8.8 mm), dorsal view (antennae and legs not depicted), MNRJ. Male genitalia: 9, pygofer, valve, and subgenital plate, lateral view; 10, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view; 11, connective and style, dorsal view; 12, aedeagus, lateral view; 13, aedeagus, ventral view. 14, female sternite VII, ventral view.