Neazonia imprinta, Szwedo, 2007

Szwedo, Jacek, 2007, Nymphs of a new family Neazoniidae fam. n. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, African Invertebrates 48 (1), pp. 127-143 : 135-136

Neazonia imprinta sp. n.

Figs 28–31

Etymology: Specific epithet refers to the state of preservation of the specimen.

Diagnosis: Less flattened than N. tripleta and slightly smaller. Pronotum with anterior margin not distinctly incised (incision distinct in N. tripleta ). Quadruplet and pentaplet of sensory pits near mid-line and pentaplet of sensory pits at posterior angle of pronotum (triplet of sensory pits on posterior angle of pronotum in N. tripleta ).

Description: Total length about 3 mm. General shape ovoid, not strongly flattened dorso-ventrally, with tip of rostrum distinctly exceeding apex of abdomen.

Head: Vertex along mid-line 0.28 mm long. Frons with quadruplet of sensory pits in upper portion. Thoracic nota divided by longitudinal mid-dorsal line into three pairs of plates. Pronotum longer (0.35 mm) than vertex along mid-line, with median portion of disc protruding anteriad; anterior angle near median line with quadruplet of sensory pits, pentaplet of sensory pits slightly posterolaterad, another pentaplet of sensory pits at posterior angle of pronotum. Mesonotum with wing pads 0.43 mm long along mid-line, about 1 mm wide, with lateral carinae delimiting disc, pentaplet of sensory pits on disc close to lateral carina. Metathoracic wing pads shorter (0.38 mm) along mid-line than mesonotum, about 1 mm wide, posterior margin shallowly excavate. Hexaplet of sensory pits on disc close to lateral carina.

Metathoracic tibia about 1.2 mm long, with four apical teeth, probably bearing subapical setae; hind tarsus 0.6 mm long; first tarsomere 0.43 mm long with four apical teeth; second tarsomere 0.26 mm long with distinct tarsal claws and arolium.

Abdomen 1.5 mm long, abdominal tergites IV–VIII with submedian carinations at about 1/3 width laterad, with doublets of sensory pits at posterior margin mediad of carination and triplets of sensory pits at posterior angles. Pygofer apparently triangular, 0.39 mm long, with doublets of sensory pits mediad of carination at posterior margin and triplet of sensory pits at posterior angle.

Holotype: Cast of IIIrd (?) instar nymph exuvium in amber, specimen No. JG 85/7 BM 778 , Aftim Acra coll. (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris). LEBANON: Southern Lebanon , Jouar es-Souss, Jezzine outcrop; Lower Cretaceous, Valanginian –Hauterivian ( Azar et al. 2003).

Figures

Figs 28–29. General appearance of Neazonia imprinta sp. n.: (28) lateral view, light microscopy; (29) lateral view, SEM (courtesy Dany Azar).

Figs 30–31. SEM of Neazonia imprinta sp. n. (courtesy Dany Azar): (30) anterior part of body; (31) details of thorax. Scale bars = 100 µm.