Scoposcartula furcifera Leal, Mejdalani et Cavichioli

Leal, Afonso H., Mejdalani, Gabriel & Cavichioli, Rodney R., 2005, Two new species of the Neotropical leafhopper genus Scoposcartula (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), Zootaxa 848, pp. 1-9 : 5-8

Scoposcartula furcifera Leal, Mejdalani et Cavichioli , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–23 )

Diagnosis. Head and thorax ( Fig. 9 ), in dorsal view, orange marked with dark brown to black; pronotum with inverted Y­shaped dark brown to black macula on posterior twothirds that extends onto scutellum. Paraphysis ( Fig. 15 ) asymmetrical, elongate, broader and twisted on apical half; apex acute.

Length. Male, 8.4 mm; female, 9.0– 9.6 mm.

Head and thorax. Head ( Fig. 9 ) with median length of crown about six­tenths interocular width and four­tenths transocular width; crown deltoid; ocelli closer to inner eye margin than to median line of crown; epistomal suture complete; clypeus not produced, its upper portion continuing contour of frons in profile, lower portion more nearly horizontal than remainder of face. Pronotal width ( Fig. 9 ) approximately equal to transocular width; disc of pronotum transversely striated and glabrous; posterior margin almost rectilinear to slightly concave; dorsopleural carinae complete, declivous anteriorly. Forewings ( Fig. 10 ) with distinct veins, but base of inner anteapical cell indistinct; surface mostly opaque, without punctures; membrane not clearly delimited. Hindfemoral setal formula 2:1:1. Other morphological characters of head and thorax as in the generic description (see Young 1977: 669).

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 11 ), in lateral view, triangular with narrowly rounded apex, with many macrosetae on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin, microsetae present. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 12 ) triangular, gradually tapered towards narrow apical portion, with uniseriate macrosetae laterally, microsetae present. Styles ( Fig. 13 ) extending approximately as far posteriorly as apex of connective, with single preapical seta, apical portion well­developed, foot­shaped, truncate apically, directed outwards. Connective ( Fig. 13 ) Y­shaped, stem long and thin, arms widely divergent. Aedeagus ( Fig. 14 ) short with digitiform ventral process arising at base and directed posteroventrally, shaft with two dentiform processes on dorsal margin. Paraphysis ( Fig. 15 ) simple, asymmetrical, elongate, broader and twisted on apical half; apex acute.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII ( Fig. 16 ) moderately produced posteriorly, anterior margin with broad convex internal projection, basal third with pair of lateral projections, posterior portion with median more sclerotized area, posterior margin with median toothlike process. Pygofer ( Fig. 17 ), in lateral view, subtriangular with acute apex and curved sclerotized lateral line on dorsal portion; macrosetae mostly on posterior portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin. Sclerite on internal sternite VIII (genital chamber) ( Fig. 18 ) semilunar, convex anteriorly with small median emargination, concave posteriorly. Bases of first valvulae ( Fig. 19 ) of ovipositor, in ventral view, with pair of basal lobes separated by constriction from remainder of shaft. Second valvulae ( Fig. 20 ), in lateral view, regularly broadened beyond basal curvature, preapical prominence ( Fig. 23 ) distinct, apex ( Fig. 23 ) narrowly rounded; teeth ( Figs 21–23 ) distributed from basal curvature to apex, distinctly triangular or rounded; denticles on teeth and apical portion of shaft.

Color. Crown, pronotum, and scutellum ( Fig. 9 ) yellow to orange marked with dark brown to black; ventral body surface and legs mostly yellow. Face yellow with brown stripes on muscle impressions; middle area of frons of three paratypes with two more or less distinct longitudinal dull brown stripes, these convergent and broader on upper portion; apex of crown with group of three contiguous dark brown to black maculae forming an arch, two other dark brown to black maculae on margin of crown more laterally; two transverse dark brown to black maculae adjacent to eyes and across ocelli. Pronotum ( Fig.

9) with inverted Y­shaped dark brown to black macula on posterior two­thirds and extending over scutellum; pair of small dark brown to black maculae just before Y­shaped macula; lateral portions with pair of transverse club­shaped dark brown to black maculae with their broader ends directed medially (maculae interrupted in the holotype). Scutellum ( Fig. 9 ) with dark brown to black macula on median portion between arms of Y­shaped macula. Forewings ( Fig. 10 ) brown with series of small yellow maculae on corium and clavus between longitudinal veins, extending from base to median third; conspicuous roundish large yellow macula on corium just anterior to claval apex.

Etymology. The epithet furcifera (from Latin furca = fork and fero = to bear) refers to the large bifurcated (Y­shaped) macula on the pronotum and scutellum, which is diagnostic of this new species.

Type material. Holotype: male, Brazil, “ENCRUZILHADA BA [State of Bahia; 15°31’S, 40°54’W]\ BRASIL IX ­ 1975 \ M. ALVARENGA Leg”, DZUP. Paratypes: four females: “ENCRUZILHADA ­ BAHIA \ BRASIL 980m XI/[19]74\ M. Alvarenga leg.”, two deposited in DZUP and two in MNRJ.

Taxonomic notes. Scoposcartula furcifera keys to S. oculata using Young’s (1977) key because of the similar color pattern of their forewings ( Fig. 10 ). Besides, the forewings of S. bilunata have also a similar color pattern, as can be seen in the illustration provided by Signoret (1855). However, S. furcifera can be distinguished from S. oculata and S. bilunata by the color pattern of head and thorax ( Fig. 9 ), especially because of the inverted Y­shaped macula on the pronotum and scutellum. The new species seems to be more closely related to S. bilunata , mainly because of the similarities in the aedeagus ( Fig. 14 ), such as the basiventral and the dorsal dentiform processes. Scoposcartula furcifera shares with S. basimacula , S. bilunata , S. concinna , and S. lancifera the presence of a simple paraphysis ( Fig. 15 ) (without a branch, process, or projection). The paraphysis of S. furcifera is different however, mainly because of its torsion. The female is externally similar to the male. Its pygofer ( Fig. 17 ) is distinctive for having an acute apex and a curved sclerotized lateral line on the dorsal portion.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 15. Scoposcartula furcifera sp. nov. (9) Crown, pronotum and scutellum; (10) left forewing; (11) male pygofer, lateral view; (12) valve and right subgenital plate, ventral view; (13) left style and connective, dorsal view; (14) aedeagus, lateral view; (15) paraphysis, dorsal view. Figures 9 and 10 from female paratypes, others from male holotype.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Scoposcartula furcifera sp. nov., female genitalia. (16) Sternite VII; (17) pygofer, lateral view; (18) sclerite of internal sternite VIII, dorsal view; (19) bases of first valvulae of ovipositor, ventral view; (20 – 23) second valvula of ovipositor, lateral view, (20) general aspect, (21) basal portion, (22) dorsomedian portion, (23) apical portion.