Ferorhinella itatiaiensis, Meneghetti & Takiya & Paladini, 2019

Meneghetti, Jéssica, Takiya, Daniela Maeda & Paladini, Andressa, 2019, A new species of Ferorhinella (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) from southeastern Brazil with taxonomic notes on the genus, Zootaxa 4701 (5), pp. 489-496 : 490-491

Ferorhinella itatiaiensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–17 )

Measurements. (ranges in mm males/females; N= 1 male and 1 female): body length: 6.84/6.00; head length: 0.75/ 0.93; head width: 1.73/1.80; pronotum length: 1.44/1.32; pronotum width: 2.43/2.28; tegmen length: 5.93/ 4.48; tegmen width: 2.34/2.22.

Diagnosis. Tegmen black with elongated orangish-red markings. Subgenital plate with dorsal margin with rectangular elevation, covered with small tooth-like spines. Paramere apex with two subapical spines directed ventrobasally: the first one more dorsally inserted, long, with slightly acute apex; the other one more apical and ventrally inserted, small, and blade-like.

Description. Holotype. Head ( Figs 1–7 ) dark brown with orange basal margin; eyes brown, rounded, and arranged transversely; vertex narrow, with strong median carina; ocelli black with red margins, closer to each other than to eyes. Tylus quadrangular, orange, with scarce and dark pubescence, median carina slightly marked. Antenna black, cylindrical; pedicel sparsely setose; basal body of flagellum ovoid, with single and short arista. Postclypeus orange, with apical portion black, rounded and slightly inflated; longitudinal carina strong and produced; lateral grooves slightly marked. Anteclypeus orange, subtriangular; rostrum black and reaching mesocoxae. Mandibular plate, maxillary plate, and anteclypeus orange ( Figs 1–7 ). Pronotum black, hexagonal, slightly convex, finely punctured; without median carina; sparsely pubescent; anterior margin straight; anterolateral margin straight; posterolateral margin with slight sinuosity; posterior margin medially grooved. Scutellum black, subtriangular; with slight central concavity and finely marked horizontal grooves ( Figs 1,2, 5 ). Tegmen black with elongated orange spots, one extended from base through basal third along costal margin, a second oblique starting from costal margin, between mid and apical thirds, and third one longer along clavus, with apical portion oblique directed towards corium; venation distinct, apical reticulation undeveloped, vein A1 distinct, A2 absent ( Figs 1–4 ). Hind wings hyaline with brown venation; vein Cu1 thickened at base. Legs brown; prothoracic and mesothoracic femora orange at base; metathoracic femur with small apical spine and tibia with two lateral spines, basal one smaller than that located at apical crown; basitarsus with one row of spines covered by long and dense setae; subungueal process present.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 8 ) with one hook-like process, turned downwards, located between anal tube and subgenital plate. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 9 ) narrowing towards apex, which is rounded and directed outwards (in ventral view); dorsal margin with rectangular elevation covered with small tooth-like spines. Paramere ( Fig. 11 ) subrectangular; dorsal margin with two processes: one slightly rounded near base, and another subapical and finger-like, directed backwards; apex rounded with two subapical spines: one more basal and dorsally inserted, long, with slightly acute apex and another more ventrally inserted, small, blade-like. Aedeagus ( Figs 12–14 ) cylindrical, S-shaped in lateral view; apex bifid and spine-like; gonopore subapical.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). First valvula ( Fig. 15 ) of ovipositor long, slender, with acute apex; basal process rounded and developed, directed downwards. Second valvula ( Figs 16, 17 ) long with acute apex and dorsal margin smooth, without teeth.

Remarks. The new species ( Figs 1–4 ) has tegmina color pattern similar to that of F. brevis ( Figs 21, 22 ), but very distinguishable from F. balatra ( Figs 18, 19 ). The subgenital plate ( Fig. 8 ) has a basal elevation on its dorsal margin which is distinct from that of the other species ( Figs 23, 24 ), as well as, the position and shape of the two subapical spines of the parameres ( Fig. 11 ), which are both directed basoventrally. The aedeagus of F. itatiaiensis sp. nov. ( Figs 12–14 ) is similar to that of F. brevis ( Figs 27, 28 ) and F. balatra ( Figs 29, 30 ) in regards to its bifid apex and S-shape when in lateral view, but the former is more robust and its curvature is more pronounced than that of the other two species. In the known species of genus, females are morphologically similar to males, but the tylus does not have any apparent median carina and postclypeus is more inflated, with a slightly marked longitudinal carina. Similar to what has been described for F. balatra by Paladini (2010), in F. itatiaiensis sp. nov. the female is smaller than the male, and its body shape is rounded ( Fig. 2 ), while males are elongated ( Fig. 1 ). Females of F. brevis were not yet sampled and described, but it is assumed that this pattern of SSD with larger males is a trait shared by all species of this genus.

Species of Ferorhinella are found in high altitudes ( Fig. 38 ) along the coast of southeastern and southern Brazil. Specimens were collected in the Estação Ecológica da Boracéia, São Paulo State (at 885m altitude), in the Atlantic Forest, on grasses near forest edges. Specimens of F. balatra were sampled on grasses from three high altitude locations at Paraná State: Morro dos Perdidos (1423m), Morro do Araçatuba (1600m), and Paraná Peak (1700m). The Paraná Peak is one of the highest mountains of southern Brazil. Specimens belonging to the type-series of F. itatiaiensis sp. nov. were collected in Parque Nacional do Itatiaia at the start of the trail Travessia Ruy Braga (around 1100m) ( Fig. 38 ).

Etymology. The new species name refers to the location where it was collected, at Parque Nacional do Itatiaia.

Examined material. Holotype ♂: Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Itatiaia, Travessia Ruy Braga , 06.XII.2015, A.L.D. Ferreira & A.P.M. Santos leg. ( DZRJ) . Paratype: 1♀, same data as male, 22°25’47”S 44°37’11”W ( DZRJ) .

Figures

FIGURE 38. Distribution of Ferorhinella species in southeastern and southern Brazil.

FIGURES 1–17. Ferorhinella itatiaiensis sp. nov. 1–7: Habitus 1. Holotype, male, dorsal view; 2. Paratype, female, dorsal view; 3. Holotype, male, lateral view; 4. Paratype, female, lateral view; 5–7: Holotype head and pronotum; 5. Dorsal view; 6. Ventral view; 7. Lateral view; 8. Male pygofer, lateral view; 9. Subgenital plates, ventral view; 10. Female pygofer, lateral view; 11. Paramere, lateral view; 12–14:Aedeagus. 12. Ventral view; 13. Dorsal view; 14. Lateral view; 15. First valvula of ovipositor, lateral view; 16–17. Second valvula of ovipositor, lateral view. Scales in mm.

FIGURES 18–35. Habitus and genitalia of species of Ferorhinella. 18–20. Habitus of F. balatra. 18. Male, dorsal view; 19. Male, lateral view; 20. Female, dorsal view; 21–22. Habitus of F. brevis. 21. Male, dorsal view; 22. Male, lateral view. 23–24. Male pygofer, lateral view. 23. F. brevis; 24. F. balatra. 25–26. Subgenital plates. 25. F. brevis; 26. F. balatra; 27–28. Aedeagus of F. brevis. 27. Lateral view; 28. Dorsal view. 29–30. Aedeagus of F. balatra. 29. Lateral view; 30. Dorsal view. 31–32. Parameres, lateral view. 31. F. balatra; 32. F. brevis; 33. F. balatra, female pygofer, lateral view; 34–35. F. balatra valvula of ovipositor, lateral view. 34. First; 35. Second. Scales in mm.