Haplaxius cabrerensis Ferreira, McKamey

Ferreira, Mileida, Mckamey, Stuart H. & Martinez, Reina T., 2010, New records of Haplaxius (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) in the Dominican Republic, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2614, pp. 65-68 : 66-67

Haplaxius cabrerensis Ferreira, McKamey , & Sanchez, n. sp.

Figs. 1–3

Diagnosis. Aedeagus with a narrow dorsal process directed anteriorly and a broad falcate ventral process directed ventroanteriorly.

Description. Length of male with forewings in repose 4.2 mm. Color stramineous to light brown throughout, including forewing veins and stigma. Pygofer in lateral view ( Figs. 1, 2 ) with posterior margin sinuous, in ventral view ( Fig. 3 ) with median lobe subtriangular, distally rounded. Abdominal segment X (the “anal flap” of Kramer 1979) simple, symmetrical, without ventral processes, in lateral view ( Figs. 1, 2 ) ventroposteriorly acute with ventral length 3 × maximum height. Aedeagus asymmetrical with two processes: a narrow acuminate process dorsally, directed anteriorly along aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 1, 2 ), a broadly based falcate process slightly left of center ( Fig. 3 ), directed ventroanteriorly. Subgenital plates ( Figs. 1–3 ) capitate, distally rounded.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( USNM): DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Prov. Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Cabrera, Payita, Baoba del Pinar, N19° 30.709, W69° 55.638. 8-V-2008. coll. Mileida Ferreira, Teresa Martinez y Andrea Feliz.

Etymology. The specific epithet is based on the type locality, Cabrera.

Notes. The collection was taken in a coconut plantation, sweeping grass ( Poaceae ) and weedy herbs. In Kramer’s (1979) key to Neotropical species, H. cabrerensis keys out to couplet 27, which includes H. tekton (Kramer) from Peru (aedeagus with three long processes) and H. frontalis (Fowler) from Mexico (aedeagus lacking long dorsal process). Haplaxius cabrerensis is easily distinguished from other insular species of the Caribbean by the broad falcate ventral process of the aedeagus, and its abdominal segment X is simple, lacking ventral processes. In contrast, H. crudus has a narrow digitate ventral process on the aedeagus and an abdominal segment X with a pair of small triangular processes at its base; H. hochae O’Brien (2006) , from Dominica, has an abdominal segment X with a large convex projection at the base and a sinuous ventral margin. Three Haplaxius females were collected with the holotype, but their species identity cannot be determined because the collection lot also included a male of H. jamaicae (Kramer) , the only other Antillean species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. terminalia of male Haplaxius species from the Dominican Republic. 1 – 3, H. cabrerensis, n. sp., holotype. Male terminalia in left lateral, right lateral, and ventral views, respectively. 4 – 6, H. jamaicae (Kramer). Male terminalia in left lateral, right lateral, and ventral views, respectively. 7, H. crudus (Van Duzee). Habitus, dorsal view; af, “ anal flap ” of Kramer (abdominal segment X); ml, median lobe of pygofer (pyg); tri, diagnostic subtriangular projection. All images are of specimens from the Dominican Republic.