Parabolopona webbi, Zahniser & Dietrich, 2013

Zahniser, James N. & Dietrich, Chris H., 2013, A review of the tribes of Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 45, pp. 1-211 : 181-182

Parabolopona webbi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08E017C2-9224-4514-9F1F-CA86CCBFAA6A

Fig. 20

Diagnosis

P. webbi is similar to P. luzonensis Webb, 1981 with which it shares the preapically and sharply bent style apophysis. It can be distinguished from that species by shorter, wider stem of the connective, the aedeagus with a single basal process ( P. luzonensis with a pair of basal processes), and apex of aedeagus with a pair of processes ( P. luzonensis without processes). It is also similar to the recently described P. mutabilis Ohara & Kogure, 2012 , with which it shares the unpaired ventral process of the aedeagus. Ohara & Kogure (2012) report significant variation in the male genitalia of P. mutabilis , but P. webbi appears to fall outside of the range of variability described and can be distinguished by the pygofer more deeply excavated caudodorsally, the laterally directed apical processes of the aedeagus, the aedeagal shaft narrower in lateral view, the ventral process of the aedeagus more widely separated from shaft, and style apophysis longer and more sharply bent.

Etymology

The new species is named in honor of Michael D. Webb of the Natural History Museum, London, a leading world authority on leafhoppers.

Type material

Holotype

♂, TAIWAN, Nantou Co., 1550 m, 24°5’5” N – 121°9’5” E, 13 Jun. 2004, J.N. Zahniser, 08-1, sweeping, coll. NMNS.

Description

SIZE. ♂ 7.0 mm.

COLOR. General color yellowish to greenish with two light orange longitudinal stripes from anterior margin of head to mesonotum.

BODY. Head about as wide as pronotum; produced; about 2 x longer medially than next to eye. Crown texture shagreen with slight longitudinal or radial striations; transversely furrowed medially. Ocelli on anterior margin of head, slightly dorsad; 3-4 x their own diameter from adjacent eye. Anterior margin of head sharply angled; with two sharp carinae and numerous smaller irregular carinae. Frontoclypeus flat; shagreen; depressed near anterior margin; relatively long. Clypellus expanding apically. Lorum wider than clypellus at base. Antennal sockets near upper corners of eyes; antennal pits very large, encroaching onto frontoclypeus; antennae very long, about 0.5 length of body. Pronotum carinate laterally; lateral margin nearly half as long as eye width at base. Forewing yellowish-greenish; smoky and more hyaline apically; apical veins darkly pigmented at apex; commissural margin with 3 small dark spots, 1 each where anal veins meet margin, 1 at apex; with small dark spot at Cu-M1 and at base of M3+4. Legs lightly colored and with numerous dark pigment spots, especially at bases of setae. Profemur row AM with AM1 seta only; intercalary row with 11-13 fine setae; row AV reduced to very small fine hairs. Protibia rounded dorsally; macrosetae 1+4. Mesotrochanter with stout apical PV seta. Mesofemur rows AV and PV each with 3 distinct long macrosetae. Mesotibia dorsal macrosetae 4+4. Metafemur apical setae 2+2+1. Metatibia row PD setae relatively long, longer setae nearly twice length of row AD macrosetae; row PD setae alternating shorter and longer. Metatarsomere I pecten setae with 3 platellae between tapered AV and PV setae.

MALE. Pygofer sclerotized dorsally nearly to mid-length; sides somewhat produced posteroventrally; with numerous setae posteroventrally; inner wall with blade-like process arising from posterodorsal margin, directed ventrally. Subgenital plates broad, rhomboidal in shape; apices digitate; without macrosetae. Connective Y -shaped; anterior arms long, slender; stem fused to or modified into single lanceolate process, process with longitudinal striate or rough sculpturing apically. Style broadly bilobed basally; preapical lobe sharply angulate; apophysis sharply pointed medially; apex sharp, directed laterally; with some stippled sculpturing preapically. Aedeagus with socle large; base broad; with unpaired medial lanceolate process arising ventrally near base; shaft nearly straight, slightly upturned apically; apex with pair of short apical processes directed dorsally then bent laterally; gonopore subapical on ventral side. Segment X sclerotized laterally and somewhat dorsally; longer than wide.

Remarks

The holotype specimen is slightly teneral, but the genitalia appear to be fully formed and sclerotized and indicate that it is a new species. P. webbi geographically occurs between the two most closely related species, P. luzonensis and P. mutabilis . P. luzonensis occurs on the Philippine island of Luzon lying approximately 400 km south of Taiwan. P. mutabilis is known from the Ryukus (Tokunoshima, Kunigami and Nago) which lie ~ 500-600 km NE of Taiwan. Small islands occur between the larger islands of Luzon, Taiwan, and the Ryukyus, and thus dispersal via island hopping and subsequent isolation may have promoted speciation in this group.

Figures

Fig. 20. Drabescini (Paraboloponina). Parabolopona webbi sp. nov. A–I. Standard views (see Material & Methods). G. Connective shown with fused process.