Caragonia bella Takiya, Cavichioli et Mejdalani

Takiya, Daniela Maeda, Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro & Gabriel, 2003, Caragonia, a new genus of Cicadellini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Southeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 335, pp. 1-10 : 8-9

Caragonia bella Takiya, Cavichioli et Mejdalani , sp. nov.

( Figs 2–16 )

Length. female, 10.4–11.2 mm; male, 10.8–11.4 mm.

Coloration. Head black ( Figs 2 , 3); maculae on crown between ocelli and faint markings over frontogenal sutures, tan. Thorax ( Figs 2 , 3) black. Forewings ( Figs 2 , 3) red; small preapical macula on costal margin, macula near base and another near apex of discal cells, small macula over base of claval suture and larger one along jugal margin of clavus, which can be continuous medially with small macula over median portion of claval suture (present in holotype, variable in other specimens), and large apical area including first through fourth apical cells and apices of fifth apical, anteapical and brachial cells, black. Legs black; setae and joints tan. Abdominal sternites black.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 4) in lateral view moderately produced; posterior margin broadly convex; macrosetae and few microsetae on posterior half only; ventral margin of inner portion, in caudal view, with pair of robust digitate processes extending dorsally ( Fig. 5). Valve ( Fig. 9) transverse; anterior and posterior margins broadly concave. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 9) robust, ellipsoid; linked basally by membranous area; not extending posteriorly as far as pygofer apex ( Fig. 4); each plate with few dispersed macrosetae on disc and few microsetae on apex; very small dentiform tegumentary processes throughout plate; apex round. Connective ( Fig. 8), in dorsal view, Y­shaped; arms approximately as long as stalk; with dorsal median keel. Styles ( Fig. 8) in dorsal view slender and very elongate; extending posteriorly much farther than apex of connective; without conspicuous lobe; with microsetae on apical third; apex acute. Aedeagus ( Figs 6, 7) symmetrical; curved on its base by almost 180 degrees; shaft cylindrical, slender and elongate; two dorsal rows of small dentiform tegumentary processes on apical fourth extending laterally on preapical portion; apex of shaft directed posteriorly; pair of continuously sclerotized apical processes. Paraphyses ( Fig. 8) elongate, bifurcate; stem much longer than rami; short divergent rami directed laterally.

Female genitalia. First valvifers ( Fig. 10) roughly semicircular, with posterodorsal margin broadly convex in lateral view. First valvulae of ovipositor base ( Fig. 13) in ventral view with median concavity. Second valvulae of ovipositor ( Fig. 14) with approximately 20 teeth ( Fig. 16). Other characters as in the generic description.

Type material. Holotype: male, “ Brasil ­ Minas \ Gerais ­ Itamonte \ 16–20/X/1997 \ Felix, Mejdalani, Takiya”, MNRJ. Paratypes: 3 males, same label data as holotype, MNRJ; 1 male, same label data as holotype, except “ 10–14/IX/1998 \ Takiya/Lab. Ent.”, MNRJ; 3 males, same label data as holotype, DZRJ; 1 male and 1 female, “C[ampos do]. Jordão – SP \ Brasil \ 16/XII/44 \ F. Lane leg.”, DZUP; 1 female, same data as preceeding except “ Brasil – XII/54 ”, “Medler”, MZSP; 1 male and 1 female, same data as preceeding except “ Brasil – XII/55 ”, DZUP; 2 females, “C. Jordão – SP \ Br. XI.1957 \ K. Lenko – col”, DZUP; 1 female, “Campos do Jordão \ São Paulo \ XII.1957 \ Lenko leg.”, DZUP; 1 male and 11 females, “C[ampos do]. Jordão – SP \ Brasil – XI/57 \ K. Lenko leg.”, DZUP; 4 males and 4 females, same data as preceeding except “ Brasil – XII/57 \ K. Lenko leg,”, DZUP; 1 male, same data as preceeding and additional label “ Pegogonia sp. \ prob. nov. \ d. DA Young 1979”.

Taxonomic notes. Caragonia bella differs from C. monstruosa in (1) its smaller size ( Figs 1, 2 ), (2) crown with thicker and shorter transverse tan macula between ocelli ( Figs 1, 2 ), (3) forewing corium with extra black macula ( Figs 1, 2 ), distal margin of female sternite VII with (4) more slender, posteriorly produced lateral margins and with (5) narrow median concavity more inwardly produced ( Figs 12, 19 ), and (6) anterior margin of bases of first valvulae in ventral view broadly concave ( Figs 13, 20 ).

Habitat notes. All specimens collected at Itamonte (Minas Gerais State) were probably found in the damp habitat described by Takiya et al. (2001), where Caragonia bella is referred to as Caragonalia cf. monstruosa . Four four­day collecting trips the same locality were conducted in consecutive years (1997–2000). Interestingly, males of C. bella were found abundantly only in 1997, which was the only trip conducted in mid­October. Males of C. bella were collected rarely (1998) or not at all (1999 and 2000) during the other trips, which were conducted between early September and early October. The specimen collected in 1998 was found on Senecio icoglossus DC. ( Asteraceae ).

Additional material examined. Caragonia monstruosa . Lectotype: female, “ Brasilia \ Coll. Signoret.”, “ monstruosa \ det. Signoret”, NHMW. Additional female, same data as lectotype, NHMW (specimen dissected and illustrated herein).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2, Caragonia gen. nov. (1) Dorsal habitus of female lectotype of C. monstruosa (Signoret) comb. nov., NHMW; (2) dorsal habitus of female paratype of C. bella sp. nov., DZUP. Photographs taken under the same magnification.

FIGURES 17 – 20, Caragonia monstruosa (Signoret) comb. nov., female genitalia. (17) Sternite VII, first valvifer, tergite VIII, pygofer, gonoplac, and anal tube, lateral view (internal sternite VIII not illustrated); (18) sternite VII, tergite VIII, and internal sternite VIII, dorsal view; (19) sternite VII, pygofer, ovipositor valvulae (bases not illustrated), and gonoplacs, ventral view; (20) base of first valvula and first valvifer, ventral view.