Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973

Gonçalves, Clayton C., Dietrich, Christopher H. & Takiya, Daniela M., 2019, Contribution to the tribe Pentoffiini (Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) with descriptions of two new species and the male of Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973, Zootaxa 4688 (2), pp. 271-281 : 273

Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973

( Figs. 1–14 , 33–36 )

Diagnosis. Crown ( Figs 11 , 33 ) with anterior margin rounded; pale yellow with a W-shaped dark macula on apical half. Aedeagus ( Figs 7, 8 ) with shaft depressed dorsoventrally; laterally expanded at apical third, with pair of short lateral preapical processes; apex broadly rounded. Female sternite VII ( Fig. 9 ) with posterolateral angles reduced, posterior margin with a short median lobe. Female pygofer ( Fig. 10 ) with posterior margin broadly rounded, except for a slight dorsal concavity. First valvula ( Fig. 10 ) short, not exceeding pygofer apex. Second valvulae ( Hill, 1973; Figs C, D) with 5–7 irregular dorsoapical teeth.

Description. Measurements (mm). Total length: 7.0 (male), 8.5 (female).

Coloration. Pale yellow ( Figs 11, 12 , 33, 34 ). Crown ( Figs 11 , 35 ) with a W-shaped dark macula on apical half. Forewing hyaline white ( Fig. 2 , 11 ), male with a dark brown longitudinal band extending from mid-clavus to halflength of apical cells, narrow at base and widening towards apex.

External morphology. Crown ( Figs 11 , 35 ) with anterior margin rounded.

Male terminalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 3 ) approximately 1.4 times higher than long; macrosetae distributed on posterior and ventral margins. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 3 ) extended beyond pygofer apex. Aedeagus ( Figs 7–8 ) with pair of elongate atrial processes curved dorsally, shorter than shaft length; shaft depressed dorsoventrally, laterally expanded at apical third with short lateral preapical processes, anteroventrally directed, about one-fifth shaft length; apex broadly rounded.

Female terminalia. Sternite VII ( Fig. 9 ) 2.4 times wider than long; posterolateral angles reduced, posterior margin with a short median lobe. Female pygofer ( Fig. 10 ) short; dorsal margin straight; posterior margin broadly rounded, except for a slight dorsal concavity; macrosetae distributed in the apical third. First valvula ( Fig. 10 ) short, not exceeding pygofer apex; slightly curved dorsally, about 11 times longer than high; dorsal sculptured area starting on apical third; apex acute. For other features see Hill (1973).

Material examined. Female holotype (based on photographs), “Jussaral\ Angra [dos Reis]—E. do Rio [de Janeiro]\ L. Travassos\ XI-[1]934”; “4-1868A”; “USNMENT 01513539”, ( NMNH). One male, “ Brazil: RJ, Itatiaia, Parque\ Nacional do Itatiaia, Monteiro\ et al. coll., Malaise trap,\ 07.i.2015, [P5] S 22 o 25’01”\ W 44 o 38’33” 1,846 m ”, ( DZRJ).

Notes. Evanirvana was proposed by Hill (1973) based on two female specimens of E. aurea Hill, 1973 , the holotype from Angra dos Reis, State of Rio de Janeiro and the paratype from Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, southeastern and southern regions of Brazil, respectively. We interpret the male specimen described herein as tentatively being conspecific with the female holotype of E. aurea . The male resembles the holotype in having the crown anterior margin rounded and the disc with a dark W-shaped macula. The collecting locality in Rio de Janeiro State is also not far from the type locality. However, some striking differences between the male and female should be noted: (1) our male specimen has the crown shorter with anterior margin more broadly rounded than in the female holotype; (2) the male has a distinct brown longitudinal band on the forewing, absent in holotype. Also, the male was collected at a high altitude site> 1,800m while the female holotype was apparently collected near sea level. Sexual dimorphism in coloration (darker male, paler female) is common in leafhoppers, especially in Evacanthinae, e.g., Afronirvana Evans, 1955 ; Afrokana Heller, 1972 ; Synogonia Melichar, 1926 ; and Transvenosus ( Dietrich 2004; Wang et al. 2017b; Wang & Zhang 2015). Sexual dimorphism in the shape of the crown also occurs, as noted in Sophonia chandrai Meshram & Ramamurthy, 2013 and Riseveinus spinatus Wang, Dietrich & Zhang, 2018 ( Meshram & Ramamurthy 2013; Wang et al. 2018). However, because many leafhopper species appear to be endemic in high altitudes of the Serra da Mantiqueira (e.g., Cavichioli & Mejdalani 1996; Takiya et al. 2001, 2003) more collecting in the Atlantic Forest is needed to document more thoroughly the diversity of this group and the altitudinal ranges of species.

Figures

FIGURES 1−8. Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973, male. 1, head, ventral view. 2, forewing. 3, pygofer, valve, subgenital plate, and anal tube, lateral view. 4, subgenital plate, ventral view. 5, connective and styles, dorsal view. 6, style, lateral view. 7, aedeagus, lateral view. 8, aedeagus, caudal view.

FIGURES 9−14. Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973, holotype female (USNM 01513539). 9, sternite VIII, ventral view. 10, pygofer and first valvulae, lateral view. 11, habitus, dorsal view. 12, habitus, lateral view. 13, head, ventral view. 14, specimen labels.

FIGURES 33−44. 33−36, Evanirvana aurea Hill, 1973, male. 33, dorsal habitus. 34, lateral habitus. 35, head and prothorax, dorsal view. 36, head and prothorax, lateral view. 37−40, Evanirvana tambopata sp. nov., male holotype. 37, dorsal habitus. 38, lateral habitus. 39, head and prothorax, dorsal view. 40, head and prothorax, lateral view. 41−44, Pentoffia santosi sp. nov., male holotype. 41, dorsal habitus. 42, lateral habitus. 43, head and prothorax, dorsal view. 44, head and prothorax, lateral view.