Polana (Varpulana) intricata, Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro, 2017

Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro, 2017, Six new Brazilian species of Polana (Varpulana) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) with key to males, Zootaxa 4244 (4), pp. 535-555 : 542

Polana (Varpulana) intricata sp. nov.

( Figs 32–43 , 99 )

Diagnosis. Pronotum with two small black spots behind eyes, near anterior margin. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 39 ) elongated, 4.2 times longer than wide. Style ( Fig. 41 ) with ventral protrusion of blade elongated. Aedeagus ( Figs 42, 43 ) with atrial processes elaborated and shaft strongly curved anterad.

Description (male). Length (holotype) 6.7mm, Head ( Fig. 32 ) in dorsal view with median length approximately three-tenths of interocular width. Other characteristics as in the generic description.

Coloration. Head and thorax ( Fig. 32 ) brownish. Face ( Fig. 33 ) without maculae. Crown ( Fig. 32 ) with two small rounded black spots behind ocelli on posterior margin. Pronotum with two small black spots behind eyes, near anterior margin; in lateral view ( Fig. 34 ) proepimeron with a black elongate macula below pronotal carina. Forewing ( Fig. 35 ) pale brown with black maculae on crossed veins of discal and apical cells and apex of anal veins. Legs brownish.

Male terminalia. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 36 ) 1.1 times wider than long; posterior margin with middle portion slightly produced and rounded. Pygofer ( Fig. 37 ) 1.6 times longer than maximum height; dorsal margin with short process at base; apex rounded; posterior margin ( Fig. 38 ) in ventral view, with small rounded protrusion near apex. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 39 ) elongated, 4.2 times longer than wide; apex rounded. Connective ( Fig. 40 ) T-shaped, with rami shorter than stalk; stalk very elongate. Style ( Fig. 40 ), in dorsal view, with outer lobe small and rounded; in lateral view ( Fig. 41 ), ventral protrusion elongated, approximately three times longer than its maximum width, apex curved ventrally and serrated; blade elongated, same height along its entire length, apical third slightly curved dorsally, apex acute. Aedeagus ( Figs 42, 43 ) with atrial processes elaborated, narrow basally and acute apically, anterior margin with small tooth at basal third, posterior margin with conspicuous process at mid-length, partially involving the aedeagal shaft and with two cute tips: one small directed anterad and one larger directed posterad; shaft elongated and strongly curved anterad with two flattened processes arising on dorsal margin at basal twothirds, apex acute and curved laterally; aedeagal apex membranous without processes.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet, intricata comes from the Latin “intricatus” and means complicated. It refers to the aedeagus with a complex shape.

Material examined. Holotype male: " Brasil, Bahia,\ Encruzilhada \ XI.1975 \ M. Alvarenga leg." ( DZUP).

Remarks. Polana (V.) intricata sp. nov. is similar to P. (V.) sapitanduva sp. nov. and P. (V.) naja sp. nov. in having the style with a more elongated ventral protrusion than the other Varpulana species. However, the new species is most similar to P. (V.) sapitanduva sp. nov. in having the style with blade slightly curved. Polana (V.) intricata sp. nov. differs from the other species in the more elongated subgenital plate and the atrial processes with a conspicuous middle process, partially involving the aedeagal shaft.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 43. P. (F.) intricata sp. nov., holotype male. 32, head and thorax, dorsal view. 33, head, frontal view. 34, head and thorax, lateral view. 35, forewing. 36 – 43, male terminalia: 36, sternite VIII, ventral view. 37, pygofer, valve and subgenital plate, lateral view. 38, apex of pygofer, ventral view. 39, subgenital plate, ventral view. 40, style and connective, dorsal view. 41, style, lateral view. 42, aedeagus, lateral view. 43, aedeagus dorsal view. Scale bars: 32 – 34 = 1.0 mm, 35 = 2.0 mm, 36 – 37 = 0.5 mm, 38 – 43 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 97 – 102. Holopypes habitus, dorsal view (up) and lateral view (down). 97, P. (F.) bahiensis sp. nov. 98, P. (F.) grossii sp. nov. 99, P. (F.) intricata sp. nov. 100, P. (F.) naja sp. nov. 101, P. (F.) sapitanduva sp. nov. 102, P. (F.) vulgaris sp. nov. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.