Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858

Constant, Jerome, 2008, Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XII). The Oriental genus Nicidus Stål, 1858 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Zootaxa 1842, pp. 45-55 : 48-52

Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858

Figs. 1 –10; 13–17; 24

Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858: 451 ; Kirby, 1891: 146; Melichar, 1903: 70, 224, 247, Pl. III, Fig. 14 ; Distant, 1906: 230, Fig. 97; Schmidt, 1911: 216; Metcalf, 1956: 30.

Kandiana lewisi Distant, 1892: 280 , Pl. XIII, Figs 2, 2 a, synonymised by Melichar, 1903: 70.

Etymology. fusconebulosus : from fuscus (adj., Latin) = brown, dark and nebulosus (adj., Latin) = cloudy, literally "covered with brown clouds". The name is assumed to refer to the brown patches on the tegmina.

— lewisi , the species is assumed to be dedicated to the collector, Lewis.

Types: the original type material of N. fusconebulosus was from the collection Dohrn which is deposited in ZMPA. It has not been found in ZMPA collections (A. Stroinski, pers. com. 2007) and despite considerable efforts, it has not been possible to locate it in any other collection. It is therefore considered as lost. My recognition of the species is based on a male from Sri Lanka labeled: [ Sri Lanka: Kal. Dist., Morapitiya, 27-28 May 1975, S.L. Wood & J.L. Petty] [Collected in black light trap] [ Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858 , Jérôme Constant det. 2008] dissected, genitalia in glycerine (USNM). Coordinates of Morapitiya: 6°32'N 80°16'E. This specimen matches Stål’s original description and is also from Sri Lanka.

Lectotype Ψ of Kandiana lewisi Distant, 1892 (present designation): [ Ceylon (Lewis)] [ Kandiana lewisi Dist. ] [Distant Coll. 1911-383] [Lectotype Ψ Kandiana lewisi Distant, 1892 , Jérôme Constant des. 2008] [ Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858 , Jérôme Constant det. 2008] (BMNH).

Other material examined: 1 Ψ: no data [ MMBC] – Sri Lanka: 1 Ψ: Ceylon [ MMBC]; 2 Ψ: Kandy (7°18'N 80°38'E), v.1907 [ BMNH]; 1 ɗ: idem, vii.1902, Distant coll. 1911-383 [ BMNH]; 1 Ψ: idem, viii.1902, Distant coll. 1911-383 [ BMNH]; 1 ex (abdomen missing): idem, viii.1902, Distant coll. 1911-383 [ BMNH]; 1 Ψ: idem, viii.1902, E.P. VanDuzee collection [ CAS]; 1 Ψ: idem, iv.1905, E.P. VanDuzee collection [ CAS]; 1 Ψ: idem, v.1909, MacDougall [ RSME]; 1 Ψ: idem, vi.1907 [ ZSMC]; 1 ɗ: idem, ix.1902 [ ZSMC]; 1 ɗ: Peradeniya (7°15'N 80°36'E) Botanical Garden, i.1971, Piyadasa & Somapa [ RBINS, ex USNM]

Additional data ( Melichar, 1903): 2 Ψ: Ambepusse (= Ambepussa) (7°15'N 80°12'E), ix.1896; 1ɗ, 1 Ψ: Nabampane (= Nabampana) (6°44'N 80°12'E), vii.1895; 1 ɗ: Southern Province. All listed from Colombo Museum.

Note: despite considerable efforts, it has not been possible to obtain material from any institution in Sri Lanka for this study.

Diagnosis. (1) anterior margin of frons rounded in ventral view; (2) fronto-clypeal joint without transverse black line; (3) maximal breadth of tegmina near apex; (4) known only from Sri Lanka. Redescription

LT: ɗ (n = 3): 16.3 mm (15.5 to 17.4); Ψ (n = 5): 18.6 mm (18.3 to 18.8).

Head: all parts visible in dorsal view, variegated yellowish brown; vertex slightly transversely concave ( Figs. 13, 17 ); infra-ocular spines surpassing antennae and lateral projections of frons; eyes strongly emarginate by infra-ocular spines ( Fig. 17 ); frons very slightly convex, nearly flat, pale yellowish with area between anterior margin and peridiscal carina variegated yellowish brown ( Fig. 16 ); sides of head yellowish ventrally with brown patch near clypeus; carina between frons and side of head obsolete ventrally; clypeus yellowish basally turning to brown apically; labium brown; antennae brown with posterior face paler; ratio BV/LV = 2.0; BF/LF = 2.4.

FIGURES 3–7. N. fusconebulosus : genitalia ɗ. 3, pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli, left lateral view (An – anal tube; G – gonostyli; Py – pygofer). 4, pygofer and gonostyli, ventral view. 5, anal tube, dorsal view. 6, phallic complex, dorsal view. 7, phallic complex, left lateral view. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 8–12. 8–10: N. fusconebulosus : genitalia Ψ. 8, left lateral view. 9, ventral view (external). 10, anal tube, dorsal view. 11–12. N. stali : genitalia Ψ. 11, left lateral view. 12, ventral view (external). A VII: abdominal segment VII; AT: anal tube; AV: anterior vagina; BC: bursa copulatrix; Gp: gonoplac; Gx VIII: gonocoxa VIII; Gy VIII: gonapophyis VIII; Gy IX: gonapophysis IX; PV: posterior vagina; Sp: spermatheca. Scale 1 mm.

Thorax: variegated yellowish brown dorsally; pale yellowish ventrally; pronotum with slight median carina, disc slightly impressed at each side of carina; mesonotum with 3 obsolete carinae; ratio LP+LM/BT = 0.73.

Tegmina: ( Fig. 13 ) pale yellowish, nearly hyaline, variegated with numerous irregular brown patches; brown markings darker, better defined and more numerous apically; veins and often area along claval joint suffused with red; costal and sutural margins subparallel, costal margin slightly sinuate; maximal breadth near apex; apex obliquely rounded; ratio LTg/BTg = 3.7.

Hind wings: ( Fig. 13 ) infuscate on basal 3/4; apical fourth whitish with median transverse brown marking not reaching sutural margin; apical margin brown; sutural margin sinuate.

Legs: tibiae I and II and apex of femora I variegated yellowish brown, much darker onlegs I; rest of legs yellowish with spines of legs III brown; tibiae I narrowing from base to apex with margins slightly sinuate and external margin emarginate apically; femora I narrowing from apex to base, with apew broader than base of tibia; tibia II narrower than I, narrowing from base to apex, with external margin slightly sinuate; tibiae III with 5 lateral and 9 apical spines; first hind tarsomere with group of 14 subapical teeth ventrally.

Abdomen: yellowish brown.

Genitalia ɗ: pygofer in lateral view narrowing dorsally, subtriangular with posterior margin bisinuate (Fig. 3); in ventral view, longer than broad with posterior margin nearly straight (Fig. 4); gonostyli produced dorso laterad, with dorsal and posterior margins rounded and ventral margin concave in lateral view (Fig. 3); posterior margin emarginate in ventral view (Fig. 4); anal tube flattened dorso-ventrally, rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 5); phallic complex: see Figs. 6–7.

Genitalia Ψ: (Figs. 8–10) anal tube slightly curved ventrad in lateral view (Fig. 8) and with posterior margin concave (Fig. 10); gonoplacs with postero-ventral angle largely rounded (Fig. 8); gonocoxae VIII convex (Figs 8, 9); gonapophysis IX slightly projecting posterad (Fig. 8).

Notes. The species seems to be restricted to Sri Lanka. It is probably not as scarce as the low number of collection specimens could suggest but it is probably overlooked and under collected due to its cryptic habits. One specimen was collected at light trap.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. N. fusconebulosus. 1, apex of labium, ventral view. 2, hind tarsus, ventral view. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 22. 13 – 17: N. fusconebulosus. 13, habitus, dorsal view (LT = 17.4 mm). 14, habitus at rest, dorsal view (LT = 18.3 mm). 15, habitus, left lateral view. 16. frons, ventral view. 17, head, right lateral view. 18 - 22. N. stali. 18, habitus, dorsal view. 19, habitus at rest, dorsal view (LT = 22 mm). 20, habitus, left lateral view. 21. frons, ventral view. 22, head, right lateral view.