Nicidus Stål, 1858

Constant, Jerome, 2008, Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XII). The Oriental genus Nicidus Stål, 1858 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Zootaxa 1842, pp. 45-55 : 46-47

Genus Nicidus Stål, 1858

Nicidus Stål, 1858: 451 ; Melichar, 1903: 69; Distant, 1906: 220, 229; Kirkaldy, 1906: 446; Schmidt, 1908: 242; Schmidt,

1911: 216; Metcalf, 1956: 30.

Type-species (by monotypy): Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858 . Kandiana Distant 1892 , synonymised by Melichar, 1903: 69

Type-species (by monotypy): Kandiana lewisi Distant 1892

Etymology. Nicidus : possibly derivated from the name of the Ancient Greece character Nikidès.

— Kandiana : the name is assumed to refer to the city of Kandy ( Sri Lanka) where the specimen had probably been collected.

Diagnosis. The genus is recognizable by the following combination of characters: (1) medium sized insects (~ 15–22 mm in length); (2) tegmina narrow, more than 3 times longer than broad; (3) infraocular spine well developed, visible from above; (4) frons flat or slightly concave, not convex, at least twice as wide as long (e.g., Figs 16 and 21 ); (5) first segment of hind tarsi without pad of microsetae ( Fig. 2 ); (6) hindwings narrowing and rounded apically; (7) clavus of tegmen open; (8) anterior tibiae flattened but not foliaceous. Known distribution restricted to the Oriental region.

Redescription. General coloration: greyish brown suffused with red to reddish brown.

Head: dorso-ventrally depressed, slightly broader than thorax; vertex nearly flat, twice broader than long, with all margins carinate, hind margin concave and anterior margin roundly pointed; lateral margins sinuate in lateral view (e.g., Figs 17 and 22 ); sides of head, infraocular spine and antennae largely visible from above; frons 2.0–2.4 times broader than long, with anterior margin rounded and carina on anterior margin of disc parallel to frons margin; nearly flat or with slight transverse depression in middle (e.g., Figs 16 and 21 ); clypeus reaching median coxae; labium surpassing median trochanters; apical segment of labium ( Fig. 1 ) longer than broad, shorter and more narrow than penultimate, obliquely cut apically ( Fig. 1 ); ocelli absent; antennae with scape very short and pedicel longer than broad, subcylindrical; infra-ocular spine well developed.

Thorax: about 1.4 times broader than length of pro- and mesonotum together; pronotum with oblique carina on each side of disc anteriorly and obsolete median carina; mesonotum with median carina, obsolete carina on each side of disc, and joint of scutellum distinct.

Tegmina: flat, elongate and narrow, subrectangular, about 3.3–3.8 times longer than broad; apex rounded; clavus open. Venation: vein C distinct on less than first third; veins Sc and R separated close to base; first fork of vein M well beyond Sc-R separation; veins A1 and A2 fused before apex of claval joint; cross-veinlets numerous, more abundant near apex.

Hind wings: well developed; as broad as, and 25–33% shorter than, tegmina, roundly pointed apically; not reaching apex of tegmina at rest; anal area well developed; cross-veinlets numerous; infuscate with transverse darker and paler bands near apex.

Legs: I and II short with femur and tibia dorso-ventrally flattened, elongate, not foliaceous; tibia III with 5–6 lateral and 8–9 apical spines; first hind tarsomere ( Fig. 2 ) with 12–14 teeth ventrally near apex and without pad of microsetae ( Fig. 2 ).

Genitalia ɗ: pygofer longer than broad, subtriangular in lateral view; gonostyli with postero-dorsal process; anal tube flattened dorso-ventrally, surpassing gonostyli; phallic complex reduced, with dorsal pair of processes.

Genitalia Ψ: anal tube elongate, curved postero-ventrad, surpassing gonoplacs, v-shaped in cross section; gonoplacs large and unilobous; gonapophysis IX much smaller than gonoplacs; gonapophysis VIII strongly reduced; gonocoxae VIII well developed ventrally and pilose; anterior vagina placed ventrally and showing longitudinal grooves, smaller than posterior vagina; spermatheca attached postero-laterally, not apically; posterior vagina developed vertically, sinuate and grooved; bursa copulatrix large, elongate, attached dorso laterally to and much larger than posterior vagina.

Sexual dimorphism: no evident sexual dimorphism has been observed; males only slightly smaller than females.

Size: 15–22 mm

Distribution: Oriental region, known from Sri Lanka, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of this genus.

Figures

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.

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