Nesocerus compressus, Krishnankutty & Dietrich, 2011

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2011, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of an endemic leafhopper genus Nesocerus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from Madagascar, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (3), pp. 499-543 : 535-536

NESOCERUS COMPRESSUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 5E, F , 12O–U )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished by the following combination of characters: pronotum with single pair of black spots; pygofer with elongate posterodorsal process; subgenital plate with uniseriate median row of macrosetae extending beyond its apical half and aedeagus laterally compressed with broad apex and single sub-basal spine.

Description: Length of male, 4.7 mm.

Coloration: Crown with median and two lateral black spots on posterior margin near eye. Antennae pale yellow. Frontoclypeus without median stripe, mostly pale yellow with a few black spots above ocelli. Clypeogenal suture bordered by black marking. Gena without any marking. Clypellus mostly dull yellow with black lines near the base. Pronotum with pair of black spots. Mesonotum with yellow basal triangles and pair of black longitudinal lines not extending beyond scutellar suture. Legs pale yellow without any markings. Forewing hyaline with black coloration along claval margin.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex wider than base, in profile flat. Rostrum not extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m1 crossvein absent. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 16, seven, and nine macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer moderately broad with elongate posterodorsal process; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view uniformly wide throughout length; in ventral view with lateral margin near base slightly convex, gradually tapering to apex, one row of macrosetae along middle. Style in lateral view with narrow apodeme; apophysis slender, elongate, curved dorsad, tapering to dorsally hooked apex. Connective in dorsal view Y-shaped, with short stem and slender anterior arms, articulated with preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium broad; socle poorly developed; shaft in lateral view broad, uniformly wide throughout its length, laterally compressed, slightly curved anterodorsad, broadly rounded apex, with spine arising near base; apex in posterior view without any processes; gonopore apical on posterior surface.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province Mahajanga, Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha, 3.4 km 93° east of Bekopaka , Tombeau Vazimba , 50 m, 9°8′31″S, 44°49′41″E, 6.–10.xi.2001, Fisher, Griswold et al., malaise trap, in tropical dry forest, BLF4233 ( CAS).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the laterally compressed aedeagus.

Figures

Figure 5. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus asymmetricus; C, D, Nesocerus uniprocessus; E, F, Nesocerus compressus; G, H, Nesocerus flexus; I, J, Nesocerus breviprocessus; K, L, Nesocerus latus; M, N, Nesocerus basiprocessus; O, P, Nesocerus serratus; Q, R, Nesocerus convolutus.

Figure 12. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, O), male subgenital plate in ventral (B, I, P) and lateral views (C, J, Q), aedeagus in lateral (D, K, R) and caudal views (E, L, S), style in lateral view (F, M, T), style and connective in dorsal view (G, N, U). A–G, Nesocerus asymmetricus; H–N, Nesocerus uniprocessus; O–U, Nesocerus compressus.