Nesocerus asymmetricus, 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 : 534-535

NESOCERUS ASYMMETRICUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 5A, B , 12A–G )

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished by the following characters: aedeagus with apical and subapical process arising on anterior and posterior surface of shaft, respectively; pygofer with acute process extending mesad and crown with four black spots.

Description: Length of male, 5.6 mm.

Coloration: Head with four submedian spots, two closer to posterior margin of crown and visible in dorsal view. Antennae with pedicel black, scape and flagellum yellow. Frontoclypeus with median longitudinal black stripe discontinuous or absent; clypeogenal sutures not marked. Gena without any markings. Clypellus bordered by narrow black stripe except along apex, with median yellow region. Pronotum with pair of black spots along anterior region, rarely, with median longitudinal narrow stripe, pair of small round spots near posterolateral margin. Mesonotum with pair of basal black triangles bordered with light marking, without median markings. Scutellum without markings. Forewing with claval vein white with alternate brown coloration. Femora without markings.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex wider than base, in profile flat. Rostrum not extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing without r-m1 crossvein. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 12, eight, and nine macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer elongate posterad, with a short inner process; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view spatulate; in ventral view with length approximately three times width, lateral margin near base broadly convex gradually tapering to apex, macrosetae confined to apical half along lateral and mesal margins. 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, articulated with preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium narrow; socle well developed; shaft in lateral view slender, uniform in width along its length, slightly narrowed near apex, curved broadly anterad near base, with two processes; one terminal process arising from anterior surface of shaft, curved ventrad, the other subapical process arising on posterior surface, extending ventrad, not beyond midlength of shaft; shaft in posterior view slightly narrowed near apex; gonopore subapical on posterior surface.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 1130 m, 22°15′3″S, 47°24′25″E, 21.–24.xii.2001, R. Harin’Hala, malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-08 ( CAS) . Paratype: one male, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Vohipara at broken bridge, 1110 m, 21°13′34″S, 47°22′11″E, 2.–10.i.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise trap in high altitude rainforest, MA-02-09A-10 ( INHS) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from Latin, referring to the asymmetric processes of the 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.