Docalidia mejdalanii, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, New species in the Neotropical genus Docalidia with a key to known species, notes on distribution, taxonomy and a synoptic catalogue of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae: Teruliini) 2952, Zootaxa 2952 (1), pp. 1-86 : 52-55

Docalidia mejdalanii , sp. nov.

(Plate IIIH, Figs 192–200 )

Length. Male 7.60 mm., female unknown.

External morphology. Moderately large, robust species. General color of dorsum orange and black; forewings orange with broad, black, transverse chevron-shaped band medially, base and clavus suffused with black; mesonotum black; pronotum orange basally, black distally; crown yellow; eyes translucent (Plate IIIH); face orange, suffused with black patches bordering clypeus, clypellus below eyes.

Head broad, narrower than pronotum, anterior margin broadly rounded; crown broad, about as wide as eye, produced anteriorly about ¼ of entire length, disk foveate on each side of middle; eyes large, elongate ovoid; pronotum slightly shorter than crown, surface bullated; mesonotum large, nearly twice as long as pronotum; forewing long, very broad, venation typical; clypeus long, broad, lateral margins broadly convex, with distinct median longitudinal carina; clypellus about 1/3 as long as clypeus, narrow median longitudinal ridge inflated in basal 2/3, lateral margins expanded apically.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view narrowly triangulate, caudodorsal process long, broad basally, sharply attenuated distally, caudoventral process long, narrow, sharply attenuate distally ( Fig. 192 ); segment X long, with equally long ventral process ( Fig. 193 ); right subgenital plate moderately long, broad, with unique, single apical process on inner lateral margin, glabrous ( Fig. 194 ); right style moderately long, longer than aedeagus, robust, with prominent medial process directed distally, nearly reaching apex of apophysis, apex of apophysis bifurcate, long slender accessory process basad of bifurcation, extending more than half of its length beyond apex, with secondary medial spine ( Figs. 195, 196 ); aedeagus moderately long, tubular, with distinctive, subapical ventral process, process with row of teeth on each side, gonopore supramedial, exiting ventrally ( Figs. 197, 198 ); connective, nearly Tshaped, arms broad, membrane absent, medial ridge extending beyond anterior margin of arms, stem moderately long, narrow ( Fig. 199 ); dorsal connective long, strapped-shaped in dorsal view ( Fig. 200 )

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Amazonas , PNN, Amacayucu Cabaña Lorena, 3º0’S. 69º59’W., 210 m., 27 Aug 01–1 Sep 01, M. 2237, Malaise, D. Campos (HB).

Etymology. The species is named for Gabriel Mejdalani, Professor of Entomology, Departamento de Entomologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade do Federal Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for his outstanding taxonomic research on the subfamily Cicadellinae and his influential leadership in promoting taxonomic research among students, several of whom who have earned their Ph. D. degrees and produced fine taxonomic works.

Remarks. From D. foveata ( Nielson, 1979b:198) to which it is similar in style and aedeagal features, mejdalanii , sp. nov. can be separated by the orange and black coloration, the configuration of the caudodorsal and caudoventral processes of the pygofer and by the single, long apical process on the subgenital plate.

Figures

FIGURES 192–200. Docalidia mejdalanii, sp. nov. (192) pygofer, lateral view; (193) segment X, lateral view; (194) right subgenital plate, ventral view; (195) right style, lateral view; (196) right style, dorsal view; (197) aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view; (198) aedeagus, ventral view; (199) connective, caudal view; (200) dorsal connective, dorsal view.