Brevaphrodella nigra, Dietrich & Gonçalves, 2014

Dietrich, Christopher H. & Gonçalves, Ana Clara, 2014, New Baltic amber leafhoppers representing the oldest Aphrodinae and Megophthalminae (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 74, pp. 1-13 : 9-11

Brevaphrodella nigra sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0E415A40-3645-4C63-9B59-6F15E2512BB2

Figs 1E-F , 3

Diagnosis

Although the placement in Aphrodinae is somewhat tentative because the ocelli are not visible on the specimen, the overall structure of the head (flattened, produced crown; broad, flattened face with wide, angulate gena); leg chaetotaxy (2+2+1 hind femoral macrosetal formula); and male genital capsule (with numerous, scattered macrosetae and ligulate subgenital plates) are consistent with Aphrodinae . The presence of a single enlarged ventral seta near the midlength of the front femur suggests that the new genus is related to Xestocephalus and supports its placement in tribe Xestocephalini .

Etymology

The species name refers to the black overall coloration of the holotype.

Material examined

Holotype male, Eocene Baltic amber, Palanga, Lithuania ( INHS).

Description

MEASUREMENTS. (in mm). Body length including forewings at rest 3.7; head width 0.9; pronotum width 1.0; front femur length 0.7, tibia 0.7; middle femur length 0.7, tibia 0.8; hind femur length 1.1, tibia 1.9, tarsus 0.7; forewing length 1.2.

STRUCTURE. Body small, depressed, ovoid, entirely black. Head triangularly produced; crown weakly convex, shagreen; coronal suture not visible; eyes small, anterior margin slightly emarginate adjacent to antennal base; ocelli not visible. Antennal pits deep, pedicel enlarged, base of flagellum divided into 5 subsegments. Lorum large, flat, narrowly separated from gena ventrally; gena angulate below eye, concealing proepisternum. Anteclypeus flat, tapered distally, apex rounded, extended slightly beyond gena. Rostrum long, extended to base of hind coxae. Pronotum with lateral margins divergent posteriorly, long, carinate. Mesonotum reduced, almost completely concealed by pronotum, scutellum small. Forewing short, coriaceous, elytralike, apex truncate, extended nearly to posterior margin of abdominal tergite IV, venation not delimited. Front femur with AM1 small, near midheight of femur, intercalary row well differentiated with 5-6 setae; AV with single long stout seta near midlength; hind tibia with setal rows PD, AD, AV and PV with 15, 10, 11, and ~53 setae, respectively; with dorsal preapical macrosetae 1+2, row AV with 13 setae becoming longer from base to apex, basal 5 abruptly shorter than others. Middle trochanter with stout ventroapical seta; femur with 4 AV and 1 PV setae, tibia with pair of dorsal setae near base and another near apex, AV with several setae. Hind femur macrosetae 2+2+1, penultimate pair close-set with posterior seta much smaller than anterior; tibia rows AD and PD with approximately equal numbers of macrosetae; AD macrosetae each with one intercalary seta, AD1 slightly offset toward middle of dorsal surface and distad of PD1, pecten with two pairs of shorter setae between two longer lateral and on long medial seta; tarsomere I with dorsoapical pair of macrosetae and two well differentiated rows of short, stout ventral setae; pecten with 5 tapered setae, medial seta longest. Male pygofer with numerous large macrosetae scattered over distal half. Valve concealed by sternite VIII. Subgenital plates ligulate, boatlike, with numerous large macrosetae scattered over most of length, mesal margins straight and closely appressed, apex evenly tapered.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Age and occurrence

Baltic region. Baltic amber, Middle Eocene, ca. 44 Ma.

Remarks

Placement of Brevaphrodella gen. nov. in Aphrodinae is somewhat tentative because the ocelli are not visible on the specimen. Either they are absent or greatly reduced (as in some modern brachypterous leafhoppers), or they are on the anterior margin of the head and not visible due to the presence of a fracture plane concealing this part of the head in the only available specimen. Nevertheless, the overall structure of the head (flattened, produced crown; broad, flattened face with wide, angulate gena); leg chaetotaxy (2+2+1 hind femoral macrosetal formula); and male genital capsule (with numerous, scattered macrosetae and ligulate subgenital plates) are consistent with Aphrodinae . The presence of a single enlarged ventral seta near the midlength of the front femur suggests that the new genus is related to Xestocephalus and supports its placement in tribe Xestocephalini . This appears to be the oldest known example of a brachypterous adult leafhopper, along with the specimen of an undescribed species and genus from Baltic amber illustrated by Szwedo (2002: fig. 24).

Specimen notes

The holotype is a specimen in excellent condition with apparently very little decomposition or loss of original color, embedded in a clear, light yellow piece of amber with dorsum and venter clearly visible but with numerous air bubbles concealing parts of the venter and a fracture plane obscuring the view of the anterodorsal margin of the head. The abdomen appears to have longitudinal pale stripes but these are asymmetrical and appear to be caused by pockets of air between the integument and the matrix.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus in dorsal and ventral view. A-B. Eomegopthalmus lithuaniensis sp. nov. ♀. C-D. Xestocephalites balticus sp. nov. ♂. E-F. Brevaphrodella nigra sp. nov. ♂. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 3. Brevaphrodella nigra sp. nov. ♂. A. Body in dorsal view. B. Face. C. Pro- and mesothoracic legs in ventral view. D-E. Metathoracic leg. D. Apical portion of femur, tibia, and tarsomeres, dorsolateral view. E. First tarsomere, ventral view. F. Subgenital plates, and valve, ventral view. Scale bars: A-D, F = 0.5 mm; E = 0.25 mm.