Hecullus mexicanus, Zahniser, 2021

Zahniser, James N., 2021, Revision of the New World leafhopper tribe Faltalini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and the evolution of brachyptery, Zootaxa 4954 (1), pp. 1-160 : 73-75

Hecullus mexicanus n. sp.

( Figs. 10 , 48 )

Diagnosis. H. mexicanus can be distinguished from other Hecullus by its size (female, 8.3 mm), female head length 1.7–1.8x interocular width, female face with broad brown to dark brown band along anterolateral portion of fron-

toclypeus continuing beneath eye and onto ventral side of thorax, face with brown mark from basolateral corner of clypellus to medial margin of lorum and widening along lorum margin toward apex.

Body. Female 8.3 mm; head length 1.7–1.8x interocular width. Forewing apex truncate; with many extra crossveins, but venation not completely reticulate.

Color. Female face with broad brown to dark brown band along anterolateral portion of frontoclypeus continuing beneath eye and onto ventral side of thorax, brown bands weak at apex of frontoclypeus; frontoclypeus ivory medially; face with brown mark from basolateral corner of clypellus to medial margin of lorum and widening along lorum margin toward apex. Legs ivory with distinct brown markings basally on anterior side of profemur and subapically and apically on anterior side of meso- and metafemur; with other scattered brown markings.

Male. Unknown.

Female. Sternite VII relatively deeply excavated medially, forming pair of bluntly pointed lateral lobes; on each side, deepest excavation reaching to near midlength of sternite; medially with distinct medial rounded lobe; margin laterad of median lobe slightly undulate.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1♀, MEXICO, Puebla, 6.3 km E of Azumbilla , 2350 m., 18.63385ºN 97.34344ºW, 10-XI-2005, R. Rakitov, #05-238 [ INHS].

Distribution. This species is known only from a single female specimen from the state of Puebla, Mexico. It is by far the southern-most record for the genus, around 1900km SE of the nearest record in southwest New Mexico.

Etymology. The adjectival species name highlight the finding of the new species in Mexico.

Remarks. Collection locality notes (R. Rakitov, pers. comm.) recorded the habitat as a dry meadow among pine-yucca forest, with Opuntia and many dry forbs. It would be preferable to describe this species with at least one male specimen, but H. mexicanus is clearly different and easily separated from the other two species in the genus based on the female. Its discovery substantially expands the known geographic range of the genus. Future collecting efforts directed near the type locality may reveal more specimens including males.

Figures

FIGUIRE 10. Distribution of Acrolithus, Hecalocorica, Hecullus mexicanus n. sp., and three species of Tenucephalus from Mexico and Panama.

FIGUIRE 48. Hecullus mexicanus n. sp., images of female holotype. (A–C, J) standard views. (Q) habitus, ventral view. (R) sternite VII, pygofer, and ovipositor, ventral view.