Neazonia immatura, Szwedo, 2007

Szwedo, Jacek, 2007, Nymphs of a new family Neazoniidae fam. n. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, African Invertebrates 48 (1), pp. 127-143 : 131-135

Neazonia immatura sp. n.

Figs 12–23 , 26, 27

Etymology: Specific epithet refers to immature, nymphal stage of development of the insect preserved as inclusion in amber.

Diagnosis: More slender and elongate than N. tripleta , with more distinct border between thorax and abdominal segments. Anterior border of pronotum without distinct incision (distinctly incised in N. tripleta ). Mesothoracic tibia not distinctly flattened, longer than mesothoracic femur.

Description: Total length of body 7 mm, length with rostrum 8.5 mm. General shape ovoid, strongly flattened, with tip of rostrum extending beyond apex of abdomen.

Head: Vertex along mid-line 0.55 mm long. Frons about 1.4 times as long as wide, about 1.1 mm long along mid-line (apical portion destroyed), 0.67 mm wide, angulate at apex, broadening gradually to level of antennae, then narrowing, slightly concave at level of frontoclypeal suture. Lateral carinae originating anterior to compound eye, slightly elevated, extending to level of frontoclypeal suture; submedian carinae extending slightly below the level of lateral carinae bases, converging medially to frontoclypeal suture and subparallel to lateral carinae, disc of frons elevated between submedian carinae, concave between submedian and lateral carinae; quadruplet of sensory pits in upper portion slightly below level of origin of submedian carinae; second sensory triplet pair at level of lower margin of compound eye. Clypeus 2.10 mm long; postclypeus 1.06 mm long along mid-line, 0.96 mm long along lateral line; anteclypeus 1.00 mm long along mid-line, clypellus short, 0.13 mm long. Rostrum 3-segmented, very long, exceeding length of body, basal segment short, subapical segment 2.37 mm, apical segment 3.85 mm long. Antenna about 0.92 mm long, scape cylindrical, shorter than pedicel; pedicel elongately subglobose, with a few sensory fields; first flagellomere globular, distinctly narrower than pedicel; arista long.

Thorax: Thoracic nota divided by longitudinal mid-dorsal line into three pairs of plates. Pronotum 0.65 mm long along mid-line, 1.88 mm wide, median portion of disc slightly elevated, delimited by incomplete anterior carination, anterior margin protruding between compound eyes, posterior margin excavate; pair of triplets of sensory pits present laterad of median line on disc, another triplet present at posterior angle. Mesonotum with wingpads 1.00 mm long along mid-line, 2.23 mm wide, disc elevated, delimited by lateral carinae diverging posteriad, anterior margin arcuate anteriad, lateral margins diverging posteriad, posterior margin deeply excavate; quadruplet of sensory pits present on disc slightly posteriad, another quadruplet of sensory pits present near margin of wingpad, at about half of wingpad length. Metathoracic wing pads shorter (0.75 mm) along mid-line than mesonotum, 2.08 mm wide, posterior margin shallowly excavate. Prothoracic leg with femur as long as tibia (1 mm), prothoracic tibia subquadrangular in cross section, with rows of setae, first tarsomere 0.15 mm long with rows of plantar setae, second tarsomere 0.33 mm long, with rows of plantar setae and long apical setae, claws relatively big, 0.45 mm long, arolium wide, spatulate. Mesothoracic leg with femur shorter (0.88 mm) than prothoracic femur, shorter than mesothoracic tibia (1.35 mm), mesothoracic tibia slightly flattened with rows of long setae; mesothoracic tarsus 0.5 mm long, first tarsomere 0.15 mm long with rows of plantar setae, second tarsomere 0.35 mm long, tarsal claws distinct, arolium spatulate. Metathoracic coxa with small meracanthus, coxa ribbed near base anterior to meracanthus; metathoracic trochanter ring-like, about as long as wide; metathoracic femur 0.88 mm long; metathoracic tibia 2.18 mm long, round in cross section, with a few thickened setae present, with apical row of 1+2+3 teeth; first tarsomere 0.8 mm long, with 6 apical teeth, subapical setae present on teeth except for external teeth; second tarsomere short, 0.3 mm long, with 5 apical teeth, subapical setae present on teeth except for external teeth; apical tarsomere 0.33 mm long; tarsal claws and arolium distinct.

Abdomen:Abdomen 4.3 mm long along mid-line, 1.8 mm wide, 9-segmented, narrower than preceding metathoracic wing-pads. Abdominal tergites IV–VIII with triplets of sensory pits at posterior angles, and with submedian triplets of sensory pits close to the median line, delicately carinate at 1/5 of distance from lateral margin to the median line of tergite. Abdominal pleurites IV–VIII narrow, with stigmal area in anterior portion. All visible abdominal sternites without median fissure. Abdominal sternites VI and VII with pairs of subquadrangular areas (waxpads?). Pygofer (segment IX) triangular, about as long as wide (0.93 mm), with posterior margin excavate dorsad, with distinct narrow median incision on ventral margin, with triplets of sensory pits near the tip on lateral lobes, and pair of two sensory pits on ventral lobes, near apical angle. Pair of fingerlike processes visible, probably dorsolateral processes of sternite IX. Anal segment triangular with median carination.

Holotype: Exuvium of Vth instar nymph, specimen No. 922AB embedded in Canada balsam, Dany Azar coll. (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris). LEBANON: Central Lebanon, Hammana/Mdeyrij outcrop; Lower Cretaceous, Uppermost Neocomian?–Lowermost Aptian ( Azar et al. 2003).

Figures

Figs 12–19. Neazonia immatura sp. n.: (12) Face, (13) Set of sensory pits of face, (14) Right half of prothorax, (15) Right half of mesothorax, (16) Right fore leg, (17) Left hind leg, (18) Right hind leg, (19) Right hind tarsus. Scale bars: Figs 12, 14–19 = 1 mm; Fig. 13 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 20–23. Neazonia immatura sp. n.: (20) Hind coxae, (21) Abdomen in dorsal view, (22) Abdominal pleural region, (23) Pygofer in dorsal view. Scale bars: Figs 20, 21, 23 = 1 mm; Fig. 22 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 24–27. General appearance of Neazonia: (24) N. tripleta sp. n., dorsal view; (25) N. tripleta sp. n., ventral view; (26) N. immatura sp. n., dorsal view; (27) N. immatura sp. n., ventral view.