Sandersellus bilanceus, Nielson, 2010

Nielson, M. W., 2010, New leafhopper species and distribution records of Gabrita Walker, 1858 and Sandersellus DeLong, 1945 with revised keys to species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae), Zootaxa 2531 (1), pp. 39-47 : 46-47

Sandersellus bilanceus sp. nov.

( Figs. 22–27)

Length: male 6.80 mm.

External morphology. General color piceous with numerous, irregular, pale ivory spots on dorsum; face piceous except for flavous clypeus and clypellus. Head small, very narrow, about 2/3 as wide as pronotum; eyes large, semibulbous, occupying about 2/3 of entire dorsal area of head; crown very narrow, about ½ of width of eyes, produced distally about 1/3 of median length, strongly carinate laterally; pronotum large, median length about 1/3 as long as crown with complete median longitudinal carina; mesonotum large, about 1/3 longer than pronotum, carinate medially to ½ length from apex to base, lateral angles carinate; clypeus long and narrow, lateral margins broadly convex, tapered distally, broad basally; clypellus short, about 1/3 as long as clypeus, lateral margins nearly parallel, slightly inflated basally.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view with caudal margin trilobed ( Fig. 22); subgenital plate in ventral view elongate, glabrous ( Fig. 23); style long, longer than aedeagus, apophysis very slender in lateral view, broad subbasally, tapered distally in dorsal view ( Figs. 24, 25); aedeagus with pair of very long, acuminate, subdistal processes directed basad, shaft triangulate near middle in dorsal view ( Figs 26, 27).

Female unknown.

Material examined. Holotype male. PERU: Madre de Dios, Rio de Tambopata Res. , 30 km. (air), SW Pdt. Maldonado, insect flight trap, R. C. Wilkerson ( NMNH).

Etymology. This species is named for the long acuminate processes on the aedeagus.

Remarks. This species is similar in aedeagal features to S. retrorsus (Figs. 62, 63, Nielson (1975) and S. peniculus (Figs. 55, 56, Nielson 1975) but can easily be distinguished by the very long acuminate processes arising subdistally.