Tenucephalus interstinctus, 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 : 107-110

Tenucephalus interstinctus n. sp.

( Figs. 67 , 84 )

Diagnosis. T. interstinctus can be identified by a combination of the – interstinctus color pattern, pygofer process arising from inner margin near apex, extending beyond pygofer apex, sinuate, and with serrated inner margin and apex, style apophysis boot-like, and the aedeagus with very long pair of apical processes serrated on dorsal margin.

Body. Male, 3.3–3.4 mm. Female, 3.8–3.9 mm to wing apex, 4.2–4.4 mm to ovipositor tip.

Color. With the – interstinctus color pattern. Anterior margin of head with transverse white band bordered ventrally by thin brown line and dorsally by broken line consisting of five transverse markings.

Male. Pygofer about 2x as long as height at midlength; apex rounded; with ~25 long macrosetae on posterodorsal 1/4; with pair of processes arising from inner margin near apex, sinuate, flattened, reaching beyond pygofer side apex, with 5–9 jagged teeth ventrally near apex. Valve triangular; width less than 2x median length. Subgenital plates triangular; with single row of 8–10 macrosetae along lateral margin; with numerous other long fine setae laterally. Style preapical lobe acutely angled, apex rounded; apophysis short, thick, truncate, boot-shaped. Connective-aedeagus with symmetrical pair of processes fused near aedeagal base, processes slightly curved upward, nearly reaching apex of aedeagal apical processes. Aedeagus relatively short, broad in lateral view; apex with pair of very long lanceolate processes, with irregular minute teeth along dorsal margin, relatively straight in ventral view, slightly exceeding basal processes of aedeagus/connective. Phragma only slightly sclerotized with numerous short setae throughout. Segment X lightly sclerotized laterally and ventrally.

Female. Sternite VII width less than 2x median length; median 1/3 of posterior margin produced, apically with two shallow groove and broad median hump. Sternite VIII mostly membranous; irregularly sclerotized anteriorly; slightly exceeding anterior margin of stVII.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1♂, PERU: Madre de Dios, Rio Tambopata Res. , 30 air km SW Pto. Mal- donado, 290m, 6–10-XI-1979, J.B. Heppner, subtropical moist forest [ USNM] . PARATYPES: 2♂, same data as holotype . 2♂, 38♀: PERU, Madre de Dios, Manu , Pakitza, 12°7’S 70°58’W, 250m ., 14–23-IX-1988, O. Flint & N. Adams, trail 2, 1 st stream, malaise trap. 1♂, 18♀, same data as preceding except 9–14-IX-1988 . 2♂, 14♀, same data as preceding, except 9–14-IX-1988, trail 1 . 2♂, 1♀, PERU, Madre de Dios, Manu , Pakitza, 11°56’S 71°18’W, 250m ., 12–18-IX-1989, kitchen stream, malaise trap, night collection, N. Adams et al. [ USNM]

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective meaning “spotted, or speckled”.

Distribution. T. interstinctus is known from Peru, Madre de Dios region.

Remarks. T. interstinctus was resolved as sister to T. manuensis in the phylogenetic analyses here ( Fig. 91 ).

Figures

FIGUIRE 67. Tenucephalus interstinctus n. sp. (A–B, D–H, J) standard views; A1 & B, female; A2 male. (Q) pygofer process, ventrolateral view. (R) male genital capsule, ventral view.

FIGUIRE 84. Distribution of Tenucephalus spp. and Virganana danasensis in northwestern South America.

FIGUIRE 91. Strict consensus tree from MP analysis of 51 morphological characters. Numbers below branches are MP bootstrap scores. The plesiomorphic condition is macroptery for both males and females (Hecalocorica bidentata ♂ shown in up- per left). Key stepwise transitions leading to brachyptery occur on clades A (char. 20; forewing of Hecullus bracteatus ♀ and hindwing of Acrolithus brevis ♀ shown), B (char. 22; Acrolithus brevis ♂ shown), and C (chars. 20 & 22; Dietrichana pampas ♀ shown).