Geelus haakdraad, Stiller, 2020

Stiller, Michael, 2020, A new leafhopper genus Geelus and 12 new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae Deltocephalinae) from Southern Africa, Zootaxa 4786 (3), pp. 301-344 : 330-333

Geelus haakdraad sp.n.

( Figs 15 A–M, 16A–L)

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft short, compressed, with subapical, medial paired tooth and single dorsal disk-like tooth, acuminate laterad. Pygofer lobe rectangular, process origin dorso-apical, directed ventrad, straight, subapex bifid. Subgenital plate short with many macrosetae near apex and subapex. Female sternite 7 with wide, shallowly excavated posterior margin.

Etymology. Afrikaans nouns in apposition, haak, hook, draad, wire, for the large prominent hooked structure dorsally near the apex of the aedeagus. Gender masculine.

Color. Male, female and nymph. Dark forms with brown to dark brown reticulate markings in Figs 15C, 15D, 15H and 15I and light forms in Figs 15A, 15B, 15E and 15F , and the latter not the result of fading due to collection into alcohol. Nymphs in Figs 15J and 15K . Face of male not banded ( Fig. 15L ) and banded in female ( Fig. 15M ).

Male. Measurements. n=5. Length from apex of crown to apex of tegmina 4.71–4.99 mm. Crown median length 0.47–0.51 mm. Crown length next to eye 0.34–0.36 mm. Pronotum length 0.54–0.60 mm. Head width across eyes 1.42–1.51 mm. Pronotum width 1.31–1.41 mm. Ocellus diameter 47.1–64.9 μm; interocular distance 76.3– 97.3 µm. Apical angle of crown 112.6°±1.6°.

Pygofer lobe. Process orientation, ventrad; process basally edentate; process origin, medially on dorso-apical margin of lobe; process straight, narrow, acuminate ( Fig. 16F ), subapex bidentate, asymmetric, apex triangular ( Fig. 16E ); pygofer lobe narrowly merged with pygofer, constricted at base, lobe rectangular, apex dorsally rectangular, apex ventrally somewhat produced ventrad and posteriad; anterior apodeme short, dorsal ( Figs 16F, 16H ). apex of pygofer lobe shorter relative to apex of subgenital plate.

Anal tube. Narrowed medially ( Fig. 16H ).

Subgenital plate. Number of macrosetae, 20–30; medioposterior angle, obtuse or right-angled; length: width, 0.5–0.7; position of macrosetae, distal half, variable in number between plates ( Fig. 16G ).

Valve. Shape semicircular, distal margin broadly rounded, proximal margin shallowly concave, sometimes with median triangular lip ( Fig. 16G ).

Style. Apophysis with numerous small, ventral teeth, large teeth absent; apophysis about half as wide as width across preapical lobe; ratio length to width of apophysis 2.9–3.2 ( Fig. 16D )

Connective. Stem length relative to arm length, 0.8–0.9 times longer than arms; stem width relative to width across arms, narrower, 0.5–0.8 times as wide as width across arms ( Fig. 16J ).

Aedeagus. Shaft thick, compressed, wider in lateral view than width in dorsal view, apex in dorsal view narrower than base; shaft in lateral view sublinear; apex of shaft rounded, gonopore marginal, at apex, narrow; subapex of shaft with mediolateral, paired tooth; shaft dorsally with curvate process in lateral view, in dorsal view process transverse with anterior margin rounded, lateral margin acuminate; dorsal apodeme, in lateral view, short, in dorsal view C-shaped; connective articulated with preatrium ( Figs 16 A–C).

Female. Measurements. n=4. Length from apex of crown to apex of tegmina 4.98–5.41 mm. Crown median length 0.51–0.55 mm. Crown length next to eye 0.36–0.39 mm. Pronotum length 0.58–0.63 mm. Head width across eyes 1.51–1.64 mm. Pronotum width 1.36–1.51 mm. Ocellus diameter 58.7–74.3 μm; interocular distance 81.4–93.6 µm. Apical angle of crown 112.3°±1.7°.

Sternite 7. Posterior margin, concave, width of notch as wide as width at distal margin; notch incised about one third into sternite 7; ligula absent ( Fig. 16I ). In caudal view sternite 8 with perpendicular irregular sclerotized paired disc.

Valvifer 1. In lateral view, about as wide as long; ventral margin rounded; anterior margin straight, dorsal and posterior margins sublinear ( Fig. 16K ). In dorsal view, merged broadly ( Fig. 16L ).

Material examined. Holotype male. Namibia , CCDL 27336, Brandberg Katarakt, -21.16, 14.52, 2.v.2003, M. Stiller, sweeping, Galenia africana , Aizoaceae ( SANC). Paratypes. 3♂, 5♀, 9 nymphs. Namibia . 1♂, 2♀, 6 nymphs, ibid holotype; 1♀, 1 nymph, CCDL 27365, Brandberg, Numas Fläche, -21.117, 14.543, 2.v.2003, M. Still- er, sweeping; 1 nymph, CCDL 27367, Brandberg Katarakt, -21.16, 14.52, 2.v.2003, M. Stiller, sweeping, Pteronia lucilioides Asteraceae . 2♂, 2♀, 1 nymph, CCDL 27395, Waterberg, -20.504, 17.226, 28.iv.2005, M. Stiller, sweep- ing grass, shrubs and forbs ( SANC).

Remarks. Characteristic of this species is the rectangular pygofer lobe, with the apical dorsomedial, narrow, acuminate, ventrad process. Despite the small size, and oblique orientation, the apex of the pygofer process bears two triangular, asymmetric teeth. This is the only species with an apical paired tooth on the pygofer process. Most species of Geelus have the pygofer process immaculate, but in G. dundraad and G. driehoekdraad the pygofer process bears few basal teeth. The process in G. viertanddraad has a single ventral tooth. In G. kinkeldraad the pygofer process is denticulate dorsomedially. The subgenital plate in G. slangdraad and G. haakdraad is shorter than in any other species of Geelus , and the latter also bearing the most macrosetae. Four males and three females were dissected. None of the examined specimens from the survey of the Brandberg ( Stiller 2000) and other malaise traps in Namibia have produced this species.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Geelus haakdraad gen.n. & sp.n., male and female, habitus views.A. Male, Brandberg, dorsally; B. Male, Brandberg, dorsally; C. Male, Waterberg, dorsally; D. Female, Waterberg, dorsally; E. Male, Brandberg, laterally; F. Male, Brandberg, laterally; G. Female, Brandberg, laterally; H. Female, Waterberg, laterally; I. Female, Waterberg, laterally; J. Nymph, Brandberg, early instar; K. Nymph, Brandberg, late instar, on Galenia; L. Face, Brandberg, immaculate, on Galenia; M. Face, Waterberg, marked.

FIGURE 16. Geelus haakdraad gen.n. & sp.n., male and female genitalia, line drawings.A.Aedeagus, ventrally; B. Aedeagus, dorsally; C. Aedeagus, laterally; D. Style; E. Pygofer process, caudally; F. Genital capsule, laterally; G. Subgenital plate; H. Genital capsule, dorsally; I. Sternite 7; J. Connective; K. Valvifer 1, laterally; L. Valvifer 1, dorsally.