Pachyjassus, Dietrich & Magalhães & Takiya, 2020

Dietrich, Christopher H., Magalhães, Raysa Brito de & Takiya, Daniela M., 2020, Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 695, pp. 1-89 : 11-13

Pachyjassus gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:81F0C558-8097-4710-95E4-24E8D1C0A211

Figs 1 A–C, 4A–I, 16A–F

Type species

Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov.

Diagnosis

This genus may be distinguished by the following combination of features: body robust, dorsum stramineous without distinct spots or stripes, vertex overlapping less than half of anterolateral margin of eye, crown transversely striate anteriorly, margin spatulate; forewing with few supernumerary crossveins in distal half; hindwing veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent preapically but separate near apex; hind femur macrosetal formula usually 2+2+ 1; aedeagus with pair of long basal processes.

Etymology

The genus name, a masculine noun, combines the Greek ʻ pachys ʼ (ʻthickʼ) with ʻ- jassus ʼ, a common suffix for members of this subfamily, referring to the relatively robust body form of members of the genus.

Description

HABITUS. Medium-sized platyjassines (7.0– 8.6 mm). Color stramineous with darker pigment at apex of forewing, prominent black spot at apex of middle and hind femur and laterally on hind coxa.

HEAD. Crown flattened, somewhat concave in lateral view, granulose with inconspicuous transverse striations; anterior margin produced, spatulate, forming hood over dorsal part of face, lateral extension overlapping less than half of eye margin; ocelli anteromesad of eyes. Frontoclypeus moderately convex, with slight median dorsal depression; antennal ledge transverse, strongly overlapping frontoclypeus; lateral frontal suture present above antennal ledge but not extended to crown margin; gena slightly emarginate below eye, but completely concealing proepisternum; lorum small, flat; anteclypeus slightly convex, lateral margins only slightly divergent distally; rostrum slender, surpassing front trochanters but not extended beyond middle coxae.

THORAX. Pronotum strongly declivous, in profile continuing contour of posterior part of crown, much wider than head, lateral margins strongly divergent posterad, transverse striations well delimited. Forewing with few supernumerary crossveins in distal half, appendix broad and extended to wing apex, inner apical cell relatively short. Hindwing veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent preapically but separate near apex. Front femur row IC with ~10–14 setae somewhat irregularly arranged basally; AV with several stout setae in basal half, dorsal surface of tibia somewhat flattened, PD and AD each with 4 widely spaced macrosetae. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2+2+ 1 (rarely 2+2 +1+1), tibial row AD with one or more smaller setae between successive macrosetae; tarsomere I plantar row single and weakly developed.

ABDOMEN. Male pregenital sternite distinctly longer than sternite VII, posterior margin truncate. Male pygofer base band-like, dorsally with median posterior projection; lobe separated from base by membranous vertical cleft, with numerous macrosetae in distal half, apex broadly rounded, processes and spines absent, ventral margin with slight lobe near base bearing several fine setae. Subgenital plate with few macrosetae, dorsolateral margin with row of long, fine setae. Style apophysis slender, smooth, without denticuli, apex curved dorsad with blunt tip. Aedeagus with paired processes arising at base, shaft simple, without processes. Female abdominal sternite VII obtusely emarginate. Second valvulae slender, parallel-sided through most of length, with two widely spaced dorsal preapical teeth and series of smaller, close-set teeth distally on dorsal margin.

Remarks

This genus is similar to Punctijassus gen. nov. in overall structure and in having paired black spots on the legs, but the included species are larger, with extra crossveins in the forewing, and have basal processes of the aedeagus paired rather than single.

Key to species of Pachyjassus gen. nov. (males)

1. Male pygofer with rounded lobe near midlength of posteroventral margin ( Fig. 4G ); basal processes of aedeagus closely adjacent to shaft ( Fig. 4H ) .......... Pachyjassus ranomafanensis gen. et sp. nov.

– Male pygofer without lobe near midlength of posteroventral margin; basal processes of aedeagus well separated from shaft basally ( Fig. 4E ).....................................................................................2

2. Aedeagus with shaft strongly compressed and broad in lateral view, basal processes parallelsided through most of length ( Fig. 4E ) ............................. achyjassus basifurcatus gen. et sp. nov.

– Aedeagus with shaft tubular and slender, basal processes strongly expanded near base, then tapered ( Fig. 4B ) .......................................................................... Pachyjassus alatus gen. et sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. Platyjassini, dorsal and lateral habitus of males. A. Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov. B. Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. C. Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. D. Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959). E. Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. F. Phaiojassus acutus sp. nov. G. Phaiojassus bispinosus sp. nov. H. Phaiojassus constrictus sp. nov. I. Phaiojassus grandis sp. nov. J. Phaiojassus spatulatus sp. nov.K. Phaiojassus undulatus sp. nov. L. Phaiojassus unispinosus sp. nov. M. Pictojassus kirindiensis sp. nov. N. Pictojassus productus sp. nov. O. Pictojassus tulearensis sp. nov. P. Platyjassella ancora sp. nov. Q. Platyjassella andohahelensis sp. nov. R. Platyjassella attenuata sp. nov. S. Platyjassella cormorana sp. nov. T. Platyjassella emarginata sp. nov. U. Platyjassella immaculata sp. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Pachyjassus gen. nov., Pallijassus gen. nov. and Petalojassus gen. nov. – A–C. Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov. A. Genital capsule, lateral view. B. Genitalia, lateral view. C. Same, ventral view. – D–F. Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. D. Genital capsule, lateral view. E. Genitalia, lateral view. F. Same, ventral view. – G–I. Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. G. Genital capsule, lateral view. H. Genitalia, lateral view. I. Same, ventral view. – J–M. Pallijassus reticulatus (Evans, 1959). J. Genital capsule, lateral view. K. Genitalia, lateral view. L. Same, ventral view. M. Aedeagus, posterior view. – N–P. Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959). N. Genital capsule, lateral view. O. Genitalia, lateral view. P. Same, ventral view. – Q–T. Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. Q. Genital capsule, lateral view. R. Genitalia, lateral view. S. Same, ventral view. T. Aedeagus, posterior view. Photos not to scale.