Platyjassula, 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 : 36-38

Platyjassula gen. nov.

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Figs 2 A–D, 8, 17A–C

Type species

Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov.

Diagnosis

This genus may be distinguished by the following combination of features: body medium-sized; color stramineous with few darker markings on face and legs; vertex overlapping distinctly less than half of anterior margin of eye, crown uniformly shagreen; forewing with supernumerary crossveins distally; hindwing veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent preapically but separate near apex; hind femur macrosetal formula 2 +2+1; style apex divided into two divergent acute points.

Etymology

The name, a feminine noun, is a variant of that of the type genus of the tribe.

Description

HABITUS. Medium-sized platyjassines (7.0– 8.7 mm). Color stramineous, with few darker markings on face, legs and forewing apex; front tibia with dorsum dark brown to black.

HEAD. Crown flattened, uniformly shagreen, anterior margin produced, spatulate, forming hood over dorsal part of face, anterolateral extension of vertex overlapping less than half of eye margin. Frontoclypeus moderately convex, with slight median dorsal depression; antennal ledge transverse, not overlapping frontoclypeus; lateral frontal suture present above antennal ledge but not extended to crown margin; gena slightly emarginate below eye, not completely concealing proepisternum, with weak carina extended from lorum dorsad to antennal pit; lorum small, flat; anteclypeus slightly convex, lateral margins distinctly divergent distally; rostrum slender, not surpassing front trochanters.

THORAX. Pronotum slightly declivous, in profile continuing contour of crown, much wider than head, lateral margins strongly divergent posterad, transverse striations weakly delimited. Forewing with several 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 5 stout setae in basal half, dorsal surface of tibia rounded, PD with 4 widely spaced macrosetae. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2+2 +1, tibial row AD with one small seta between successive macrosetae; tarsomere I plantar row single and weakly developed, pecten with 4 platellae.

ABDOMEN. Male pygofer base band-like, dorsally with median posterior projection; lobe separated from base by membranous vertical cleft, with or without ventral process, with numerous macrosetae in distal half, apex broadly rounded. Subgenital plate with submedial row of macrosetae, dorsolateral margin with irregular row of short, fine setae. Style apophysis slender, smooth, without denticuli, apex divided into two divergent acute points. Connective with stem and arms subequel in length, anterior margin variable. Aedeagus with atrium shield-like in posterior view, shaft compressed, processes, if present, unpaired, gonopore preapical on posterior surface. Female abdominal sternite VII trilobed posteriorly. First valvulae with dorsal sculpturing strigate. Second valvulae broadened to near midlength, then tapered to apex, dorsal margin serrate distally.

Remarks

This genus closely resembles Platyjassus in size, structure, and coloration, but differs in having supernumerary forewing crossveins, the aedeagus symmetrical or nearly so, and the style apophysis with two acute distal projections.

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

1. Aedeagus with long, slender, recurved process arising from ventral margin of atrium ( Fig. 8B )...2 – Aedeagus without process arising from atrium separate from shaft ( Fig. 8I ).................................3

2. Aedeagus with stem of shaft much shorter than falcate ventroapical process ( Fig. 8L ) .................. ..................................................................................... Platyjassula mahajangensis gen. et sp. nov.

– Aedeagus with stem of shaft approximately of same length as falcate ventroapical process ( Fig. 8B ) .............................................................................................. Platyjassula cyclura gen. et sp. nov.

3. Aedeagus very broad and foot-like in lateral view; apical extensions of style unequal in length ( Fig. 8F ) ............................................................................... Platyjassula heterofurca gen. et sp. nov.

– Aedeagus slender in lateral view, not foot-like; apical extensions of style subequal in length ( Fig. 8I ) ................................................................................. Platyjassula isofurca gen. et sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 2. Platyjassini, dorsal and lateral habitus of males. A. Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov. B. Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov. C. Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. D. Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. E. Platyjassus acutus sp. nov. F. Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov. G. Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953. H. Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov. I. Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov. J. Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov. K. Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov. L. Platyjassus irwini sp. nov. M. Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov. N. Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov. O. Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov. P. Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Platyjassula gen. nov. – A–D. Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov. A. Genital capsule, lateral view. B. Genitalia, lateral view. C. Same, ventral view. D. Aedeagus, posterior view. – E–G. Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov. E. Genital capsule, lateral view. F. Genitalia, lateral view. G. Same, ventral view. – H–J. Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. H. Genital capsule, lateral view. I. Genitalia, lateral view. J. Same, ventral view. – K–M. Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. K. Genital capsule, lateral view. L. Genitalia, lateral view. M. Same, ventral view. Photos not to scale.