Nelidina bifida, Gonçalves & Mejdalani, 2017

Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2017, Three new species of Peruvian Nelidina (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Neocoelidiinae) with key to males, Zootaxa 4365 (1), pp. 85-93 : 86-89

Nelidina bifida sp. nov.

( Figs 1–9 , 28, 29 )

Diagnosis. Pygofer ( Fig. 3 ) with dorsoapical lobe expanded, fan-like. Style, in lateral view ( Fig. 6 ), approximately rectilinear, apex rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs 8, 9 ) with shaft arched; with pair of long lateroapical processes, anteroventrally directed, each process with median spine at inner margin.

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External morphology. Male holotype: length 6.5 mm, male paratypes: length 6.3–7.1 mm (n = 52). External characteristics as in generic description.

Male terminalia. Pygofer, in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ), subrectangular; length approximately twice height; dorsal margin rectilinear along basal two-thirds and concave on apical third; ventral margin slightly sinuous; with setae on apical half; apex bilobed, dorsoapical lobe fan-like, large, expanded dorsoventrally and with caudal margin rounded and setose, ventroapical lobe small and rounded. Subgenital plate, in lateral view ( Fig. 4 ), with apical half slightly curved dorsally; in ventral view ( Fig. 5 ), each plate about 3.2 times longer than maximum width; ventral margin with 6–8 macrosetae distributed on apical half; apex rounded. Style, in lateral view ( Fig. 6 ), narrowing gradually towards apex; in dorsal view ( Fig. 7 ), with margins approximately parallel; apex rounded. Connective ( Fig. 7 ) about two-thirds length of style. Aedeagus ( Figs 8, 9 ) with shaft arched, directed posterodorsally at basal half and dorsoanteriorly at apical half; with pair of lateroapical processes approximately two-thirds length of shaft, anteroventrally directed and outwardly arched, each process with median spine at inner margin and with apex attenuate; apex of shaft also with small unciform dorsoapical process strongly curved anteroventrally, and small spiniform ventroapical process; preatrium long, about half length of shaft.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet, bifida , comes from the Latin “bifidus” and means bifid. It refers to the pygofer apex ( Fig. 3 ).

Material examined. Holotype male: “ Peru, San Martin, Cons. Mun.\ Zona Barreal 23 km S. Picota \ 07°04.88’S 76°18.89’W, malaise, 06–15.iii.2005,\ M.E.Irwin & J.D.Vasquez ” ( MUSM) . Paratypes: 1m: same data as the holotype ( MUSM) ; 51m: “ Peru, Huanuco, 5 km W.\ Tingo Maria , Pte. Monzón, 600m \ 9°19’32”S 76°1’47”W \ 26 Oct 2002, R.A.Rakitov \ merc. Vapor light, 02-42.2”, 9m ( DZRJ), 9m ( INHS), 9m ( MNRJ), 24m ( MUSM) .

Remarks. Nelidina bifida sp. nov. is similar to N. defila in the shape of the styles ( Figs 6, 7 ) and the length and orientation of the processes of the aedeagus ( Fig. 9 ). However, the new species can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by the shape of the dorsoapical lobe of the pygofer ( Fig. 3 ) and the presence of a median spine on the paired distal processes of the aedeagus ( Fig. 9 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Nelidina bifida sp. nov., holotype male. 1, head, frontal view. 2, forewing. 3, pygofer and anal tube, lateral view. 4, subgenital plate, lateral view. 5, subgenital plates, ventral view. 6, style, lateral view. 7, styles and connective, dorsal view.8, aedeagus, lateral view.9, aedeagus, caudal view.

FIGURES 28–33. Habitus, dorsal and lateral views, respectively. 28 and 29, Nelidina bifida sp. nov., paratype male. 30 and 31, N.coronata sp. nov., holotype male.32 and 33, N.platypenis sp. nov., paratype male.