Nelbroma betrokaensis, Sanborn, 2021

Sanborn, Allen F., 2021, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) of Madagascar including a new tribe, five new genera, twelve new species, four new species synonymies, five revised species status, ten new combinations, new tribal assignments for four genera, one new subtribe synonymy, a checklist and key to the species, Zootaxa 4937 (1), pp. 1-79 : 39-42

Nelbroma betrokaensis n. sp.

( Fig. 5 )

Type material.— Holotype. “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear Pr. / 18km NNW Betroka , 825m / 23° 09’ 48” S 45° 58’ 07” E / 04–09DEC 1994, F.I.T. / M.A. Ivie & D.A. Pollack ” male (Michael Ivie collection, MTEC to be deposited in the CASC).

Etymology.—The name is a combination of betroka – for the type locality and –ensis (L. suffix denoting place).

Description

Head and thorax tawny marked with piceous and castaneous, abdomen testaceous marked with castaneous.

Head

Head wider than mesonotum, castaneous except ground color supra-antennal plates, anteromedial vertex parallel to frontoclypeal suture curving to anterior cranial depression, anterolateral corner of frons, and epicranial suture posterior to median ocellus. Dorsal head covered with sparse, short silvery, longer posterior to eye. Ocelli red, eyes ochraceous but cells have retracted from eye surface so they appear hollow. Ventral head ground color with castaneous eye margin and castaneous spot in posterior lorum, short white pile on lorum and gena, denser than on dorsal head. Postclypeus ground color with 12 castaneous transverse ridges, short white pile radiating in lateral transverse grooves and posterior margin. Anteclypeus castaneous covered with white pile. Mentum castaneous, labium castaneous with piceous tip, rostrum radiating short golden pile, reaching to posterior coxae. Antennal segments ground color.

Thorax

Pronotum ground color with castaneous longitudinal fascia along midline expanding laterally along ambient fissure not reaching level of posterior lateral fissure, castaneous within lateral fissure and lateral ambient fissure surrounding lateral disk, some irregular castaneous markings on disk between paramedial and lateral fissures and anterior lateral disk. Pronotal collar castaneous with ground color posterior margin between lateral angles. Pronotum with sparse short silvery pile. Mesonotum castaneous with piceous sigillae and scutal depressions, ochraceous lateral cruciform elevation. Metanotum ochraceous with castaneous spot in middle wing groove. Dorsum with short silvery pile on anterolateral margin, between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, between anterior and posterior arms of cruciform elevation, on posterior mesonotum, in wing groove, and on posterior metanotum. Ventral thoracic segments ground color laterally, castaneous medially, covered with white pile.

Wings

Fore wings and hind wings opaque medially, hyaline fore wings with eight apical cells, hind wings damaged distally but five apical cells clearly present in remaining section attached to underside of fore wing. Venation ground color proximally, becoming castaneous distally, dark castaneous fascia along base of radius & subcostal vein in proximal basal cell. Basal cell hyaline. Pterostigma present, not reaching radial crossvein. Basal membrane of fore wing gray. Hind wing venation similar to fore wing. Anal cell 3, anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3, and anal cell 1 along anal vein 2 light gray.

Legs

Legs castaneous, ground color on distomedial coxae and distal femora. Fore femora with primary spine longest, angled to femoral axis, secondary spine upright with curved tip, tertiary spine smallest about parallel to secondary spine, spines dark castaneous with lighter tip. Tarsi castaneous except ground color proximal half of hind tarsi, tibial spurs and comb dark castaneous. Pretarsal claws castaneous. Meracanthus broadly triangular with curved lateral margin, ochraceous with castaneous base, not reaching anterior margin of medial operculum. Legs with short white pile, radiating long golden pile.

Operculum

Male operculum ochraceous with castaneous base, lateral margin straight, posterolateral margin curved, posterior margin straight at approximate right angle to lateral margin, rounded posteromedial margin connecting concave anteromedial margin, not reaching to middle of hind coxa medially so medial margins well separated, reaching to anterior sternite II medially but not covering tympanal cavity posteriorly or laterally, covered with white pile at base, radiating long golden pile.

Abdomen

Abdominal tergites dark castaneous except ground color lateral tergite 2, dorsolateral tergites 3–5, posterior margins of tergites 3–8 and dorsolateral tergite 8, tergites covered with sparse short silvery pile, white pile on dorsum of tergites 1, 2, and anterior of tergite 3. Timbal cover absent, timbal completely exposed, posterior timbal strongly angled mediad, timbal with nine ribs. Male sternites castaneous except ground color posterolateral margin of sternite I, all of sternite II except castaneous posterior margin and auditory capsule, and posterolateral corners of sternite VII. Epipleurites castaneous with ground color posterior margin. Sternites and epipleurites radiating long silvery pile. Sternite VIII light castaneous with ground color anterolateral margin, radiating long silvery pile.

Genitalia

Male pygofer castaneous with ground color dorsal beak margin, distal shoulder undeveloped, dorsal beak pointed, broadly triangular, pygofer with short silvery pile dorsally and laterally. Upper pygofer lobe small, flattened, angled mediad, radiating short silvery pile, superimposed on basal pygofer lobe, pygofer basal lobes extending about half length of pygofer, adpressed to lateral pygofer margin, with dark castaneous, semicircular mediad extensions radiating short silvery pile in middle and on distal end. Anal styles dark castaneous radiating short silvery pile, anal tube ground color. Uncus absent, claspers castaneous with darker base, laterally flattened, curving mediad to meet along midline, tapering to transverse apex, surrounding aedeagus distally. Aedeagus small, tubular, light castaneous, restrained by claspers, lacking conjunctival claws.

Female is unknown.

Measurements (mm).—N = 1 male. Length of body: 8.60; length of fore wing: 11.75; width of fore wing: 3.85; length of head: 2.25; width of head including eyes: 3.65; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 3.40; width of mesonotum: 3.00.

Diagnosis.—This new species is the smallest known species in Madagascar. The measurements can be used to distinguish it from the remaining species. It can also be distinguished from the other two small new species by the ground color supra-antennal plates and the large claspers that extend out from under the uncus in this new species.

Distribution.—The species is only known from the type specimen collected in Tulear Province, southwestern Madagascar.

Figures

FIG. 5. Nelbroma betrokaensis n. gen., n. sp.: A, Holotype male habitus; B, holotype male dorsum; C, holotype male timbal; D, holotype male operculum; E, holotype male lateral view of genitalia; F, holotype male posterior view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 2 mm; C—F, 1 mm.