Pravistylus mecophysis, Stiller, 2010

Stiller, M., 2010, Revision of the Southern African leafhopper genus Pravistylus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) 2468, Zootaxa 2468 (1), pp. 1-81 : 30-31

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2468.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10537711
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EFD356-FFC6-FFCC-6CFF-74258EF6D2D9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pravistylus mecophysis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pravistylus mecophysis View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 s View FIGURE 1 ; 2 View FIGURE 2 ab; 3 d; 4 d; 5 t; 6 c; 7 au; 8 ag & ah)

Diagnosis. Style apophysis acute, longer than base, extending well beyond posterior margin of plate ( Fig. 5 t View FIGURE 5 ). Plate medial proximal margin straight, distal margin shallowly concave, lateral margin rounded; apex digitate; apex curving medially ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ab). Aedeagus very small; shaft depressed, straight, with apex curved dorsad ( Figs 3 d View FIGURE 3 , 4 d View FIGURE 4 ).

Etymology. Greek, for the very long (mekos) apophysis of the style.

Male and female. Pale ochraceous; feint fuscous marking sometimes on apex of vertex. Tegmina with costal cells opaque. Pygofer dorsolaterally at anterior margin with large fuscous marking ( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 ag & ah). Hind wing reduced, triangular, about half the length of tegmina.

Male. Dimensions. (n = 21) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.0– 2.2 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.1–2.5 mm; vertex medially 0.3–0.4 mm; vertex next to eye 0.2–0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.2–0.3 mm. Width: head 0.7 mm; pronotum 0.6–0.7 mm. Ocellar diameter 11.5–23.5 µ m; ocellocular distance 36.9–49.1 µm.

Genital capsule. Pygofer, in lateral view, with dorsal and ventral margins extending uniformly into broadly rounded lobe ( Fig. 1 s View FIGURE 1 ). Plate apex digitate, curved medially; medial margin straight basally, slightly sinuous subapically, lateral margin rounded; 7–8 marginal macrosetae ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ab); plate 1.4–1.7 times as long as wide. Aedeagus, in lateral view, with shaft arising medially on atrium; preatrium and dorsal apodeme short; dorsal view, shaft depressed, about twice as wide as width in lateral view; base of shaft straight, apex curved dorsad; gonopore subbasal, dorsal ( Figs 3 d View FIGURE 3 , 4 d View FIGURE 4 ). Style distal part far from anterior medial lobe; apophysis distinctly elongate, tapering gradually to narrow point, longer than base of style; apophysis extending well beyond posterior margin of plate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ab); teeth on apophysis extending from apex to base ( Fig. 5 t View FIGURE 5 ). Connective with stem about as long as base; in lateral view, straight ( Fig. 6 c View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. Dimensions. (n = 10) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.0– 2.4 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.2–2.7 mm; vertex medially 0.3–0.4 mm; vertex next to eye 0.2–0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.7–0.8 mm; pronotum 0.6–0.7 mm. Ocellar diameter 14.1–24.6 µ m; ocellocular distance 40.7–44.1 µm.

Genitalia. Sternite 7 ligula short, notched, flanked on either side by slightly shorter, obtusely triangular process ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 au).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Western Cape. Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Scarborough, 34°14ʹS, 18°25ʹE, 60 m, 10.xii.2004, DVac, Pseudopentameris macrantha , Pentaschistis curvifolia , Tribolium hispidum (Poaceae) ( SANC). Paratypes. 20♂, 4♀, 2 nymphs. Western Cape. 8♂, 2♀, Silvermine Nature Reserve, Noordhoek, 34°06ʹS, 18°25ʹE, 76 m, 9.xii.2004, DVac; 7♂, 5♀, same data as holotype; 3♂, between Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay, 34°21ʹS, 18°52ʹE, 19.xii.2004, DVac, rehabilitated refuse dump; 3♂, 2♀, 2 nymphs, Hangklip, Pringle Bay, 34°23ʹS, 18°50ʹE, 19.xii.2004, DVac; all M. Stiller ( BMNH, INHS, SANC).

Remarks. All examined specimens except one have the hind wing reduced. The tegmina is sometimes as long as the abdomen, but usually shorter. No other species of Pravistylus has a similarly elongate style apophysis that protrudes far beyond the plate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ab). However, the styles in species such as P. bidentidiscus (plate as in Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ar) and P. scolophallus sp. n. (plate as in Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 as) have the apophysis protruding beyond the plate to a lesser extent. These two species have the plate modified to a greater degree than in species from the Grassland Biome. The aedeagi of P. deltoplacus ( Fig. 3 c View FIGURE 3 ), P. mecophysis ( Fig. 3 d View FIGURE 3 ) and P. bidentidiscus ( Fig. 3 e View FIGURE 3 ) are very similar, although the styles and plates differ distinctly. To an extent the aedeagi of P. brachyplacus ( Fig. 3 f View FIGURE 3 ) and P. mollidiscus sp. n. ( Fig. 3 g View FIGURE 3 ) bear some resemblance, but have shorter and more tubular shafts than that of P. mecophysis ( Fig. 3 d View FIGURE 3 ).