Acuera adspersa ( Stal )

Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro, 2023, Phylogenetic analysis and revision of the leafhopper genus Acuera DeLong & Freytag (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) based on morphological data, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 79-164 : 79

Acuera adspersa ( Stal)

Figs 8 , 9 , 15A, B

Gypona adspersa Stål, 1854: 252

Diagnosis.

Coloration (Fig. 15A, B ) predominant brown. Frons (Fig. 8B ) black except near lateral margins yellowish-brown. Pygofer, in dorsal view (Fig. 8g ), apex with two short processes separated by shallow excavation. Subgenital plate (Fig. 8H ) narrow, without filiform setae. Aedeagus (Fig. 8L, M ) apodemal process almost as long as shaft length, wide at base and tapered toward acute apex; shaft in lateral view, curved posterad, ventral margin strongly excavated; subapical processes long, about half length of shaft, directed ventrally.

Measurements.

Total length: males 10.6-11.6 mm, females 12.4-12.5 mm.

Description.

Metatibia AD row with 1-2 intercalary setae between each macrosetae; PD, AD and AV rows with 24-26, 12-13 and 17-18 macrosetae respectively. Metatarsomere I 3.5 × longer than apical width; pecten with 5 platellae. Metatarsomere II pecten with 2-3 platellae. Other characteristics as in generic description.

Coloration.

Head and thorax (Fig. 8A-C ) yellowish-brown. Crown, pronotum and mesonotum (Fig. 8A ) with many black punctures. Crown with pair of rounded black spots near posterior margin behind ocelli. Face (Fig. 8B ) with frons black on middle portion, faint transverse brown bands over muscular impressions; lorum with black punctures; gena with pair of black maculae, one near mid-length of ventral margin and one near ventral corner of eye; portion around antennal bases black; clypeus black. Proepimeron (Fig. 8C ) with black band below pronotal carina and small black macula on anteroventral margin. Forewing (Fig. 8D ) densely covered by anastomosed black maculae. Profemur, with black punctures and pair of black maculae, one at base and one on apical third. Metatibia (Fig. 8C ) with cucullate bases of setae blacks.

Male terminalia.

Sternite VIII (Fig. 8E ) 1.7 × wider than long; lateral margins parallel; posterior margin rounded. Valve (Fig. 8F ) 2.5 × wider than long; posterior margin straight. Pygofer, in lateral view (Fig. 8G ), 1.9 × longer than maximum height; anteroventral margin rounded; posterodorsal and posteroventral margins straight, slightly convergent apically; apex truncate; in dorsal view (Fig. 8g ), apex with two short processes separated by a shallow excavation. Subgenital plate, in lateral view (Fig. 8G ), not surpassing pygofer apex; in ventral view (Fig. 8H ), elongated and narrow, 7.5 × longer than wide; outer margin with few sort setae; lateral margins approximately parallel; apex rounded. Connective (Fig. 8I ) about as long as wide; anterior margin excavated; dorsal keel moderately developed; stem short, as long as wide. Style, in dorsal view (Fig. 8J ), with outer lobe developed and rounded; in lateral view (Fig. 8K ), blade long and straight, width approximately constant from base to almost apex; ventral margin with subapical serration on apical third; apex tapered and acute, slightly curved dorsally. Aedeagus (Fig. 8L, M ) preatrium reduced; dorsal apodeme not developed, dorsal margin rounded, lateral margins not produced laterally; apodemal process almost as long as shaft length, wide at base and tapered toward acute apex; shaft approximately cylindrical, in lateral view, curved posterad, ventral margin strongly excavated; subapical processes long, about half length of shaft, directed ventrally; apex slightly expanded and strongly flattened laterally. Other characteristics as in generic description.

Female terminalia.

Sternite VII (Fig. 9A, B ) with posterolateral angles weakly produced posterad; posterior margin with median third excavated, bearing a V-shaped notch at middle. Pygofer (Fig. 9A, B ) long, 2.3 × longer than the sternite VII length; ventral margin weakly rounded; apex obliquely truncated. First valvifer (Fig. 9C ) 2 × longer than wide; lateral margins rounded. First valvula (Fig. 9C, D ) narrow, 10 × longer than wide, not broadened on median third. Second valvula (Fig. 9E, F ) 11 × longer than wide; dorsal protuberance absent; dorsal margin with teeth present from apical third to apex.

Material examined.

Brazil: Mato Grosso: 1♂, "Brasil, MT, Cotriguaçu, Faz.[Fazenda]\ São Nicolau, 09.8559°S, 58.2486°W, 230m, light trap,\ 26-29.vi.2017, RR Cavichioli\ & AC Domahovski" (DZUP); 1♂, "Brasil, MT, Novo Mundo, Pq.\ Est. do Cristalino, 09.4517°S 55.8396°W, 240m, malaise,\ 21-25.vi.2017, Cavichioli,\ Melo, Domahovski & Muniz" (DZUP). - Pará: 1♂, "Alter do Chão \ Pará - Brasil\ 19.IX.1989 \ Exp.[ Expedição] Perm.[Permanente] Amaz.[ Amazônia]” (MZSP); 1♂, "Brasil: Pará \ Gorotire 51W 8S\ D A Posey col\ 18.VIII.1978 ", " MPEG 05028158" (MPEG). - Rondônia: 1♂, "Brasil, Rondônia, Flona\ Jamari, 03/ 05.IX.2012 \ (malaise) 9°15′35″S 62°54′47″W 110m \ R.R. Cavichioli leg." (DZUP); 1♀, "Brasil, Rondônia, Porto\ Velho, Rio Madeira\ 09°35′29″S 65°02′57″W \ Malaise 18-29.VI.2011 \ Albuquerque & Ferreira" (DZUP); 1♂, 1♀, "Brasil, Rondônia, Porto\ Velho, Rio Madeira\ 09°35′29″S 65°02′57″W \ Malaise 04-18.IX.2012 \ MA Ullysséa & LP Prado" (MZSP); 1♂, "Brasil, Rondônia, Porto\ Velho, Rio Madeira\ 09°38′05″S 65°27′11″W \ Malaise 28.III-8.IV.2011 \ Silva & Albuquerque" (MZSP); 1♂, "Brasil, Rondônia, Porto\ Velho, Rio Madeira\ 09°38′06″S 65°27′11″W \ Malaise 05-17.I.2011 \ RRSilva & RSProbst leg" (MZSP); 1♂, "Brasil, Rondônia, Porto\ Velho, Rio Madeira\ 09°26′14″S 64°49′58″W \ Malaise 04-18.IX.2012 \ MA Ullysséa & LP Prado" (MZSP); 2♂, "Brasil, RO, Itapuâ do\ Oeste, Flona Jamari\ 09°11′42″S 63°03′35″W \ 09.X.2014 Luz J.A.\ Rafael, F.F. Xavier, R.\ M. Vieira & R. H. Aquino" (DZRJ); 1♂, "Brasil Rondônia \ Ouro Preto do Oeste\ 1a3.IX.1986 ", "Brasil Rondônia \ F.F. Ramos", "Armadilha Malaise", " MPEG 05028051" (MPEG). - Peru: 1♂, "Peru\ Madre de Dios \ sw Pto [Puerto] Maldonato\ 290m \ BM 1989-70" (DZUP).

Remarks.

Acuera adspersa was recovered as sister group of A. laudara + ( A. umbra sp. nov. + ( A. incepta + A. levara )) with low support (SR <50), supported by one synapomorphy, 100:1, pygofer with pair of small, rounded processes at apex, and one homoplasy, 113:0, subgenital plate, ventral surface with microsetae absent (Fig. 7 ). DeLong and Freytag (1972, 1974) recorded A. adspersa for Argentina. Based on the large amount of material studied here, this record appears to be incorrect as this species was only collected in the Amazon biome. The species found in Argentina and southern Brazil are A. incepta and A. levara which externally are similar to A. adspersa and can easily be miss-identified as the former.

Figures

Figure 7. Phylogenetic relationships of Acuera found in the implied weighting analysis for the two equally most parsimonious trees, K = 3.700 and 4.284, length = 514, consistency index = 0.362, retention index = 0.771. Symmetric resampling values (<50) are marked next to branches; red stars represent the type species of the three subgenera of Acuera. Synapomorphies are marked with black circles, while homoplasies are marked with empty circles.

Figure 8. Acuera adspersa, male. A head and thorax, dorsal view. B head, ventral view. C head and thorax, lateral view. D forewing. E sternite VIII, ventral view. F valve, ventral view. G pygofer, valve and subgenital plate, lateral view; g apical portion of pygofer, dorsal view. H subgenital plate, ventral view. I connective, dorsal view. J style, dorsal view. K style, lateral view. L aedeagus, lateral view. M aedeagus, posterior view. Scale bars in mm.

Figure 9. Acuera adspersa, female. A distal portion of abdomen, ventral view. B distal portion of abdomen, lateral view. C first valvifer and first valvula, lateral view. D apical portion of first valvula. E second valvula, lateral view. F apical portion of second valvula. G second valvifer and gonoplac, lateral view. H apical portion of gonoplac. Scale bars in mm.

Figure 15. Species of Acuera, dorsal (left) and lateral (right) views. A, B A. (Acuera) adspersa, male, DZUP. C, D A. (Acuera) culmena syn. nov., holotype male, USNM. E, F A. (Acuera) extenuata sp. nov., holotype male, DZUP. G, H A. (Acuera) incepta, male, DZUP. I, J A. (Acuera) laudara, holotype male, OSU. K, L A. (Acuera) levara, male, DZUP. M A. (Acuera) menaca, holotype male, AMNH.