Sakhalotettix, Dietrich, Christopher H. & Perkovsky, Evgeny E., 2019

Dietrich, Christopher H. & Perkovsky, Evgeny E., 2019, First record of Cicadellidae (Insecta, Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) from Eocene Sakhalinian amber, ZooKeys 886, pp. 127-134 : 127

Sakhalotettix gen. nov.

Type species.

Sakhalotettix eocenicus sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

This genus differs from other known leafhoppers in having the following combination of traits: head with ocelli on crown near anterior margin distant from eyes; lateral frontal sutures well developed ventromesad of ocelli; frontoclypeus moderately convex, separated from eye by nearly half its width; gena emarginate below eye, exposing flaplike proepisternum; front femur row AV (anteroventral) with several short setae; female pregenital sternite nearly as long as all preceding sternites combined and acutely emarginate posteriorly.

Description.

Small, moderately slender. Head broad, crown moderately produced medially, texture uniformly shagreen, coronal suture extended nearly to anterior margin; anterior margin rounded in dorsal view, transition from crown to face broadly rounded, without transverse carinae. Ocelli well developed, on crown near anterior margin, approximately equidistant between eyes and midline, separated from lateral frontal suture by approximately one ocellar diameter, approximately even with anterior margins of eyes. Lateral frontal suture well developed, extended dorsad from antennal ledge then arched below ocelli and becoming obsolete near midline; temporal suture extended laterad of ocellus. Face broad, strongly convex, lower half closer to horizontal than vertical. Frontoclypeus irregularly rugose with distinct transverse muscle impressions, separated from mesal eye margin by approximately half frontoclypeal width; antennal ledges carinate but not strongly produced; antennal base well separated from eye, antenna shorter than half head width. Gena concavely emarginate below eye, exposing flaplike proepisternum. Lorum narrow, well separated from genal margin. Anteclypeus convex, tapered distally, extended beyond normal curve of gena. Rostrum extended slightly beyond front tronchanters.

Pronotum approximately as wide as head, moderately convex, finely punctate with numerous transverse striations, anterior margin slightly produced, lateral margin carinate, slightly shorter than eye, posterior margin slightly emarginate.

Front femur moderately broad basally, abruptly narrowed in distal two-thirds, seta AM1 enlarged and situated near ventroapical margin, row AV with numerous short setae extended over most of length, PV with several long, fine setae; tibia cylindrical, dorsal rows with numerous short setae and few widely spaced longer setae approximately as long as tibial width, row AV with approximately 14 macrosetae becoming progressively longer from base to apex, PV with fewer setae, restricted to distal half; tarsus three-fourths length of tibia. Middle femur broader and slightly shorter than front femur, setae of femur and tibia inconspicuous. Hind femur nearly reaching lateral margin of pronotum in repose; tibia with all four longitudinal setal rows well differentiated.

Pregenital abdominal sternite (VII) nearly as long as all preceding sternites combined, posterior margin deeply and acutely emarginate with lateral lobes acute.

Etymology.

The genus name, a masculine noun, combines the name of the type locality with " tettix ", a common suffix used in cicadellid genus names.