Polyodontotrochus auriculatus, González-Mozo & Mckamey, 2024

González-Mozo, Laura & Mckamey, Stuart H., 2024, A new genus and four new species of Darnini (Hemiptera: Membracidae) from South America, Zootaxa 5415 (1), pp. 169-180 : 172

Polyodontotrochus auriculatus , new species

( Figs. 1, 4–6 , 7 , 11 , 15 , 19–24)

Diagnosis. Suprahumeral horns of pronotum large and broadly auriculate, apices rounded, in dorsal view slightly exceeding anteriorly beyond the most anterior area of metopidium, in lateral view lower than pronotal median carina, lateral carinae absent; 1 m-cu crossvein.

Description. Color. Head, legs, and abdomen brown, pronotum with shades of grey, with pale, vaguely defined inverted V at mid-length.

Head. Ratio of distance between inner margin of eye to outer edge of nearest ocellus 0.93 × distance between inner edges of ocelli; frontoclypeal sutures wider than tall, converging diagonally; in anterior view with postclypeus concave, ratio of head width between eyes to height along midline 2.2; vertex with weak rugae present. Thorax. Pronotum. With broadly auriculate suprahumeral horns projecting anterolaterally, in lateral view lower than highest point of pronotal median carina ( Fig. 15 ), in dorsal view extending anteriorly beyond most anterior part of metopidium ( Fig. 11 ); median carina weakly elevated, in lateral view almost evenly rounded from base to apex, lateral carinae absent. Forewings. Costal cell broad; vein R 4+5 straight or almost so; s crossvein absent; R 2+3 and R 4+5 fused distad of r-m crossvein; 1 m-cu crossvein. Legs. Prothoracic femora ventrally with strongly sclerotized studs present only in basal half, scattered, not in rows, without longitudinal ventral groove; prothoracic tibia with 2 complete rows of strongly sclerotized studs ventrally; mesothoracic trochanters with 2–3 strongly sclerotized studs; femora ventrally with strongly sclerotized studs present only in distal half, not in rows, with longitudinal ventral groove present only distally; metathoracic leg as genus description. Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Figs. 19–24 ). Subgenital plate fused basally with margin dorsally truncate; aedeagus in lateral view compressed, in anterior view, basally narrow, distally wide, distoanterior surface with minute raised scalelike ridges oriented horizontally; style in lateral view sinuate, enlarged throughout with apex acute, in posterior view with distal area narrowed and curved laterally.

Dimensions of male (mm). Length 3.5, maximum width (across suprahumeral horns) 3.1, height above humeral angles 1.7, ratio of length to width 2.2.

Material examined. ♂ Holotype ( FSCA) “ French Guiana: 12 Km W of Risquetout | 5-XII-2002 | J.E. Eager | N 04 o 54.673’, W 052 o 11.150’ | 58 m | MV light. with labels and red holotype label “HOLOTYPE | Polyodontotrochus auriculatus | Gonzalez-Mozo & McKamey”. Right forewing missing.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the earlike suprahumeral horns of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. (1) Polyodontotrochus auriculatus forewing; (2) P. inpa Metathoracic leg; (3) P. elevatus metathoracic tibia; (4–6) P. auriculatus; (4) metathoracic trochanter studs; (5–6) SEM of metathoracic leg: (5) metathoracic trochanter ventral view showing studs; (6) metathoracic femur ventral view showing cucullate setae and studs. Abbreviation: C: Costal vein; CS: cucullate setae; Cu: Cubital vein; M: Medial vein; R: Radial vein.

FIGURES 7–10. Anterior views. (7) P. auriculatus; (8) P. elevatus; (9) P. inpa; (10) P. extentapalaestrus.

FIGURES 11–14. Dorsal views. (11) P. auriculatus; (12) P. elevatus: (13) P. inpa; (14) P. extentapalaestrus.

FIGURES 15–18. Lateral views. (15) P. auriculatus; (16) P. elevatus; (17) P. inpa; (18) P. extentapalaestrus.

FIGURES 19–24. Male genitalia P. auriculatus. (19) Pygofer, lateral plate and subgenital plate lateral view; (20) Subgenital plate; (21) Aedeagus anterior view; (22) Style posterior view; (23) Aedeagus lateral view; (24) Detail, aedeagus scalelike ridges.