Herrera grammosticta, Sanborn, 2020

Sanborn, Allen F., 2020, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Trinidad and Tobago including the description of three new species and seven new records, with new records for several additional Caribbean Islands, Zootaxa 4838 (4), pp. 535-565 : 554-558

Herrera grammosticta n. sp.

( Fig. 3 )

Type material. Holotype. “ TRINIDAD: Arime Valley /Simla, W. Beebe Tropical /Res. Sta. 3–17-XI-2000 / blacklight trap, R.I. Her-/nandez, R. E. Woodruff ” male ( FSCA) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype, one female ( FSCA), one male ( AFSC); “ TRINIDAD:Arime Valley/Simla, W. Beebe Tropical /Res. Sta. X-29–XI-2-2000 / blacklight trap, R.I. Her-/nandez, R. E. Woodruff ” one male ( FSCA); “ TRINIDAD: Arime Valley/Simla, Beebe Tropical Res./Center, Nov. 3–9, 2000 / blacklight trap, R.I. Her-/nandez, R. E. Woodruff ” one female ( FSCA); “ TRINIDAD: Arime Valley/Simla, W. Beebe Tropical /Res. Sta. blacklight/ 27-Jun–3-Jul-1978 /C. B. & H. V. Weems” one female ( FSCA), two females ( AFSC) .

Remarks. Herrera grammosticta n. sp. is a small to medium sized species that is green marked with piceous and castaneous. In most of the type series the green has faded to ochraceous. The head being wider than the mesonotum distinguishes it from the other genera of New World Carinetini .

Etymology. The name is a combination of grammo- (Gr., gramme, line, stroke of the pen) and - sticta (Gr., stiktos, punctured, dappled, spotted) in reference to the linear and spotted markings of the thorax in this species.

Description. Ground color is ochraceous, probably green in live or fresh specimens. One paratype is mainly faded green suggesting green is the natural coloration. The markings are piceous or castaneous.

Head. Head wider than mesonotum, ground color with piceous frons except anterior and anterolateral margins, castaneous mark on anterolateral lateral ocellus, curved castaneous mark posteromedial to lateral ocellus, incomplete piceous fascia extending from posterior to anterior cranial depression to posterior medial angle of eye, transverse piceous fasciae on posterior head posterior to lateral ocelli and posterior to eyes, mark coloration can vary from piceous to castaneous in paratypes, female paratypes with majority of markings absent. Ocelli rosaceous, ochraceous in some paratypes, eyes dark castaneous. Dorsal head covered with radiating long piceous pile, short silvery pile on dorsal head in some paratypes, longer and denser silvery pile posterior to eye. Gena ground color, lorum ground color with castaneous spots on anterolateral corner and in anterior disk, posterior quarter of lorum piceous, gena and lorum covered with short silvery pile in some paratypes, posterolateral gena and lorum with dense, long white pile. Postclypeus ground color with eleven castaneous transverse ridges, centrally sulcate from anterior to posteroventral margin to around apex onto dorsal surface, short silvery pile on lateral margin, sparse, long piceous pile radiating from dorsal and ventral surfaces. Anteclypeus piceous with ground color anteromedially, with short silvery and long silvery pile. Mentum ground color proximally, castaneous distally, labium castaneous with piceous lateral fascia expanding distally but not reaching castanaeous tip, rostrum reaching to posterior of hind trochanters. Scape and proximal pedicel ground color, remaining antennal segments castaneous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax ground color. Pronotum with piceous fascia in paramedian fissure splitting at about middle length and fusing at terminus forming a loop around an area of ground color on the posterior region of the fascia, anterior portion incomplete in one paratype, lateral fissure with two short fascia, posterior fascia absent in some paratypes, transverse piceous fascia in posterior ambient fissure extending from level of posterior paramedian fissure laterally to pronotal collar lateral angle, fascia reduced or absent in female paratypes, small castaneous mark on midline of ambient fissure. Pronotum covered with short silvery pile and radiating longer piceous pile. Mesonotum ground color, piceous fascia surrounding submedian sigilla, piceous fascia on lateral margin of lateral sigillae extending around posterior curve before terminating on posterior medial margin, mark reduced to spot on posterior lateral sigilla in some female paratypes, scutal depressions piceous, piceous spot on posterior mesonotum connecting to area posterior to anterior arm of cruciform elevation, marks reduced in some paratypes. Metanotum ground color with castaneous spot on anterolateral and posterolateral corners, marks reduced in some paratypes. Mesonotum covered with short silvery pile, long silvery pile between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, posterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation, on lateral and posterior mesothorax, within and radiating from wing groove, and on posterolateral metanotum, mesonotum radiating long piceous pile. Ventral thoracic segments ground color with castaneous spots on basisternum 2 and basisternum 3, additional marks on meron 2 and trochantin 3 in male paratypes, covered with long and short silvery pile.

Wings. Fore wing and wings hyaline. Venation ground color becoming castaneous distally, anal vein 2+3 piceous. Basal cell clear, pterostigma present, very light longitudinal lines of infuscation in apical cells and on marginal area of fore wings visible when viewed at an angle, fore wing margin infuscated, basal membrane of fore wing grayish with darker posterior margin, ground color posterior margin in some paratypes. Hind wing venation ground color becoming darker distally, castaneous spot on proximal anal vein 3, anal vein 3 with curved distal terminus. Anal cell 3 medially and along anal vein 3, to about middle length in holotype to terminus in some paratypes, anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3 grayish, grayish margined with infuscation, infuscation forming a spot on distal anal cell 2 and wing marginal area, hind wing margin infuscated.

Legs. Legs ground color with castaneous spot on proximolateral and distolateral fore coxae, castaneous distal tibiae, with proportion reducing in middle and posterior legs, fore tarsi, middle distal pretarsus, and distal pretarsal claws castaneous, castaneous reduced in female paratypes. Fore femora proximal spine straight, largest, most acutely angled, secondary spine of intermediate length with curved tip, tertiary spine angled as much as secondary spine, shorter than secondary spine with curved tip, all spines castaneous with piceous tips, primary and secondary spines with piceous base, and very small, castaneous apical spine extending from distal base of tertiary spine. Tibial spurs and combs castaneous with darker tips. Leg covered with short silvery pile and radiating long silvery pile. Meracanthus broadly triangular, ground color with castaneous spot on anteromedial base and posterior base castaneous, not reaching anterior margin of medial operculum in male, female meracanthus extending beyond posterior opercular margin to middle of sternite II.

Opercula. Male operculum ground color with castaneous spot on anterolateral and anteromedial base, reduced in one paratype, and castaneous posterolateral margin, covered with short silvery pile, radiating long silvery pile especially from posterior and anteromedial margins, lateral margin with a slight rectangular lateral extension at base, smoothly curved lateral and posterolateral margins, posterior margin straight, angled posteromedially, rounded medial margin, not meeting medially reaching to medial meracanthus, straight anteromedial margin curving laterally to base, not covering tympanal cavity posteriorly or anteromedially. Female operculum and meracanthus similarly shaped and colored except medial extension more acuminate posteromedially, operculum not reaching to anterior of sternite II posteriorly and medially not reaching medial meracanthus, tympanal cavity exposed posteriorly and anteromedially.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites ground color, males with castaneous posterior timbal cavity, piceous marks on anterior dorsolateral tergite 8 and small spot on dorsolateral tergite 8 posterior margin, tergites covered with silvery pile, dense surrounding timbal cavity and radiating from piceous auditory capsule, longer pile radiating from lateral tergites 5–8, most dense on tergite 8. Timbal exposed, white with castaneous ribs, five long ribs and four intercalary ribs. Sternites and epipleurites ground color, sternites III–VIII with castaneous medially, amount of castaneous increasing in posterior sternites so that almost all of sternites VI–VIII castaneous, sternite VIII with ground color anterolateral corners and lateral surfaces, long silvery pile radiating from sternites and epipleurites. Female tergites and epipleurites as in male except tergites lack piceous and castaneous markings and the castaneous on the sternites does not expand laterally as it does in posterior male sternites. Female sternite VII with deep V-shaped medial notch anteriorly, diverging posteriorly to triangular extension of posterior notch beyond transverse posterolateral margin. Female abdominal segment 9 ground color with dorsolateral fascia not reaching posterior margin, ventral margin castaneous in middle region, radiating long silvery pile, denser on ventral and lateral surfaces. Dorsal beak with castaneous tip angled dorsally, longer than castaneous anal styles. Posterior margin of abdominal segment 9 straight.

Genitalia. Male pygofer ground color with small piceous mark on margin between distal shoulder and upper pygofer lobe, dorsal beak with castaneous tip. Dorsal beak narrow, longer than castaneous anal styles. Pygofer basal lobe about half-length of pygofer, curving mediad, radiating dense golden pile. Upper pygofer lobes small, flattened. Claspers wide at base, termini short, rounded meeting along midline, radiating long golden pile. Basal lobe appendage triangular at base, flattened, not crossing midline, recurved forming a U-shape in the middle, with a claw-like terminus. Aedeagus tubular, dark castaneous.

Female gonocoxite IX ground color, gonapophysis IX and gonapophysis X castaneous, distal gonapophysis IX piceous or castaneous. Ovipositor sheath extends beyond dorsal beak. Long golden pile radiating from ovipositor sheath.

Measurements (mm). N = three males or five females, mean (range). Length of body: males 17.27 (16.60– 17.80), female 18.79 (18.25–19.90); length of fore wing: males 20.28 (20.00–20.65), female 21.97 (21.45–22.30); width of fore wing: males 7.23 (7.10–7.30), female 7.42 (7.15–7.60); length of head: males 3.12 (3.00–3.25), female 3.13 (3.05–3.20); width of head including eyes: males 5.95 (5.90–6.00), female 6.22 (6.00–6.45); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: males 6.47 (6.30–6.70), female 6.72 (6.55–6.90); width of mesonotum: males 5.57 (5.45–5.75), female 5.65 (5.45–5.95).

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished quickly from most species of the genus by the markings on the head and thorax. Of those Herrera species with similar markings, the new species can be distinguished from H. signifera Sanborn, 2019a by the primarily piceous head, the transverse piceous fascia in the ambient fissure of the prothorax, the markings in the pronotal fissures that connect across the disc, the finger-like basal pygofer lobe, the almost rectangular female operculum and female sternite VII with a small curved extension on either side of the notch, H. nigrotorquata Sanborn, 2018 by the transverse piceous fascia in the ambient fissure of the prothorax, the markings in the pronotal fissures that connect across the disc, the reduced mesothoracic markings and female sternite VII notch lacking a extension beyond the posterolateral sternite margin, H. sigillata Sanborn, 2018 by the reduced markings on the head, the markings in the paramedian pronotal fissures that connect across the midline, the reduced mesothoracic markings and female sternite VII notch lacking a extension beyond the posterolateral sternite margin, H. guianaensis ( Sanborn 2011a) by the piceous fasciae on the postclypeus, the expanded piceous markings on the dorsomedial head, the markings in the pronotal fissures that connect across the disc and into the ambient fissure, the expanded mesothoracic markings, the infuscation and bronzing of the distal fore wings, the larger male operculum with a curved posterior margin, and the pointed basal pygofer lobe appendage, H. quinimaculata ( Sanborn 2011a) by the absence of head markings, the reduced thoracic markings represented only by spots, the male operculum with a medial terminal expansion, and the basal pygofer lobe extending into a thin point with a recurved U-shape, H. cephalodigramma Sanborn, 2020b by the fascia on the postclypeus, the pair of curved markings on the dorsal head, the large male opercula, the multiple spine-like processes on one of the extensions of the basal pygofer lobe, and the smaller body size (about 13 mm), H. chanchamayoensis Sanborn, 2020b by the markings in the pronotal fissures that connect across the disc, the curved, finger-like basal pygofer lobe, H. polygramma Sanborn, 2020b by the markings in the pronotal fissures that connect across the disc, the midline spot in the ambient pronotal fissure, the curved, the large, curved male opercula, the thin finger-like basal pygofer lobe, and female sternite VII notch lacking a extension beyond the posterolateral sternite margin, H. viriventralis Sanborn, 2020b by the paired fascia on the postclypeus, the reduced markings in the pronotal fissures, piceous marking in the pronotal ambient fissure, the reduced mesothoracic markings, the curved and pointed basal pygofer lobe, and the contrasting green ventral surface, H. lugubrina compostelensis Davis 1938 by the piceous fascia on the dorsal head, the midline fascia on the pronotum, the sigillae filled with piceous and the smaller body size (13–14 mm), and H. turbida ( Jacobi, 1907) by the entire lateral pronotal collar being wider than the head, the expanded piceous on the head, the reduced thoracic markings, piceous abdominal tergite margins and the basal pygofer lobe appendage is a tapering, pointed structure that is bent at an approximate right angle.

Distribution. The species is known only from the type series collected in the Arima Valley of northern Trinidad.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Herrera grammosticta n. sp.: A, holotype male and paratype female habitus; B, holotype male dorsum; C, holotype male timbal; D, holotype male operculum; E, paratype female operculum; F, holotype male lateral view of genitalia; G, holotype male posterior view of genitalia; H, paratype female lateral view of genitalia; I, paratype female ventral view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 5 mm; C, 1 mm; D–E, 2 mm; F–G, 1 mm; H–I, 2 mm.