Polana (Varpulana) grossii, Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro, 2017

Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro, 2017, Six new Brazilian species of Polana (Varpulana) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) with key to males, Zootaxa 4244 (4), pp. 535-555 : 538-541

Polana (Varpulana) grossii sp. nov.

( Figs 16–31 , 98 )

Diagnosis. Forewings ( Fig. 19 ) brownish with black veins, costal margin yellowish. Aedeagus ( Figs 26, 27 ) with atrial processes wide; shaft wider at mid-length from where two pairs of processes arise: one shorter and curved, directed anterad, and one longer and straight directed dorsad.

Description (male). Length (holotype) 6.6mm, female, (paratype) 7.7mm (n=4). Head ( Fig. 16 ) in dorsal view with median length approximately three-tenths interocular width; in lateral view ( Fig. 18 ), anterior margin slightly upturned. Other characteristics as in generic description.

Coloration. Head and thorax ( Fig. 16 ) yellowish brown. Face ( Fig. 17 ) without maculae. Crown ( Fig. 16 ) with two rounded black spot behind ocelli near posterior margin. Pronotum ( Fig. 16 ) in dorsal view, with posterior margin darkened; in lateral view ( Fig. 18 ), proepimeron without maculae. Forewings ( Fig. 19 ) brownish with black veins, costal margin yellowish, apex dark brown. Legs yellowish.

Male terminalia. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 20 ) 1.4 times wider than long; posterior margin broadly rounded with middle portion strongly produced. Pygofer ( Fig. 21 ) 1.8 times longer than maximum height; dorsal margin with short process at base; apex blunt; posterior margin ( Fig. 22 ), in ventral view, without protrusion. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 23 ) 3.3 times longer than wide; maximum width near base and gradually tapered toward apex; apex rounded. Connective ( Fig. 24 ) T-shaped, with rami shorter than stalk; stalk long and wide. Style ( Fig. 24 ), in dorsal view, with outer lobe truncated; in lateral view ( Fig. 25 ), ventral protrusion two times longer than its maximum width, apex rounded and serrated; blade approximately straight and slightly wider toward apex, apex emarginated with two apical teeth. Aedeagus ( Figs 26, 27 ) with atrial processes wide, shell-like, narrow at base, with rounded notch on anterior margin near apex; shaft wider at mid-length from where two pairs of processes arise: one shorter and curved, directed anterad, and one longer and straight, directed dorsad; apex of shaft slender, with anterior portion membranous and without processes.

Female terminalia. Sternite VII ( Fig. 28 ) 1.6 times wider than long; posterolateral corners rounded; posterior margin slightly sinuous. Pygofer ( Fig. 29 ) 1.4 times longer than maximum height, apical margin weakly rounded. First valvifer ( Fig. 30 ) 1.9 times higher than long. First and second valves ( Figs 30, 31 ) as in the generic description.

Etymology. The new species name is in honor of dear friend Prof. Dr. Paschoal Coelho Grossi, a Brazilian coleopterologist who collects exceptional material and contributes to the study of several other groups.

Material examined. Holotype male: " Brasil, Bahia, 10km a\ NE de Encruzilhada,\ 15.483°S 40.824°W, 830m,\ 15.xii.2012 G. Melo &\ P. Grossi Luminosa " ( DZUP) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as the holotype ( DZUP) ; 1 ♀, " Brasil, Bahia, 6km a\ SE de Encruzilhada,\ 15.567°S 40.870°W \ 910m, 16.xii.2012 \ G. Melo & P. Grossi \ Arm. luminosa" ( DZUP) ; 1 ♀, " Brasil, Minas Gerais, 12km a\ N de Águas Vermelhas,\ Faz. Faceiro, 15.640°S \ 41.477°W, 845m,\ 12.xii.2012 G. Melo &\ P. Grossi, arm. luminosa" ( MNRJ) ; 1 ♀, " Brasil, Minas Gerais,\ 11km a SE de Águas \ Vermelhas , 1000m 15.826°S 41.396°W \ 13.xii.2012 " ( DZUP) .

Remarks. Polana (V.) grossii sp. nov. is most similar to P. (V.) alata in the male pygofer lacking a protrusion on the posterior margin, having the atrial processes wide and shell-like, and the aedeagal shaft with two pairs of processes at mid-length of shaft; and in the shape of sternite VII of the female, with posterior margin slightly sinuous. However, in the new species the atrial processes are narrower than in P. (V.) alata and the processes at the mid-length of the shaft do not have bifid apices.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 27. P. (F.) grossii sp. nov., holotype male. 16, head and thorax, dorsal view. 17, head, frontal view. 18, head and thorax, lateral view. 19, forewing. 20 – 27, male terminalia: 20, sternite VIII, ventral view. 21, pygofer, valve and subgenital plate, lateral view. 22, apex of pygofer, ventral view. 23, subgenital plate, ventral view. 24, style and connective, dorsal view. 25, style, lateral view. 26, aedeagus, lateral view. 27, aedeagus posterior view. Scale bars: 16 – 18 = 1.0 mm, 19 = 2.0 mm, 20 – 2 1 = 0.5 mm, 22 – 27 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 28 – 31. P. (F.) grossii sp. nov., female paratype terminalia: 28, sternite VII and pygofer, ventral view. 29, pygofer and valvulae, lateral view. 30, first valvifer and first valvulae, lateral view. 31, second valvulae, lateral view. Scale bars: 28 = 1.0 mm, 29 – 31 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 97 – 102. Holopypes habitus, dorsal view (up) and lateral view (down). 97, P. (F.) bahiensis sp. nov. 98, P. (F.) grossii sp. nov. 99, P. (F.) intricata sp. nov. 100, P. (F.) naja sp. nov. 101, P. (F.) sapitanduva sp. nov. 102, P. (F.) vulgaris sp. nov. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.