Nesocerus convolutus, Krishnankutty & Dietrich, 2011

Krishnankutty, Sindhu M. & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2011, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of an endemic leafhopper genus Nesocerus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae) from Madagascar, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (3), pp. 499-543 : 539-540

NESOCERUS CONVOLUTUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 5Q, R , 14O–U )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished by the following unique characters: presence of median brown band along costa of forewing; pygofer with short process directed posterad along posterolateral margin and aedeagal shaft twisted near apex with single short process, in caudal view with lateral flaps extending from base to subapex and pair of dentate apical process.

Description: Length of male, 3.75 mm.

Coloration: Crown yellow with three black markings; median one V-shaped extending to face, lateral ones comma-shaped with yellow spot at the apex. Antennae with pedicel and flagellum black, scape yellow. Frontoclypeus with short, median black stripe not extending near base of clypellus. Laterofrontal suture and clypeogenal suture with black marking close to ocelli and base of clypellus, respectively. Gena with black elongate marking. Clypellus with U-shaped black marking. Lorum and legs yellow without any markings. Pronotum with numerous irregular black spots along middle and near lateral margins. Mesonotum with dull orange basal triangles, median longitudinal marking not extending beyond scutellar suture. Forewings mostly hyaline with dark brown veins, light brown band at middle along costal region.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex wider than base, in profile flat. Rostrum extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m1 crossvein absent. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 12, ten, and ten macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer broad with short process directed posterad in lateral view, posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plate in lateral view slightly depressed basally, slightly broadened near apex, with short fine setae confined to dorsum of apex; in ventral view lateral margin gradually narrowed beyond middle towards apex, with macrosetae along mesal and lateral margin. Style in lateral view with narrow apodeme; apophysis slender, uniform in width throughout length, curved dorsad near apex, apex hooked. Connective Y-shaped, articulated with preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium broad, socle well developed, shaft in lateral view slender, twisted near apex, in caudal view with lateral flaps extending from base to subapex, gradually narrowed towards apex, with single lateral process arising near the bend, pair of short dentate processes near apex. Gonopore apical.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province , Forêt Ivohibe, 55.0 km north of Tolagnaro, 200 m, 24°34′08″S, 47°12′14″E, 2.–4.xii.2006, B. L. Fisher et al., malaise trap, rainforest, BLF15448 ( CAS).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the unique twisted shape of aedeagus.

NESOCERUS TRIMACULATUS FREYTAG & CWIKLA

( FIG. 15A–D )

This species was described by Freytag & Cwikla (1984) based on a single male specimen from Ankarafantsika forest reserve in the Mahajanga province of Madagascar. We could not examine the holotype as it is apparently lost. We identified this species in the present samples based on the similarity of both external morphology and genitalia characters. Pygofer, subgenital plate, style, connective, and shape of aedeagus are the same as in original description. The only difference we noticed is in the number of aedeagal processes. Aedeagus in lateral view has two pairs of lateral apical processes and a single process arising on ventral surface of shaft subapically. In the original description, the presence of this single subapical process is not mentioned or illustrated and we assume that this process might have broken off in the original specimen .

Material examined: Six males, MADAGASCAR: Province Mahajanga: Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha , 3.4 km 93° east of Bekopaka , Tombeau Vazimba , 50 m, 19°8′31″S, 44°49′41″E, 6.–10.xi.2001, Fisher, Griswold et al., malaise trap, in tropical dry forest, BLF4233 ( CAS, INHS) .

NESOCERUS CLAVOPUNCTATUS (EVANS)

( FIG. 1E, F )

Idiocerus clavopunctatus Evans, 1953: 106

Nesocerus clavopunctatus (Evans) – Freytag & Knight, 1966: 83

Comments: This species and N. spurus Freytag & Knight are very similar to each other, but different from other known Nesocerus species , in external colour pattern ( Fig. 1E, F ). Evans (1953) described N. clavopunctatus from a single female specimen based on external coloration and did not describe the genitalia. Freytag & Knight (1966) illustrated the female seventh sternum of N. clavopunctatus and described N. spurus based on a series of male and female specimens, distinguishing the latter species based on its smaller size and more truncate female seventh sternite. Comparison of the type and one nontype specimen of N. clavopunctatus to a series of specimens of N. spurus in the MNHN revealed that Freytag & Knight’s (1966) illustration of the female seventh sternite of N. clavopunctatus is inaccurate and that its shape is very similar to that of N. spurus . Nevertheless, N. clavopunctatus differs from N. spurus as follows: body size larger, forewing with lateral yellow spot near base of clavus shorter and broader, median yellow spot on costal margin absent, and frontoclypeus with median black stripe. Although discovery of males from the type locality of N. clavopunctatus – Massif du Tsaratanana – may yet reveal that this taxon and N. spurus are colour variants of the same species, the evidence available at present is sufficient to continue treating these two taxa as separate species.

Specimens of N. spurus examined: Six males, MADA- GASCAR: Massif du Marojejy Andasy II, 1300 m, iv.1961, P. Soja (MNHN); holotype male, MADAGAS- CAR Est: district de Sambava, Réserve naturelle intégrale XII, massif du Marojejy-Ouest, 1140 m, xi.1959, P. Soga .

Specimens of N. clavopunctatus examined: Holotype female, MADAGASCAR Sambirano , massif du Tsaratanana, 1900 m, x.1949, R. Paulian; one female, MADAGASCAR nord, massif du Tsaratanana (versant Sud), 2030 m, Andohanambatoafa, 16.– 18.xii.1966, P. Soga ( MNHN).

Figures

Figure 1. Nesocerus spp., dorsal habitus & face. Holotypes, A–J; A, B, Nesocerus acuminatus Freytag & Knight.; C, D, Nesocerus chelatus Freytag & Knight; E, F, Nesocerus clavopunctatus (Evans); G, H, Nesocerus madagascariensis (Evans); I, J, Nesocerus spurus Freytag & Knight; K, L, female of N. spurus Freytag & Knight.

Figure 5. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus asymmetricus; C, D, Nesocerus uniprocessus; E, F, Nesocerus compressus; G, H, Nesocerus flexus; I, J, Nesocerus breviprocessus; K, L, Nesocerus latus; M, N, Nesocerus basiprocessus; O, P, Nesocerus serratus; Q, R, Nesocerus convolutus.

Figure 14. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, O), male subgenital plate in ventral view (B, I, P) and lateral views (C, J, Q), aedeagus in lateral view (D, K, R) and caudal (E, L, S) views, style in lateral view (F, M, T), style and connective in dorsal view (G, N, U). A–G, Nesocerus basiprocessus; H–N, Nesocerus serratus; O–U, Nesocerus convolutus.

Figure 15. Nesocerus trimaculatus Freytag & Cwikla. A, dorsal habitus; B, face; C–D, aedeagus in lateral (C) and caudal (D) views.