Nesocerus orbiculatus, 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 : 525

NESOCERUS ORBICULATUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 3G, H , 7A–G )

Diagnosis: This species is similar to N. mananarensis in habitus and in the abruptly bent pygofer posterodorsal process and slightly convex mesal margin of the subgenital plate. It can be separated by the following combination of characters: frontoclypeus with arc-shaped marking; male subgenital plate with apex abruptly curved dorsad; style with dorsal and ventral spine near apex and apical processes of aedeagus long and recurved.

Description: Length of male, 4.5–4.8 mm; female, 5.3– 5.4 mm.

Coloration: Crown with three black or brown markings; middle marking usually v-shaped, joining transverse irregular patch near anterior margin of face that extends to laterofrontal suture. Antennae with scape yellow, pedicel and flagellum light brown. Frontoclypeus with median longitudinal irregular black stripe surrounded by irregular black arc-shaped marking; clypeogenal sutures bordered by black stripe. Gena with black marking below antennal ledge. Clypellus bordered by broad black stripe except along apex, with yellow region along middle. Pronotum with numerous irregular black markings with median longitudinal narrow stripe. Mesonotum with pair of basal black triangle, usually with yellow region at middle and a pair of median black marking near scutellar suture. Scutellum with black macula. Forewing with claval vein white with alternate brown coloration. Fore and mid femur with lateral black stripes near base and apex, hind femur rarely with lateral black markings.

Structure: Clypellus with sides concave, apex as wide as base, in profile slightly convex. Rostrum extending beyond mid coxae. Forewing with r-m1 crossvein present. Metatibial setal rows PD, AD, and AV with 15, eight to ten, and nine to 11 macrosetae, respectively.

Male genitalia: Pygofer broad with posterodorsal process tapered, directed ventrad; posterolateral margin with short setae. Subgenital plates in lateral view depressed basally, apex abruptly bent dorsad, with short fine setae restricted to dorsum of apex; in ventral view widest near midlength, lateral margin broadly convex tapering to broadly round apex, macrosetae confined to distal two thirds along lateral and mesal margins. Style in lateral view with broad apodeme; apophysis sinuate in dorsal margin, nearly uniform in width, curved dorsad, apex slightly narrowed with large dorsal and short ventral spine. Connective in dorsal view semicircular, fused to preatrium of aedeagus. Aedeagus in lateral view with atrium narrow; socle well developed; shaft in lateral view slender, uniform in width along its length, curved slightly anterad; apex in posterior view bifurcated with long terminal processes, curved venterolaterad, then extending anterodorsad, in nearly complete circle in lateral view; gonopore apical on posterior surface of shaft.

Material examined: Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely , 1020 m, 21°15′59″S, 47°25′26″E, 22.–28.xi.2001, R. Harin’Hala, malaise, secondary forest, MA-02-09C-04 ( CAS) . Paratypes: one female, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely , 1020 m, 21°15′59″S, 47°25′26″E, 14.–23.iv.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise, secondary forest, MA-02-09C-25 ( CAS) ; two males, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Vohiparara at broken bridge, 1110 m, 21°13′34″S, 47°22′11″E, 4.–12.ii.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise trap in high altitude rainforest, MA-02-09A-15 ( CAS, INHS) ; one male, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely , 1020 m, 21°15′59″S, 47°25′26″E, 24.vii.-4.viii.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise, secondary forest, MA-02-09C-36 ( CAS) ; two females, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 1130 m, 22°15′3″S, 47°24′25″E, 21.-24.ii.2001, R . Harin’Hala , malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-08 ( CAS, INHS) ; one female, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 1130 m, 22°15′3″S, 47°24′25″E, 12.–19.ii.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-16 ( CAS) ; two females, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Vohiparara at broken bridge, 1110 m, 21°13′34″S, 47°22′11″E, 28.xi.-6.xii.2001, R . Harin’Hala , malaise trap in high altitude rainforest, MA-02-09A-05 ( CAS, INHS) ; one female, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 1130 m, 22°15′3″S, 47°24′25″E, 28.i.– 4.ii.2002, R . Harin’Hala , malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-14 ( INHS) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word orbiculatus meaning circular, in reference to the curved lateral processes of the aedeagus.

Figures

Figure 3. Nesocerus spp. nov., dorsal habitus and face of holotype male. A, B, Nesocerus trilineatus.; C, D, Nesocerus ranomafanaensis; E, F, Nesocerus angulatus; G, H, Nesocerus orbiculatus; I, J, Nesocerus affinis; K, L, Nesocerus sclerophyllus; M, N, Nesocerus bifurcatus; O, P, Nesocerus littoralis; Q, R, Nesocerus fasika; S, T, Nesocerus tulearensis.

Figure 7. Nesocerus spp. nov. Male pygofer in lateral view (A, H, P), male subgenital plate in ventral (B, J, Q) and lateral views (C, K, R), aedeagus in lateral (D, L, S) and caudal views (E, M, T), style in lateral view (F, N, U), style and connective in dorsal view (G, O, V), apex of male pygofer in caudal view (I). A–G, Nesocerus orbiculatus; H–O, Nesocerus bifurcatus; P–V, Nesocerus littoralis.