Revision of Elginus Theron (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with the description of two new genera and comments on the grassland leafhopper fauna in South Africa
Stiller, M.
Zootaxa
2009
2009-06-18
2135
1
1
56
8RKB3
[151,332,741,767]
Insecta
Cicadellidae
Elginus
Animalia
Hemiptera
6
7
Arthropoda
species
acutus
sp. nov.
( Figs 51, 78, 105, 131, 157, 180, 206)
Diagnosis. Aedeagus with shaft tapering uniformly to narrow point, dorsal apodeme reduced. Style with apex of apophysis blunt, bearing up to five teeth, without subapical ventral teeth.
Etymology. Latin, sharpened, tapered, for shape of aedeagal shaft.
Dimensions. Male(n = 4). Lengths: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.1–2.5 mm, apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.1–3.1 mm; vertex medially 0.4 mm; vertex laterally next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Maximum widths: head 0.8 mm; pronotum 0.7 mm. Ocellus: diameter 13–29 µm; ocellocular distance 39–53 µm. Genital capsule. Male. Aedeagal shaft long, 2.1 times as long as dorsal apodeme; tubular, C-shaped, tapering towards apex; gonopore subapical, anteriad ( Figs 51, 78). Connective elongate ( Fig. 105). Plate elongate, apex rounded, base fused with valve, as long as pygofer ( Fig. 131). Pygofer lobe apex truncate ( Figs 157, 180). Style apophysis 0.9 times as long as anterior lateral lobe, straight, apex rounded, 2–3 apical teeth; reaching one-third from apex of plate ( Fig. 206). Female. Unknown.
Material examined. Holotypemale. South Africa, Gauteng. Tweefontein Farm SW, 25°54ʹ56.6ʺS 27°47ʹ31.8ʺE, 1459 m, 8.iii.2007, M. Stiller, DVac moribund, dry grass ( SANC). Paratypes( 3♂). Gauteng. 2♂, Uiktomst Farm499JQ, north Krugersdorp, 25°54ʹ36.8ʺS 27°47ʹ16.2ʺE, 1514 m, 22.iv.2002, R. Koko, yellow pan trap; 1♂, ibid. holotype( SANC).
Remarks. This species is most similar to E. levilobus, with regard to plate and valve fusion, connective shape and style shape. Differences are the tapering aedeagal shaft, anteriad gonopore and reduced dorsal apodeme. In E. levilobusthe shaft is tubular with only the apex pointed, gonopore caudad and the dorsal apodeme biramous. Elginus acutus, E. levilobusand E. saltusdepict similarities in the apophysis of the style, and to a lesser degree in the structure of the aedeagus, suggesting a close relationship. Five sites were sampled at Tweefontein with the DVac, all less than 4 kmapart, in an apparently uniform habitat with some grazing by cattle. Only two specimenswere found at one of these sites. At two sites three specimensof E. levilobuswere found. These localities all fall within the Carletonville Dolomite Grassland that expands further east and west and is found mainly on Dolomite ( Mucina & Rutherford, 2006). This vegetation unit has been sampled at other locations to the east and west at various times.
2007-03-08
SANC
Tweefontein Farm SW & M. Stiller
South Africa
1459
-25.915722
Gauteng
1
27.792166
6
7
1
Gauteng
holotype
[1125,1428,1394,1420]
South Africa
Gauteng
6
7
3
3
Gauteng
paratype
2002-04-22
R. Koko
South Africa
1514
-25.910221
north Krugersdorp
1
27.787832
Uiktomst Farm
6
7
2
2
Gauteng
paratype
[348,670,1471,1498]
2002-04-22
SANC
R. Koko
South Africa
1514
-25.910221
north Krugersdorp
1
27.787832
Uiktomst Farm
6
7
1
1
Gauteng
holotype