Mahellus cardoni, Viraktamath, C. A. & Meshram, Naresh M., 2017

Viraktamath, C. A. & Meshram, Naresh M., 2017, A review of the coelidiine leafhopper genus Mahellus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) with description of two new species from the Oriental region, Zootaxa 4258 (3), pp. 271-280 : 273

Mahellus cardoni sp. nov.

Figs 1–2, 10 , 32–39 , 50 .

Brownish ochraceous with brown markings. Crown with two spots on either side of median line, one lateral spot and thin marginal band on pronotum, basal triangles of mesoscutum brown; oblique band traversing pro- and mesopleura, anterior and posterior broad areas of metapleura, shining dark brown. Forewing veins interrupted by ochraceous spots. Frontoclypeus with darker shade of brown laterally. Bases of hind femoral apical setae dark brown, bases of tibial setae brown.

Crown with anterior margin slightly produced medially beyond compound eyes and more or less conically rounded. Pronotum almost three times wider than the length, combined length of head and pronotum almost equal to combined length of mesoscutum and scutellum.

Male pygofer abruptly narrowed postero-dorsally, ventral process elongate blade-like with prominent teeth on ventral margin, sclerotized process along dorsal margin, curved mesally and acuminate ( Figs 32–33 , 50 ). Subgenital plate elongate (8.5 times as long as width at midlength), more or less of uniform width, apex rounded, without spine-like projection ( Fig. 36 ). Connective Y-shaped with median longitudinal apodeme, stem short. Dorsal connective membranous, unpigmented band-like. Style slender, apical half of apophysis produced into thin process ( Fig. 35 ). Aedeagal shaft tubular and basal 1/3 lamellated, dorsal and lateral subapical processes more or less of same length; lateral process spinose apically, dorsal process spinose along inner margin and distal margin ( Figs 37–39 ).Segment X in lateral aspect longer than broad, with flat ventral surface, in dorsal aspect broad at base and slightly narrowed distally, without ventral process.

Measurements. Male 6.4 and 6.8 mm long, head 1.6 mm wide across eyes and 1.8 and 2.0 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: INDONESIA: Sulawesi: “ Celebes ” “ Mandar P. Cardon” ( IRSNB) . Paratype, 1 ♂, data as holotype (IRSNB).

Etymology. The species is named after the collector, Mr. P. Cardon.

Remarks. The holotype and the paratype (slightly teneral specimen with one of the wings damaged) do not bear any label regarding the date of collection.

M. cardoni resembles M. determinatus (Distant) from Seychelles in having similar male genitalia. However, it differs from the latter in the following characters (characters of M. determinatus in parenthesis): subgenital plate more or less of uniform width throughout with apex rounded (of uneven width and apex truncate); the style with apical half abruptly narrowed into thin process (apical 1/4 gradually narrowed).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 17. Species of Mahellus. 1 – 2. Male of M. cardoni sp. nov., dorsal and lateral view; 3 – 5. Male of M. distanti, dorsal (3 & 5) and lateral (4) view; 6 – 7. Female of M. distanti, dorsal and lateral view; 8 – 9. Male of M. ungulatus sp. nov., dorsal and lateral view; 10 – 17 faces of species of Mahellus: 10. M. cardoni; 11 – 16. M. distanti, variation in colour; 17. M. ungulatus.

FIGURES 32 – 39. Mahellus cardoni sp. nov., male genitalia. 32. Abdominal segment VIII and genital capsule, lateral view; 33. Pygofer caudoventral process, lateral view; 34. Connective, dorsal view; 35. Style, dorsal view; 36. Subgenital plate, ventral view; 37. Aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view; 38, Aedeagus and dorsal connective, dorsal view; 39. Apex of aedeagal shaft, dorsal view.

FIGURES 48 – 52. Speceis of Mahellus. 48. Chaetotaxy of forefemur of M. distanti; 49. Chaetotaxy of metabasitarsus and second tarsomete of M. distanti, ventral view; 50 – 52. Posterior portion of male pygofer of Mahellus, dorsal view showing dorsal marginal sclerotized process: 50. M. cardoni sp. nov.; 51. M. distanti; 52. M. ungulatus sp. nov.