A new leafhopper genus Discolopeus and nine new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) associated with shrubs, trees and poisonous plants in South Africa
Author
Stiller, Michael
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-02-20
4559
2
201
244
journal article
27457
10.11646/zootaxa.4559.2.1
258540d4-5697-4211-b5ab-e5ee1b4866a5
1175-5326
2626811
F5FD59CB-D2B5-42ED-A5F3-ABF9D67205F9
Discolopeus copeus
sp.n.
Figs 9
a–j, 10a–g, 19a, 19b.
Diagnosis
. Crown short with orange transverse line between ocelli. Subgenital plate ovate; ratio of length to width 1.41–1.86. Aedeagal shaft ventrally with subapical short paired tooth, shaft apex acuminate in lateral view, truncate in dorsal view, uniformly curved posterodorsally, depressed, sclerotized; dorsal apodeme in dorsal view parallel longitudinal separate bars; aedeagal process thin, gracile, short, as long as shaft. Style apophysis digitate, short. Connective with transverse bar concave, arms short. Pygofer lobe short, with apical and subapical short, blunt sclerotized processes.
Etymology
. Named for the chisel-shaped apex of the aedeagus, i.e. scalpiform,
kopeus,
Greek.
Male
,
female and nymph
.
External morphology
. Crown about as long medially as length next to eye (
Figs 10b, 10c
). Ground colour ochraceous to stramineous (
Figs 10
a–d). Crown with orange transverse line between ocelli (
Figs 10b, 10c
). Face with brown marking medially on crown above antennal base (
Fig.
10g
). Pronotum with single round to amorphous light brown marking near posterior margin of compound eye. Tegmina with brown markings in numerous cells, veins brown. Nymph stramineous to yellow (
Figs 10e, 10f
).
Male
.
Measurements
. Overall length
4.73–5.06 mm
; crown length
0.38–0.41 mm
; crown length next to eye
0.36–0.40 mm
; pronotum length
0.55–0.58 mm
; head width 1.3 9–
1.53 mm
; pronotum width
1.24–1.29 mm
; ocellus diameter 37.1–46.9 µm; interocellar distance 39.9–52.5 µm.
Male
.
Genitalia
. Tergite X elongate, conical, about as long as pygofer (
Fig. 9a
). Pygofer anterior apodeme wide in dorsal view (
Fig. 9a
), curvate in lateral view (
Fig. 9b
). Pygofer lobe with a short apical sclerotized blunt tooth, directed ventrally and short subapical sclerotized blunt tooth, directed posteriorly (
Fig. 9b
). Valve ellipsoid, without anterior apodeme (
Fig. 9c
). Subgenital plate elongate (length to width ratio 1.41–1.86 (n=7)), apex narrowly rounded, macrosetae in distal half, marginally to submarginally (
Fig. 9c
). Aedeagus with shaft elongate, sclerotized, uniformly curvate dorsoposteriad, apical half scalpiform, subapically with ventral paired tooth; gonopore elongate, dorsal apodeme elongated, longitudinal, paired, disjunct sclerotized ridges (
Figs 9d, 9e
). Aedeagal paraphysis tubular, apex acute, attaining subapex of aedeagal shaft (
Fig. 9d
). Style apophysis in dorsal view triangular, depressed, in lateral view digitate, curved ventrad, preapical lobe ventral, rounded, preapical angle right-angled (
Figs 9f,
9g
); style situated near base of subgenital plate (
Fig. 9b
). Connective with transverse section concave, arms short, right-angled to mid-section (
Fig. 9h
).
Female
.
Measurements
. Overall length
5.43–5.64 mm
; crown length
0.42–0.46 mm
; crown length next to eye
0.41–0.44 mm
; pronotum length
0.61–0.64 mm
; head width 1.5
1–1.58 mm
; pronotum width
1.36–1.42 mm
; ocellus diameter 42.0–57.4 µm; interocellar distance 56.0 µm.
Female
.
Genitalia
. Sternite VII posterior margin shallowly concave (
Fig. 9j
) or sinuous with shallow, medial V-shaped notch (
Fig.
9i
). Valvifer 1 elongate, about two times longer than wide, posterior margin broadly rounded. Valvula 3 with 1–2 rows of macrosetae, marginal row with numerous setae, submarginal row with few setae.
Material examined
.
Holotype
male.
Western Cape Province
. CCDL12880, Matsikammaberg near Vanrhynsdorp, -31.6, 18.7333,
1995/08/11
, M. Stiller, sweeping
Hyaenanche globosa
Picrodendraceae
.
Paratypes
.
11♂
,
22♀
, 38 nymphs.
Western Cape Province
.
1♂
, CCDL26234, Slagboom, -33.2333, 19.2833,
1967/12/29
, J.G. Theron, sweeping;
6♂
,
6♀
, CCDL26235, Clanwilliam Cedarberg, -32.5, 19.25,
1976/12/21
, J.G. Theron, sweeping;
1♀
, CCDL26236, Clanwilliam, -32.1667, 18.8833,
1978/10/08
, J.G. Theron, sweeping;
1♀
, CCDL26237, Clanwilliam, -32.1667, 18.8833,
1983/01/19
, J.G. Theron, sweeping;
4♂
,
11♀
, 38 nymphs,
Ibid.
holotype
;
1♂
,
2♀
, CCDL26248, Jamaka farm #5, -32.3442, 19.0097,
2016/12/12
, M. Stiller, sweeping
Aspalathus galeata
Fabaceae
.
Remarks
.
Discolopeus copeus
is characterized by the short crown with transverse orange band, and together with
D. viraktamathi
, it is longer than the other species of
Discolopeus
. The short crown is found in
D. arctus
and
D. thigmacaenus
with the latter species with numerous brown to dark brown markings on the crown. The pygofer lobe in
D. copeus
has an apical and subapical process, whereas
D. arctus
the processes are much longer and one membranous and the other sclerotized. In
D. thigmacaenus
the pygofer lobe is produced into an elongate, ventrad acuminate process.
Discolopeus copeus
is the only species with a depressed apophysis of the style and with the apex curved ventrad. The aedeagus with its scalpiform shape, ventral paired short teeth and disjunct longitudinal dorsal apodeme bears no resemblance to
D. arctus
or
D. thigmacaenus
or any other species of
Discolopeus
.
Distribution records from Clanwilliam and Jamaka indicated additional feeding plants to
H. globosa
.
Distribution records of
H. globosa
are in
Fig. 19a
(http://newposa.sanbi.org, last accessed
April 2017
) indicate a restricted distribution, and not found at Clanwilliam and Jamaka, where few records suggest other associated plants. The potential natural distribution of
D. copeus
is in
Fig. 19b
.