Socoflata gen. nov., described for two new planthopper species from the mountains in Socotra island (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Flatidae) Author Stroiński, Adam Author Malenovský, Igor Author Świerczewski, Dariusz text Zootaxa 2018 2018-02-15 4379 3 388 406 journal article 30742 10.11646/zootaxa.4379.3.3 4982b5d7-1c43-4376-a587-b4f65a77819c 1175-5326 1174430 485C90BE-2219-423F-A339-51B6744184BC Socoflata aurolineata sp. nov. ( Figs 3–10 , 23–34 , 38, 41, 42 , 61 ) Diagnosis . Socoflata aurolineata sp. nov. differs from S. histrionica sp. nov. in coloration, wax pattern, the tegmen shape and venation, the shape of the male genital style, details of the periandrium, and a smaller general size as specified in the key above. Description . Measurements. Total length: males: 3.1–3.8 mm (mean 3.4; N = 50); females 3.3–4.1 mm (mean 3.7, N = 50). Ratios (N= 5 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ ): Vertex: A/B = 1.82–2.33. Frons: C/E = 0.65–0.78, D/E = 0.96–1.10. Pronotum: F/B = 1.25–1.69. Mesonotum: G/F = 1.68–2.17, G/B+F = 1.02–1.25, G/H = 0.67–0.82. Tegmina: I/J = 3.31–3.59. FIGURES 35–44. Socoflata spp., male, drawings. (35–37, 39, 40, 43, 44) S. histrionica sp. nov. ; (38, 41, 42) S. aurolineata sp. nov. (35) Pygofer and anal tube, lateral view; (36) anal tube, dorsal view; (37, 38) genital style, outer lateral view; (39) periandrium, lateral view; arrow pointing at the diagnostic character on dorsal margin of periandrium; (40) same, ventral view; (41, 42) periandrium appendages; (43) aedeagus, outer lateral view; (44) same, ventral view. FIGURES 45–50. Socoflata histrionica sp. nov . , female, SEM photographs. (45) Abdomen, lateral view; (46) terminalia, lateral view; (47) same, postero-dorsal view; (48) gonoplacs, posterior view; (49) terminalia, basal part, lateral view; (50) pregenital sternite, ventral view. COLORATION. Vertex, pronotum and mesonotum bright orange-yellow with a well-delimited continuous median pale yellow (whitish) stripe extending from apical third of vertex to scutellum apex ( Figs 4, 6, 8, 10 , 61 ). Frons brown, carinae lighter ochreous. Postclypeus light ochreous with its midline and ventral half darker brown; anteclypeus uniformly light ochreous; rostrum light ochreous with apex narrowly dark brown. Genae ochreous. Antennae ochreous, pedicell apically and flagellum darker brown. Compound eyes grey to reddish. Legs almost uniformly light ochreous (especially in males) to brown with carinae lighter (in females), apices of spines black. Tegmen membrane in mature specimens mostly light brown, veins and basal cell light ochreous or orange-brown, corium medially and clavus anteriorly and basally (outer claval, i.e. postcubital cell) dark brown, clavus posteriorly (inner claval, i.e. anal cell) contrastingly bright orange yellow, postclaval (commissural) margin pale yellow ( Figs 3–4, 7–10 , 61 ). Young (teneral) specimens with tegmen almost uniformly pale dirty yellow, basal and anal cells brighter orange yellow ( Figs 5, 6 ). Live specimens with tegmina extensively covered with wax, except for posterior (inner) claval cell ( Fig. 61 ). Hind wing membrane grey, opaque. Abdomen in males with sternites and first two visible tergites uniformly light ochreous, in females with sternites brown with light ochreous posterior margins; most tergites in both sexes extensively darker brown laterally. Male terminalia uniformly light ochreous; female terminalia mostly light ochreous, teeth on gonoplacs brown. STRUCTURE. Body narrowly ovoid, clavus basally and bulla weakly convex, hardly outstanding of body outline ( Figs 3–10 ). Tegmen venation with ScP+RA with 3–5 terminals; RP with 2–3 terminals; MP with 6–8 terminals; CuA with 3–4 terminals. Cells in medial area of tegmen mostly narrow and elongate ( Figs 27, 28 ). Genital style with dorsal margin almost straight, ventral margin weakly convex, posterior margin weakly sinuate (concave in basal half), capitulum relatively long and narrow ( Fig. 38 ). Dorsal part of periandrium, in lateral view, with dorsal margin smoothly descending to basal part; median arm of periandrium appendage with lower process slightly curved or almost straight, not reaching the level of upper process ventral spines ( Figs 41, 42 ). Apex of female anal tube, in dorsal view, with a small median incision. Type material . Holotype : ♂ , YEMEN : Socotra island, Hagher mountains, Mt. Skand, 12°34.6’N , 54°01.5’E , 1450 m , 16.–18.vi.2012 , I. Malenovský et al . leg. The holotype is dry-mounted, deposited in MMBC and bearing the following labels: [ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Hagher Mts., Scand Mt. env./ 12°34.6’N , 54°01.5’E , 1450 m / montane evergreen woodland/ 16.-18.vi.2012 ], [ SOCOTRA expedition 2012 /I. Malenovský, P. Kment,/J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula,/ J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.], [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno], [ HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Socoflata / aurolineata sp. nov. /det. A. Stroiński, I. Malenovský/& D. Świerczewski 2017 ]. Paratypes : 145 ♂♂ , 141 ♀♀ , same data and locality label as holotype ( MMBC , MNHN , MZPW , NMPC , MNWC ); 17 ♂♂ 20 ♀♀ , same data as holotype but 12–13.xi.2010 , J. Bezděk leg.—[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Al Haghier Mts., Scant Mt. env./ 12°34.6’N , 54°01.5’E , 1450 m / J. Bezděk leg. / 12.-13.xi.2010 ], [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno]; 1 ♂ —same data as holotype but 12–13.xi.2010 , but L. Purchart leg.— [ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Al Hagher Mts., Scant Mt. env./ 12°34.6’N , 54°01.5’E , 1450m / 12.-13.xi.2010 , L. Purchart leg.],, [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno]; 2 ♀♀ —[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Al Haghier Mts./ wadi Madar , 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2’N , 54°00.4’E ,/J. Bezděk leg., 12-14.xi.2010 ], [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno]; 1 ♂ , 3 ♀♀ —[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Al Haghier Mts./ wadi Madar , 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2’N , 54°00.4’E ,/Jiri Hajek leg., 12-14.xi.2010 ], [COLLECTIO/NATIONAL MUSEUM/ Praha , Czech Republic ]; 18 ♂♂ , 11 ♀♀ —[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island / Hagher Mts., wadi Madar / 12°33.2’N , 54°00.4’E , 1170 m /montane shrubland with Cephalocroton socotranus , 18.vi.2012 ], [ SOCOTRA expedition 2012 /I. Malenovský, P. Kment,/J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula,/J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.], [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno]; 11 ♂♂ , 13 ♀♀ —[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Dixam plateau, Tudhen / 12°32.7’N , 53°59.9’E , 1135 m /montane shrubland with / Commiphora planifrons , 22.vi.2012 ], [ SOCOTRA expedition 2012 /I. Malenovský, P. Kment,/J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula,/ J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.], [COLLECTIO/Moravské museum/Brno]; 2 ♂♂ , 4 ♀♀ — [ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Dixam plateau/ Firmihin ( Dracaena forest)/ 12°28.6’N , 54°01.1’E , 490 m /J. Bezděk leg., 15-16.xi.2010 / Alcohol 96 %] , [COLLECTIO Moravské museum/Brno]; 2 ♂♂ —[ YEMEN , SOCOTRA Island /Zemhon area, 270-350m /N12°30’58’’, E54°06’39’’/ 3.-4.ii.2010 , at light/ L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg.], [COLLECTIO Moravské museum/Brno] ( MMBC , NMPC ). All paratypes are also labelled as: [ PARATYPUS ♂ (or ♀ )/ Socoflata / aurolineata sp. nov. /det. A. Stroiński, I. Malenovský/& D. Świerczewski 2017 ]. Remark. The two males from “Zemhom area” should be relabelled as from “Aloove” (see Bezděk et al. 2014 ). Etymology . The specific epithet is a combination derived from the Latin noun “ aurum ” (= gold) and the adjective “ lineatus ” (= lined, striped), referring to the characteristic orange-yellow coloration of the anal cell along the postclaval margin of the tegmen. Distribution. So far only recorded from the central part of Socotra where it is largely restricted to the Hagher mountains and the Dixam plateau. The species is especially abundant at altitudes above 1100 m a. s. l., although there are also a few records from mid-elevation plateaus. Habitat and host plants. Socoflata aurolineata sp. nov. is one of the dominant planthopper species in the montane evergreen woodland and dwarf shrub communities on the high granite peaks in Socotra (the Leucas hagghierensis—Pittosporum viridiflorum and Helichrysum—Hypericum communities sensu Brown & Mies 2012 , the latter corresponding to the Coelocarpum haggierensis—Hypericum scopulorum shrubland of De Sanctis et al. 2013; Figs 63, 64 ). Less abundantly, it also occurs in lower montane shrubland dominated by Cephalocroton socotranus and Croton sulcifructus . The new species is probably polyphagous on low shrubs: most specimens (including nymphs) were swept from Hypericum scopulorum (Hypericaceae; Figs 65, 66 ), Leucas hagghierensis ( Lamiaceae , Fig. 67 ), and Euryops arabicus (Asteraceae), which are probably host plants.