Geelus vurkdraad, Stiller, 2020

Stiller, Michael, 2020, A new leafhopper genus Geelus and 12 new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae Deltocephalinae) from Southern Africa, Zootaxa 4786 (3), pp. 301-344 : 317-320

Geelus vurkdraad sp.n.

( Figs 7 A–C, 8A–K)

Diagnosis. Aedeagal shaft narrow, tubular, curvate, apex laterally with fine, short fork; dorsal apodeme elongate, right-angled to shaft. Pygofer lobe narrow, rounded apex; process curvate, concave, orientation dorsoposteriad. Female sternite 7 with recessed, rectangular median ligula.

Etymology. Afrikaans nouns in apposition, vurk, fork and draad, wire for the delicate fork at the end of the aedeagal shaft. Gender masculine.

Male. Measurements. n=23. Length from apex of crown to apex of tegmina 5.00– 5.56 mm. Crown median length 0.39–0.43 mm. Crown length next to eye 0.32–0.35 mm. Pronotum length 0.53–0.58 mm. Head width across eyes 1.40–1.52 mm. Pronotum width 1.34–1.45 mm. Ocellus diameter 39.1–49.7 μm; interocular distance 71.7– 89.6 µm. Apical angle of crown 121.3°±3.4°.

Pygofer lobe. Process curved concavely, edentate or single, small tooth subbasally on median surface, apex orientation dorsoposteriad, origin dorsomedially near base of pygofer lobe; pygofer lobe narrow, triangular, apex rounded; anterior apodeme short, dorsal ( Figs 8F, 8H ).

Anal tube. Tubular ( Fig. 8H ).

Subgenital plate. Number of macrosetae 3–6; medioposterior angle, obtuse; length: width 1.0–1.1; position of macrosetae in distal half; apex relative to pygofer lobe apex, plate shorter than pygofer lobe ( Fig. 8F ). apex of pygofer lobe extended beyond apex of subgenital plate.

Valve. Shape obtuse triangular ( Fig. 8G ).

Style. Apophysis with apical and subapical tooth ventrally, apophysis width as wide as width across preapical lobe; ratio length to width of apophysis 2.9–3.6 ( Fig. 8E ).

Connective. Stem length relative to arm length, one sixth of length of arms; stem width relative to width across arms, half as wide as greatest width across arms ( Fig. 8D ).

Aedeagus. Shaft thin, tubular; apex of shaft with short, fine lateral, paired, horn-like fork; distal half of shaft with membranous ventral margin with minute denticles, denticles variable in number and size; shaft curvate; dorsal apodeme, laterally elongate, right-angled to shaft; preatrium reduced ( Figs 8 A–C).

Female.

Measurements. n=28. Length from apex of crown to apex of tegmina 3.98–4.24 mm. Crown median length 0.41–0.44 mm. Crown length next to eye 0.34–0.37 mm. Pronotum length 0.56–0.59 mm. Head width across eyes 1.50–1.58 mm. Pronotum width 1.42–1.51 mm. Ocellus diameter 38.9–53.8 μm; interocular distance 74.8–93.7 µm. Apical angle of crown 121.8°±1.9°.

Sternite 7. Shape of posterior margin with short, recessed transversely rectangular ligula ( Figs 8I, 8J ).

Valvifer 1. Symmetrical or ventral margin produced narrowly ( Fig. 8K ).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Western Cape Province. CCDL 18854, Wiedouw Farm base of Gifberg Pass, -31.7334, 18.7666, 3–10.x.2002, M. Stiller, sweeping Calobota angustifolia , Fabaceae ( SANC). Paratypes. 24♂, 29♀, 14 nymphs. Western Cape Province, records below all this locality: Wiedouw Farm base of

Gifberg Pass, -31.7334, 18.7666, 3–10.x.2002, M. Stiller, sweeping. 2♂, 2♀, 3 nymphs, CCDL 18858, Oedera genistifolia , Asteraceae ; 5♀, CCDL 26928, dominant plant in low grass and forb vegetation, grazed meadow, Gorteria personata , Asteraceae ; 3♀, CCDL 18860, Pteronia paniculata , Asteraceae ; 2♂, 4♀, CCDL 18859, Euryops multifudus , Asteraceae ; 2♂, 1♀, CCDL 18857, Salvia lanceolata , Lamiaceae ; 2♂, 1♀, CCDL 18856, Ruschia burtoniae , Theaceae ; 2♂, CCDL 18855, Helichrysum tricostatum , Asteraceae ; 11♂, 7♀, 9 nymphs, ibid. holotype; 3♂, 1♀, CCDL 18861, Eriocephalus africanus var paniculatus , Asteraceae ; 5♀, 2 nymphs, CCDL 26930, sweep and beat trees and shrubs at night ( BMNH, INHS, SANC).

Remarks. Geelus vurkdraad and G. dundraad share similar aedeagi, that is thin, curvate shaft and elongate dorsal apodeme. However, the fine forked structure at the apex of the shaft and variable serrate membranous apex is unique in this species, without correspondence in the apex of the aedeagus of G. dundraad . No examined specimens depicted damage to the fork, or that the apex of G. dundraad was damaged. Other differences between these species are in the shape of the pygofer process, style, subgenital plates and female sternite 7. The mottled nymph in Fig. 7C is atypical and not a member of Geelus , although it was the only nymph collected with adults depicted in Figs 7A, 7B .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Geelus gen.n. species, adult and nymph, habitus, dorsally. A. Geelus vurkdraad sp.n., male, on Calobota; B. Geelus vurkdraad sp.n., female, on Calobota; C. Indeterminable species, nymph, on Calobota; D. Geelus nektanddraad sp.n., male, Biesiesfontein specimen, on Gorteria; E. Geelus nektanddraad sp.n., male, Biesiesfontein specimen, on Galenia; F. Geelus nektanddraad sp.n., female, Biesiesfontein specimen; G. Geelus nektanddraad sp.n., nymph, early instar, on Galenia; H. Geelus nektanddraad sp.n., nymph, late instar, on Gorteria.

FIGURE 8. Geelus vurkdraad gen.n. & sp.n., male and female genitalia, line drawings. A. Aedeagus, apex, laterally; B. Aedeagus, apex, dorsally; C. Aedeagus, laterally; D. Connective; E. Style; F. Genital capsule, laterally; G. Subgenital plate; H. Genital capsule, dorsally; I. Sternite 7; J. Sternite 7; K. Valvifer 1, laterally.