Stirellus petfordensis, Duan & Zhang & Dietrich, 2019

Duan, Yani, Zhang, Yating & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2019, Six new species of Stenometopiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with redescription of additional species and new distributional records, Zootaxa 4603 (2), pp. 201-240 : 236-238

Stirellus petfordensis sp. nov.

( Figs 31–32 )

Description. Length. Male: 4.4mm.

Coloration. General color stramineous with dark brown, brown and orange-red marks ( Fig. 31A, B ). Crown with large apical pair of dark brown spots and smaller pair of median orange-red marks. Pronotum with irregular anterior row of brown spots, mesonotum with basal triangles brown ( Fig. 31A ). Frontoclypeus brown with sordid white marks, dark brown spot below each eye, gena unmarked ( Fig. 31C ). Forewing translucent, apex brown ( Fig. 31A, B ). Femora and tibiae with dark brown marks.

Morphology. Head narrower than pronotum, weakly subconical, anterior margin rounded to face, angled ( Fig. 31 A–B). Crown ~ 1.3x width between eyes ( Fig. 31A ). Apex of anteclypeus widened, extending slightly beyond normal curve of genae ( Fig. 31C ). Pronotum median length nearly as long as median length of crown. Mesonotum and scutellum together longer than pronotum ( Fig. 31A ). Forewing macropterous ( Fig. 31A, B ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer side without macrosetae, dorsal margin slightly convex, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 32A ). Subgenital plate convex laterally, macrosetae uniseriate laterally ( Fig. 32C ). Style preapical angle indistinct, apophysis robust, digitate, slightlyslightly sinuatesinuate ( Fig. 32D ).. ConnectiveConnectiveConnective H-shaped H-shaped, stemstemstem slightlyslightlyslightly shortershortershorter thanthanthan armsarmsarms ( Fig. 32E ). Aedeagal shaft bent strongly dorsad near base, nearly straight through most of length in lateral view, parallel to aedeagal base, apex hooked anterad and attenuate, apex gradually tapered to point in dorsal view, with subapical membranous area ( Fig. 32F, G ).

Material examined. Holotype: Ƌ, Australia, Q[ueensland], 7 km. W. Petford, 24 ii 1997, L.B. O’Brien ( ANIC).

Etymology. The species epithet is based on the type locality.

Distribution. Australia.

Remarks. This species is similar to Stirellus indrus (Distant) , but it can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: marks on vertex, the proportions of the vertex and pygofer side without macrosetae.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Stirellus petfordensis sp. nov. A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view; C: face. A–C: holotype, male.

FIGURE 32. Stirellus petfordensis sp. nov. A: male pygofer lobe, lateral view; B: male pygofer and segments X and XI, dorsal view; C: valve, subgenital plate and styles, ventral view; D: style, dorsal view; E: connective, dorsal view; F: aedeagus, dorsal view; G: connective and aedeagus, lateral view. A–G: holotype, male.