Empoasca daggyi, Southern, Phillip Sterling, 2010

Southern, Phillip Sterling, 2010, Eight new species of Empoasca (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Empoascini) from Peru and Bolivia, Zootaxa 2524, pp. 1-23 : 19-22

Empoasca daggyi n. sp.

Body (male): Length: 3.1–3.5 mm; crown length: 0.20–0.24 mm; crown projection: 0.09–0.11 mm; crown projecton ratio: 0.43–0.55; head length (including eyes): 0.45–0.48 mm; interoccular width: 0.38–0.40 mm; head width (including eyes): 0.78–0.81 mm; pronotum width: 0.76–0.78 mm; pronotum length: 0.40–0.43 mm; face length: 0.70–0.83 mm; hind tibia length: 1.44–1.50 mm; hind tarsus length: 0.50–0.53 mm; hind tarsomere I length: 0.28–0.31 mm; hind tarsomere I/hind tarsus ratio: 0.56–0.59. Head and thorax yellowcream with brown markings. Crown with irregular anteromedial brown mark encircling smaller yellow spot, with linear brown spots on each side of midline diverging anteriorly from posterior margin; crown slightly longer medially than next to eye, distinctly shorter than width between eyes; coronal suture dark, extending well beyond crown midlength. Head including eyes approximately as wide as pronotum. Eyes dark, central area lighter. Face yellow-cream with brown medial vertical line becoming more diffuse and wider ventrally, brown diagonal lines from near dorso-medial margin; ocelli on margin about equidistant between eye and mid-line; rostrum barely reaching hind coxae. Pronotum with brown spots on anterior margin medially and behind each eye. Forewing with basal 2/3rd subhyaline, yellowish, with diffuse brown spots (most prominently at ca. 2/3rd length of brachial cell); apical 1/3 hyaline; apical cell 2 petiolate; apical cell 4 distinctly tapered near base, MCu distinctly curved, ending near posterior end of apical margin; CuP distal segment subequal in length to segment of CuA between Cu stem and MP; punctations along veins absent or indistinct. Hind wing similar to that of Empoasca fabae . Legs predominantly yellow with some light brown markings; front femur row AV with 2-3 basal setae distinctly enlarged, AM1 distinctly enlarged; middle femur with 1 dorsoapical macroseta; hind tibia row AV with 6 preapical macrosetae. Abdominal segments brown with yellow-cream along posterior and lateral margins. Genital capsule yellow-cream ventrally, brown dorsally; plates yellowcream basally, becoming brown apically.

Pygofer ( Fig. 9 a) in lateral view with posterior margin broadly rounded; 11–14 stout setae in group along posteriodorsal margin; mesal face with well developed sensilla field. Pygofer process free from pygofer for most of length; in lateral view ( Figs. 9 a, 9h) curved slightly upward, extending beyond posterior margin of pygofer, without strong dorsal projection (brace) basally; in ventral view ( Figs. 9 b, 9i) straight through most of length, angled mediad from near base, curved slightly laterad near apex; apically flattened and slightly concave on dorsal surface; sparse field of aculeae on dorso-medial surface; micro-serrate on apical margin. Plate with basolateral lamella well developed, basal depressed section subequal to or longer than distal, compressed section; in lateral view ( Fig. 9 a) apically curved gradually upward but not expanded; in ventral view ( Fig. 9 b) plates separate throughout length; dorsomedial surface without conspicuous sensilla; A-group setae (2–3) near base of plate, longer than B-group setae, but not thicker; B-group setae (15–18) uniseriate, extending from near A-group setae to apex of plate, uniform in length; C-group setae (17–18) roughly biseriate basally, becoming uniseriate apically, reaching apex of plate; D-group setae (30–34) roughly biseriate, longest slightly longer than C-group setae, extended to base of plate. Style in lateral view ( Fig. 9 f) with body straight or bowed slightly ventrad, dentifer bowed slightly dorsad; in ventral view ( Fig. 9 g), bowed evenly mediad, dentifer not abruptly narrowed; teeth (4–5) small; apex broadly rounded or truncate; setal bases few (setae not present in specimens available). Anal hook in lateral view ( Figs. 9 a, 9j) long, at least 2/3 depth of pygofer, bowed weakly caudad, bifurcate in apical 1/5th (plane of bifurcation most nearly sagital), anterior ramus longer than posterior ramus, posterior ramus curved slightly mediad; in caudo-ventral view ( Fig. 9 d) angled slightly mediad from near base; segment X with sclerotized dorsal arch, densely microtrichiate ventrally. Aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 9 c) with preatrium very short; shaft large and deep (distance from dorsal-most to ventral-most point greater than length), bearing on caudo-ventral margin a pair of shallow, slightly diverging semi-lunar plates with crenulate or toothed margins, diverging from line of atrial complex ca. 45°, curved abruptly dorsad in apical 1/4th. In caudo-ventral view ( Fig. 9 d) gradually expanded from base of preatrium to atrium; apical portion of shaft gradually tapered to narrowly rounded apex, swollen slightly around gonopore. Connective with well sclerotized, slightly concave anterior margin, broad posterior notch, wider than long. Dorsum of genital capsule ( Fig. 9 k) with anterior margin well sclerotized; bridge broad; transverse bar well sclerotized; horns well sclerotized, tapering with rounded apicies.

First sternal complex ( Fig. 9 m) with broad medial notch abruptly narrowed at mid-depth. Second sternal apodemes ( Fig. 9 n) parallel, each parallel-margined to broadly rounded apices, long (reaching 5.3– 5.5, 0.53–0.59 mm), width 0.33–0.36 mm. Second tergal apodeme a low wall continuous across midline. Third tergal apodemes ( Fig. 9 q) well developed as crescent-shaped lobes directed ventrad or caudo-ventrad, continuous but reduced across midline. Sternum of 8th abdominal segment: posterior margin relatively straight with small medial notch.

Holotype male: BOLIVIA Cochabamba / Villa Tunari Hotel Los Tucanes / 16° 58.302’ S 65° 23.793 W / 320 m 5-IX-2000, M. Hauser / B. Gaimari, D. Yates // PSS RESEARCH / 09-345-1 // HOLOTYPE / Empoasca / daggyi n. sp. / Southern & Dietrich ( INHS). Paratypes: 5 males, same collection data as holotype (INHS— 3 specimens, NCSU— 2 specimens).

Etymology: This species is named in memory and honor of the late Dr. Tom Daggy, Professor of Biology at Davidson College. Though trained as an entomologist (specializing in Coleoptera) Dr. Daggy was a collector and naturalist with wide interests and knowledge. He was an early mentor of numerous students (including the senior author) who, due in large part to his influence, went on to do taxonomic work in entomology, ornithology or botany.

Diagnosis: E. daggyi keys roughly to Empoasca brachylaminata Southern in Southern’s key to Empoasca of eastern Peru ( Southern 1982). However, in E. brachylaminata the pygofer process is strongly and abruptly curved dorsad just beyond mid-length, the shaft of the aedeagus is not unusually large and complex, and the anal hook is bifurcate through nearly half its length. Several other South American species have large, compressed aedeagal shafts and pygofer processes which are flattened apically. Empoasca rex Southern differs from E. daggyi in having laterally directed, dentate plates on the dorsal margin of the shaft, the anal hooks are not bifurcate, and the third tergal apodemes are not strongly developed. Empoasca plex Southern and Empoasca parvicornis Southern also have dentate plates on the dorsal margin of the aedeagal shaft and in these species the anal hooks are more deeply bifurcate than in E. daggyi and the bifurcation is more clearly in a transverse rather than sagittal plane.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Empoasca daggyi n. sp. a. genital capsule, lateral view; b. genital capsule, ventral view; c. aedeagus, lateral view; d. aedeagus, left anal hook and dorsal aedeagal support, posteroventral view; f. style, lateral view; g. style, ventral view; h. pygofer process, lateral view; i. pygofer process, ventral view; j. anal hook, lateral view; k. pattern of sclerotization of dorsal surface of genital capsule, dorsal view; m. first sternal complex, anterior view; n. base of abdomen and second sternal apodemes, ventral view; q. base of abdomen and third tergal apodemes, dorsal view.