Mapuchea, Szwedo, 2004

Szwedo, Jacek, 2004, A new genus and six new species of ground-dwelling leafhoppers from Chile and New Zealand (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Myerslopiidae), Zootaxa 424 (1), pp. 1-20 : 2-4

Mapuchea gen. nov.

TYPE SPECIES: Myerslopia chilensis Nielson, 1996 : Nielson 1996: 323; here designated

ETYMOLOGY: Named after the name of indigenous people—Mapuche—inhabiting Chile and Argentina.

DIAGNOSIS: Genital plates completely separated and truncate distally, (genital plates turned medially in Myerslopia ). Internal borders of genital plates placed close to each other, particularly at base, quite wide medial fissure between plates lacking (in Myerslopia genital plates drawn aside each other at base, medial fissure subtriangular or oval in Myerslopia). Genital styles nearly straight, enlarged in distal third, with small curved projection apically (genital styles abruptly curved medially in Myerslopia ). Exposed portion of female pygofer twice as long as 8 th sternite in mid line (about 1.4 times in Myerslopia ). Antennal sockets very deep, antennal ridge foliaceous, irregularly cupolate, with medial margin shifted from frontoclypeus and distinctly elongated downwards (in Myerslopia antennal ridges lower, antennal sockets shallower, with medial margins not so elongate and placed closer to frontoclypeus).

DESCRIPTION: Small, robust, dark coloured insects, sometimes with indistinct colour pattern, 5.2–5.9 mm in length, ground living, often encrusted with soil and debris particles.

Head broad, narrower than pronotum with paranotal lobes; crown produced medially, anterior margin foliaceous, sinuate, coronal disc with triradial impression, basally with prominent tubercles, one at each side between mid line and inner margin of eyes, coronal disc covered with numerous small setiferous bullae; compound eyes small, protuberant laterally, ocelli lacking.

Face with compound eyes wider than long, with numerous setiferous bullae on surface. Frontoclypeus swollen with lateral protuberances, more robust pair just before clypellus and a indistinct pair near anterior margin of head, lateral portions sulcate. Anteclypeus swollen with indistinct median prominence. Clypellus long. Lora distinct, gena large. Eye pads distinct. Antennal sockets deep, antennal ridges foliaceous, irregulately cupolate, with lower portion free and elongate downwards, antennal furrows long and deep, reaching posteriorly between eye pads and genal disc. Antenna short, scapus short, drum­like, pedicel barrel­like, with two subapical setae, third segment longest, subsequent five segments elongate, subequal in length, segments 4–8 with short subapical setae, terminal filament short, annulate. Rostrum robust, reaching beyond hind coxae, apical segment slightly longer than subapical.

Pronotum very short, collar­like, with lateral triangulate paranotal lobes, posterior margin almost straight, with paired medially highly elevated ridge and area against anterior margin behind each eye tumid.

Mesonotum very small, slightly inflated.

Tegmina coriaceous, carapace­like, shielding abdominal pleural region, pitted, each puncture with setiferous tubercle, highly sculptured, with several protuberances on each side of commissural line, along longitudinal veins, claval suture with elevated, curved ridge at base, large protuberance on joined commissure in one­third distance from apex, venation obscure, appendix absent.

Hind wings absent.

Hind femora slightly laterally flattened, covered with short chaetae, with a single apical seta distinct and second, internal one strongly reduced. Hind tibiae triangular­subquadrangular in cross section, longitudinal rows with short macrosetae interspersed with long intercalary setae, rows PD and AD with four stout macrosetae, row AV with three stout macrosetae in apical part, row PV with single stout macroseta in apical part; double, transverse pecten on ventral surface of apex of hind tibia with proximal row of 7 spurs of spiniform plate and seta and distal row of 7 spurs of base and seta. Tarsomeres with numerous irregularly arranged setae, basitarsomere about as long as combined length of mid and apical tarsomeres, external plantar margin with row of 7 thicker setae, two larger apical setae; midtarsomere with two apical longer setae, claws distinct, arolium bilobate.

Abdomen broad, tergites and sternites with scarce setiferous bulla, laterotergites about three times as long as wide, with spiracles in cephalad portion.

Male pygofer short, without caudal processes, caudal margin produced to a medial lobe, lobes of pygofer distinctly visible at ventral aspect, their external borders strongly convex; anal tube composed of sclerotized tubular segment 10 th, without processes, ringlike tergite 11 th with separate hirsute epiproct and cercal plates. Genital plates fused to broad triangulate valve, sometimes a trace of connection is visible, plates not fused along mid line, genital plate truncate in ventral and lateral view, dorsal surface with a sclerotized, curved ridge, extending along caudal margin, with a few long setae, caudal margin with microsetae along its length. Genital styles almost straight, enlarged in distal third, with small process in apical portion. Aedeagus composed, phallobase hemitubular, subquadrate basally, slender and short endotheca directed anteriad, then arched dorsocaudad, theca transparent forming tube­like sheath.

Female pygofer about as long as wide, 8 th sternite large, deeply cleft in midline, not covering base of ovipositor. Gonoplac slightly exceeding length of pygofer, 1 st and 2 nd gonapophyses weakly curved, tapered in apical portion to pointed tip. Gonocoxae 1 st and 2 nd distinct, curved dorsocaudad.