Cavichiana, Mejdalani, Gabriel, Quintas, Victor, Carvalho, Rachel A. & Takiya, Daniela M., 2014

Mejdalani, Gabriel, Quintas, Victor, Carvalho, Rachel A. & Takiya, Daniela M., 2014, A new genus and new bromelicolous species of Cicadellini (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Southeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3755 (6), pp. 561-572 : 562-565

Cavichiana gen. nov.

( Figs 1–17 , 21 )

Type-species: Cavichiana bromelicola sp. nov., by present designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis. The new genus can be recognized by the following combination of features: (1) head deltoid, strongly produced anteriorly ( Fig. 1 ); (2) ocelli located distinctly anterad of anterior eye angles ( Fig. 1 ); (3) aedeagus tubular, elongate, its apex with a conspicuous crown of spines ( Fig. 6 ); (4) paraphyses with both stalk and rami elongate, each ramus slender with basidorsal dentiform projection ( Figs 5, 7 ).

Description. Head ( Fig. 1 ) deltoid, strongly produced anteriorly; median length of crown approximately 7/10 interocular width and 4/10 transocular width; anterior margin narrowly rounded in dorsal view; without distinct carina at transition from crown to face; ocelli located distinctly anterad of line between anterior eye angles, each slightly closer to median line than to adjacent anterior eye angle; crown, in lateral view, distinctly declivous anteriorly; surface of crown without conspicuous sculpturing, but antennal ledges slightly rugose and anterior (frontal) portion with small lenticular impressions. Antennal ledges, in dorsal view, not protuberant; in lateral view, anterior margin perpendicular, slightly convex. Frontogenal sutures extending onto crown. Frons slightly convex; muscle impressions distinct; surface with small lenticular impressions. Epistomal suture obsolete medially. Clypeus broad and flat; apex broadly convex; profile continuing contour of frons.

Thorax ( Fig. 1 ) with pronotal width equal to or slightly shorter than transocular width of head; lateral margins slightly convergent anteriorly; posterior margin broadly concave; dorsopleural carinae complete or nearly so, rectilinear, declivent anteriorly; disk transversely striate, without punctures. Mesonotum with scutellum (i.e., area behind transverse sulcus) not striate. Fore wings ( Fig. 2 ) without distinct membrane; veins not very distinct except apically; with four apical cells, base of fourth more proximal than base of third; with three closed anteapical cells or with base of median and inner anteapical cells indistinct; without anteapical plexus of veins. Hind wings with vein R2+3 incomplete. Fore and hind wings of female extending posteriorly slightly beyond apex of ovipositor. Posterior meron not exposed when fore wings are at rest position. Fore legs with femur, in anterior view, with distinct intercalary row (about 15 setae) on distal half, first anteromedial seta located near base of ventroapical femoral lobe, anteroventral row with about 2-3 setae located anteapically. Hind legs with femoral setal formula 2:1:1 or 2:1:1:1; tibia with macrosetae of anterodorsal row interspaced by about 2-3 very short intercalary setae; length of first tarsomere greater than combined length of second and third; with two parallel rows of small setae on plantar surface.

Male genitalia with pygofer ( Fig. 3 ), in lateral view, well produced posteriorly, distal margin broadly rounded, ventral margin with distinct concavity; without processes; surface, except basal portion, with many macrosetae. Valve ( Fig. 4 ), in ventral view, subtrapezoidal. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 4 ), in ventral view, subtriangular, broad on basal half, strongly narrowed on median portion, connected to each other basally by small membranous triangular area; in lateral view, extending as far posteriorly as pygofer apex; surface with few inconspicuous macrosetae on laterobasal portion, followed by uniseriate row of tiny setae, microsetae also present. Connective ( Fig. 5 ), in dorsal view, small, Y-shaped, arms and stalk very short. Style ( Fig. 5 ), in dorsal view, elongate, extending much farther posteriorly than apex of connective; with distinct outer preapical lobe; apical portion digitiform, slightly directed outward. Aedeagus ( Fig. 6 ) symmetrical; shaft, in lateral view, elongate, tubular, apex with conspicuous crown of spines. Paraphyses ( Figs 5, 7 ) symmetrical, articulated to apex of connective; stalk long and broad; rami elongate, each ramus slender with basidorsal dentiform projection.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII ( Figs 8, 9 ), in ventral view, with posterior margin broadly concave. Pygofer ( Fig. 9 ), in lateral view, well produced posteriorly, posterior margin rounded; macrosetae distributed mostly on posterior half and extending anteriorly along ventral margin, scattered microsetae also present (about two macrosetae may be located on segment VIII close to pygofer, Fig. 9 ). Internal sternite VIII, in dorsal view, without sclerotized areas. First valvifer ( Fig. 10 ), in lateral view, subtrapezoidal. First valvulae ( Figs 10–12 ), in ventral view, with basal portion distinctly expanded; in lateral view, with apex acute; dorsal sculptured area extending from basal portion of blade to apex, formed apically ( Fig. 12 ) by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines and basally ( Fig. 11 ) by more linear processes; ventral sculptured area restricted to apical portion of blade, formed mostly by scale-like processes; ventral interlocking device ( Fig. 10 ) distinct on basal half of blade, about 2/3 of its length adjacent to ventral margin, apical 1/3 directed dorsally. Second valvulae ( Figs 13–17 ), in lateral view, with dorsal margin convex and ventral margin mostly straight; preapical prominence ( Fig. 17 ) small but distinct; apex obtuse; dorsal margin with about 20 continuous triangular teeth ( Figs 14–16 ); most teeth elongate ( Fig. 15 ), their ascending portion short and steeply declivous, descending portion long and gradually declivous; first two or three teeth ( Fig. 14 ) distinctly smaller than remaining ones; denticles ( Figs 15, 17 ) distributed on teeth and on dorsal and ventral apical portions of blade; ventral and dorsal dentate apical portions with about same size. Gonoplacs, in lateral view, with basal half narrow and apical half distinctly expanded; apex obtuse, broad; blade with many tiny spiniform processes and few macrosetae on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin.

Etymology. The new genus is named in honor of our colleague and friend Dr. Rodney R. Cavichioli (Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba), who has greatly contributed to our knowledge of the Neotropical Cicadellinae and other leafhopper groups.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Cavichiana bromelicola gen. nov. et sp. nov. 1, head, pronotum, and mesonotum, dorsal view. 2, fore wing. 3 – 7, male genitalia. 3, pygofer, lateral view. 4, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view. 5, connective, style, and paraphyses, dorsal view. 6, ejaculatory reservoir, aedeagus, and anal tube, lateral view. 7, paraphyses, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 = 1 mm, 2 = 2 mm, 3 – 7 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 17. Cavichiana bromelicola gen. nov. et sp. nov., female genitalia. 8, sternite VII, ventral view. 9, apical portion of abdomen, lateral view (tergites VII and VIII were separated during the dissection). 10 – 12, first ovipositor valvula. 10, general lateral view and first valvifer. 11, dorsal sculptured area at basal portion. 12, dorsal sculptured area at apical portion. 13 – 17, second ovipositor valvula. 13, general lateral view. 14, teeth at basal portion. 15, tooth at median portion. 16, teeth at apical portion. 17, preapical prominence. (DEN) denticle; (DSA) dorsal sculptured area; (DUC) duct; (PPR) preapical prominence; (RAM) ramus; (TOO) tooth; (VAL) first valvifer; (VID) ventral interlocking device; (VSA) ventral sculptured area. Scale bars: 8 = 0.5 mm, 9, 10, 13 = 1 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 21. 18 and 19, bromeliads (Neoregelia johannis (Carrière) L. B. Smith) serving as hosts for Cavichiana bromelicola gen. nov. et sp. nov. at Picinguaba (Ubatuba, State of São Paulo, Brazil). 20, water stored by the bromeliad provides a humid microhabitat for the leafhoppers. 21, male specimen of C. bromelicola photographed at Picinguaba by Felipe Q. Machado.