Subrasaca rubra Silva, Cavichioli et Mejdalani

Silva, Roberta Dos Santos Da, Cavichioli, Rodney Ramiro & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2013, Descriptions of three new Brazilian Subrasaca species, redescription of S. nigriventris (Signoret, 1855) and a key to males of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini), Zootaxa 3722 (3), pp. 372-384 : 376-379

Subrasaca rubra Silva, Cavichioli et Mejdalani , sp. nov.

( Figs 21–37 )

Length. Male holotype, 7.5 mm; male paratypes, 7.0- 7.3 mm (n = 2); female paratypes, 7.7 mm (n = 2).

Holotype description. Head and thorax. Structural features of head and thorax much as described above for S. diminuta sp. nov., except crown with transverse concavity anterad of ocelli.

Color. Crown ( Fig. 21 ) entirely black. Pronotum ( Fig. 21 ) black with two large, transverse orange stripes on median third, touching each other medially. Mesonotum ( Fig. 21 ) black. Forewings ( Fig. 21 ) with two orange-red areas, smaller area at base of clavus and much larger area on corium and clavus, covering most of wing surface and thus delimiting dark brown to black areas as follows: complete transverse stripe basally, elongate, transcommissural subtriangular area on clavus, narrow stripe along basal half of costal margin with small transverse projection approximately at middle, and most of corium behind apex of clavus. Face mostly dark brown to black; with dirty white area extending from inferior surface of antennal ledge to upper limit of lorum; labrum brownish-white; rostrum dark brown. Lateral and ventral portions of thorax mostly dark brown to black; legs brown with extensive whitish portions.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 22 ), in lateral view, not strongly produced posteriorly, quadrangular, posterior margin truncate; without processes; macrosetae distributed mostly on distal third of disk and ventrally on median third. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 23 ), in ventral view, subtriangular; outer margin rounded on basal third, plates then tapering gradually toward apex; connected to each other basally by membranous triangular area; in lateral view, extending about as far posteriorly as pygofer apex; with few uniseriate macrosetae. Connective ( Fig. 24 ), in dorsal view, Y-shaped, with short arms and broad stalk narrowing toward apex. Style ( Fig. 24 ), in dorsal view, extending posteriorly slightly farther than apex of connective; preapical lobe distinct, bearing few setae; apical portion directed outward; apex truncate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 25 ) short; shaft with dorsal lobe bearing strong digitiform process directed dorsally; gonoduct distinct, sclerotized. Paraphyses ( Fig. 26 ) symmetrical, with pair of elongate rami; each ramus with apical half slender and curved ventrally; without projections or processes.

Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII ( Figs 27, 28 ), in ventral view, with shallow, broad median emargination on posterior margin; lateroposterior portions rounded. Internal sternite VIII ( Fig. 29 ), in dorsal view, with pair of small digitiform sclerites directed ventrally. Pygofer, in lateral view, well produced posteriorly; apex obtuse; macrosetae distributed mostly on posterior portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin. First valvifers ( Fig. 30 ), in lateral view, produced dorsally, dorsal margin broadly convex. First valvulae ( Fig. 30 ), in lateral view, with dorsal margin slightly concave, ventral margin distinctly convex; apex acute; ventral interlocking device elongate, extending posteriorly beyond basal half of blade, about 1/3 of its length adjacent to ventral blade margin, apical 2/3 directed dorsally; dorsal sculptured area ( Figs 31, 32 ) extending from basal portion of blade to apex, formed mostly by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines except for irregular processes basally; ventral sculptured area ( Fig. 33 ) restricted to apical portion of blade, formed mostly by scale-like processes. Second valvulae ( Fig. 34 ), in lateral view, with dorsal margin slightly concave, ventral margin convex; preapical prominence ( Fig. 37 ) small but distinct; apex subacute; dorsal margin with about 17 low, flat continuous teeth ( Figs 35, 36 ), some of them very elongate; denticles ( Figs 35–37 ) distributed on teeth and on apical portion of blade, except at apex; dorsal dentate apical portion greater than ventral one; blade with ducts ( Fig. 35 ) extending to apical portion and to teeth or terminating below latter. Gonoplacs much as described above for S. diminuta sp. nov.

Intraspecific variation. We have observed a great deal of color variation in S. rubra sp. nov. The transverse pronotal markings vary from orange to yellow, may be broad or narrow, divided into smaller marks, or even absent. The form of the large orange-red area of the forewings is also quite variable; this area may be interrupted by irregular dark brown areas or it may include irregular yellow portions.

Etymology. The new species name, rubra , refers to the large orange-red areas on the forewings.

Type material. Southeastern Brazil. Holotype: male, “ Brasil, MG [Minas Gerais State], Itamonte \ 2100 – 1700m altitude \ 21–23.XI.2008 \ CARVALHO, R.; EVANGELISTA, O. & \ TAKIYA, D. Cols” (MNRJ). Paratypes: two males, two females, same data as holotype (MNRJ, DZUP); two males, three females, “Brasil-Minas \ Gerais- Itamonte \ 13–15/XI/1998 \ D. TAKIYA leg.” (DZRJ); one male, “ BRASIL: MG, Itamonte \ 2400– 1700m asl \ 01– 03.XI.2007 \ D. M. Takiya leg.” (DZRJ); two males, Brasil, MG, Itamonte \ 1700–2400m altitude \ 24–29.XI.2010 \ CARVALHO, R.A. Col.” (MNRJ); one male, same data as preceding except “2400– 1700m altitude” (MNRJ); one male, “SUBIDA P/O P.N. \ ITATIAIA, DIVISA \ RJ-MG [border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states] \ 30/X/1993 \ G. MEJDALANI col.” (DZRJ); two females, “BR/SP, S. J. do Barreiro, \ P. N. S. Bocaina 1300 – \ 1600m alt 16–21.XII.2010 \ CARVALHO, R.A. Col.” (MNRJ).

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 28. Subrasaca rubra sp. nov. 21, body, male, dorsal view (length 7.5 mm); 22 – 26, male genitalia: 22, pygofer, lateral view; 23, subgenital plates, ventral view; 24, styles and connective, dorsal view; 25, aedeagus and anal tube, lateral view; 26, paraphyses, dorsal view; 27 and 28, female sternite VII, ventral view (macerated and unmacerated specimen, respectively). Scale bars: 22, 23, 27 = 0.5 mm; 24 – 26 = 0.4 mm.

FIGURES 29 – 37. Subrasaca rubra sp. nov., female genitalia. 29, first valvifers and sclerites of internal sternite VIII, dorsal view; 30 – 33, first valvifer and first ovipositor valvula: 30, general lateral view; 31, basal portion of dorsal sculptured area; 32, median portion of dorsal sculptured area; 33, ventral sculptured area; 34 – 37, second ovipositor valvula: 34, general lateral view; 35, tooth at median portion; 36, teeth at apical portion; 37, area of preapical prominence. Abbreviations: SST = sclerite of internal sternite VIII, VAL = first valvifer. Scale bars: 29 = 0.5 mm; 30, 34 = 1 mm.