Paraphysifer wilsoni, Sinaiko & Dietrich, 2020

Sinaiko, Guy & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2020, A new genus and species of Paralimnini leafhoppers from Israel (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), Zootaxa 4790 (2), pp. 387-392 : 391-392

Paraphysifer wilsoni sp. n.

( Figs 1–3 )

Length. ~ 3 mm (3.07 male holotype, 3.19 male paratype, 3.57 female paratype).

Color pattern. General color cream with extensive, symmetrical fuscous marks. Crown tan with white lines forming anterior triangle and also extended along coronal suture to pale posterior margin. Pronotum mottled. Forewing whitish-transparent with seven somewhat indistinct alternating (four brown, three white) irregular transverse bands, veins mostly yellow. Mesonotum with basal triangles and two submedial spots fuscous, scutellum with two fuscous spots bordering sulcus. Abdomen dark; white-cream at posterior border of each sternite.

Male genitalia. Pygofer with short, condensed posterior lobe, and numerous short, robust setae at midlength, followed by numerous macrosetae apicad. Subgenital plate with ~6 macrosetae, apex extended only slightly beyond valve and obliquely truncate with tips slightly separated from each other. Style basal arms separated widely, articulating arm long and thin (best seen at posterior view), highly sclerotized, lateral arm shorter, flat, less sclerotized, truncated apicad, preapical lobe developed, triangular with blunt, apex directed slightly distad, apophysis short, stout and unornamented. Connective twice as long as aedeagus in ventral view, widest at apex of posterior stem (near aedeagus).

Female terminalia. Sternite VII with broad, V-shaped emargination posteriorly. First valvular dorsal sculpturing irregularly imbricate to granulose, extended to dorsal margin; ventroapical sculpture same as dorsal sculpture but with only two rows of granules, merging with dorsal sculptured area near apex, Second valvula with dorsomedial tooth obsolete, distal toothed area with several more or less evenly spaced conical teeth preapically separated by small serrations.

Material examined. Holotype, male, Israel: Ma’agar Bental (Benthal water reservoir), 33.1405N, 35.7783E, 944 m, Sweep netting, 28 vi 2018, Guy Sinaiko, leg. SMNHTAU-I.300063 ( SMNH) . Holotype is deposited in the National Collection of Insects , the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History , National Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel (SMNHTAU) .

Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype, SMNHTAU-I.300064 (SMNHTAU) , 1 male, same data as holotype, INHS855,201 ( INHS) .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr Michael R. Wilson, Department of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, an expert on Auchenorrhyncha, who introduced these fascinating insects to the first author.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paraphysifer wilsoni Sinaiko & Dietrich sp. n. A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view; C, D: face. Scale: 1mm (A–C to scale).

FIGURE 2. Paraphysifer wilsoni Sinaiko & Dietrich sp. n. A: male genitalia (aedeagus, paraphysis, connective, styli). Lateral view; B: male genitalia (aedeagus, paraphysis, connective, styli). posterior view; C: male genitalia (aedeagus, paraphysis, connective, styli). dorsal view; D: male paraphysis, ventral view; E: male valve and subgenital plates; F: male pygofer, dorsal and lateral views; G: female ovipositor’s first valvula; H: female VII sternite; I: female ovipositor’s second valvula.

FIGURE 3. Paraphysifer wilsoni Sinaiko & Dietrich sp. n. A: male aedeagus and paraphysis, lateral view B: same, posterior view. Color code as follows: paraphysis (gray), aedeagus (light brown), gonopore (black), heavily sclerotized regions (dark brown).