Grammacephalus brevis, Gnezdilov, 2020

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M., 2020, A peculiar new species of the genus Grammacephalus Haupt (Hemiptera Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 4779 (4), pp. 595-600 : 596

Grammacephalus brevis sp. n.

( Figs 1–13 )

Description. Head, pro- and mesonotum without carinae. Transition from vertex to frontoclypeus forming acute angle in lateral view. Vertex flat, 1.3 times as wide between the eyes as long medially, with nearly acutely angulate anterior margin. Frontoclypeus uniformly weakly convex. Pronotum as long as vertex medially. Rostrum short. Ocelli present. Macropterous, forewing with wide appendix. Hind femur with 2 + 2 + 1 macrosetae apically. First metatarsomere as long as second and third together, with two rows of macrosetae ventrally and a pair of macrosetae dorsally. First metatarsomere with an apical row of 5–6 spines with 4–5 platellae. Second metatarsomere with an apical row of 3–4 spines with 2 platellae.

Coloration ( Figs 1–4 ). Vertex, pro- and mesonotum, and forewings dark brown to black. Vertex with pale yellowish marks—3 on anterior margin, 2 laterad of whitish median line, and 4 (2 large and 2 small) on posterior margin ( Fig. 1 ). Pronotum with dense light brown dots. Mesonotum with 7 whitish marks—4 medially and 3 by corners of scutellum. Forewing with dense brown yellowish dots and white light yellowish areas along costal margin ( Fig. 2 ). Face, thorax and abdomen ventrally light yellow whitish ( Fig. 3 ). Abdominal tergites dark brown. Claws brown.

Male. Pygofer pale yellow, with large dark brown lateral areas. Anal tube reddish yellow.

Female. Hind margin of sternite VII bordered by black stripe medially ( Fig. 13 ). Gonoplacs with two rows of dark brown spots fused to form longitudinal stripes and with dark brown setal bases ( Fig. 4 ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 5–12 ). Anal tube as long as pygofer (in lateral view) ( Fig. 5 ). Pygofer with middle and lateral processes ( Figs 5, 8 , a, b). Genital valve wide, nearly triangular, with pointed apex ( Figs 6, 7 ). Subgenital plates elongate, with pointed apices, each with dense long hair-shaped setae dorsally and with 15–16 macrosetae ventrally. Style with narrow apical part, without lateral lobe ( Figs 7, 12 ). Aedeagus long and narrow, with tubular, strongly curved, S-shaped shaft, with apical gonopore ( Figs 9–11 ). Connective short and wide ( Fig. 10 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 4 , 13 ). Hind margin of sternite VII deeply concave, with tooth-shaped median process.

Total length (from the apex of vertex to the apices for fore wings). Male— 5.5 mm. Females—5.0– 5.5 mm.

Etymology. The species name refers to its short vertex.

Type material. Holotype: male, “ Madagascar, Toliara Province / Massif du Makay , 170 m / 21º37.783´S 45º00.286´E / 23.01.2011, V. M. Gnezdilov // dry forest” ( ZIN) . Paratypes: 1 female, “ Madagascar, Toliara Province / Massif du Makay , 170 m / 21º37.783´S 45º00.286´E / 23.01.2011, V. M. Gnezdilov // dry forest” ( ZIN) ; 1 female, “ Madagascar, Toliara Province / Massif du Makay, forêt / d’Ambalamanga Sud , 157 m / 21º40.493´S 44º59.603´E / 19.01.2011, V. M. Gnezdilov // dry forest, on light” ( MNHN) .

Note. The species was collected in the forest by sweeping understory vegetation including small trees during the day as well as at light at night. M. Stiller (personal communication) has also collected this species in South Africa but his specimens were not studied.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Grammacephalus brevis sp. n., female paratype. 1—dorsal view; 2—lateral view; 3—face; 4—ovipositor, ventral view. Total length of the specimen—5.0 mm.

FIGURES 5–13. Grammacephalus brevis sp. n. 5–12—holotype, male genitalia. 13—female paratype, hind margin of sternite VII. 5—anal tube and pygofer, lateral view; 6—style, genital valve, and subgenital plate, ventral view; 7—same, dorsal view; 8—pygofer, caudal view; 9—aedeagus and connective, lateral view; 10—same, ventral view; 11—apex of aedeagus, dorsal view; 12—style, lateral view. Abbreviations: a—middle pygofer process; b—lateral pygofer process.