Nesophrosyne heopoko Bennett

Bennett, Gordon M & O’Grady, Patrick M, 2011, Review of the native Hawaiian leafhopper genus Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of eight new species associated with Broussaisia arguta (Hydrangeaceae), Zootaxa 2805, pp. 1-25 : 10-11

Nesophrosyne heopoko Bennett sp. nov.

( Fig. 4 a–g)

Diagnosis. Length: male = 3.94mm, female = 5.03mm. Brown-copper colored species. Head obliquely triangulate with crown produced; posterior end conspicuously concave. Forewing venation dark except on clavus. Clavus without saddle mark, veins partially pale extending from commissural line. Pygofer rounded; posterior-dorsal edge convex. Aedeagus with preapical gonopore; apical processes short and straight. Style with depressed preapical lobe. Endemic to Kaua’i.

Description. Dorsum: Brownish-copper colored species ( Fig. 4 a). Head triangular with oblique vertices; crown produced and rounded with articulated dark markings, separating the anterior 1/3 into a pale triangular shape, two lateral dark dots at 2/3 distance from crown divided by coronal suture. Pronotum predominately pale; anterior margin infused with dark blotches; darkest forms showing faint 'V' form, extending to posterior margin. Mesonotum predominately pale; mesonotal triangles darkly colored and edged with orange. Scutellum pale. Forewing cells hyaline; veins darkly colored throughout; darkest forms with cells infused with dark pigmentation; outer anteapical cell present, triangular. Clavus without prominent saddle mark; veins partially pale extending from commissural line, curved anterad.

Venter: Face with clypeus pale, with dark coloration restricted to posterior lateral margins; clypellus varying between posterior half dark to completely dark; lorum edged in dark, with darkest forms being dark throughout; gena pale, with antennal ledges and margin along eye dark. Abdominal segments predominately dark, with thin pale line along each posterior margin; pleurites partially dark on anterior half. Legs mostly pale, with femora and tibiae partially dark; bases of macrosetae dark.

Genitalia: Pygofer ( Fig. 4 b) bluntly pointed at mid-length, appearing rounded; ventral lobe reduced and rounded, edge to apex slightly rounded at base then straightening; posterior-dorsal edge convexly rising from apex; dorsal edge flat; 7 macrosete. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4 c, f, g) with bifurcate aedeagal arms relatively close in width, rising conspicuously higher than central apodeme, arms slender; gonopore preapical; apical processes distad of gonopore, tapering and hooking at apex, short and straight (difficult to see without removing internal genitalia). Style ( Fig. 4 e) posterior processes curved, widening at base; preapical lobe, with microsete extending from depression and along dorsal groove. Connective ( Fig. 4 d) elongate, relatively close in length to styles; anterior edge slightly depressed; width between posterior arms narrowed.

Distribution. USA: Hawaiian Islands, Kaua’i, North West Kōke’e State Park,> 1220m ( Fig. 3 ).

Measurements. Body length: Male (n=6) = 3.94mm (3.80mm – 4.10mm); Female (n=3) = 5.03mm (4.90mm – 5.20mm). Genitalia (n=5): Pygofer = 0.48mm (0.47mm – 0.50mm); Style = 0.37mm (0.36mm – 0.39mm); Connective = 0.32mm (0.31mm – 0.33mm); Aedeagus lateral length = 0.22mm (0.21mm – 0.25mm); Aedeagus posterior height = 0.26mm (0.25mm – 0.27mm).

Material examined. Type material: Holotype: 1 male, Hawaiian Islands, Kaua’i, Kōke’e State Park Road (State Highway 550), N22 o 0 7.125, W159 o 38.016, Elevation: 1270m, 17May2007. Host Plant: Broussaisia arguta, Coll. G.M. Bennett and K.M. Magnacca. Deposited in the BPBM, Honolulu, Hawai’i. Type #: 17301. Additional material: 5 males, 3 females, same as holotype. Deposited in the BPBM, Honolulu, Hawai’i

Etymology. Heopoko is Hawaiian for short-tipped end of penis: Poko is the adjective for short, and Heo is the noun for the tip of the penis. The name was chosen to describe the short apical processes of the aedeagal arms.

Discussion. One species is described from Kaua’i occurring on Broussaisia arguta . Extensive sampling through topographically difficult areas would be required to test if there are other species occurring on this island. However, Kaua’i represents a relatively low, single volcanic mountain reducing the probability of other lineages. Phylogenetic results indicate that N. heopoko is unrelated to other species associated with B. arguta , representing an independent shift to the host plant. Nesophrosyne heopoko is morphologically similar and closely related to N. sp.1 ( Fig. 3 ; COII % divergence avg. = 15.01%), co-occurring in the same range on the host plant Pipturus sp.. They are easily distinguished from each other using head shape, length of aedeagal distal processes, and absence of the outer anteapical cell in N.sp.1.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Partitioned Maximum Likelihood phylogeny of Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) species reconstructed in RAxML-VI-HPC v 7.2.5 under a GTR + I + Γ likelihood model with 100 bootstrap partitions. Gene partitions are according to the mitochondrial genome (COII, 16 s) and nuclear genome (H 3, Wingless). Subsections A & B highlight species relationships of newly described species occurring on the host plant Broussaisia arguta. A) Silhouette of full Maximum Likelihood phylogeny results. B) Nesophrosyne heopoko’s associated with other species on Kaua’i. C) Relationships of the species within the kanawao species group on Maui and Hawai’i. The numbers above branches are bootstrap support values.

FIGURE 4. Nesophrosyne heopoko endemic to Kaua’i: a. dorsum; b. male pygofer; c. aedeagus ventral view; d. connective; e. style; f. aedeagus posterior view; and, g. aedeagus lateral view.