Pravistylus pollediscus, Stiller, 2010

Stiller, M., 2010, Revision of the Southern African leafhopper genus Pravistylus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) 2468, Zootaxa 2468 (1), pp. 1-81 : 42-43

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2468.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10537721
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EFD356-FFF2-FFF8-6CFF-747F8CB2D55C
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pravistylus pollediscus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pravistylus pollediscus View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad; 2 t; 3 t –v; 4 r–t; 5 ai–ak; 6 s–u; 7 bq–bt; 8 bb–bd)

Diagnosis. Plate with 2–6 macrosetae subapically; 1.6–1.9 times as long as wide; apex short, digitate; apex 0.06–0.14 times as long as length of plate; apex sometimes directed dorsad, but never inserted into genital capsule ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab-ad, 2 t). Style distal part separated from base; apophysis digitate, extending into basal quarter of plate ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 ai–ak). Female sternite 7 base rectangular; posterior margin ligula narrow, triangular ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 bq–bt).

Etymology. Latin, plate (discus) with a short, digitate thumb-like process (pollex).

Male and female. Ochraceous or yellowish. Without distinct fuscous markings dorsally ( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 bb–bd).

Male. Dimensions. (n = 59) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.2–2.5 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.4–3.0 mm; vertex medially 0.4–0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3 mm. Width: head 0.8–0.9 mm; pronotum 0.7–0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 23.1–30.2 µm; ocellocular distance 34.7–47.7 µm.

Genital capsule. Pygofer ventral posterior margin slightly bulbous; dorsal posterior margin lobate ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad). Pygofer lobe base almost as wide as pygofer; apex broadly rounded, of variable length, shape ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad): dorsal margin horizontal, ventral margin angled dorsally ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ab); lobe subapical, dorsal and ventral margins convergent ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ac); dorsal margin declivous, ventral margin horizontal ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ad). Lobe surface spinulate ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab & ad). Plate narrowly triangular; apex short, digitate, directed dorsoposteriad or posteriad; subbasal lateral margin sinuous, with two clusters of short setae; basal lateral margin more or less straight; plate 1.6–1.9 times as long as wide; 2–6 subapical macrosetae, uniseriate, often unequal numbers on both plates ( Fig. 2 t View FIGURE 2 ). Aedeagus, in lateral view, with shaft arising basally from atrium; preatrium short; base Cshaped, with apex straight; gonopore elongate, lateroventral, about one third as long as shaft; dorsal view, dorsal apodeme constricted ( Figs 3 t –v View FIGURE 3 , 4 r–t View FIGURE 4 ). Style distal part separate from anterior medial lobe; apophysis digitate, straight, acutely angled to preapical lobe; preapical lobe acute or rounded; 3–6 ventral teeth ( Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 ai–ak). Connective stem Y-shaped; in lateral view, straight, distal apex curved dorsad ( Figs 6 s–u View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. Dimensions. Specimens from Wonderkloof Pass (n = 23) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.3–2.5 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.8–3.2 mm; vertex medially 0.5–0.6 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Width: head 0.9 mm; pronotum 0.8 mm. Ocellar diameter 28 µm; ocellocular distance 39.3–50.2 µm.

Female. Dimensions. Specimens from Longtom Pass and Mauschsberg (n = 90) Length: apex of vertex to apex of tegmina 2.3–2.9 mm; apex of vertex to apex of abdomen 2.9–3.4 mm; vertex medially 0.5 mm; vertex next to eye 0.3–0.4 mm; pronotum medially 0.3–0.4 mm. Width: head 0.9–1.0 mm; pronotum 0.8–0.9 mm. Ocellar diameter 25.8–30.5 µm; ocellocular distance 41.9–60.4 µm.

Genitalia. Specimens from Wonderkloof. Sternite 7 base rectangular; ligula about as long as median length of base, lateral margins of ligula triangular or slightly concave, apex notched ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 bq & bt, Longtom specimen; Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 br, Sterkspruit Nature Reserve specimen; Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 bs, Wonderkloof specimen).

Material examined. Holotype male. South Africa, Mpumalanga. Wonderkloof Pass summit, 25°21ʹS, 30°35ʹE, 1260 m, 19.ii.2005, DVac, grass in fire break ( SANC) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. 67♂, 23♀. Mpumalanga . 1♂, Longtom Pass near Lydenburg , 25°08ʹS, 30°32ʹE, 2100 m, 18.xii.2000, sweeping GoogleMaps ; 16♂, Longtom Pass , 20 km East Lydenburg, 25°06ʹS, 30°34ʹE, 2040 m, 8.iii.2002, J. du Plessis, DVac GoogleMaps ; 20♂, Mauchsberg Pass , near summit, 25°08ʹS, 30°36ʹE, 2150 m, 6.iii.2003, DVac GoogleMaps ; 13♂, River valley in Sterkspruit Nature Reserve Lydenburg, 25°11ʹS, 30°33ʹE, 1800 m, 6.iii.2003, sweeping GoogleMaps ; 16♂, 23♀, same data as holotype; all M. Stiller ( BMNH, INHS, SANC) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. This species is difficult to distinguish as it is similar to and sympatric with P. longitrunculus . Their distributions overlap on Longtom Pass and Mauchsberg, where they are apparently most abundant. The only locality where only P. pollediscus was found, was at Wonderkloof Pass. Differences between females of P. pollediscus and P. longitrunculus were not found, and therefore females are not included in the material examined. Differences in the males of these two species include the shape of the dorsal apodeme of the aedeagus that is constricted in P. pollediscus ( Figs 4 r–t View FIGURE 4 ) and wide and broadly rounded in P. longitrunculus ( Fig. 4 z View FIGURE 4 ). Furthermore the shape of the apex of the plate in P. pollediscus ( Fig. 2 t View FIGURE 2 ) is abruptly narrowed, the apex rounded, and angled dorsad ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad). The plate in P. longitrunculus is gradually tapered, truncated ( Fig. 2 k View FIGURE 2 ) and angled posteriad ( Fig. 1 p View FIGURE 1 ). To a lesser extent the arrangement of the macrosetae of the plate differs. Macrosetae are apical in P. pollediscus ( Fig. 2 t View FIGURE 2 ), and medial in P. longitrunculus ( Fig. 2 k View FIGURE 2 ). Pravistylus pollediscus has three distinct forms of the pygofer lobe ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad), with the respective plate, style and aedeagus depicting little variation. Possibly the aedeagal shaft of the Wonderkloof Pass specimens are slightly narrower than the shafts of the specimens from the other localities. The plate of the Boschhoek specimens in P. odontiophallus ( Fig. 2 m View FIGURE 2 ) appear identical to the plate of P.pollediscus ( Fig. 2 t View FIGURE 2 ) and even the pygofer lobes of the latter coincide ( Figs 1 x, 1 View FIGURE 1 ab–ad, respectively). However, the aedeagus of P. odontiophallus in dorsal view has the lateral apex of the shaft denticulate ( Figs 4 k & l View FIGURE 4 ). Less similar is P. digitidiscus that has a very long and narrow digitate apex to the plate ( Fig. 2 c View FIGURE 2 ). It is much longer than that of P. pollediscus ( Fig. 2 t View FIGURE 2 ) and P. odontiophallus ( Figs 2 m & n View FIGURE 2 ), and it has 0–2 macrosetae ( Fig. 2 c View FIGURE 2 ).

The sternite 7 of the female of P. odontiophallus ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 bj & bk) is variable and not a reliable means of species recognition. As mentioned above the sternite 7 of P. pollediscus ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 bq–bt) is similar to that of P. longitrunculus ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 al–ao).