Aconurella paraerebus, Naveed & Zhang, 2018

Naveed, Hassan & Zhang, Yalin, 2018, Taxonomic review of the leafhopper genus Aconurella Ribaut (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Chiasmini) from Pakistan with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4418 (1) : -

Aconurella paraerebus , sp. n.

( Fig. 3 ; Plate I, G–I)

Length. Male: 2.1–2.8mm; female: 2.9mm.

Dark brown to ochraceous (Plate I: G). Head broader than pronotum. Vertex black with yellowish spots at posterior margin. Pronotum shiny black, laterally carinate. Scutellum black with lateral yellow margins. Ocelli prominent, at anterior margin (Plate I: G–H). Frontoclypeus dark with black striae and yellow spots, anteclypeus dark brown with lateral yellowish spots (Plate I: I). Forewing macropterous.

Genitalia. Pygofer with darkly sclerotized part on posteroventral margin less than its half, with sparse spinules, dorsoapical margin with 3–4 macrosetae ( Figure 3 : A). Pair of spinular bunches present near the anal tube base. Connective Y-shaped with arms slightly close together distally ( Figure 3 : C). Subgenital plates with 2 macrosetae, equal or slightly longer than pygofer ( Figure 3 : B). Style with well developed claw-like apophysis, inner process longer than outer process, wide apart ( Figure 3 : D); with preapical tooth laterally ( Fig. 3H ). Aedeagus as shown in figure ( Figure 3 : E–F).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kaghan , 2500m, 2016, coll. Hassan Naveed . Paratypes: 2♂, 1♀, same data as holotype .

Etymology. “ Para ” means “similar” and we have named this new species paraerebus since it is very similar to “ A. erebus ”.

PLATE I. Aconurella prolixa (Matsumura) . A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view C: face. Aconurella erebus (Distant) . D: habitus, dorsal view; E: habitus, lateral view F: face. Aconurella paraerebus sp. n. G: habitus, dorsal view; H: habitus, lateral view I: face. Aconurella naranensis sp. n. J: habitus, dorsal view; K: habitus, lateral view L: face.

Remarks. This species is similar to A. erebus in having the pygofer side with darkly sclerotized part occupying less than half its length and a patch of spinules present near the anal tube base. This species can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: subgenital plates as long as or slightly longer than pygofer, with only two macrosetae near apex.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Aconurella paraerebus sp. n. A. male pygofer side, lateral view; B: subgenital plate, ventral view; C: connective, dorsal view; D: style, dorsal view; E: aedeagus, dorsal view; F: aedeagus, lateral view; G: valve, ventral view; H: style apophysis, lateral view.