Usanus DeLong, 1947

Pinedo-Escatel, J. Adilson & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2020, Nomenclatural changes and two new species in the leafhopper genus Usanus DeLong (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with notes on conservation status, Zootaxa 4822 (4), pp. 567-576 : 568-569

Genus Usanus DeLong

Usanus DeLong, 1947: 110

Devolana DeLong, 1967: 22 , syn. nov.

Morphology (modified from Aguilar-Pérez et al. 2019). Moderately robust leafhoppers. Dorsal color yellowish with symmetrical black spots on crown and two large, round submedial spots on pronotum. Crown short and rounded in dorsal view. Transition from crown to face poorly delimited, rounded, shagreen. Ocellocular area parallel and wide. Ocelli slightly below anterior margin of head, distance to adjacent eye approximately 2x ocellar diameter. Frontoclypeus wide, lateral frontal sutures reaching ocelli, fine seta present laterad of frontal suture. Anteclypeus widened apically, apex curved slightly surpassing natural curve of gena. Lorum width subequal to that of anteclypeus near base. Gena incised laterad. Pronotum weakly produced with lateral margin carinate. Scutellum broad. Forewing macropterous, translucent with veins dark brown, yellowish opaque pigmentation sometimes present near base of clavus, appendix restricted to anal margin, apex rounded, apical and anteapical cells large, claval veins free and without crossveins (fused for short distance in D. tuxcacuensis ). Front femur AM1 near mid-height of apex, long; IC with long and thin setae; row AV with small setae. Front tibia dorsal macrosetal formula (AD+PD) 1 + 4, PV with small stout setae. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2 + 2 + 1. Pygofer broad, short, square or pointed, without processes, mixed long and short stout macrosetae near posterior margin, basolateral cleft present. Tenth segment small, broad, well sclerotized laterally with weak dorsal sclerotized band. Valve and subgenital plates free, articulated with pygofer. Valve rounded and slightly produced. Subgenital plate triangular, uniseriate laterad with robust and fine setae. Connective Y -shaped, stem short, arms curved mesad and usually nearly touching each other anteriorly. Style slender, basal and preapical lobe weakly developed with setae on posterad margin, apophysis short and curved mesad, apex truncate. Aedeagus curved dorsad, shaft with one, two or three pairs of apical processes, with or without lateral flanges; base without processes; dorsal apodeme well developed; gonoduct sclerotized or not with gonopore subapical on ventral surface.

Distribution. Endemic to Mexico, ( Fig. 1 ): Jalisco (Sierra de Tuxcacuesco) and Guerrero (Iguala de la Independencia, Zincauro and Xochipala)

Notes. Examination of the holotypes of the type species of Usanus and Devolana revealed these two taxa to be nearly identical in external structure, coloration and male genitalia. The holotype of U. stonei has the apical lobes of the aedeagal flanges produced and slightly more pointed than in the holotype of D. hemicycla but we consider these taxa to be conspecific. Thus, Devolana is here recognized as a junior synonynm of Usanus and all species previously placed in Devolana are here transferred to Usanus as indicated below.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the endemic Athysanini leafhopper genus Usanus DeLong in Mexico.