Menosoma Ball, 1931

Pinedo-Escatel, J. A., Becerra-Chiron, I. M. & Torres-Moreno, R., 2023, Studies on Argentinean species of the Bahitini leafhopper genus Menosoma Ball 1931 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae); checklist, key to known species, and redescription of Menosoma taeniatum Linnavuori with a new country record, Zootaxa 5264 (2), pp. 275-283 : 276-277

Genus Menosoma Ball, 1931

Menosoma Ball, 1931: 4 .

Type species. Menosoma stonei Ball, 1931: 5 .

Distribution. Brazil; Canada, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador, United States of America, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Argentina.

Diagnosis. Body length, males of 5.19 mm to 5.6 mm, and females of 5.5 mm to 6.8 mm. Body: color ochraceous, or pale brown or yellow with crown having brown maculae or lines; crown and pronotum usually with alternating brown, pale, or orange transverse bands. Head: with anterior and posterior margins subparallel or anterior margin somewhat produced and upturned; disc of crown shagreened; frontal sutures reaching ocellus. Pronotum: lateral margin weakly carinate, disc without transverse striations. Forewing: macropterous with three anteapical cells, inner anteapical cell open and outer anteapical cell truncate with several reflexed costal veins; A1-A2 crossvein present; appendix restricted to anal margin. Profemur with only AM1 present; AD+PD seta 1+4. Metafemur setal formula 2:2:1. Male genitalia: segment X sclerotized without process. Pygofer incised to near midlength with macrosetae well differentiated into several rows; simple or with processes. Subgenital plate subtriangular with uniseriate macrosetae laterally. Connective somewhat linear, stem present without processes. Style preapical lobe short or prominent, apophysis short, smooth, with fine setae. Aedeagus with single large basal process extended above gonopore-bearing shaft, atrium poorly developed. Female terminalia: posterior margin of sternite VII slightly projected.

Remarks. This genus is be similar in dorsal appearance to other Neotropical leafhopper genera, but may be distinguished by the following combination of morphological characteristics: (1) crown somewhat produced, (2) anterior margin of head convex and upturned, (3) crown usually with alternating brown, pale or orange bands, (4) transition of crown to face without transverse carinae, (5) male pygofer with or without processes, (6) atrium poorly developed, and (7) aedeagus with slender shaft and single basal process.