Taphura demissa, Sanborn, 2017

Sanborn, Allen F., 2017, Generic redescription, seven new species and a key to the Taphura Stål, 1862 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadetttinae: Taphurini), Zootaxa 4324 (3), pp. 451-481 : 464-467

Taphura demissa n. sp.

( Fig. 4 )

Type maerial. Holotype. “ Prov. del Sara / Bol. Steinbach. / C. M. Acc. 5064 // Dec. / 1911” one male ( CMNH). Paratypes. Same data as holotype, three males ( CMNH), two males and one female ( AFSC); “Prov. del Sara / Bolivia 450 m / J Steinbach // Nov. / 1909 // C.M. / Acc. 4549” one male and one female ( CMNH), one female ( AFSC); “Prov. del Sara / Bolivia 450 m / J Steinbach // Carn. Mus. / Acc. 6443” four males and two females ( CMNH).

Etymology. The species epithet derived from demissus (L. hanging down, drooping) in reference to the shape of the male genitalia.

Description. Ground color testaceous marked with castaneous and piceous, testaceous regions may be green in fresh specimens based on the coloration of other species in the genus and the age of the specimens. Dark castaneous regions of holotype are piceous in some paratypes.

Head. Head wider than mesonotum, testaceous with transverse piceous fascia between eyes surrounding lateral ocelli extending anteriorly along lateral portion of median ocellus and epicranial suture extending anteriorly to frontoclypeal suture and laterally onto posterior supra-antennal plate, not extending to frontoclypeal suture in some paratypes. Posterior cranial depression and posterior epicranial suture testaceous. Ocelli rosaceous. Eyes piceous mottled with gold. Head with long silvery pile posterior to eye. Ventral head dark castaneous except ochraceous fascia along anterior gena and lorum junction, covered with short and long silvery pile. Ventral head almost completely piceous or with expanded castaneous region in some paratypes. Postclypeus with nine transverse grooves, ochraceous with longitudinal castaneous stripes on either side of midline forming a line on dorsal midline, diverging to form an ochraceous ovoid mark apex and fusing along midline on ventral surface. Anteclypeus piceous. Postclypeus and anteclypeus with short and long silvery pile. Rostrum with ochraceous mentum, labium castaneous becoming darker to piceous tip, reaching to posterior or middle trochanters. Scape ochraceous, remaining antennal segments castaneous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax ochraceous. Pronotum with castaneous fascia on dorsal midline constricted to narrowest point posterior to medial paramedian fissure, mark extends transversely in ambient fissure across midline to level of lateral fissure, and small dark castaneous spot on pronotal collar lateral angle, central fascia reduced to linear piceous marks that fuse posteriorly and transverse mark reduced to one or three spots in ambient fissure in some paratypes. Pronotal collar ochraceous. Mesonotum ochraceous with castaneous submedian and medial half of lateral sigillae, marks in lateral sigillae extend to anterior arm of cruciform elevation, and castaneous triangular mark medially encompassing scutal depressions and region between anterior arms of cruciform elevation with anterior extension on midline, cruciform elevation ochraceous except castaneous anterior portion of anterior arms of cruciform elevation, marks in lateral sigillae reduced to anterior spots and medial mark and marks on posterior piceous in some paratypes. Wing groove ochraceous. Metanotum castaneous with castaneous lateral margin. Dorsal thorax covered with short silvery pile, longer pile between anterior arms and laterally between arms of cruciform elevation, on posterior mesonotum and along wing grooves, pile more dense in some paratypes. Ventral thoracic segments castaneous medially, ochraceous laterally. Ventral segments covered with short silvery pile.

Wings. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline, fore wing with eight apical cells, hind wing with six apical cells. Venation ochraceous, except castaneous anal vein 2 + 3 and linear castaneous mark along anterior basal cell. Cubitus anterior arching but leaving space between median vein near basal cell. No infuscation on fore wing apex. Basal membrane whitish-gray, lighter on base. Hind wing venation ochraceous, with castaneous spot on proximal junction of anal veins 2 and 3. Proximal vanal fold light gray. Infuscation on lateral portion of distal apical cell 2.

Legs. Legs ochraceous striped with castaneous, coxae, trochanters and femora with castaneous marks on anterior and medial surfaces, tibiae and tarsi ochraceous proximally, castaneous distally, proportion becoming greater in posterior legs, distal tibiae dark castaneous in fore and middle tibiae. Fore femora with castaneous lateral stripe on anterior, four dark castaneous, parallel, oblique spines, each spine becoming smaller distally to almost indistinguishable apical spine. Pretarsal claws castaneous, lighter at base. Tibial spurs and comb castaneous.

Operculum. Opercula ochraceous with light castaneous mark on medial margin extending half way to median terminus and castaneous lateral base. Lateral margin rounded to slightly sinuate posterior margin, rounded medial margin and curving anteromedial margin, posterior margin not reaching to abdominal sternite II and not covering tympanal cavity, extending medially to medial meracanthus. Meracathus ochraceous with castaneous base, extending to middle of the operculum. Female operculum ochraceous, lateral margin curved laterally at base, curved posterior margin, terminating medially in a transverse rounded extension at lateral meracanthus reaching to middle of tympanal cavity. Female meracanthus colored as in male but extending beyond posterior opercular margin. Long silvery pile on operculum surface and radiating from margin.

Abdomen. Abdomen dark ochraceous with transverse dark castaneous mark on anterior midline of tergite 1, castaneous transverse mark across midline of tergites 2–8, darker laterally on tergites 4–8, castaneous auditory capsule, covered with short silvery pile. Female paratypes similarly colored. Timbal with five ribs, whitish gray with castaneous spot on anterior margin. Sternite I ochraceous, sternites II–VII dark ochraceous with light ochraceous posterior margin, sternites IV–VII with castaneous anterior margin, sternite VIII dark ochraceous. Sternites covered with long and short silvery pile. Female sternites similarly colored. Female sternite VII with a wide, single notch, wish-bone shaped with small semicircular area at midline, angled then curved to longitudinal terminus, posterolateral margin of lateral sternite VII arched. Abdominal segment 9 dark ochraceous striped with castaneous on dorsolateral surface reaching to stigma and along ventral midline. Dorsal beak piceous, very short, extending to base of the piceous anal styles.

Genitalia. Male pygofer dark ochraceous, dorsal beak piceous, and dark castaneous pygofer basal lobes with piceous tips. Pygofer basal lobe angled medially, flattened with curving pointed tip not meeting medially. Sparse silvery pile on pygofer, longer and more dense lateral to pygofer upper lobe. Anal styles castaneous. Claspers castaneous, adjoining at base along midline, extending posteriorly with bifurcating terminus, terminus recurves dorsally and ventral projection arches posteriorly while reducing to a point, ventral points bent laterad when viewed from the posterior. Tubular aedeagus castaneous, darker at terminus.

Female gonapophyses IX dark castaneous with piceous tip, gonapophyses X and gonocoxites IX dark castaneous with piceous tip and along ventral midline of gonapophysis X covered with radiating golden pile. Ovipositor sheath extending well beyond dorsal beak.

Measurements (mm). N = 11 males or 4 females, mean (range). Length of body: male 11.26 (10.8–12.2), female 14.15 (13.8–14.6); length of fore wing: male 14.67 (13.9–15.2), female 15.45 (14.9–15.8); width of fore wing: male 5.54 (5.2–5.9), female 5.60 (5.3–5.9); length of head: male 1.50 (1.3–1.7), female 1.65 (1.5–1.8); width of head including eyes: male 3.70 (3.5–3.8), female 3.83 (3.7–4.0); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: male 3.61 (3.5–3.7), female 3.65 (3.5–3.8); width of mesonotum: male 3.28 (3.2–3.4), female 3.38 (3.3– 3.5).

Diagnosis. The male genitalia, particularly the shape of the claspers, quickly separate male specimens of T. demissa n. sp. from other species of Taphura as each species has highly unique genitalia. All species except the small T. minusculus are generally similar in size. The lack of infuscation on the apex of the fore wings differentiates this new species from all but T. misella , T. debruni and T. maculata . The spots on the head quickly differentiate T. maculata from this new species. The fore femora of T. debruni have three rather than the four spines found in this new species. The infuscation in the middle of hind wing anal cell 3, short male claspers and U-shaped notch in female sternite VII distinguish T. misella from this new species.

Remarks. The male genitalia of this species are similar to T. nitida at first glance but the claspers have a recurved spine near the bend in this new species and T. demissa n. sp. lacks the infuscation found in the apical fore wing of T. nitida .

Distribution. The species is currently only known from the type series collected in Bolivia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Taphura demissa n. sp.: A, holotype male and paratype female habitus; B, holotype male dorsum; C, holotype male timbal cover; D, paratype male operculum; E, paratype female operculum; F, holotype male lateral view of genitalia; G, holotype male posterior view of genitalia; H, paratype female lateral view of genitalia; I, paratype female ventral view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 2 mm; C, 0.5 mm; D – G, 1 mm; H – I, 2 mm.