Aurimastris expansa, Evangelista, Olívia & Sakakibara, Albino M., 2007

Evangelista, Olívia & Sakakibara, Albino M., 2007, Aurimastris, new genus of the treehopper tribe Amastrini (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Smiliinae) *, Zootaxa 1652, pp. 63-68 : 65-66

Aurimastris expansa new species

(Figs. 1–3)

Diagnosis. Pronotum tectiform, strongly elevated on dorsum just behind humeral angles and then descending almost in straight line to apex; humeral angles expanded laterally in triangular ear-like process; tegmina entirely hyaline, external discoidal cell large, rectangular.

Measurements. Female (mm). Length of pronotum 6.42; maximum height of pronotum 3.00; length of tegmina 6.00; width of head 2.58; width between humeral angles 4.08; length of head 1.33.

FIGURES 1–6. Aurimastris expansa n. sp. 1, holotype in lateral view. 2, holotype in anterior view. 3, detail of humeral angle (holotype). Aurimastris otina n. sp. 4, holotype in lateral view. 5, holotype in anterior view. 6, detail of humeral angle (holotype). Scale bar for figures 1, 2, 4 and 5: 2mm; figures 3 and 6: 1mm

Description. Female. Pronotum brownish-yellow, unmarked, with median carina narrowly edged with brown from above humeral angles to posterior apex. Head yellowish, eyes and ocelli brownish. Tegmina clear hyaline, with veins yellowish. Ventral surface of head, thorax, abdomen, and legs concolorous with pronotum.

Head triangular, wider than long, densely punctate and pubescent; vertex almost flat; epistomal suture distinctly grooved; superior margin sinuate; ocelli prominent, slightly nearer to each other than to eyes; suprantennal ledges straight; postclypeus diamond-shaped, approximately as long as wide, extended for about onethird its length beyond lower margins of vertex, apex slightly acuminate.

Pronotum roughly and uniformly punctate, tectiform, strongly elevated on dorsum and then descending in an almost straight line to apex; metopidium convex; median carina percurrent, sharp; humeral angles well developed, V-shaped, foliaceous; lateral margins slightly depressed, marked by discrete sinuate impression extending from near humeral angles to posterior apex; apex acute, not reaching tip of tegmina.

Tegmina about 2/3 exposed; veins R and M confluent for about basal one-third; two discoidal cells, more or less rectangular, approximately equal in size; fifth apical cell partially concealed by pronotum; subcostal cell punctate on basal one-fifth; veins distinct, discreetly and sparsely punctate throughout.

Male. Unknown.

Holotype Female. BRAZIL, Mato Grosso. “SINOP – Mato Grosso | Brasil | XII – 1976 | M. Alvarenga leg.” (DZUP). Paratypes: 2 females with the same label data as the holotype (DZUP).

Comments. This species is distinguished by the pronotum strongly compressed and elevated with the highest point just after humeral angles; in lateral view, with dorsal outline regularly arched and descending to apex in almost straight line. It superficially resembles species of Antianthe Fowler (Smiliini) which also have a tectiform pronotum with ear-like humeral angles.