Aurimastris otina, 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 : 66-67

Aurimastris otina new species

(Figs. 4–8)

Diagnosis. Pronotum, in lateral view, suddenly elevated posterad of humeral angles, slightly descending and near apical third, strongly curved downwards; lateral surface irregular, swollen; tegmina hyaline, with brownish macula apically.

Measurements. Male/Female (mm). Length of pronotum 5.42/5.83; maximum height of pronotum 2.08/ 2.67; length of tegmina 5.50/5.17; width of head 2.56/2.50; width between humeral angles 3.61/3.92; length of head 1.24/1.50.

Description. Male. Pronotum brownish-yellow, with irregular pale yellow spots, sparse and indistinct at base of metopidium, larger and much denser at sides, approximately at midlength; dorsal elevation with irregular brown spot at sides, in middle; median carina darkened basally, slightly and discontinuously edged with brown until posterior apex. Head dark brown, mottled with brownish-yellow. Eyes brown, ocelli yellow, shining. Tegmina hyaline, slightly yellow, with brownish macula at third and fourth apical cells, and adjacent limbus; veins brownish, paler at first, second and fifth apical cells. Ventral surface of head, and first and second thoracic segments concolorous with pronotum; third thoracic segment and abdomen dark brown.

Head triangular, wider than long, densely punctate and pubescent; vertex almost flat; epistomal suture distinctly grooved; superior margin sinuate; ocelli prominent, equidistant from each other and to eyes; suprantennal ledges straight; postclypeus diamond-shaped, approximately as long as wide, extended for about 1/3 its length beyond lower margins of vertex, apex slightly acuminate.

Pronotum roughly punctate, in lateral view, rounded anteriorly, and tectiform posteriorly; metopidium convex; humeral angles well developed, V-shaped, foliaceous; lateral surface with two globose swellings, marked inferiorly by conspicuous sinuate impression, extending from near humeral angles to posterior apex; dorsal outline sinuous, suddenly elevated above humeral angles, and arched downwards from its higher point, about midlength, to posterior apex; apex acute, not reaching tip of tegmina; median carina percurrent, sharp after dorsal elevation.

Tegmina about 2/3 exposed, veins R and M confluent for a short distance from base; two discoidal cells, the first one with inferior margin distinctly curved; subcostal cell punctate on basal half; veins distinct, discretely and sparsely punctate throughout.

Genitalia with aedeagus simple, U-shaped; shaft directed vertically, apical half of anterior surface with numerous small denticles; gonopore large, subapical on posterior surface. Parameres robust, without spines; apical hook acute.

Female. Similar to male; pronotum orangish-yellow, unmarked; tegmina hyaline, without brown macula; veins concolorous with pronotum.

Holotype Male. BRAZIL, Pará. “JACAREACANGA | PARÁ – V-1969 | F. R. BARBOSA” (DZUP). Paratypes: 1 male: “ Brasil | Rio de Janeiro | D. F. [RJ] CORCOVADO | X-1958 | Seabra e Alvarenga” (DZUP); 1 female: “ BRASIL Rio de Janeiro | D. F. [RJ] CORCOVADO | X.1958 | Alvarenga e Seabra” (DZUP).

Comments. This species is distinguished by its pronotal shape: convex anteriorly and highly elevated above humeral angles. In this respect, it resembles only Amastris gibberula Evangelista & Sakakibara, 2007 , among all Amastris species. The simple, U-shaped aedeagus, with small denticles on the anterior surface, is identical to that of the funkhouseri -group, established by Broomfield (1976) for some species of Amastris .

The male paratype has the head entirely yellow, sparsely spotted with dark brown. The female paratype is badly damaged: the right half of the head, the left eye and the three left legs are missing, and only a part of the right side legs remain, with coxa, trocanter and tibia. It is glued to a card; due to its position, some measurements were estimated.

FIGURES 7–8. Male terminalia of Aurimastris otina n. sp. 7, male terminalia, lateral view. 8, aedeagus and paramere, lateral view. Scale bar: 0.5mm