Gabrita confusa, Barbosa & Gonçalves & Takiya, 2023

Barbosa, Julianna Freires, Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa & Takiya, Daniela Maeda, 2023, A new species of the rare Gabritini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões, Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5389 (2), pp. 295-300 : 297-300

Gabrita confusa sp. nov.

( Figs 2–12 )

Diagnosis. Crown ( Fig. 2 ) narrower than eyes width. Aedeagus shaft ( Figs 11–12 ) with a dorsal elongate retrorse process at apical third.

Measurements (mm). Length: 6.00.

Color. Crown ( Fig. 2 ) black, mottled with ivory maculae and median longitudinal yellow stripe. Clypeus ( Fig. 2 ) black with two ivory spots, first one near transition with crown, oblong, and second one at mid-length, rounded. Antennal ledge black with two ivory maculae, first one subquadrangular dorsally, and second one subrectangular ventrally. Lorum and gena mostly ivory, except for a narrow black stripe adjacent to clypeus margin, extending from ventral margin of eye to epistomal suture. Clypellus black. Pronotum and mesonotum black covered with ivory to yellow punctures. Lateral lobe of pronotum with anterior half ivory and posterior half black. Scutellum dark brown. Forewing ( Fig. 5 ) light brown with transverse unpigmented band at basal third; venation colored with dark brown with ivory punctures at basal third and yellow to reddish-yellow punctures at apical two-thirds; apical half mostly fuscous. Hind wing brown. Foreleg mostly black; base of femur, apex of tibia, and tarsomeres light brown; femur with ivory transversal band at half-length; tibia with median ivory spot near ventral margin ( Fig. 6 ).

External morphology. Head. Crown ( Fig. 2 ) distinctly produced beyond eyes, 1.1 times longer than wide, narrower than eye’s width; surface strongly depressed medially, with lateral margins elevated and anterior margin rounded. Ocellus ( Fig. 2 ) near anterior margin. Clypeus ( Fig. 4 ) distinctly swollen; 1.5 times longer than wide; lateral margins almost parallel, but slightly convergent distally. Antennal ledge ( Fig. 4 ) carinate, narrow, vertical; extending to clypeus half-length. Clypellus ( Fig. 4 ) distinctly swollen; lateral margins strongly divergent; apex distinctly larger than base; apical margin rounded. Transition crown-face indistinct ( Fig. 3 ).

Thorax. Pronotum, scutellum and forewing surface ( Fig. 2 ) punctured with small setae. Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) 1.3 times wider than head; lateral margins posteriorly divergent; median as long as the crown median length; dorsopleural carinae ( Fig. 3 ) indistinct, slightly declivous anterad. Proepimeron ( Fig. 3 ) entirely covered by gena. Scutellum large ( Fig. 2 ); median length about 1.7 times pronotum median length. Forewing ( Fig. 5 ) with costal margin straight; wider subapically; with inner and median anteapical cells open basally and outer anteapical cell closed (very short s crossvein present); apex rounded. Foreleg ( Fig. 6 ) with femur and tibia foliaceous; femur 2.8 times longer than maximum width, apically expanded, dorsal surface with several setae distributed along entire length, AD1 and PD1 distinct, AM row with long setae distributed along apical half, AM1 present, situated medially, basal half of ventral margin with a row of elongated setae, succeeded by IC row with about 18 setae of approximately same size; tibia 3.7 times longer than maximum width, AD row with six setae spaced along entire length, AV row with 30 setae, basal fifth with thin and elongated setae, succeeded by short and robust setae increasing apically, medially with double accessory row with 3-5 setae adjacent to AV row, PV row with 23 setae along entire length, increasing apically, PD with 30 elongated setae unpigmented distributed along entire length. Hind leg cylindrical; femoral setal formula 2:2:1; tibia AD row with 13 robust cucullate setae, intercalated by 1-2 setae, AV row with 20 setae thinner than AD row setae, PD row with 23 setae, apical half-length intercalate by a long robust setae and two shorter and thinner, PV row with about 48 setae intercalated by long robust setae and 1-2 thinner setae. Tarsomere I plantar surface with two rows of setae, external row with thicker setae than internal one; pecten with two platellae in between outer pair of spiniform setae. Tarsomere II pecten with two platellae in between outer pair of spiniform setae.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 7 ), in lateral view, subtriangular, as long as high; dorsal margin approximately straight, with caudodorsal margin produced as a hook-shaped process turned inwardly ( Fig. 8 ); ventral margin broadly rounded; few setae grouped at apex. Valve ( Fig. 7 ) fused to pygofer; 4.2 times wider than long; anterior margin broadly emarginated; posterior margin slightly emarginated medially. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 7 ), in lateral view, extending slightly beyond apex of pygofer; 4.5 times longer than wide, spatulate, widening apically; inner lateral margin excavate at basal margin; external margin almost straight; ventral surface with few long setae at apical third; apex subtruncate. Connective ( Fig. 9 ) Y-shaped; with distinct dorsal keel; arms long; stem short about one-third length of arms, articulated with aedeagus. Style ( Fig. 9 ), in dorsal view, very short, slightly longer than connective total lenght; in lateral view ( Fig. 10 ), apodeme short broadly rounded, ventral margin with a small lobe, blade digitiform, curved dorsad with few setae. Aedeagus ( Figs 11–12 ) with preatrium developed; dorsal connective well developed, long, constricted at basal portion; shaft tubular, very long and narrow, slightly curved dorsad, with a long and narrow process originating dorsally at median third, about one-third of shaft length, directed basad, apex acute; gonopore opening apically.Anal tube ( Fig. 7 ) sclerotized, segment X long and narrow without process, length about three times its width.

Female unknown.

Material examined. Holotype male: “ BRASIL, Piauí, Caracol \ Parque Nacional da Serra das\ Confusões , Entrada da trilha\ Cores da Caatinga ( Terra 3);\ 09º12’48,5”S - 43º27’59,4”W;\ 13.ii.2020; light trap; J.S. Prando leg” (DZRJ-AUCH 0643).

Taxonomic notes. Gabrita confusa sp. nov. is easily distinguished by the long dorsal process arising on the shaft of the aedeagus, absent in all other species of the genus.

This is the first Gabrita species recorded from the Caatinga biome in Brazil. Previous species records from Brazil were from the Atlantic and Amazon rainforests, and Cerrado ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the origin of the specimen, from Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusões.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution of Gabrita species in different ecological systems of South America.

FIGURES 2–12. Gabrita confusa sp. nov., male holotype. 2, habitus, dorsal view. 3, habitus, lateral view. 4, head, frontal view. 5, forewing. 6, foreleg, frontal view. 7, valve, pygofer, anal tube and subgenital plate, lateral view. 8, apex of pygofer, dorsal view. 9, connective and styles, dorsal view. 10, style, lateral view. 11, aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view. 12, aedeagus and dorsal connective, dorsal view.