Tenucephalus misiones, Zahniser, 2021

Zahniser, James N., 2021, Revision of the New World leafhopper tribe Faltalini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and the evolution of brachyptery, Zootaxa 4954 (1), pp. 1-160 : 116

Tenucephalus misiones n. sp.

( Figs. 72–73 , 85 )

Diagnosis. T. misiones can be distinguished from other species in the genus by a combination of the – interstinctus color pattern, pygofer without dorsal process, style apophysis with small preapical heel, arms of connective diverging posteriorly, and apices of basal processes of connective-aedeagus truncate with pointed tips directed laterally.

Body. Male, 4.1–4.2 mm. Female, 4.6 mm to wing apex.

Color. Generally pale lemon yellow, more or less with the – interstinctus color pattern; crown, pronotum and scutellum yellow with diffuse orange coloration; forewing with distinct brown spot at apex of brachial cell, with or without smaller brown spots at bases and apices of other forewing cells.

Male. Pygofer somewhat depressed, not robust; with 8–12 macrosetae dorsoapically; without dorsal or apical processes. Valve large, triangular, longer than wide. Subgenital plate with single row of 8–10 macrosetae laterally, with some other long, thin setae. Style preapical angle lobelike, roundedly angulate; apophysis curving laterad, tapering to pointed apex, with small tuberculate preapical heel, with some tuberculate texture.. Connective arms diverging from each other before meeting aedeagus. Connective-aedeagus with symmetrical pair of processes fused near aedeagal base, processes slightly longer than aedeagus, in ventral view, slightly bowed throughout length, meeting apically, apices truncate with pointed tip directed laterally. Aedeagus regularly curved throughout; gonopore preapical on ventral side; with ornate apex resembling head of a duck in lateral view. Phragma with bulbous lobes relatively small. Segment X long, membranous.

Female. Sternite VII posterior margin slightly produced medially; margin undulate. Sternite VIII somewhat well-sclerotized, trapezoid-like, extending anterad of stVII. Gonoplac with 7 macrosetae ventroapically.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1♂, ARGENTINA: Misiones , rt 211 36 km SE jct rt 12, 450m, 26°55’55”S 54°43’4”W, 5-I-2008 C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, AR5-1 [ MLPA] . PARATYPES: 1♂, 1♀, same data [ USNM] .

Etymology. The species is named after the Argentinean province of Misiones. It is a noun in apposition.

Distribution. T. misiones is known only from the type locality in Argentina, Misiones Prov.

Remarks. This species shares the same type locality of T. viperinus .

Figures

FIGUIRE 72. Tenucephalus misiones n. sp. (A–B, D–H, J) standard views; F shown with valve separated from subgenital plate.

FIGUIRE 73. Tenucephalus misiones n. sp. (K–P) standard views.

FIGUIRE 85. Distribution of Tenucephalus spp. in eastern South America.