Congodictya, Constant, 2018

Constant, Jérôme, 2018, Congodictya taymansi gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species of Afrotropical lanternfly related to Coelodictya Jacobi, 1910 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 74, pp. 1-17 : 1-17

Genus Congodictya gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C558CD3-5E0F-4FFF-9A8D-6D3A8323993B

Type species: Congodictya taymansi sp. nov. by present designation.

ETYMOLOGY. The genus name is formed from “ Congo ”, the country from which the taxon originates and “- dictya ” which means “reticulate” and refers to the wing venation as well as to the genera names Coelodictya and Holodictya Gerstaecker, 1895 , that same ending underlining the resemblance with these taxa. The gender is feminine.

DIAGNOSIS

The genus can be separated from all other Aphaenini by the following combination of characters

1) Head without cephalic process ( Fig. 6 B, E–F ).

2) Frons and vertex separated by a narrow but continuous groove ( Fig. 6 B ).

3) Frons nearly flat with an obsolete median carina visible on dorsal third ( Fig. 6 E–F ).

4) Pro- and mesonotum without strong median carina ( Fig. 6 B ).

5) Pronotum with anterior margin carinate laterally and a longitudinal carina on lateral lobes behind antennae ( Fig. 6 B, E–F ).

6) Tegmina elongate and narrow with apical margin slightly oblique and reticulation visibly more dense distally to nodal line ( Fig. 6 A ).

7) Posterior wings broad, only about 1.5 times as long as broad and about 1.7 times broader than the tegmina ( Fig. 6 A ).

8) Legs elongate and slender ( Fig. 6 A, D ).

NOTE:

The most similar genera are Coelodictya and Holodictya from which Congodictya gen. nov. can easily be separated by characters 5: Coelodictya does not show a carina on the lateral lobes of pronotum ( Fig. 2 B, D, F ) and Holodictya does not show carinae on anterior margin and on lateral lobes of pronotum; and 6: the reticulation of the tegmina is uniform in Coelodictya ( Fig. 2 A ) and Holodictya .

DESCRIPTION

Medium sized (around 20 mm in length) Fulgoridae without cephalic process and with posterior wings brightly coloured.

Head: narrower then thorax. Vertex concave, broader than long and with all margins elevated, separated from frons by a continuous narrow groove. Frons nearly flat, subquadrate, with short obsolete longitudinal groove laterally at level of eye and short obsolete median carina on dorsal half. Clypeus triangular, longer than frons. Labium elongate and narrow, surpassing metatrochanters. Eyes strongly protruding laterally; ocelli present under eye. Antennae short; scapus very short and cylindrical; pedicel bulbous.

Thorax: nearly flat dorsally. Pronotum about four times broader than long in midline, with anterior margin slightly laminate anteriorly; disc slightly excavate and with a slight median carina; posterior magrin incurved; lateral lobes with a longitudinal carina behind antenna and a shallow longitudinal groove at level of clypeofrontal joint. Mesonotum with disc slightly excavate and flat; smooth with flat area wrinkled and very obsolete median carina on anterior portion.

Tegmina: elongate and narrow, more than 2.6 times longer than broad; costal and postclaval margins subparallel; apical margin slightly oblique with angles broadly rounded. Basal cell elongate and narrow. Clavus reaching 2/3 of length. Vein ScP+R visible to nodal line; subcostal cell elongate and broad; MP forked at basal half of corium length; CuA forked beyond 2/3 of corium; clavus open; Pcu and A1 merged near apex of clavus; numerous cross-veinlets between main veins on corium; half of the apical area of the corium is covered with cells about 1/3–1/4 the size of those in the anterior half of corium.

Posterior wings: large, broader than tegmina, with anal area well developed. Veins MP and CuA forked at level of wing coupling lobe; other main veins not forked but linked by some cross-veins.

Legs: elongate and slender. Metatibiae with 5 lateral and 7 apical spines. Metatibiotarsal formula: (5) 7/9/6.

Abdomen: broad, dorsoventrally flattened.

Male genitalia: pygofer higher than long in lateral view, narrower dorsally and with small lateral lobe on posterior margin. Gonostyli separated basally, elongate and with inner wall strongly concave; ventral margin sinuate; dorsal margin with a hook near posterior margin of pygofer. Tectiform structure large and hemitubular. Phallobase with a sclerified ventral elongate process and two dorsal sclerified processes; rest of the aedeagus well developed and membranous with digitiform processes. Anal tube very large, surpassing the gonostyli and with two lobes beyond anal opening projecting ventrally.

DISTRIBUTION. Afrotropical Region: Congo.

Figures

Fig. 6. Congodictya taymansi sp. nov., male holotype (MNHN). A, habitus, dorsal view. B, head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. C, labels. D, habitus, ventral view. E, frons, normal view. F, head and thorax, lateral view. G, habitus, lateral view.

Fig. 2. Coelodictya sjoestedti Jacobi, 1910, female from Malawi (RBINS). A, habitus, dorsal view. B, head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, frons, normal view. E, habitus, lateral view. F, head and thorax, lateral view.