Mayawa vestigia, Dietrich, 2021

Dietrich, Christopher H., 2021, New species of Mayawa Fletcher and description of a related new Australian leafhopper genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Paralimnini), Zootaxa 4933 (4), pp. 575-585 : 583-584

Mayawa vestigia sp. nov.

( Figure 6 )

Diagnosis. This species differs from other species of the genus in having the apex of the aedeagal shaft distinctly tapered beyond the preapical processes in posterior view and the preapical processes relatively long.

Description. Length of male 3.5 mm. Natural coloration of only available specimen unknown due to DNA extraction from whole body, crown with two pairs of small spots on anterior margin, dorsum otherwise without distinct spots or larger maculae. Crown ( Fig. 6B ) slightly longer medially than next to eye, shorter than basal width between eyes.

Male pygofer lobe ( Fig. 6D ) narrowly rounded apically, margin unmodified. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 6F ) slightly longer than maximum width, lateral margin evenly convex, apex forming slightly acute angle. Style preapical lobe acutely produced, apophysis slender and elongate without preapical angle, with seven rounded preapical teeth ( Fig. 6F ). Aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 6G ) with dorsal apodeme relatively short and narrow, forming narrowly acute angle with dorsal margin of shaft; shaft relatively broad and very slightly tapered over most of length, more abruptly tapered at level of preapical processes and slightly sinuate distally; shaft in posterior view ( Fig. 6H ) parallel-sided basally, broadened at level of preapical processes, then tapered toward apex, preapical processes relatively long and strongly divergent from shaft, distal processes very short; gonopore very large, extended slightly basad of bases of preapical processes.

Etymology. The species name refers to the vestigial distal processes of the aedeagus.

Material examined. Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory 76km E of Mataranka on Roper Bar Hwy. 14°54.888’S 133° 42.78’E 77m, 03 Feb 2006 K. Hill, D. Marshall, M. Moulds, coll at light at night ( MNT).

Notes. A whole-body DNA extraction procedure was performed on the holotype specimen of this species before it was recognized as a new species. The procedure removed most of the pigment from the exoskeleton such that the natural coloration and wing venation cannot be described. The aedeagus was also broken during the extraction procedure but the parts of the male terminalia are intact and undistorted. DNA sequences from this species are being incorporated into a large-scale phylogenetic analysis of Deltocephalinae (Y. Cao et al., unpublished).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Mayawa vestigia sp. nov., male holotype. A–B, lateral and dorsal habitus; C, base of abdomen, ventral view; D-E, genital capsule, lateral and ventral view; F, styles, connective, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view; G, aedeagus, lateral view (shaft broken); H, aedeagus, ventral view.