Sandersellus bigladius, Nielson, 2010

Nielson, M. W., 2010, New leafhopper species and distribution records of Gabrita Walker, 1858 and Sandersellus DeLong, 1945 with revised keys to species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae), Zootaxa 2531 (1), pp. 39-47 : 42-44

Sandersellus bigladius sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–14 )

Length: male 6.70 mm.

External morphology. Small, slender species. General color piceous with numerous, irregular translucent flavous spots on dorsum; face piceous except for flavous clypeus and clypellus. Head small, very narrow, about 2/3 as wide as pronotum; eyes large, semibulbous; crown narrow, about ½ as wide as eyes, produced distally about 1/3 of its entire median length, lateral margins strongly carinate, eyes very large, elongate-ovoid, occupying about 2/3 of entire dorsal area of head; pronotum large, median length about 2/3 as long as crown, with incomplete median longitudinal carina; mesonotum large, slightly longer than pronotum, without median longitudinal carina, lateral angles carinate to apex; clypeus very long, narrow, lateral margins nearly parallel, slightly concave medially, narrower distally than basally; clypellus short, about 1/3 as long as clypeus, slightly tapered distally.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view with very short, digitate caudodorsal lobe, caudoventral process long, triangulate distally and extended beyond caudodorsal lobe ( Fig. 9 ); subgenital plate in ventral view long, nearly slender throughout, glabrous ( Fig. 10 ); style very long, longer than aedeagus, distal 2/3 gladiate ( Figs. 12, 13 ); aedeagus slender, tubular with pair of moderately long, acuminate processes on dorso-medial margin of shaft, directed basally, gonopore cryptic ( Figs. 13, 14 ).

Female unknown.

Material examined. Holotype male. BOLIVIA. Sta. Cruz Buena Vista, 26 Feb–8 Mar 1999, Mal. tr. [Malaise trap], F. Parker ( NMNH).

Etymology. This species is named for the paired, acuminate processes on the dorsomedial margin of the aedeagus.

Remarks. From S. retrorsus (Figs. 58, 62, 63, Nielson 1975) to which it is similar in pygofer and aedeagal features, S. bigladius can be separated by the caudoventral process which is longer, has a subdistal process and by the narrower aedeagal shaft.

Figures

FIGURES 9–14. Sandersellus bigladius, sp. nov. Fig.9. Male pygofer, lateral view; Fig. 10. Subgenital plate, ventral view; Fig. 11. Right style, lateral view; Fig. 12. Right style, dorsal view; Fig. 13. Aedeagus, dorsal view; Fig. 14. Aedeagus, lateral view. (All views 50X.)