Soosiulus belterrensis, Mejdalani & Carvalho & Quintas & Pecly, 2022

Mejdalani, Gabriel, Carvalho, Stéphanie R., Quintas, Victor & Pecly, Nathalia H., 2022, A new species of the sharpshooter genus Soosiulus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini) from the Brazilian Amazon Forest, with notes on a putative complex of species, Zoologia (e 22012) 39, pp. 1-7 : 2-6

Soosiulus belterrensis sp. nov.

Figs 1–19

https://zoobank.org/ F73C9079-B47C-4D0A-A9B9-E62DCCB3CDAB

Diagnosis. Head ( Fig. 2 ) with pair of distinct black apical spots at transition crown-face. Aedeagal shaft ( Fig. 7 ), in lateral view, slightly curved dorsally; its apex with pair of strong spiniform processes directed dorsally and almost reaching pygofer apex; without ventroapical lobe and without retrorse ventroapical process. Female sternite VII ( Fig. 10 ), in ventral view, with posterior margin convex on each side of distinct median emargination.

Description. Total length: males 6.7–7.0 mm (n = 5), females 7.0– 7.3 mm (n = 3). Morphology of head and thorax as in the generic description of Young (1977, p. 369).

Ground color of dorsum ( Fig. 1 ) mostly orange. Head ( Fig. 2 ) with pair of distinct apical spots at transition crown-face and large median basal spot including ocelli, black. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) with anterolateral portions brown; with median spot extending along anterior margin, with slender arm projected laterally behind each compound eye, and pair of semioval spots on posterior margin, black. Mesonotum ( Fig. 1 ) mostly black, distal portion of scutellum brown to orange. Forewing ( Fig. 1 ) with spot on each humeral margin connected by narrow band along commissural margin to transcommissural large hastate marking in clavus, black; claval sulcus with black stripe, at corium side, from base to apical portion, narrowed or evanescent apically; apical membranous area translucent brown. Face ( Fig. 2 ) with frons brownish-yellow tinged with orange; remainder of face mostly pale yellow. Lateral and ventral portions of thorax pale yellow; legs pale yellow tinged with orange, foretibiae mostly orange.

Male terminalia. Pygofer ( Fig. 3 ), in lateral view, well produced posteriorly; posterior margin broadly rounded; without processes; with numerous macrosetae distributed mainly on distal two-thirds of disk. Valve ( Fig. 4 ), in ventral view, subrectangular, slightly constricted medially. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 4 ), in ventral view, triangular, elongate, slender, distal two-thirds strongly narrowed; with few uniseriate macrosetae located along outer margin; plate not fused basally to its counterpart; in lateral view, extending almost as far posteriorly as pygofer apex. Style ( Fig. 5 ), in dorsal view, slender, elongate, extending approximately as far posteriorly as apex of connective; apophysis gradually narrowed posteriorly, apical portion curved outwards, bearing setae along outer margin, without preapical lobe; apex subacute. Connective ( Fig. 6 ), in dorsal view, forming elongate, broad subtriangular plate directed dorsally. Aedeagus ( Fig. 7 ) symmetrical; shaft, in lateral view, slightly curved dorsally; apex with pair of strong spiniform processes directed dorsally and almost reaching pygofer apex; without ventroapical lobe and without retrorse ventroapical process; gonopore located apically. Paraphyses ( Figs 8–9 ), in dorsal view, short-stalked, articulated with apex of connective; with pair of rami, each one elongate, slender, tapered apically, and with acute apex.

Female. Color pattern and external form similar to those of male. Terminalia. Sternite VII ( Fig. 10 ), in ventral view, elongate, slightly narrowed posteriorly; posterior margin convex on each side of distinct median emargination. Pygofer, in lateral view, well produced posteriorly; ventral margin slightly sinuous; apex narrowly rounded; macrosetae distributed mostly on posterior portion and extending anteriorly along ventral area, absent on basal portion of disk. “Internal” sternite VIII, in dorsal view, formed by pair of lateral outer sclerotized areas associated with sternite VII and pair of complex elongate sclerites ( Fig. 11 ) locat- ed between valvifers I above ovipositor base; posterior portions of latter pair of sclerites rounded and strongly sclerotized. Valvifer I ( Fig. 12 ), in lateral view, subrectangular; surface with scattered denticuli and pores. Valvula I, in ventral view, with basal portion expanded and forming projection directed inwardly; blade ( Fig. 12 ), in lateral view, slightly curved ventrally along apical fourth; ventroapical portion slightly expanded; apex acute; dorsal sculptured area ( Fig. 13 ) extending from basal portion to apex of blade, formed mostly by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines, except basally ( Fig. 14 ) with irregular linear processes positioned more horizontally; ventral sculptured area ( Fig. 13 ) restricted to apical portion, formed mostly by slender scale-like processes; blade surface, especially basal half ( Fig. 14 ), with few small setae [trichoid sensilla] and many pores located below or adjacent to ramus, basiventral surface with distinct group of denticuli; ventral interlocking device distinct, located on basal half of blade. Valvifer II ( Fig. 18 ), in lateral view, somewhat

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pentagonal; inferior half with distinct group of about 20 robust setae ( Fig. 19 ) near articulation point; denticuli and pores also present. Valvula II ( Fig. 15 ), in lateral view, moderately expanded beyond basal curvature; blade slightly curved ventrally; preapical prominence ( Fig. 17 ) distinct, obtuse; apex ( Fig. 17 ) obtuse; dorsal margin with about 35 well defined, mostly subtriangular teeth ( Figs 16–17 ), with distinct small space between them; denticles distributed on teeth and on dorsal and ventral apical portions of blade, except on apex (ventral dentate apical portion much longer than dorsal portion); valvula with ducts ( Figs 16–17 ) extending towards teeth and apex (number of ducts terminating inside teeth varying from zero to two); basal half of valvula with isolated pores. Gonoplac ( Fig. 18 ) of the usual Cicadellinae type: in lateral view, blade extending slightly beyond pygofer apex; distal half distinctly expanded, slightly narrowed apically; apex obtuse; surface with many denticuli, pores, and setae on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the type locality, municipality of Belterra, in the state of Pará.

Type material. Amazon Forest , northern Brazil, state of Pará ( Figs 20–21 ). Nine males and ten females: “Belterra [3°9’10.86”S, 54°50’32.04”W] – PA [state of Pará] \ Faz. [Fazenda] Treviso \ 01-10/XII/2018 \ Marcela Monné \ Pedro S.-Dias” (male holotype and paratypes in MNRJ, except for one couple in DZRJ and one couple in DZUP) .

Figures

Figures 1–9. Soosiulus belterrensis sp. nov., male: (1) body, dorsal view (total length 6.7 mm); (2) face, anterodorsal view; (3) pygofer, lateral view; (4) valve and subgenital plate, ventral view; (5) style, dorsal view; (6) connective, dorsal view; (7) part of the ejaculatory bulb and aedeagus, lateral view; (8) paraphyses, dorsal view; (9) paraphyses, lateral view. Scale bars: 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 = 0.5 mm, 5, 6 = 0.25 mm.

Figures 10–19. Soosiulus belterrensis sp. nov., female: (10) distal two-thirds of sternite VII, ventral view; (11) posterior sclerites of “internal” sternite VIII, dorsal view; (12) valvifer I and valvula I, lateral view; (13) apex of valvula I, showing dorsal and ventral sculptured areas; (14) basal portion of valvula I, showing setae (blue arrow) and pores (red arrow); (15) valvulae II, lateral view; (16) teeth at median portion of valvula II; (17) apexes of valvulae II; (18) valvifer II and gonoplac, lateral view; (19) sensory field of setae (red arrow) near articulation point of valvifer II. Scale bars = 1 mm, except for 11 = 0.5 mm.

Figures 20–21. (20) map showing the known distribution of the genus Soosiulus (dark yellow) and the location of the type locality of S. belterrensis sp. nov. (star); (21) type locality: border of a forest at Fazenda Treviso [3°9’10.86”S, 54°50’32.04”W], Belterra, state of Pará, northern Brazil (photo: Pedro Souza-Dias). BOL: Bolivia, BRA: Brazil, COL: Colombia, CRI: Costa Rica, PAN: Panama, PER: Peru. Brazilian states: AC: Acre, AM: Amazonas, MA: Maranhão, MT: Mato Grosso, PA: Pará, RO: Rondônia, RR: Roraima, TO: Tocantins.