Kafulopa, Smith, Lydia R. J. & Webb, Michael D., 2016

Smith, Lydia R. J. & Webb, Michael D., 2016, Review of the Ulopella leafhopper genus group (Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae, Ulopinae) with description of a new genus and species collected from pitfall traps in Zambia, Zootaxa 4189 (3), pp. 571-580 : 574

Kafulopa gen. nov.

Type species: Kafulopa bicolor sp. n.

Diagnosis. The new genus belongs to the Ulopella genus group. This group, comprising Aethiopulopa Evans , Conlopa Evans , Delopa Evans , and Ulopella Poisson , was originally diagnosed ( Linnavuori, 1972) as follows: head strongly shortened and bent, its outline squarish in profile with lower margin horizontal; crown much shorter than pronotum, anterior margin with a transverse ridge but not foliaceous, ocelli present. However, the more recently described Aethiopulopa globula Van Stalle (1983b) has its head only slightly shorter than the pronotum ( Fig. 3 g) and the genus Ulopella is found to have a more rounded head in profile than other genera with a weaker anterior ridge ( Fig. 4 h). The new genus described here falls between Ulopella and Aethiopulopa in having the head broadly rounded in profile without an anterior ridge ( Fig. 1 b), basal arm of the style beyond its connection to the connective long ( Fig. 2 j) and gonopore apical on ventral surface (as in Ulopella ) and its aedeagal shaft elongate ( Fig. 2 k) (as in Aethiopulopa ); Delopa also has a similar elongate aedeagal shaft but differs in having a pair of processes on the head ( Fig. 3 a). It differs from all other members of the group in being relatively slender, head much shorter than pronotum, forewing veins not raised and style with two lateral apical processes ( Fig. 2 j).

Description. Surface densely punctate dorsally and on face. Head, including eyes, broader than pronotum; anterior margin of head in dorsal view more or less straight; in profile broadly rounded; crown flattish in profile, surface weakly uneven, in dorsal view crown of uniform length, much broader than long, shorter than pronotum; coronal suture absent. Face short and broad, lower part horizontal; frontoclypeus very broad, almost as wide as long in midline; anteclypeus pear shaped; maxillary suture distinct and strongly curved; ocelli present in one specimen (holotype), slightly nearer to the midline than adjacent eye on each side. Antennal pits deep, concealed dorsally by antennal ledge. Pronotum much longer than crown, surface largely even, with disc slightly depressed anteriorly and to sides, lateral margins slightly tapered, posterior margin slightly concave. Scutellum flat, not swollen. Forewings elytra-like, tapered to narrowly rounded apex; veins indistinct, not raised; black tubercles absent. Hind wings absent. Fore tibia short, flattened dorsally; curved basally and tapered in lateral view; dorsoventrally flattened basally. Hind tibia quadrate is cross section with dorsal surface flat and remaining three sides smoothly rounded without distinct margins.

Male genitalia with dorsoposterior margin of pygofer produced, lobe like with short stout setae. Anal tube Xth segment with ventral posterior finger-like projection. Valve fused to pygofer. Subgenital plate basal lobes fused. Style basal arm elongate, extending way beyond attachment point to connective; apex expanded with two lateral projections, subapical projection elongate, straight and truncate apically, apical projection stout and curved to acute apex. Aedeagus with shaft elongate, curved dorsally, tapered to acute apex distally in lateral view, apex bifurcate, gonopore short, near apex.

Etymology. The new generic name is a combination of the type locality, Kafue National Park, and Ulopa .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kafulopa bicolor: a, dorsal habitus (holotype) scale bar 1 mm; b, lateral habitus (holotype); c, face (paratype), d, apex of female abdomen in ventral view (paratype).

FIGURE 2. Kafulopa bicolor, external features and genitalia: a, face; b, right fore leg, lateral view; c, right fore tibia, in cross section near apex; d, right hind femur (apex to top); e, right hind leg, dorsal view; f, right hind leg, ventral view; g, right hind tibia, in cross section at midlength; h – j, male genital capsule, h, lateral view, i, dorsal view, j, ventral view (arrow indicates fused basal lobes of subgenital plates); k, aedeagus, lateral view; l, apex of aedeagus, ventral view; m, second valvulae lateral view; n, first valvulae, lateral view (Abbreviations: AD: anterior dorsal, AV: anterior ventral, PD: posterior dorsal, PV: posterior ventral).

FIGURE 3. Ulopella group species: a – c, Delopa cornuta (a, holotype, b – c, allotype), a, dorsal habitus, b, lateral habitus (image flipped from right to left), c, face; d – f, Conlopa bredoni (paratype), d, dorsal habitus, e, lateral habitus, f, face; g – i, Aethiopulopa globula, (paratype), a, dorsal habitus, b, lateral habitus, c, face. Scale bar: 1 mm. See Material and methods for details of imaged specimens.

FIGURE 4. Ulopella group species: a – c, Aethiopulopa myron (holotype), a, dorsal habitus, b, lateral habitus, c, face; d – f, A. bambiensis (non-types), d, dorsal habitus, e, lateral habitus, f, face; g – i, Ulopella steeli (holotype), g, dorsal habitus, h, lateral habitus, i, face. All lateral images flipped from right side to left. Scale bar: 1 mm. See Material and methods for details of imaged specimens.