Nicolaus serratus, Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2014

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2014, Four new species of the grass feeding leafhopper genus Nicolaus Lindberg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 3784 (5), pp. 528-538 : 535-536

Nicolaus serratus sp. nov.

( Figs 50–56 )

Creamy white. Vertex with submarginal brown stripe either side of mid-line anteriorly.

Male genitalia. Pygofer caudo-ventrally rounded with tooth-like short process. Subgenital plate with emargination on lateral margin near apex. Style with prominent subapical lobe, apophysis slender, strongly laterally curved. Aedeagal shaft elongate, membranous except for a narrow dorsal sclerotized rod; preatrial processes bladelike, with ventral margin expanded subapically and strongly serrated.

Measurements. Male 4.0 mm long and 0.8 mm wide across eyes. Female 4.2 mm long and 1.0 mm wide across eyes.

Material examined. INDIA: HOLOTYPE ♂, 6 km E. Kasauli, 12.ix.1985, C.W &L.B. O’Brien. ( BMNH). PARATYPE: 1♀, INDIA, same data as holotype ( BMNH).

Remarks. This species is similar to N. bihamatus but its aedeagal shaft is broader in ventral view and preatrial processes are subapically expanded with strongly serrated ventral margin. See also Remarks under N. bihamatus .

Figures

FIGURES 50 – 56. Nicolaus serratus sp. nov. 50 & 51. Male pygofer, lateral and dorsal views, respectively; 52. Base of aedeagus viewed in the direction of arrow shown in Fig. 55; 53. Connective and style, ventral view; 54. Valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; 55. Aedeagus, lateral view; 56. Aedeagus, anterodorsal view.