Gabrita erwini, 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 : 40-42

Gabrita erwini sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 )

Length: male 7.00 mm.

External morphology. General color black with white to yellowish bullae on dorsum, particularly numerous on pronotum and veins of forewings ( Fig. 1 ). Prothoracic legs raptorial-like, femur and tibia broad, flattened, foliaceous ( Fig. 2 ). Head small, much narrower than pronotum as in all known species; crown narrower than width of eyes at base, produced distally beyond anterior margin of eyes about ¼ of its entire median length, anterior margin angulate, submargin deeply rugulose; ocelli prominent, near anterior margin next to eyes; eyes large, bulbous laterally, occupying about 2/3 of entire dorsal area of head; pronotum very large, about twice median length of head as in all species, surface marked with numerous bullae ( Fig 2 ); mesonotum very large, median length greater than median length of pronotum; forewings; forewings long, expanded subapically, veins lined with bullae, three anteapical cells present, outer one closed; appendix well developed; clypeus distinctly elevated with nearly complete, prominent, median longitudinal carina; clypellus with lateral margins divergent apically, with complete median longitudinal carina, separated from the clypeus carina by the transclypeal suture.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view long and narrow, without processes ( Fig. 4 ); pregenital plate in ventral view very long and narrow, glabrous except for few apical setae ( Fig 5 ); style in lateral view elongate with prominent, angulate process medially on inner lateral margin ( Fig. 6 ); aedeagus in lateral and ventral views very long, about one-half times as long as style, tubular, narrow, needlelike at apical 4/5, sharply pointed distally, about as long as plate, gonopore cryptic ( Figs. 7, 8 ).

Female unknown.

Material examined. Holotype male: ECUADOR: Lot # 1882, Orellana Province, Tiputini Biodiversity Station , 232 m, 0.63173’S. 76.1420’ W, 6 July 1998, lowland rainforest, transect 9, station 3, tree tag 554 (Buseraceae “ platyphyla”). ( NMNH).

Etymology. This species is named for Dr. Terry L. Erwin for his extensive collecting of insects using his insecticidal fogging technique in many tropical areas of the world which has immeasurably increased our knowledge of the composition and diversity of insects in the tropics.

Remarks. From G. fistula (Figs. 229, 233, Nielson 1983) to which it is most similar, G. erwini can be distinguished by the pygofer without processes and by the pregenital plate, which has only a few setae apically. The configuration of the aedeagus is remarkably uniform among species of Gabrita known from males (unknown for G. pictifrons ) but in G. annulipes the shaft is somewhat broader than in the other three species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Gabrita erwini, sp. nov. Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus; Fig. 2. Foreleg, lateral view; Fig. 3. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view; Fig. 4. Male pygofer, lateral view; Fig. 5. Subgenital plate, ventral view; Fig. 6. Right style, lateral view; Fig. 7. Aedeagus, lateral view; Fig. 8. Aedeagus, ventral view. (All views 50X except dorsal habitus, 7.50X.)