Discolopeus lissus, Stiller, 2019

Stiller, Michael, 2019, A new leafhopper genus Discolopeus and nine new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) associated with shrubs, trees and poisonous plants in South Africa, Zootaxa 4559 (2), pp. 201-244 : 210-212

Discolopeus lissus sp.n.

Figs 3 a–p, 5h–i, 19c.

Diagnosis. Crown elongate; with faint light brown markings. Subgenital plate scalpiform; ratio of length to width 1.37–1.72. Aedeagal shaft apex with sclerotized anterior lip; right-angled, compressed; sclerotized; dorsal apodeme in dorsal view C-shaped; aedeagal process thin, gracile, elongate, base free. Style apophysis depressed. Connective with transverse bar straight, arms short. Pygofer lobe with narrow digitate ventral process.

Etymology. Named in Greek with the adjective for the absence of teeth on the aedeagal shaft, thus smooth, bald, lissos.

Male, female and nymph. Color. Crown with faint light brown markings. Tegmina with numerous veins and some cells dark brown ( Figs 5h, 5i ). Nymph, based on two specimens, early and late instar respectively, with the former ochraceous, and the latter with median light brown band on ochraceous ground colour.

Male. Measurements. Overall length 3.53–3.91 mm; crown length 0.49–0.53 mm; crown length next to eye 0.40–0.42 mm; pronotum length 0.39–0.43 mm; head width 1.0 9– 1.19 mm; pronotum width 1.02–1.13 mm; ocellus diameter 28.0 µm; interocellar distance 40.0–43.2 µm.

Male. Genitalia. Genital capsule dorsally in Fig. 3a , laterally in Fig. 3b . Tergite X anteroventrally with membranous concavity ( Fig. 3b ). Subgenital plate with medial margins divergent, lateroposterior margin angulate ( Fig. 3c ). Ratio of length of subgenital plate medially/greatest width = 1.3 7–1.72 (n=10). Aedeagus with shaft without paired tooth, but sclerotized anterior, apical lip ( Figs 3d, e ), shaft curved dorsad at base ( Figs 3b , 2d ); dorsal apodeme inverted V-shaped ( Fig. 3e ), distal half sclerotized, proximal half compressed, unsclerotized; preatrium depressed, weakly connected to aedeagus ventrally at base of inverted V-shaped dorsal apodeme; paraphysis long, thin tubular ( Figs 3i, 3j ), apex with ventral margin serrate and fine striate sculpture ( Figs 3h ). Style with apophysis digitate in dorsal view ( Fig. 3f ), compressed in lateral view ( Fig. 3g ). Connective transverse, stem short, bar-like, arms almost right-angled ( Fig. 3p ).

Female. Measurements. Overall length 3.90–4.19 mm; crown length 0.52–0.58 mm; crown length next to eye 0.42–0.45 mm; pronotum length 0.42–0.45 mm; head width 1.1 8– 1.27 mm; pronotum width 1.12–1.22 mm; ocellus diameter 25.3–32.7 µm; interocellar distance 39.3–46.7 µm.

Female. Genitalia. Sternite VII posterior margin straight or shallowly concave ( Figs 3n, 3o ). Valvifer 1with anterior margin narrowly rounded ( Fig. 3l ), valvifer as long as wide ( Figs 3k, 3m ), bases of both valvifers attached individually to both valvulae 1.

Material examined. Holotype male. Northern Cape Province. CCDL26031 , Garies Kamiesberg, -30.462, 18.132, 1976/10/15, J.G. Theron.

Paratypes. 17♂, 16♀, 2 nymphs. Northern Cape Province . 1♂, CCDL26255 , Garies, -30.5633, 17.98976, 1930/06/15, museum staff ; 2♂, 3♀, CCDL26029 , Garies, -30.5633, 17.98976, 1976/09/28, J.G. Theron, sweeping ; 12♂, 5♀, Ibid. holotype; 3♂, 7♀, 2 nymphs, CCDL18204 , Bitterfontein 5km N, -30.9833, 18.25, 2002/10/03, M. Stiller, sweeping Hermannia desertorum Malvaceae ; 1♂, 1♀, CCDL26253 , Kamieskroon, -30.2, 17.9333, 1983/ 01/20, J.G. Theron, sweeping .

Remarks. The recognition of this species is based on male genitalia. The colour pattern of the crown resembles that of some specimens of D. diacaenus and D. colopeus . Distribution map is in Fig. 19c .

Figures

FIGURE 2a–g. Discolopeus diacaenus n.gen. & sp.; male and female genitalia; line drawing. Posterior abdominal apodeme; a. Anterior view; b. Dorsal view; Sternite VII, specimen localities; c. Biesiesfontein; d. Wiedouw; e. Bitterfontein; f. Rondekop; g. Nuwerus.

FIGURE 3a–p. Discolopeus lissus n.gen. & sp., male and female genitalia, line drawing. a. Genital capsule, dorsally; b. Genital capsule, laterally; c. Subgenital plate, ventrally; d, e. Aedeagus, laterally and dorsally respectively; f, g. Style, dorsally and laterally respectively; h. Apex, aedeagal process, laterally; i, j. Aedeagal process, laterally and dorsally respectively; k, l, m. Valvifers 1, variation in shape, viewed laterally; n, o. Sternite VII, variation in posterior margin; p. Connective, dorsally.

FIGURE 5a–l. Discolopeus gen.n. species; habitus. D. diacaenus sp.n.; a. Biesiesfontein, male, yellow form; b. Calvinia, male; c. Biesiesfontein, male; d, e. Rondekop, male and female respectively; f. Doring River, male; g. Wiedouw, female; D. lissus sp.n.; h, i. Garies, male and female respectively; D. colopeus sp.n., Biesiesfontein; j, k, l. Female, male, pale form, male, dark form respectively.

FIGURE 19a–c. Distribution maps of leafhopper species of Discolopeus gen.n. and associated plants. a. Hyaenanche globosa near Vanrhynsdorp and one record near Citrusdal (red squares); b. Potential natural distribution of D. copeus sp.n. in the southwestern parts of South Africa, Western Cape Province; c. Point distributions of D. colopeus sp.n., D. lissus sp.n., D. tetracaenus sp.n., D. thigmacaenus sp.n., D. triacaenus sp.n. and D. viraktamathi sp.n. in Western, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces.