Fidicinoides flavipronotum, Sanborn, 2007

Sanborn, Allen F., 2007, Additions to the cicada fauna of Venezuela with the description of a new species and checklist of the Venezuelan cicada fauna (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadidae), Zootaxa 1503, pp. 21-32 : 22-26

Fidicinoides flavipronotum , sp. n.

( Figures 1–4 )

Type material. VENEZUELA. HOLOTYPE: male, “ Quíbor, Jimenez , Lara, VII–8–1979, R.W. Brooks, A.A. Grigarick, J. McLaughlin, R.O. Schuster ” ( UCDC). PARATYPES: 2 male and 3 female “State of Lara, Spring of 1967, J.M. Osorio ” (1 male and 2 female FSCA, 1 male and 1 female in author’s collection), 6 male same data as holotype (3 in UCDC , 3 in author’s collection) and 1 female “ Rancho Grande, 1200 m, Parque Nac. Henri Pittler , Edo. Aragua , T.E. Pliske, VII–15–72 ” donated to the author from FIUC.

Etymology: The species is named for the broad, yellow transverse band across the pronotum.

Description ( Figures 1–4 ). Ground color castaneous marked with piceous.

Head: About as broad as mesonotum ( Fig. 1 ); piceous; an irregularly bordered ochraceous spot anteriorly on vertex lobe medial to eye extending to lateral edge of supra-antennal plate; transverse castaneous band between eye and postclypeus on gena. Fine silvery hairs posterior and inferior to eye, in fronto-clypeal suture, and under supra-antennal plate; hairs longer around eye. Antennae fuscous with ochraceous flagellar segments. Postclypeus ochraceous with a medial piceous band in central sulcus which extends laterally onto medial portion of transverse ridges. Fuscous marks on lateral portions of transverse ridges, longest and most intense near supra-antennal plate. Anteclypeus piceous medially, canstaneous laterally. Mandibular plate edged laterally with castaneous. Mandibular plate and lateral border of clypeus with numerous hairs. Rostrum ochraceous at base becoming castaneous with piceous tip reaching to posterior coxae.

Thorax: Pronotum ochraceous ( Fig. 1 ); a small transverse piceous mark on either side of the anterior border reaching to anterior oblique fissure connected posteriorly across midline by transverse castaneous mark enclosing an ochraceous mark along the anterior midline; a transverse band, piceous anteriorly and castaneous (ochraceous in some paratypes) posteriorly, extending between medial ambient fissures the width of the mesonotum on pronotal collar. Band extends anteriorly onto pronotum between anterior oblique fissures and along posterior lateral edge of pronotal collar. Mesonotum with a pair of central piceous obconical marks reaching to one third of mesonotum length and transverse black marks along anterior edge which extend under pronotal collar anteriorly; lateral fasciae discontinuous centrally; a small piceous spot anterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation; piceous mark between anterior arms of cruciform elevation which centrally extends anteriorly to the level of the spots. Mesoscutellar plate piceous with castaneous border ( Fig. 2 ). Fine silvery hairs in depressions around cruciform elevation and posterior borders of mesonotum and cruciform elevation. Metanotum castaneous with silvery hairs posteriorly and laterally. Metascutellar plate piceous. Metasternum castaneous. Operculum castaneous, darker at base and along external border; meracanthus castaneous, ochraceous laterally. Opercula of male roughly triangular, not meeting medially ( Fig. 2 ); opercula of female smaller with lighter coloration and long hairs posteriorly ( Fig. 4 ).

Tegmina and Wings: Tegmina hyaline with eight apical cells ( Fig. 1 ); costal area ochraceous with anterior border castaneous to just past node where coloration becomes piceous; basal cell ochraceous marked distally with fuscous; crossveins ochraceous becoming piceous in distal third of wing. Medial half of anal cell fuscous. Infuscation along marginal veins, ambient vein and transverse veins, heavy around second and third transverse veins. Hind wings with six apical cells; venation proximally ochraceous to castaneous, becoming piceous distally. Infuscation along ambient vein and distal one-third to one-half of marginal veins. Proximal one-fourth of wing fuscous. Proximal half and external border of claval area fuscous. Clavus fuscous.

Legs: Castaneous marked with fuscous at joints. Tips of claws black. Fore femora armed with three spines, proximal spine against femur, medial spine at three-fourths femoral length upright and fuscous, distal spine small, fuscous and angled.

Abdomen: Tergites castaneous posteriorly, piceous anteriorly; medial piceous spot near posterior border of segment II; castaneous oval within piceous lateral surfaces of segment III; castaneous coloration extending anteriorly along midline about two-thirds the length of segment III and IV and one-half the length of segment V. Long silvery hairs anteriorly on segments, very numerous laterally and across segments VII and VIII. Timbal cover incomplete covering middle of timbal but exposing timbal dorsally and ventrally ( Fig. 2 ). Sternites castaneous, distribution of hairs similar to tergites. Many long hairs extending from posterior portion of segment IX. Pygofer castaneous marked with fuscous dorsally. Uncus rectangular with medial lobes recurved dorsally and lateral lobes curved ventrally forming an approximate right angle; basal part of uncus lobe covered in thick hair ( Figs. 2 , 3 ). Segment nine of female castaneous with fuscous lateral marks; long hairs extend from entire surface. Subgenital plate of female segment seven with a single notch ( Fig. 4 ).

Measurements (mm). N = 9 males or 4 females, mean (range). Length of body: male 30.74 (28.90– 31.92), female 28.07 (26.42–29.20); length of fore wing: male 40.88 (39.10–42.42), female 39.86 (39.20– 41.08); width of fore wing: male 13.45 (12.46–13.84), female 12.77 (12.36–13.24); length of head: male 4.91 (4.72–5.18), female 4.65 (4.60–4.72); width of head including eyes: male 13.74 (13.16–14.20), female 13.09 (12.30–13.96); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: male 13.76 (12.74–14.10), female 13.31 (12.40–14.32); width of mesonotum: male 11.64 (11.08–12.08), female 11.25 (10.72–11.88).

Diagnostic features. The broad, transverse, ochraceous band on the dorsal pronotum easily differentiates this species from known Fidicina or Fidicinoides species. The most similar species in tegmina coloration and size is Fidicinoides besti Boulard & Martinelli. However , the two species differ significantly in body coloration patterns and structure of the genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Dorsal view of Fidicinoides flavipronotum n. sp. holotype male (top left) and paratype female (upper right). B. Ventral view of male (below left) and paratype female (bottom right). Bar = 2 cm.

FIGURE 2. A. Dorsal opening to the timbal and timbal cover. B. Male operculum. C. Lateral view of the type male genitalia. D. Posterior view of male genitalia.

FIGURE 3. A. Lateral view of male genitalia. B. Posterior view of male genitalia.

FIGURE 4. A. Dorsal junction of the thorax and abdomen. B. Female operculum. C. Ventral view of female genitalia. D. Lateral view of female genitalia.