Christopherus, Pinedo-Escatel & Blanco-Rodríguez, 2024

Pinedo-Escatel, Jorge Adilson & Blanco-Rodríguez, Edith, 2024, A new genus of Cicadellini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Oaxacan Cloud Forest, with taxonomic notes on allied red-striped genera, European Journal of Taxonomy 930 (1), pp. 205-228 : 207-213

Genus Christopherus gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6BF11A96-6F1D-4ABB-B039-8BE587731FB7

Figs 1–8

Type species

Christopherus mictlantecuhtli sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis

Slender-sized and moderately elongated leafhoppers with overall body coloration red with longitudinal black stripes running from head to tips of wings. Crown acutely projected; surface striated anteriorly. Pronotum much wider than head, lateral margins weakly carinate, posterior margin weakly concave. Forewing macropterous, without extra crossveins. Male pygofer rounded, without processes. Segment 10 th without processes. Subgenital plates divergent in ventral view. Connective long, extending beyond apex of style by one third of its total length; arms narrow and slightly extended but shorter than stem. Paraphysis absent. Aedeagus with single basal atrial process elongate and asymmetrical.

Etymology

The genus is named in honor of our colleague and friend, Dr Christopher H. Dietrich (Illinois Natural History Survey, USA), for his major contribution to leafhopper systematics. Gender masculine.

Description

HEAD. Conical, produced anteriorly, 1.3× as wide as mid-length; interocular width of crown 1.5× median length, transocular width 2.1× median length; anterior margin acutely angulate in dorsal view, posterior concavity extended nearly to anterior eye angle; disc elevated in lateral view; with several striations extended from crown to face, cibarial muscle impressions strongly evident near anterior margin, posterior area smooth; ocelli ovate, located somewhat equidistantly between middle line and eyes, closer to posterior margin, and unusually prominent in lateral view; crown in lateral view strongly convex, declivous anteriorly; anterior margin with apex slightly upturned and laterally sinuous ( Figs 1–2 ). Postfrontal sutures distant from ocelli but closer to eye in dorsal view. Antennal ledges, in dorsal view, slightly protuberant, striated; in lateral view below transition of crown to face slightly convex and relatively shallow ( Fig. 2 ). Frontoclypeus with lateral sutures well developed, extending with lateral sutures well developed, extending onto crown, striations distinct over anterior surface with inconspicuous minute rugose striations on center, weekly prominent in lateral view. Anteclypeus broad near frontoclypeus then tapering to apex, inflated medially in lateral view, apex following normal curvature and not surpassing normal curve of gena ( Fig. 3 ). Gena short laterally, concavely incised below eyes without distinct angle. Lora 2× as long as width; 3× narrower than anteclypeus width.

THORAX. Pronotum wider than transocular width of head; anterior margin strongly produced, conical; lateral margins evenly divergent posterad; anterior and posterior margin without striations; lateral margins carinate, length as half eye length in lateral view; posterior margin weekly concave; disk slightly rugose with minute punctuations. Anepisternum slightly projected and convex laterally. Scutellum rugose; not protuberant, without striations; shorter than pronotum; anterior margin as wide as transocular width ( Figs 1–2 ). Forewings macropterous extending posteriorly beyond terminalia, surface smooth, semitranslucent; appendix not extended around apex, apex rounded; veins not raised and distinct except apically; without extra crossveins; four large apical cells subequal in width with three closed anteapical cells. Hindwings translucent; scheme with vein R2+3 absent. Posterior meron not exposed when wings at rest. Front femur in anterior view with AM1 near to mid-height of apex, long; row AV with 8–11 fine similar setae size, and AV1 apical. Hind femoral setal formula 2+1+1; macrosetae of hind tibia with row AV of 13–19 long stout setae. Hind tarsomere I as long as II and III combined, with two parallel rows of small setae on plantar surface, apex not expanded, plantar setae simple, pecten with 5 platellae.

ABDOMEN. Apodemes inconspicuous; extra setae absent laterally or ventrally; without tubercles, punctations or microsculpture over surface.

MALE GENITALIA. Tenth segment short, broad, not well sclerotized, mostly membranous from base to apex, with minute apical inconspicuous fine setae, without processes. Pygofer in lateral view moderately produced posteriorly, posterior margin rounded; without processes; dorsomedial margin strongly sclerotized; surface minutely punctate; macrosetae in oblique band near posterior margin with 3–4 rows of stout setae with intercalated microsetae ( Fig. 4 ). Valve short, in ventral view subrectangular; slightly produced posteromedially. Subgenital plates slender, longer than pygofer; in ventral view triangular, broad basally narrowing to tip with strong along medial margin constriction after midlength, connected to each other basally by thin membranous area; with uniseriate longitudinal row of macrosetae and adjacent row of fine long setae and additional elongate microsetae also present near inner margin; finely punctate over entire surface ( Fig. 5 ). Connective Y-shaped and articulated with aedeagus; in dorsal view, longer than style by one third of its total length, arms and stem narrowly elongated; with weak joint to aedeagus. Style slender, shorter than connective; base sharply acute; medial lobe short; preapical lobe weakly developed with 2 rows of 2–3 stout long setae; apophysis very short; apex curved outwards and pointed ( Fig. 6 ). Aedeagus asymmetrical and weakly sclerotized; preatrium short; shaft tubular and short; atrium bulbous and corrugated dorsally with single basal elongate process compressed laterally with several minute dorsal striations and apex pointed; shaft without fine setae; gonoduct short and wide, gonopore small subapical ( Figs 7–8 ).

FEMALE GENITALIA. Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

The genus contains a single species from Sierra Norte or “Sierra Juárez” (Sierra Madre del Sur Province), restricted to Oaxaca State in Mexico ( Fig. 9 ).

Habitat

Cloud Forest ( Fig. 10 ).

Remarks

The new genus can be distinguished from other similar tropical sharpshooter genera by the following combination of characters: (1) red longitudinal stripes on dorsum running from head to tips of wings; (2) pronotal width wider than transocular width of head; (3) pygofer without spines or processes; (4) connective elongate; (5)aedeagus with single elongate basal atrial process; (6) aedeagus asymmetrical. Some other Neotropical genera have similar external color patterns, but the male genital capsule and genitalia of the new genus is distinctive. In the discussion below, we summarize the characteristics that segregate this new taxon from other morphologically similar genera.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Christopherus mictlantecuhtli gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (INHS), overall habitus. 1. Body, dorsal view. 2. Body, lateral view. 3. Face, anterior view.

Figs 4–8. Christopherus mictlantecuhtli gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (INHS), terminalia. 4. Pygofer, lateral view. 5. Subgenital plates and styles, ventral view. 6. Styles, ventral view. 7. Aedeagus and basal atrial process, lateral view. 8. Aedeagus and paraphysis, posterior view.

Fig. 9. Known distribution of Christopherus mictlantecuhtli gen. et sp. nov.

Fig. 10. Habitat of Christopherus mictlantecuhtli gen. et sp. nov. Ancient Cloud Forest from Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Images taken by Juvenal Aragón-Parada.