Soractellus Evans, 1966

Webb, M. D., Yeshwanth, H. M. & El-Sonbati, S. A., 2019, On the identity and distribution of the Old World grass feeding leafhopper species Soractellus nigrominutus Evans (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Paralimnini), Zootaxa 4614 (3), pp. 585-592 : 586

Genus Soractellus Evans

Soractellus Evans 1966: 225 . Type species: S. brunneus

Description. Body length. Male 2.2−2.3 mm, female 2.5−3.4 mm.

Coloration: general coloration yellowish with brown markings.

Head: Head longer than pronotum; vertex produced medially, slightly concave, longer than width, rounded to face in lateral view; gena incised with single fine erect seta near to lateral frontal suture; lateral frontal suture reaching ocellus and directed mesad of ocelli; frontoclypeus length longer than wide; clypellar suture slightly arcuate and complete; clypellus width wider than lorum at base, slightly tapered from base to apex, not extending beyond gena with apical margin straight; lorum widely distant from gena margin; ocelli located at anterior margin of head; antenna inserted near lower corner of eye in facial view.

Thorax: Pronotum wider than long, sides short without a carina, anterior margin convex and posterior margin slightly concave. Scutellum shorter than pronotum, with transverse suture.

Wings: Macropterous or brachypterous; with three closed anteapical cells; appendix restricted to anal margin.

Legs: Profemur row AM with AM1, one intercalary row with more than six fine setae gradually reduced apically, two dorsoapical setae; protibia with dorsal surface rounded, setal row formula 1+3, AV row with numerous macrosetae gradually decreasing in size basally; mesofemur AV row with stout and short setae, two apical setae; mesotibia setal row formula 3+3, AV row with numerous macrosetae; metafemur setal formula 2+2+1; metatibia PD row with long and short macrosetae, AD row with macrosetae and one smaller intercalary setae between each pair; AV row with numerous macrosetae extending nearly to base, gradually increasing in size apically; metatarsomere I as long as tarsomeres II plus III combined.

Male genitalia: Pygofer with well-developed macrosetae distally; genital valve triangular; subgenital plate parallel sided, rounded apically, with numerous fine moderately long setae near margin; connective loop-shaped with stem short or absent; style narrow; aedeagal shaft membranous with a pair of basal ventral processes.

Female genitalia: Pygofer with few macrosetae; first valvula with overlapping scale-like sculpture to dorsal margin ( Fig. 3D ); second valvulae blade-shaped with numerous fine teeth in distal half following anteriorly a dorsal hyaline and sclerotized region ( Figs 3E, F ).

Distribution. Two species, one ( S. brunneus ) from Australia and the other ( S. nigrominutus ) from the Southern Palaearctic and throughout the Old World tropics.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Female terminalia and legs of Soractellus nigrominutus. A, pygofer and valvulae; B, abdomen, ventral view; C, 1st valvula; D, apex of 1st valvula; E, 2nd valvulae; F, apices of 2nd valvulae; G, left foreleg, anterior view; H, left fore femora; I, left hindleg, anterior view.