Abimwa knighti, Zahniser & Dietrich, 2013

Zahniser, James N. & Dietrich, Chris H., 2013, A review of the tribes of Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 45, pp. 1-211 : 187-189

Abimwa knighti sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:54F1AF2D-EB8D-4E4C-8C5B-FCF0EA93EB1B

Fig. 51

Diagnosis

A. knighti can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the relatively long and constricted subgenital plate/valve complex; very short aedeagus with one pair of dorsal knob-like processes at apex, and size and shape of the basal processes of the aedeagus.

Etymology

The species is named in honor of Dr. W.J. Knight, who has made significant contributions to the knowledge of Old World Deltocephalinae .

Type material

Holotype

♂, ZAMBIA, Northwestern Prov. , ~ 15 km N of Mwinilunga, 11°34’28.2” S – 024°23’40.1” E, 1445 m, 5 Nov. 2007, Hg-vapor light, ZA-05, J.N. Zahniser, coll. INHS.

Paratypes

1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, same data as holotype, coll. INHS. The ♂ paratype is completely cleared and DNA was extracted and stored at INHS. Its voucher number is ‘ DEL 104’. It was included in previous phylogenetic analyses of Deltocephalinae ( Zahniser & Dietrich 2010) listed as “ Abimwa n.sp.”, and the same data are included in analyses here.

Description

SIZE. ♂ and ♀ 6.3 mm.

COLOR. General color brown with extensive whitish coloration and small dots.

BODY. Head slightly narrower than pronotum. Eye wider than 1/2 width of crown. Crown depressed; texture smooth; sharply angled to face. Anterior margin of head with numerous transverse carinae. Ocelli on face below carinae; about 1.5 x their own width from adjacent eye. Face somewhat darker in color. Frontoclypeus shagreen. Laterofrontal sutures extending beyond ocelli to anterior margin of head. Clypellus expanding apically. Antennal sockets near lower corners of eyes. Antennal ledges carinate. Antennae about as long as width of head. Pronotum carinate laterally; lateral margin less than half width of eye. Forewing whitish hyaline with numerous brown pigment lines and dots; veins brown. Pro-, meso-, and metafemora with 2 broad dark brown longitudinal stripes or blotches, basal stripe or blotch broader than subapical one. Profemur row AM with AM1 and 1 extra macroseta near base of intercalary row; intercalary row with ~5-6 long fine setae; row AV setae stout. Protibia dorsal macrosetae 3(or 4)+6. Mesofemur row AV with numerous short stout setae. Mesotibia dorsal setae ~6+6. Metafemur apical setae 2+2+1. Metatarsomere I apical setae with 4 platellae; PV seta platellate.

MALE. Pygofer reduced and modified; sclerotized dorsally only as transverse band; with short roundedrectangular lateral lobes without setae; lobes articulating posteriorly with anteroventral lobes of segment X. Subgenital plates fused to valve; plates separated apically; with short fine hairs laterally; with several uniseriate or scattered macrosetae near apex. Valve/plate complex very broad basally, constricted medially. Connective Y -shaped; stem nearly as long as anterior arms; fused to aedeagus. Style small; broadly bilobed basally; lateral anterior arm stalked, knob-like; preapical lobe absent; apophysis short, rounded, blunt. Aedeagus fused to connective; with pair of long widely separated lateral processes arising from base, directed caudodorsally; shaft very short; shaft with pair of short, knob-like processes on dorsal side; gonopore large, apical. Segment X very large, occupying majority of dorsal side of genital capsule; produced anterolaterally into pair of dentate lobes; with pair of medial darkly sclerotized plates arising from inner margin; medial plates with digitate less sclerotized lobes anteriorly; lobes of medial plates articulating with separate small, broad, chevron-shaped sclerotized plate.

FEMALE. Sternite VII broadly excavated posteriorly. Pygofer with numerous setae ventroapically. First valvifers fused anterodorsally. First valvula convex; dorsal sculpturing pattern strigate, reaching dorsal

margin. Second valvula with small knob-like dorsal teeth on apical 1/3 to 1/4; teeth not serrate; with blunt median dorsal tooth. Third valvula with ~8 distinct close-set setae ventroapically.

Remarks

Previous descriptions of species in this genus did not mention the inner plate-like processes of the male segment X and the short median plate described here, so it is unknown if they are unique to this species.

Figures

Fig. 51. Selenocephalini (Ianeirina). Abimwa knighti sp. nov. A–D, F, H–I. Standard views (see Material & Methods). D. Pygofer shown with subgenital plates and valve. J. Ventral view of style. K. Ventral view of connective and aedeagus fused to connective. L. Dorsal view of ♂ segments X, XI, and anus. M. ♀ sternite VII.