Alapona modesta, Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa, Takiya, Daniela Maeda & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2013

Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa, Takiya, Daniela Maeda & Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2013, A new species of Alapona DeLong (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) from Amazonas State, Northern Brazil, Zootaxa 3681 (2), pp. 187-191 : 188-190

Alapona modesta sp. nov.

( Figs 1–13 )

Type-locality. Comunidade Lago Grande, Ipixuna, Amazonas, Brazil.

Diagnosis. Male pygofer ( Fig. 6 ) without ventral spinelike process; style ( Figs 8, 9 ) without preapical dorsal spine, apical sixth strongly narrowed; aedeagus ( Figs 10–12 ) simple, without basiventral spinelike processes, apical third directed dorsally, forming right angle with remainder of shaft, apical half with lateral ventrally-directed flanges.

Measurements (mm). Male holotype: total length 10.5; crown median length 0.5; transocular width 2.3; interocular width 1.4; pronotum median length 1.4; width between humeri 3.2; mesonotum median length 1.6; mesonotum maximum width 2.4; forewing length 8.5; forewing maximum width 2.6.

General color. Body ( Fig. 13 ) with ground color light brown. Crown ( Figs 1, 3 ) with pair of small rounded black spots behind each ocellus on posterior margin. Ocelli ( Figs 1, 3 ) reddish-brown. Pronotum ( Figs 1, 3 ) with two pairs of black maculae on anterior half behind each eye, inner pair elongated and outer pair rounded; black maculae under dorsopleural carinae; posterior margin black. Mesonotum ( Figs 1, 3 ) with large yellow spot on scutellum. Forewing ( Fig. 4 ) subhyaline; with numerous scattered dark brown or black maculae; venation brown. Hind wing fuscous. Legs brown, except dark brown areas on apex of foretibiae, basal portion of metatibiae, and apical tarsomeres of fore and hind legs.

External morphology. Genae ( Fig. 2 ) broad, with group of short setae behind eyes. Forewing ( Fig. 4 ) approximately three times longer than wide; venation distinct and simple; three closed anteapical cells, base of inner more basal than base of median cell; five apical cells (R1 present), base of third more apical than others; apex rounded; appendix present, large, and extending from claval apex to second apical cell. Hind leg with plantar surface of first tarsomere with two parallel rows of setae, setae on anterior row very small.

Male terminalia. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 5 ) rectangular, length about 3/4 width; posterior margin almost straight. Pygofer ( Fig. 6 ) moderately produced; in lateral view, trapezoidal; dorsal margin with preapical emargination; posterior margin narrowly rounded; ventral margin without process; with long robust setae on dorsomedian area; most of surface covered with minute denticuli. Valve ( Fig. 6 ) laterally fused to pygofer; articulated posteriorly to subgenital plates; anterior margin slightly convex; posterior margin with narrow median emargination. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 7 ) elongated, 3.2 times longer than maximum width, extending posteriorly to pygofer apex; apex rounded; ventral surface covered with minute denticuli; with fine microsetae on ventral surface along outer lateral margin. Connective ( Fig. 8 ) cruciform; shaft approximately as long as arms; arms curved dorsally. Style ( Figs 8, 9 ) elongate and slender, slightly curved dorsally; apical sixth strongly narrowed; apical fourth with dorsal margin flanged and serrated, projected as a long keel and short tooth preapically. Aedeagus ( Figs 10–12 ) short and stout; dorsal apodemes well developed, forming a single structure expanded laterally (resembling a pair of wings); shaft without basal elongated processes, ventral margin of apical twothirds with irregular tooth-like projections, apical third directed dorsally, forming right angle with remainder of shaft, apical half with pair of lateral triangular flanges directed ventrally; gonopore located at apex. Anal tube (segment X) without processes.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The new species name alludes to the simplicity of the male genitalia, in comparison to A. elabora , due to the lack of ventral pygofer processes, spines on styles, and basiventral aedeagal processes.

Material examined. Male holotype: “ BRASIL: AM [Amazonas State], Ipixuna, Rio \ Gregório, Com. [Comunidade] Lago Grande \ no Seringal do Recreio \ 0 7°10’06’’S 0 70°49’06’’W 145m \ 18-23.v.2011 Malaise Cavichioli, \ Gonçalves, Rafael, Takiya et al.” ( INPA).

Notes. Alapona modesta sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from A. elabora by characters of the male genitalia. The new species has no ventral spinelike processes on the pygofer ( Fig. 6 ); the style lacks a preapical dorsal spine ( Fig. 9 ); and the aedeagus lacks basiventral processes ( Fig. 10 ). In contrast, A. elabora has the pygofer with a distinct elongate ventral process; styles with a preapical dorsal spine; and the aedeagus with a pair of basiventral slender processes. DeLong (1980) additionally describes and illustrates a “ventral process at midlength of the aedeagus shaft” of A. elabora , which appears to be the paired ventrally-directed flanges of the shaft, like those found in A. modesta sp. nov., but much longer.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Alapona modesta sp. nov., male holotype, body in dorsal view.

FIGURES 1 – 12. Alapona modesta sp. nov., male holotype. 1, anterior portion of body, dorsal view. 2, head, frontal view. 3, anterior portion of body, lateral view. 4, forewing. 5, sternite VIII, ventral view. 6, pygofer, lateral view. 7, subgenital plate, ventral view. 8, connective and styles, dorsal view. 9, style, lateral view. 10 – 12, aedeagus in lateral, dorsal, and caudal views, respectively.