Aequcephalus laplata Zahniser & Campodonico, 2021

Zahniser, James N., 2021, Revision of the New World leafhopper tribe Faltalini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and the evolution of brachyptery, Zootaxa 4954 (1), pp. 1-160 : 29

Aequcephalus laplata Zahniser & Campodonico n. sp.

( Figs. 12–15 , 95U–V )

Diagnosis. A. laplata can be distinguished from A. gramineus by the characters in the key above.

Body. Male, 3.9–4.3 mm. Female, 4.9–5.7 mm.

Color. As in genus description.

Male. Pygofer in dorsal view subtriangular, tapering from base toward apex; in lateral view with ventral margins perpendicular to base, parallel to and longer than dorsal side; caudal lobes arcuate posteroventrally and with ventroapical tooth. Subgenital plates lobe-like; mesal margins convex, not meeting medially; with numerous short macrosetae dispersed across plate; apices bluntly rounded. Style preapical lobe short, triangular; apophysis widened medially, with imbricate texture; apex blunt. Aedeagus shaft long and slender, distinctly longer than height of base, curving dorsally and anteriorly; in caudal view asymmetrical, apically slightly curving laterad; each side with 4–8 gear-like teeth on apical half of shaft; gonopore elongate, on posterior margin at midlength of shaft.

Female. Sternite VII incised 0.3x length from apex of lateral lobe to anterior margin; lateral lobes relatively shorter, more blunt than A. gramineus . Pygofer from lateral view with bluntly angled apical lobes. First valvula dorsal sculptured area about 4x length of ventral sculptured area. Second valvula with somewhat sparse punctures at dorsal margin and medially; with transverse ducts before dorsal margin.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1♂, CHILE, Santiago Prov., Maipu, Quebrada de la Plata , 33º29’S 70º53’W, 520m, 4-XI-2015, Leg. J.F. Campodonico, sweeping [ MNNC] . PARATYPES: 15♂, 6♀ same data as holotype [ USNM, MEUC, MNNC, JFCW] . 1♂ CHILE, R.M. Santiago Prov., Maipú, Quebrada de la Plata , 33º29’S 70º53’W, 520m, En Pastizal, 17-X-2015, Leg. J.F. Campodonico [ JFCW] .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Santiago Prov., Chile.

Etymology. The species name is the Spanish for “silver” (a noun), and refers to type locality, the Quebrada de la Plata Nature Sanctuary.

Figures

FIGUIRE 12. Aequcephalus laplata n. sp. (A–B, D–I) standard views; A1 & B1, female; A2 & B2, male. (Q) style in broadest ventral view.

FIGUIRE 13. Aequcephalus laplata n. sp. (J, L–O) standard views; J1 & J2 of the same specimen after and before clearing, respectively; J3, of another specimen. (Q) detail of second valvulae. (R) SEM, detail of face, antennal base.

FIGUIRE 14. Aequcephalus laplata n. sp., SEM images. (Q) head, pronotum, scutellum, bases of wings (left forewing removed). (R) detail of crown. (S) first metatarsomeres (scale = 0.15 mm). (T) first metatarsomeres, detail (scale = 0.10 mm).

FIGUIRE 15. Distribution of Aequcephalus and two species of Virganana.

FIGUIRE 95. SEM images of hindwings and associated terga of some Faltalini. (Q–R) Kramerana junina ♂; Q, scale = 0.25 mm; R, scale = 0.05 mm. (S–T) Dietrichana pampas ♀; S, scale = 0.50 mm; T, scale = 0.15 mm. (U–V) Aequcephalus laplata ♂; U, scale = 0.50 mm; V, scale = 0.15 mm.