Docalidia zahniseri, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, New species in the Neotropical genus Docalidia with a key to known species, notes on distribution, taxonomy and a synoptic catalogue of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae: Teruliini) 2952, Zootaxa 2952 (1), pp. 1-86 : 70-73

Docalidia zahniseri , sp. nov.

(Plate VA), Figs. 277–284 )

Length. Male 7.70 mm., female unknown.

External morphology. Large, robust species. General color of dorsum dark brown and black; crown tannish (Plate VA); face tannish anteriorly, black below, row of short tannish lines on lateral margins in anterior half.

Head broad, narrower than pronotum, anterior margin broadly rounded; crown broad, slightly wider than eye, produced slightly beyond anterior margin of eyes, disk foveate on each side of middle; eyes large, elongate-ovoid; pronotum slightly longer than crown, surface bullated, bullae with single, tiny seta; mesonotum large, about twice as long as pronotum; forewings long, broad, venation typical; clypeus elongate, broad, lateral margins broadly convex, median longitudinal carina prominent; clypellus about 1/3 as long as clypeus, broad, flat with short median longitudinal ridge, apex expanded laterally.

PLATE V. A–B. Dorsal habitus. A. Docalida zahniseri , sp. nov.; B. Docalidia zhangi , sp. nov.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view large, triangulate, caudodorsal process long, robust, small elongate caudoventral process reduced to lobe below base of caudodorsal process ( Fig. 277 ); right subgenital plate long, outer lateral margin broadly convex, glabrous ( Fig. 278 ); style long, longer than aedeagus, very robust, inflated apically with U-shaped row of short setae in dorsal view, digitate process apically (Figs. 298, 280); aedeagus robust, broadly sinuate in lateral view, twisted medially in ventral view, small sharp spine near middle, gonopore distad of spine ( Figs. 281, 282 ); connective, broadly T-shaped, apex of arms curved anteriorly, membranous below anterior arms, narrow median ridge present, stem long ( Fig. 283 ); dorsal connective, short, broadly basally, tapered distally ( Fig. 284 ).

Material examined. ECUADOR: Provincia de Francisco de Orellana, Yasuni National Park , S. 00º4.478 W. 76º23.866, 27 IV2 05, C. R . Bartlett, N. Nazdrowicz, D.Chang, ex: sweeping/night ( NMNH) .

Etymology. The species is named in honor James N. Zahniser, Illinois Natural History Survey, for his work on the phylogeny of Cicadellidae , particularly his treatise of the subfamily Deltocephalinae .

Remarks. From D. tuberculata ( Nielson, 1982h:300) to which it is similar in pygofer and style features, zahniseri , sp. nov. can be distinguished by the presence of distal setae and absence of medial spine on the apophysis of the style, and the more robust, twisted aedeagal shaft.

Figures

FIGURES 277–284. Docalidia zahniseri, sp. nov. (277) pygofer, lateral view; (278) right subgenital plate, ventral view; (279) right style, lateral view; (280) right style, dorsal view; (281) aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view; (282) aedeagus, ventral view; (283) connective, caudal view; (284) dorsal connective, dorsal view.