Hecullus bracteatus (Ball)

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 : 73

Hecullus bracteatus (Ball)

( Figs. 44–47 , 94Q–R )

Hecalus bracteatus Ball, 1901:4 [original description]; Crumb, 1911: 234 [distribution]; Van Duzee, 1916: 69 [distribution]; Lawson, 1920: 117 [description]; Beamer, 1937: 12 [morphology]; DeLong & Knull, 1946: 26 [distribution]

Hecullus bracteatus : Oman, 1949 a: 31 [listed, classification]; Hamilton, 2000: 434–436 [morphology, illustrated as H. balli ]; Zahniser & Webb, 2004: 673 [illustrated]; Zahniser & Dietrich, 2015: 479, 482 [phylogeny, DNA sequences]; Zahniser, 2007 [online catalogue]

Diagnosis. H. bracteatus can be distinguished from other Hecullus spp. by its size (male 4.3–5.0 mm, female 6.0– 7.0 mm), female head length 1.3x or less interocular width, male forewings with brown shading along vein margins, male head and pronotum with distinct striping, aedeagus in lateral view with apex attenuated to sharp apex, and ventral processes not projecting caudad and closely following curvature of aedeagus.

Material examined. 3♂, 7♀: CO: Rocky Ford , 16-VI-1900 [ USNM] . 1♀: AZ: Tombstone , 1-VIII-1931 [ USNM] . 7♂, 5♀, 2n: AZ: Ash Fork , 16-VIII-1929 [ USNM] . 8♀: AZ: Chiricahua Mts. , 4-VII-1930 [ UNSM] . 1♂: NM: Espanola , 18-VI-1938 [ USNM] . 1♂: UT: Kanab , 6-VIII-1939 [ USNM] . 3♀: NM: Hurley , 31-VII-1935, R.H. Beamer [ USNM] . 2♀, 1n: AZ: Huachuca Mts., 31-VII-1935, E.D. Ball [ USNM]. 1n: AZ: Bisbee , 4-IX-1936, E.D. Ball [ USNM] . 2♀: AZ: Benson , 9-VIII-1937, E.D. Ball [ USNM] . 1♀: AZ: Painted Desert , 28-VIII-1934 [ USNM] . 1♂: AZ: Tucson , 24-IV-1936 [ USNM] . 1♀: NV: Las Vegas , 8-IX-1933, E.W. Davis [ USNM] . 1♀: AZ: Wilcox [ USNM] . 1♀: CO: Las Animas , 17-VII-1901 [ USNM] . 1♂, 4♀, 12n: NV: Overton. 1♀: UT: Orderville , 7-VIII- 1930 [ USNM] . 1♀: AZ: Far Away R., 12-IX-1935 [ USNM] . 1♂: NM: Moses , 21-VI-1984 [ USNM] . 1♂: NM: Hidalgo Co., Indian Ck. nr. Culberson Camp , 31°22’28”N 108°36’25”W, 7–8-VIII-2002, J. George, PT, UCRC ENT 154896 [ UCRC] . 4♀: AZ: Painted Desert , “ert 1.IX.1932 ” . 1♂, 1♀: AZ: Naco , 27-IV-1932 [ USNM] . 1♀: AZ: Nogales , “Sept.”, A. Koebele [ USNM] . 42♀: AZ: Pearce , 4-VII-1930, E.D. Ball [ USNM] . 1♂, 1♀: NM: Laguna , 22-V-2002, 35.03797°N 107.35566°W, J.N. Zahniser #02-008 [ USNM] . 1♂, 1♀, 1n: NM: Harding Co., Kiowa Na- tional Grassland , Mills Canyon Creek Campground, sweep, 3–4-IX-2009, JN Zahniser #09-21 [ USNM] .

Distribution. H. bracteatus is known from the United States throughout Arizona and New Mexico and in the southern parts of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

Remarks. This is the most well-known species of the genus and has a significantly wider known geographic range than H. balli ( Fig. 47 ). However, more collecting effort in northern Mexico may show wider distributions for these species and may reveal undescribed species. The male genitalia are illustrated here for the first time. Illustrations stated to be of H. balli by Hamilton (2000; Figs. 7 , 14 ) appear to be of H. bracteatus . Specimens from New Mexico (Laguna and Kiowa National Grassland) were swept or vacuumed from grasses.

Figures

FIGUIRE 7. Acrolithus brevis. (A–I) standard views; A1 & B1, female; A2 & B2, male; A3, nymph.

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 44. Hecullus bracteatus. (A–E, H–I) standard views; A1, B1 & C1, female; A2, B2 & C2, male; A3, female nymph. (Q) valve, subgenital plates, connective, and styles, ventral view.

FIGUIRE 45. Hecullus bracteatus. (J–P) standard views.

FIGUIRE 46. Hecullus bracteatus, SEM images of female. (Q) head to forewing apex, dorsal view. (R) detail of crown. (S) face. (T) detail of face and antennal base. (U) profemur. (V) metatibia pecten, metatarsomeres I-III, and tarsal claws.

FIGUIRE 47. Distribution of Hecullus balli and H. bracteatus.

FIGUIRE 94. SEM images of hindwings and associated terga of some Faltalini. (Q–R) Hecullus bracteatus ♀; Q & R, scale = 0.25 mm. (S–T) Faltala paradellae ♀; S, scale = 0.25 mm; T, scale = 0.10 mm. (U–V) Ackbaria vermiformis ♀; U, scale = 0.25 mm; V, scale = 0.15 mm.