Signoretia dulitensis, Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2016

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2016, Review of the genus Signoretia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Signoretiinae) of the Oriental region with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 4193 (3), pp. 486-516 : 490

Signoretia dulitensis sp. nov.

Figs 8–11 , 50, 51 , 67 , 105–112 .

Creamy white. Crown pale brown, posterior margin dark brown laterally. Ocelli margined by piceous.

Posterior margin of crown between eyes keel-like and reflexed, anterior margin semicircular, strongly keeled, frontoclypeus with median keel well developed, connected to marginal keel of crown and projecting ventrally in profile; clypellus with carina at basal region only, swollen in mid region in lateral view. Pronotum with median carina in basal region extending slightly beyond lateral depressions, lateral margin of pronotum concave and widened at posterolateral angles, posterior margin produced slightly beyond scutoscutellar suture, rounded, longer medially than wide.

Male genitalia. Pygofer largely membranous with a few hair-like setae at ventral margin, dorsal margin declivous, tergum membranous, narrow, caudal margin rather truncate, anterior margin with tergal apodemes, with prominent well sclerotized ventral process, exceeding dorsal margin with apex narrowed to acute point, its body with a few microsetae. Valve triangular, fused with subgenital plates. Each subgenital plate triangular, about 2.5 times as long as broad near base, with a few marginal hairlike setae and 6–7 stout short setae near apical region marginally. Connective Y-shaped, stem posteriorly bilobed and as long as arms. Style without preapical lobe, anterior region broad, posterior region curved laterally, with four teeth-like projections subapically on inner margin, outer margin with fine setae and an apodeme that arises from articulatory region with connective and attached to dorsal surface of subgenital plate near base. Aedeagus complex, with well sclerotized ventral process, shaft with anterior and lateral surfaces membranous, ventral margin sclerotized, abruptly curved ventroposteriorly near midlength, with apical gonopore, dorsal apodeme in the form of one pair of lateral arms. Segments X and XI largely membranous, anal style longer than broad in lateral view, segment X without processes.

Measurements. Male 6.2 mm long, 1.6 mm wide across eyes and 1.5 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. MALAYSIA: Holotype Ƌ , Sarawak: Mt Dulit , 400ft, Moss forest, 23.x.1932, Oxford Univ. Exp., B.M. Hobby and A.W. Moore, B.M. 1933-254 ( BMNH) . Paratype: 1Ƌ, same data as holotype except, Light trap, 21.x.1932 ( BMNH) .

Etymology. The species name alludes to the type locality.

Remarks. S. dulitensis resembles S. delicata and S. quoinensis in having similar male genitalia, especially the aedeagus. S. dulitensis differs from S. delicata in having more slender and longer pygofer ventral process, and differently shaped connective and style. It differs from S. quoinensis in the shape of the arms of the aedeagal ventral process.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 15. Habitus of species of Signoretia. 1 – 4. S. aureola Distant: 1 – 2. Type, female; 3 – 4, Male from Hunli; 5. S. benguetensis Baker, syntype; 6. S. bilineata Baker, syntype; 7. S. carinata Baker, syntype; 8 – 11. S. dulitensis sp. nov., holotype and paratype; 12 – 13. S. greeni Distant, holotype; 14 – 15. S. lunglei sp. nov., holotype. Figs 1, 3, 6 – 8, 10, 12, 14. Dorsal aspect; Figs 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, lateral aspect.

FIGURES 47 – 65. Habitus and faces of species of Signoretia. 47 – 48. S. takiyae sp. nov. holotype male; 49. S. aureola Distant; 50 – 51. S. dulitensis sp. nov., male and female; 52 – 53. S. lunglei sp. nov., male and female; 54. S. maculata, female; 55. S. mismiensis sp. nov.; 56 – 57. S. quoinensis, male and female; 58. S. rubra sp. nov.; 59 – 60. S. sahyadrica sp. nov. male and female; 61. S. similaris sp. nov. male; 62 – 63. S. sinuata, male and female; 64. S. sumatrana Schmidt; 65. S. takiyae sp. nov., male. Fig. 47. Dorsal aspect. Fig. 48. Lateral aspect. Figs 49 – 65. Ventral aspect.

FIGURES 66 – 79. Profile of head and thorax of species of Signoretia. 66. S. aureola Distant; 67. S. dulitensis sp. nov.; 68. S. greeni Distant; 69. S. lunglei sp. nov.; 70 – 71. S. maculata Baker; 72. S. mishmiensis sp. nov.; 73. S. quoinensis sp. nov.; 74. S. rubra sp. nov.; 75 – 76. S. sahyadrica sp. nov.; 77. S. similaris sp. nov. 78. S. sinuata sp. nov.; 79. S. takiyae sp. nov.

FIGURES 105 – 112. Signoretia dulitensis sp. nov. 105. Male genital capsule and segment VIII, lateral view; 106. Subgenital plate and valve, ventral view; 107. Aedeagus and ventral process, lateral view; 108. Style and its articulation with subgenital plate, dorsal view; 109. Style, lateral view; 110. Connective, dorsal view; 111. Ventral process and dorsal apodeme of aedeagus, ventral view; 112. Aedeagus, posterior view.