Medleria Świerczewski & Malenovský & Stroiński 2018, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Świerczewski, Dariusz
name: Malenovský, Igor
name: Stroiński, Adam
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Flatidae
Medleria

description: Medleria gen. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:046D8065-578C-42B8-AB5E-E6CF13AE92D3
Type species
Medleria caudata gen. et sp. nov., here designated.
Diagnosis
The new genus differs from similar flatid taxa so far known from Socotra, the Middle East and Africa by the following characters: vertex short and broad, lacking carinae or grooves on its disc (Figs 1E, 2C–E); frons broad, tricarinate with median and lateral carinae basally separated (Figs 1D, 3C–D); mesonotum with double median carina (Figs 2C–D, 3A–B); sutural angle of tegmen produced into a short, apically subacute, finger-like tail covered with tubercles and sensory structures (Figs 2A, 4A–F); male anal tube deeply split dorsally (Figs 5C–D, 6B), with obtuse apical lobe oriented ventrad (Figs 5A– B, 6A); periandrium with single appendage on each side subapically which is strongly curved apicad and ramified into four well-sclerotized, long spine-like processes (Fig. 6D–E).
Etymology
The genus is named to honour Dr. John T. Medler (1914–2006), an outstanding expert in the taxonomy of the world Flatidae. Gender feminine.
Description
HEAD. Head with compound eyes, in dorsal view, broad, slightly narrower than thorax (Figs 1B, E, 2B–C, E). Vertex transverse, distinctly narrower and shorter at midline than pronotum, with all margins carinate; disc of vertex without carinae (Figs 1E, 2C–F). Frons widest at its basal (lowest) third, with upper margin almost straight; lateral margins arcuate and elevated, in median portion partly flattened, without incisions, in lower part strongly curved to frontoclypeal suture; disc of frons tricarinate, all carinae basally separated; frontoclypeal suture slightly arcuate (Figs 1D, 3C–D). Clypeus smooth, without carinae (Figs 1D, 3C–D). Rostrum with apical segment shorter than subapical one, apex reaching between hind coxae (Fig. 3F). Compound eyes elongately oval, with very small callus at posterior margin. Lateral ocelli present (Fig. 1C). Antenna inserted very close to medio-ventral margin of eye; scapus small, ring-like, without setae; pedicel shorter than diameter of eye but distinctly longer than scapus, club-like, apical part concave, functional area at the top and on dorsal surface with trichoid sensilla type 1, antennal plate organs present on apical concavity and basally delimiting lateral margins of dorsal functional surface (Fig. 3D–E).
THORAx. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum at midline; anterior margin surpassing the midlength of compound eyes in dorsal view; pronotum disc with depression alongside anterior margin, median gibbosity and lateral impressions; postocular eminences crest-shaped with acute top (Figs 1B, E, 2C–F). Mesonotum with scutellum widely deltoid, wider than long at midline; disc of mesonotum with double median carina medially separated by deep groove; lateral carinae arcuate, reaching posterior margin; scutellum flat with acute, elevated apex (Figs 1E, 2C–D, F).
Tegmen coriaceous, partly convex, longer than wide, with distinct venation apart from apical part, tapering apicad; costal margin strongly arcuate, costal angle widely rounded, sutural angle produced in a form of short tail covered with tubercles and sensory structures, postclaval sutural margin long (Figs 2A–B, 4A–E). Costal area as wide as postcostal cell, with transverse veinlets, terminating at the level of end of clavus; area between veinlets membranous, each with one or two tubercles; postcostal cell with one transverse veinlet in apical part; apical line absent (Figs 2A with labelled longitudinal veins, 4A). Basal cell long and narrow; ScRA+RP leaving basal cell with short common stem; ScRA elevated, passing the top of bulla; RP in basal part obsolete, with first fork before posterior margin; MP forking after Cu fork but before claval veins joint, MP terminals ending in the tail of tegmen; CuA terminals ending at postclaval margin, anterior to tail. Clavus in basal half elevated and covered with tubercles, posterior part concave, without tubercles; A1 weakly elevated; Pcu and A1 joined slightly anterior to clavus apex. Whole tegmen covered with scattered tubercles with their concentration in the following parts: transverse veinlets of costal area, bulla between ScP+RA, RP and MP, basal part of clavus – between Pcu and A1, and A1 and A2 (Figs 2A–B, 4A–B). Hindwing well developed.
LEgS. Pro- and mesotibia with shallow groove on external side, about as long as pro- and mesofemur, respectively; apical tarsomere of both legs longer than cumulative length of second and basal tarsomeres. Metatibia longer than metafemur, with two lateral spines placed close to each other in distal part and apical row of spines; basitarsomere of metatarsus about as long as cumulative length of second and apical tarsomeres, with apical spines V-lined; second tarsomere with lateral spines and median pad with setae.
MALE TERMINALIA. Anal tube, in lateral view, distinctly elongate, basal part narrower than apical part; anus placed anterior to midlength; apical part with obtuse lobe projected ventrad (Figs 5A–B, 6A); in dorsal view, anal tube elongate and narrow; basal part constricted laterally, apical part with deep split dorsally, closed ventrally (Figs 5C–F, 6B). Pygofer, in lateral view, subrectangular, dorsal margin shorter than ventral margin, anterior margin sinuate, posterior margin produced into a lobe forming obtuse angle postero-dorsally (Figs 5A–B, 6A). Genital style longer than wide, widening apicad, bearing long and straight capitulum with subacute apex oriented dorsad (Figs 5A–B, E–F, 6A, C).
PHALLIC COMPLEx. Periandrium elongate, almost straight, as long as aedeagus, apical part narrower than basal part; lateral split distinctly exceeding midlength (Fig. 6D–E). Dorsal part of periandrium, in lateral view, longer than ventral part, widening apicad, with single appendage on each side subapically; appendage strongly curved apicad with four well sclerotized, long spine-like processes; dorsal side apically membranous with three small lobes (Fig. 6D–E). Ventral part of periandrium unilobate, tapering apicad, with curved apex; ventral side with distinct triangular keel (Fig. 6F). Aedeagus, in lateral view, long and curved, with apical, bulb-like, sclerotized appendages; in ventral view, with deep median split, not exceeding midlength, lateral parts connected with membrane (Fig. 6G–H).
FEMALE TERMINALIA. Pregenital sternite with asymmetrically X-shaped sclerotization; upper arms shorter than lower ones, median portion weakly sclerotized; lateral lobes separated (Figs 7E–F, 8A–B, 9A). Anal tube, in lateral view, covering gonoplac and reaching its posterior margin; basal part wider than apical part (Figs 7C–D, 9C); in dorsal view, elongately oval (Figs 7A–B, 9B). Gonoplac elongate, oriented horizontally, not covering gonapophysis VIII (Figs 8C, E–F, 9E–F); posterior margin with two rows of alternately placed teeth – large internally and small externally; large teeth of both gonoplacs fitting together in a zip-like manner (Fig. 8D). Gonoplac divided by strongly sclerotized strip into two parts – dorsal and ventral; ventral membranous part very narrow, extending from the teeth to base (Fig. 9E). Gonapophysis VIII relatively slender and narrow, curved, laterally flattened (Fig. 9D); median part of dorsal margin and subapical part of ventral margin with a few (3–4) teeth; endogonocoxal process as long as gonapophysis, tapering apicad, with finger-like apex and spiniferous microsculpture on internal side. Gonospiculum as in Fig. 9G–H. Bursa copulatrix with single pouch, kidney-shaped, cells with weakly sclerotized central areas with microsculpture on the surface (Fig. 9I). Spermatheca well developed, ductus receptaculi longer than diverticulum ductus (Fig. 9J).
Diversity and distribution
The genus is described as monotypic for a single species from Socotra Island.
description: Published as part of Świerczewski, Dariusz, Malenovský, Igor & Stroiński, Adam, 2018, Medleria gen. nov. adds to the biodiversity of Flatidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) in the island of Socotra, pp. 1-19 in European Journal of Taxonomy 422 on pages 3-5, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.422, http://zenodo.org/record/1228324