Salka maesatoensis Ohara, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ohara, Naomichi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Salka
Salka maesatoensis

description: Salka maesatoensis sp. nov.
(Figs. 6, 14, 80–90, 119)
Body infuscated. Vertex pale yellow, with large black longitudinal band centrally; face pale yellow; postclypeus brown anteriorly; anteclypeus infuscated. Pronotum pale yellow anteriorly; mesonotum pale yellow with basal triangles black; fore wing with brochosome field more darkened.
Vertex 2.2 times as wide as median length; coronal suture indistinct; pronotum 1.9 times as wide as long; mesonotum as long as pronotum. Male abdominal sternal apodemes reaching posterior margin of 3rd sternite. Female 7th abdominal sternite quadrilateral with caudal margin strongly convex at middle, ornamented with pointed apex. Ovipositor (3rd valvulae) obviously extending beyond pygofer.
Body length (mean): 3, 2.8–3.1 mm (3.0 mm); Ƥ, 2.9–3.1 mm (3.0 mm).
Male genitalia (Figs. 81–90). Pygofer with lobe roundly quadrate, bearing 1–2 macrosetae on dorsal margin and tuft of short macrosetae at lower basal angle, with dorsal and ventral processes thin, tapering; dorsal process weakly curved dorsad at apical 1/3, reaching near caudal margin; ventral process almost straight, exceeding slightly pygofer. Subgenital plate straight in apical half, bearing 4 macrosetae and numerous short setae on outer lateral margin. Style widened at apical 1/ 5 in ventral view; apical extension of apophysis long, about twice as long as subapical one, with some minute furrows. Connective trapezoidal, with posterior margin concave; arms twice as wide as stem; stem very short. Aedeagus sharply curved dorsad near base, arched at apical 1/3, bearing apical and subapical processes; apical process long, gently curved cephalad, extending to base of shaft; subapical process short, 0.5 times as long as apical process; subapex of shaft slightly produced dorsally; preatrium short; gonopore apical on caudal surface.
Type series. Holotype: 3, Maesato For. Rd., Ishigaki Is., Ryukyus, Japan, 1. VII. 2008, M. Hayashi et al. Paratypes: [Miyako Is.] 13, Kurima Is., Shimoji, 13. V. 1995, M. Hayashi et al.; [Ishigaki Is.] 13, Mt. Nosoko-dake, 19. I. 2009, M. Hayashi et al.; 13, Mt. Yarabu-dake, 29. VI. 2008, M. Hayashi et al.; 13, Mt. Maese-dake, 24. XI. 2004, M. Hayashi et al.; 33, same data except 29. X. 2007; 23 1Ƥ, same data except 30. VI. 2008; 1Ƥ, same data except 20. I. 2009; 13, same data except 27. X. 2009; 13, same data except 13. II. 2011; 1Ƥ, same data except 10. III. 2011; 1Ƥ, Mt. Omoto-dake, 2. VII. 2008, M. Hayashi et al.; 13, same data except 20. I. 2009; 323 49Ƥ, same data as holotype. The holotype is deposited in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan.
Distribution. Japan (Ryukyus: Miyako Is., Ishigaki Is.).
Remarks. This new species resembles S. rubronigra Sohi et Mann, 1994 described from central Taiwan (Nantou) in the characters of male genitalia, but can be distinguished by the following features: dorsal pygofer process thin and weakly curved dorsad; aedeagus with a long process apically and a short one subapically; aedeagal shaft thin.
Bionomics. This leafhopper may inhabit mantle communities of subtropical forests or along woodland paths, and the host plant is Trachelospermum gracilipes var. liukiuense (Hatus.) (Apocynaceae). Adults seem to occur in June-July as the probable peak period.
Etymology. This species is named after the type locality of the holotype.
description: Published as part of Ohara, Naomichi, 2012, Taxonomic study of the Japanese species of the genus Salka Dworakowska (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae), pp. 22-40 in Zootaxa 3281 on pages 33-35, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280852