Xhoreus ulosentus Stiller & Webb 2022
Creators: name: Stiller, Michael
name: Webb, Michael D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Xhoreus
Xhoreus ulosentus

description: Xhoreus ulosentus sp. n.
(Figs 19A–I, 20A–M, 21A–Q)
Material examined.
Type locality. Holotype male, South Africa, Western Cape province, Grootkop vicinity, Scarborough; -34.181, 18.386; 10 Feb. 2022; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Erica sp. and other shrubs Ericaceae; CCDL28618; SANC.
Type specimen. Holotype male, glued to triangle card, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ R.S. A. Grootkop / vicinity -34.181 / 18.386 / 10.ii.2022 / M. Stiller” “sweep / Erica sp. / Ericaceae; & other / plants” “ SANC Pretoria / Dbase# CCDL / 28618”.
Paratypes. 26♂♂, 29♀♀, 19 nymphs
South Africa, Western Cape province.
3♂♂, 4♀♀; Cape Point; -34.29, 18.43; 18 Jan. 1974; J.G. Theron leg.; sweeping; CCDL 27859; SANC.
1♂, 1♀; Cape Point; -34.29, 18.43; 28 Mar. 1977; J.G. Theron leg.; sweeping; CCDL 27858; SANC.
2♂♂, 1♀; Cape Point; -34.29, 18.43; 4 Mar. 1978; J.G. Theron leg.; sweeping; CCDL 27857; SANC.
8♂♂, 9♀♀; Cape of Good Hope Nat.[ure] Res.[erve] Scarborough, -34.23, 18.41, 60 m, 10 Dec. 2004, M. Stiller leg.; DVac? Phragmites, Pentaschistis, Poaceae; CCDL 27856; SANC.
12♂♂, 14♀♀, 19 nymphs; Grootkop vicinity, Scarborough; -34.181, 18.386; 10 Feb. 2022; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping Erica sp. and other shrubs Ericaceae; CCDL 28618; SANC, BMNH, INHS.
Diagnosis. Stramineous ground color with paired, dark brown triangular marking at apex of crown, disc with brown hourglass-shaped or amorphous marking (Fig. 19A, B, D–F). Pygofer lobe in lateral view, rectangular, dorsomedially with 3–5 long, scattered macrosetae; up to 20 short macrosetae ventroposteriad of suture (Fig. 20B). Subgenital plate triangular, lateral margin uniformly convex (Fig. 20C), macrosetae submarginal, 2–3 irregular rows, subapically to subbasally. Connective Y-shaped, arms and stem similar in width and length (Fig. 20K). Style with apophysis broad triangular, depressed, denticulate ventrally, base slightly wider than width across ventral preapical lobe (Fig. 20D, E). Aedeagus with reduced dorsal apodeme, about as long as width across preatrium at point origin of dorsal apodeme (Fig. 20F); atrium and preatrium elongate; base of preatrium produced into T-shaped (in crosssection), elongate process, slightly shorter than shaft and preatrium (Fig. 20F), small tooth dorsally at subapex (Fig. 20I); shaft with paired apical, latero-anterior teeth and paired, compressed disc-like process subapically on posterior margin (Fig. 20G, H, J). Sternite 7 with V-shaped notch (Figs 19G, H, 21A, B).
Etymology. Named for the single, elongate preatrial process of the male aedeagus, Latin, unus, one, longus, long and sentis, thorn, shortened for euphony, from unilongisentis to u-lo-sentus. Gender masculine.
Morphology.
Tegmina. Venation in male in Fig. 20L, female in Fig. 21P. Tegmina length/width=2.10–2.24; four apical cells, anteapical cells reduced, with central cell and inner cell fused with inner discal cell.
Hind wing. Reduced, about half as wide as width of tegmina, about 4/5 as long as tegmina (Figs 20M, 21Q). Costal margin sublinear; narrow, elongate, opaque; length/width=2.90–3.08.
Tegmina-hind wing relation. Ratio of length tegmina/length hind wing male=1.23–1.28, female=1.21–1.23; width tegmina/width hind wing male=1.69–1.72, female=1.64–1.76.
Measurements.
Male (n=28). Apex of crown to apex of tegmina 2.61–2.80 mm, apex of crown to apex of abdomen 2.64–2.98 mm; crown length 0.52–0.56 mm; crown length next to eyes 0.34–0.38 mm; pronotum length 0.33–0.39 mm; head width 1.05–1.12 mm; pronotum width 0.95–1.00 mm; ocellus diameter 17–29 µm; interocular distance 46–60 µm; crown angle 89–91°; crown length/crown length next to eye=1.44–1.55; head width/pronotum width=1.90–1.13; ocellus diameter/interocular distance=0.30–0.60; crown length/pronotum length=1.39–1.59; pronotum length/ pronotum width=0.34–0.40.
Female (n=26). Apex of crown to apex of tegmina 2.76–2.93 mm, apex of crown to apex of abdomen 3.24–3.57 mm; crown length 0.56–0.59 mm; crown length next to eyes 0.37–0.39 mm; pronotum length 0.36–0.39 mm; head width 1.13–1.19 mm; pronotum width 1.00– 1.06 mm; ocellus diameter 21–31 µm; interocular distance 51–66 µm; crown angle 88–91°; crown length/crown length next to eye=1.47–1.54; head width/pronotum width=1.11–1.14; ocellus diameter/interocular distance=0.33–0.58; crown length/pronotum length=1.48–1.57; pronotum length/ pronotum width=0.35–0.38.
Terminalia.
Male.
Segment 10. Lateral margin slightly convex, in dorsal view length/width=1.21–1.34 (n=10) (Fig. 20A).
Pygofer. In lateral view, pygofer proximally of point of attachment of segment 10 similar to length of pygofer lobe; anterior apodeme elongate; basolateral suture curvate to sublinear, extending less than half way into pygofer; region distad of basolateral suture with numerous short macrosetae (up to 1/2 length of long setae on pygofer lobe, about 20 macrosetae). Orientation of aedeagus in pygofer with apex of shaft dorsad, in membranous recess in segment 10, preatrial process posteriad (Fig. 20B).
Pygofer lobe. Trapezoid with posterodorsal angle acute, posterodorsal and posteroventral corners rounded. Macrosetae scattered near dorsomedial margin, length 12–17 µm, 4–6 in number, few shorter setae present (Fig. 20B).
Subgenital plate. Greatest length/greatest width=1.07–1.37; medial margin straight, contiguous or widely separated in dissected specimens (33–62°); lateral margin shallowly convex.Macrosetae in 2–3 irregular, submarginal rows. Apex of apophysis of style extended beyond or attaining subapex of subgenital plate (Fig. 20C).
Style. Greatest length/greatest width=3.51–4.58, length apophysis/greatest length=0.35–0.38; dorsal apophysis acutely triangular, depressed (Fig. 20D), apex blunt; anterior medial lobe short in dorsal view, in anterior view curved dorsad; preapical lobe ventral, acute (Fig. 20E).
Connective. Y-shaped. Greatest width across arms/width of apex of stem=3.55–5.57, length arms/length stem=0.55–0.84; arms divergent (79–112°); greatest length/greatest width=0.78–1.01 (Fig. 20K).
Aedeagus. Shaft shorter than atrium and preatrium, uniformly curvate dorsad; apex with paired triangular teeth at lateral margin, curvate latero-anteriad (Fig. 20H); subapex with posterior, paired, compressed, disk-shaped processes, orientation posteriad (Fig. 20G, J). In dorsal or ventral view base of shaft constricted, atrium about twice as wide as base of shaft (Fig. 20H). Gonopore circular, apical. Dorsal apodeme reduced, about as long as width across preatrium at its point of attachment, narrower than diameter of shaft, acutely angled to shaft (Fig. 20F). Atrium and preatrium elongate, about twice as long as shaft, sublinear; base of preatrium produced into single, long, sublinear process, slightly shorter than combined length of shaft, atrium and preatrium; T-shaped in cross-section, apex dorsally with single tooth, oriented posteriad (Fig. 20I). Process acutely angled to base of preatrium, distal half slightly curvate posteriad (Fig. 20F).
Female.
Sternite 7. Isosceles trapezoid (distal width/basal width 0.64–0.69, greatest length/greatest width=0.44–0.49), lateral margins curvate; medially with wide, deep notch, heavily sclerotized along margins, greatest length at base of notch/greatest length=0.54–0.63 (Fig. 21A, B).
Valvula 1. Lanceolate (Fig. 21H), strigate sculpture with imbricate pattern near margin (Fig. 21L, M).
Valvula 2. Wider distally than proximally (Fig. 21I). Trough between rounded teeth shallow, near linear, with small teeth (Fig. 21N, O).
Valvula 3. 8–15 marginal to submarginal macrosetae at apex, shortest to longest macrosetae 22–45 µm (Fig. 21J, K).
Valvifer 1. Longer than wide, ventral margin rounded, dorsal margin subbasally produced into short, triangular or rounded process, anterior margin rectangular, posterior margin triangular; length/width=1.44–2.11 (Fig. 21D), widely merged in dorsal view (Fig. 21C).
Valvifer 2. About 5–10 pore-like structures near distal margin (Fig. 21F, G); length/width=2.43–2.90 (Fig. 21E).
Remarks. This species resembles species of Colistra in external appearance, i.e., apical, paired, deltate marks and circular mark on the disc of the head. However, genitalia in X. ulosentus differ distinctly, i.e., short curved shaft with lateral paired teeth at apex and paired keel-like teeth basally, reduced dorsal apodeme and single process at the base of an elongated preatrium. Additionally, the pygofer is edentate, with two expansive groups of macrosetae, i.e., one group dorsomedially and the other distad of basolateral suture. In Colistra the pygofer is triangular, has few, confined macrosetae and a sublinear process. The subgenital plates of X. ulosentus in whole specimens with medial margins contiguous, in dissected specimens variably separated (up to 60°) with the apex acute and medial margin straight and lateral margin convex. In Colistra the subgenital plate apex is narrowly rounded, medial margin curved laterally from subapex and lateral margin more strongly curved mediad. The style apophysis of X. ulosentus is slightly wider than width across preapical lobe, elongate, triangular, similar to that of species of Bonaspeia, but longer. Styles in species of Colistra have the apophysis acuminate or digitate, curvate, and half or less as wide as width across subapical lobe. Comparison with all species in Bonaspeiini reveal no other corresponding color patterns or genitalic configuration comparable to that of X. ulosentus. Most of these genera have the aedeagus with elongated shaft and shorter dorsal apodeme with modifications in Caffrolix Linnavuori as an accessory process between the shaft and dorsal apodeme (see Davies 1988), and in Cerus Theron, where the preatrium is longer than the dorsal apodeme but still shorter than the shaft. A list of species of leafhoppers in SANC from 32 localities on the Cape Peninsula collected 1901–2022 is presented in Appendix 1, as a record to supplement discussion on fauna of this region (Picker & Samways 1996, Veldtman et al. 2017). Endemics are still poorly known, with X. ulosentus more clearly restricted to this region, and possibly one new species allied to Bonaspeia not included in this appendix.
description: Published as part of Stiller, Michael & Webb, Michael D., 2022, Leafhoppers of the Fynbos Biome of South Africa: Colistra, Proekes, Proekoides and a new genus (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae, Bonaspeiini), pp. 1-79 in Zootaxa 5199 (1) on pages 51-53, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5199.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7251761