Platyjassus Evans 1953
Creators: name: Dietrich, Christopher H.
name: Magalhães, Raysa Brito de
name: Takiya, Daniela M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Platyjassus

description: Platyjassus Evans, 1953
Figs 2 E–P, 9–11, 17D–L, 22
Type species
Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953, by original monotypy.
Diagnosis
This genus may be distinguished by the following combination of features: body medium-sized; color pale stramineous without distinct spots or stripes; vertex overlapping>½ of anterolateral margin of eye, crown uniformly shagreen; forewing without supernumerary crossveins; hindwing veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent preapically but separate near apex; hind femur macrosetal formula 2+2 +1; style apex tapered or foot-like; aedeagus usually with single asymmetrical process arising from atrium.
Description
HABITUS. Medium-sized platyjassines (6.8–9.3 mm). Color stramineous, with darker pigment at apex of forewing and variably present on venter and legs.
HEAD. Crown flattened, uniformly shagreen, anterior margin strongly produced, spatulate, forming hood over dorsal part of face, lateral extension of vertex overlapping at least half of eye margin; ocelli anteromesad of eyes. Frontoclypeus moderately convex, with slight median dorsal depression; antennal ledge transverse, strongly overlapping frontoclypeus; lateral frontal suture present above antennal ledge but not extended to crown margin; gena slightly emarginate below eye but completely concealing proepisternum; lorum small, flat; anteclypeus slightly convex, lateral margins only slightly divergent distally; rostrum slender, not surpassing front trochanters.
THORAX. Pronotum slightly declivous, in profile continuing contour of crown, much wider than head, lateral margins strongly divergent posterad, transverse striations weakly delimited. Forewing without supernumerary crossveins, appendix broad and extended to wing apex, inner apical cell relatively short. Hindwing veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent preapically but separate near apex. Front femur row IC with setae in single row and relatively widely spaced; AV with single row of stout setae in basal half, dorsal surface of tibia rounded, PD with 4 widely spaced macrosetae. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2 +2+1, tibial row AD with one or more smaller setae between successive macrosetae; tarsomere I plantar row single and weakly developed, pecten with 4 platellae.
ABDOMEN. Male pregenital sternite distinctly longer than sternite VII, posterior margin truncate. Male pygofer base band-like, dorsally with median posterior projection; lobe separated from base by membranous vertical cleft, with numerous macrosetae in distal half, apex tapered to point (rounded in P. symmetricus sp. nov.), processes and spines absent, ventral margin without distinct group of fine setae. Subgenital plate without macrosetae, dorsolateral margin with row of long, fine setae. Style apophysis slender, usually with ventral denticuli, apex curved dorsomesad. Aedeagus with shaft simple, gonopore at or near apex; one asymmetrical process present, usually arising separately from venter of atrium (except in P. asymmetricus sp. nov.); shaft rarely with paired processes (P. symmetricus sp. nov.). Female abdominal sternite VII with posterior margin varying in shape among species. First valvulae with dorsal sculpturing strigate. Second valvulae usually broadened toward midlength, then tapered, dorsal margin serrate distally.
Remarks
The definition of the genus is here narrowed to include only the type species, originally described by Evans (1953) and redescribed and illustrated by Linnavuori & Quartau (1975), plus 11 new species that are very similar in external appearance but have distinctive male genitalia. Other species placed by Evans (1959) in this genus are here transferred to Pallijassus gen. nov. and Plerujassus gen. nov. Platyjassus appears to be most closely related to Platyjassula, but differs from the latter in lacking supernumerary crossveins in the forewing, in having the aedeagus usually distinctly asymmetrical and in having the style apex with a single point or foot-like rather than with two acuminate projections.
Key to species of Platyjassus Evans, 1953 (males)
1. Forewing with large red spot covering preapical section (Fig. 2N) ................................................. ........................................................................................................... Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov.
– Forewing without red spot, uniformly stramineous except for fuscous areas in apical cells.....2
2. Style without distinct preapical constriction, evenly tapered throughout length or tapered only at apex, at most with slight dorsal preapical concavity (Fig. 9B, F, I, L).....................................3
– Style apophysis with distinct preapical constriction and narrow distal extension (Figs 10E, 11A)................................................................................................................................................8
3. Style apophysis tapered through most of length to acuminate apex (Fig. 9B).......................4
– Style apophysis approximately parallel-sided or expanded through most of length, apex abruptly tapered (Fig. 9F)................................................................................................................................7
4. Aedeagus without atrial processes, shaft globular, with slender prepical process on right side (Fig. 9D) ..................................................................................... Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov.
– Aedeagus with process arising from atrium..................................................................................5
5. Aedeagal shaft with pair of short, symmetrical lateral processes preapically (Fig. 10L) ............... ........................................................................................................ Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov.
– Aedeagal shaft without processes....................................................................................................6
6. Aedeagus with basal process very slender and short (Fig. 10N); style apophysis with distinct dorsal lobe near base (Fig. 10N) ....................................................... Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov.
– Aedeagus with basal process robust; style apophysis without distinct dorsal lobe near base (Fig. 9L) ...................................................................................... Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov.
7. Aedeagus with basal process much longer than shaft, divergent from shaft in lateral view (Fig. 9I) .................................................................................................... Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov.
– Aedeagus with basal process subequal to shaft in length, convergent toward shaft in lateral view (Fig. 9F) ................................................................................................ Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov.
8. Basal process of aedeagus with spine-like preapical median branch (Fig. 10C) ............................ .................................................................................................................. Platyjassus irwini sp. nov.
– Basal process of aedeagus without preapical branch.......................................................................9
9. Basal process of aedeagus closely adjacent to or overlapping shaft in ventral view (Fig. 10F); style apex foot-like, with acutely pointed ventral heel and recurved dorsal toe (Fig. 10E) ......... ........................................................................................................... Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov.
– Basal process of aedeagus well separated from shaft in ventral view (Fig. 11C); style apex not foot-like, with single acute dorsal point (Fig. 11A) ....................................... (viridis complex)...10
10. Ventral preapical lobe of style obtusely rounded, not angulate (Fig. 11G) ......................................... ............................................................................................................ Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953
– Ventral prepical lobe of style apophysis forming acute or right angled lobe in lateral view (Fig. 11A, D).............................................................................................................................................11
11. Ventral preapical lobe of style apophysis distinctly acute (Fig. 11A) ............................................ ................................................................................................................. Platyjassus acutus sp. nov.
– Ventral preapical lobe of style apophysis forming right angle (Fig. 11D) ....................................... .................................................................................................................. Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Dietrich, Christopher H., Magalhães, Raysa Brito de & Takiya, Daniela M., 2020, Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae), pp. 1-89 in European Journal of Taxonomy 695 on pages 41-44, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.695, http://zenodo.org/record/3973377