Polana (Polana) inflexa Domahovski, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Polana
Polana inflexa

description: Polana (Polana) inflexa sp. nov.
(Figs 1A, B, 2, 3)
Diagnosis. Style (Fig. 2J), in lateral view, blade narrow, slightly widening subapically; ventral margin smooth. Aedeagus (Fig. 2K, L) with pair of basolateral processes slender, tapering to apex, not surpassing apex of shaft; shaft elongate, curved anterad, flattened in lateral view; apical portion bifid, each ramus forming three short processes.
Measurements. Holotype male: total length 7.4 mm. Paratypes: males, 7.0– 7.5 mm (n = 19); females, 7.5–8.1 mm (n = 10).
Coloration. Head and thorax (Figs 1A, B, 2A–D) yellowish-brown. Crown (Fig. 2A) with two small rounded brown spots behind ocelli, near posterior margin; coronal suture black. Face (Fig. 2B) with yellow macula between eye and frons. Pronotum (Fig. 2A) with six black maculae near anterior margin. Proepimeron (Fig. 2C) with pronotal carina yellow with a black macula near posterior corner of eye. Mesonotum (Fig. 2A) mostly yellow with large pair of black macula near lateral angle. Forewing (Figs 1A, B, 2D) yellowish-brown; veins brown outlined; costal margin with yellow elongated macula distal to the bifurcation of the MR veins; black markings on base of clavus, cross veins of discal cells, apex of A1 and Pcu, and cross veins of apical cells.
Description. Body (Fig. 1A, B) approximately oval, not flattened dorsoventrally. Head (Fig. 2A), in dorsal view, not produced; median length of crown one-third as long as interocular width; crown with transverse parallel striae, anterior margin of crown approximately parallel to posterior margin; transocular width of head slightly narrower than maximum pronotum width; ocelli equidistant between eyes and median line and near to anterior than to posterior margin of crown. Head (Fig. 2B), in ventral view, with face wider than long; frontogenal suture distant from eye margins by half apical width of clypeus and surpassing antennal ledge, extending to anterior margin of crown by a short distance; antennal ledge carinate, oriented obliquely downwards in relation to frons and extending over frons by short distance; frons approximately as long as wide medially, surface with texture shagreen, not excavated below anterior margin of crown; epistomal suture indistinct medially; clypeus not inflated, approximately as long as wide at base, lateral margins convergent apically, apex carinate; maxillary plate produced ventrally as far as clypeus apex; gena with ventrolateral margins slightly convex at mid-length. Head (Fig. 2C), in lateral view, with crown-face transition rounded and with several parallel striae. Pronotum (Fig. 2A), in dorsal view, with transverse striae on disc and posterior third; lateral margins converging anterad, as long as eye length; in lateral view (Fig. 2C), slightly declivous, continuous with the head declivity. Forewing (Fig. 2D) without extra crossveins; venation distinct; M vein with segment after the divergence between R+M and before the cross vein m-cu1 more than 2x longer than the length of m-cu1; m-cu2 located slightly after the connection between r-m1 and the M vein; three subapical and five apical cell; appendix well developed and bordering first and second apical cells, narrower than maximum width of first apical cell. Profemur, with apical setae AD1, AM1, and PD1 present and well developed; AV row with 5 setae on basal half; PV with 2 setae, one near base and the second subapically. Protibia, in cross-section, more or less cylindrical, with longitudinal carina adjacent to PD row; apical setae AD1 and PD1 present and well developed; AV row formed by long setae, gradually increasing in thickness and length towards apex; AD formed by many small undifferentiated setae; PD row with 2–3 long setae and intercalary small undifferentiated setae; PV row with 5 long setae. Hind leg with femoral setal formula 2:2:1; tibial rows PD, AD, and AV with 23–25, 12, and 13–15 macrosetae, respectively; AD row with intercalary small setae between macrosetae; PV row with setae of apical half formed by sequence of 1 thicker and 3–4 thinner setae; first tarsomere with two rows of 5–7 setae on plantar surface; apex with 4 patellae flanked by tapered lateral setae; second tarsomere pecten with 2 platellae flanked by 2 tapered lateral setae on inner and 1 on external corner.
Male terminalia. Sternite VIII (Fig. 2E) rectangular, 1.5x longer than wide; posterior margin slightly produced medially and excavated laterally. Valve (Fig. 2F) 2.4x wider than long; integument thickening present only on anterior margin; posterior margin straight. Pygofer (Fig. 2G) 1.5x longer than high; basodorsal processes without subapical tooth; macrosetae dispersed on dorsoapical quadrant; ventral margin and apex rounded. Subgenital plate (Fig. 2G) short, extending to half length of pygofer; in ventral view (Fig. 2H) ovate, outer margin rounded with short setae on apical half; apex rounded. Connective (Fig. 2I) linear, long, extending to apical fourth of style; stem with lateral margins weakly sclerotized; dorsal keel small. Style (Fig. 2I), in dorsal view, outer lobe reduced; in lateral view (Fig. 2J) blade narrow, slightly widening subapically; ventral margin smooth; apex with small process curved dorsally. Aedeagus (Fig. 2K, L) with preatrium short; atrial portion strongly elevated; pair of basolateral processes slender, tapering to apex, not surpassing apex of shaft; shaft elongate, curved anterad, flattened in lateral view; apical portion bifid, each ramus forming three short processes.
Female terminalia. Sternite VII (Fig. 3A, B) 1.8x wider than long; posterolateral corners rounded; posterior margin excavated laterad of rounded median lobe which is shallowly emarginated. Pygofer (Fig. 3A, B) about 1.7x longer than maximum height; macrosetae dispersed on dorsoapical fourth and ventroapical half; apex rounded. Internal sternite VIII membranous. First valvifer (Fig. 3C) 1.7x higher than long, trapezoid. First valvula (Fig. 3C, D) 7x higher than long, slightly curved dorsally; basal portion strongly produced anterad and rounded; ventral interlocking device short,restrict to basal third; ventral margin with oblique striae medially,and excavated subapically; apical third with dorsal sculptured area formed by scale-like processes arranged in oblique lines, with lateral carina bearing small rounded teeth; apex abruptly tapered and acute. Second valvula, in cross-section, with apical portion triangular, expanded laterally forming lateral carina, in lateral view (Fig. 3E, F), 4.5x higher than long, higher after the mid-length; dorsal protuberance absent; dorsal margin with few very small teeth subapically; apical portion gradually narrowed to acute apex. Second valvifer (Fig. 3G) about 2.5x longer than high. Gonoplac (Fig. 3G, H), about 3.5x longer than high; dorsoapical margin straight, short, with about one third length of gonoplac; outer surface with dentiform cuticular projections on ventral half, with few short setae on apical third; apex subacute.
Etymology. The new species name comes from the Latin word “ inflexus ” meaning curved. It refers to the strongly curved aedeagus, in lateral view.
Material examined. Holotype male, BRAZIL, MATO GROSSO DO SUL: “Brasil, MS, Chapadão do Sul, \ Pantanal, 18º46’30.09”S \ 52º 31”04.98”W” 804m \ 05.I.2016, T. Taira leg.” (DZUP). Paratypes: 1♀, same holotype data (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 02.II.2017 (DZUP); 2♂, 1♀, same data, except 08.III.2016 (DZUP); 1♂, 1♀, same data, except 25.I.2017 (DZRJ); 2♂, 1♀, same data, except 04.IV.2016 (DZUP); 1♂, 1♀, same data, except 06.II.2016 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 06.IV.2016 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 25.II.2016 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 21.III.2017 (DZUP); 1♀, same data, except 05.III.2016 (DZUP); DISTRITO FEDERAL: 1♂, “Brasil, Brasília-D ♀, \ Fazenda Água Limpa \ M. Galeria, malaise, 09- \ 23.XI.2017 J. R. P. Luz. ” (DZUP); GOIÁS: 1♂, “Brasil, GO, Novo Mundo, \ Armadilha Malaise \ 13.9292ºS 49.9716ºW, \ 282m, 26.XI.2010 ” (DZUP); PARANÁ: 1♂, 4♀, Brasil, Paraná, Rib \ do Pinhal (Café- \ Campo) xi.1998 \ A.M. Meneguim. ” (DZUP); 1♂, “ Jundiaí do Sul - PR \ Fazenda Monte Verde \ Brasil 16.IX.1986 \ Lev. Ent. PROFAUPAR \ Malaise ” (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 22.IX. 1986 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 03.X.1986 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 03.XII.1986 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 26.I.1987 (DZUP); 1♂, same data, except 18.IV.1988 (DZUP).
Remarks. The style of the new species is similar to those of P. optata, P. lanara, P. inimica, P. merga, P. rupelli, and the species here described, P. insolita sp. nov. and P. sinopensis sp. nov. but this species is easily differentiated due to the wide and strongly curved shaft of the aedeagus with the apex bifid, bearing three processes on each ramus.
description: Published as part of Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz, 2025, Five new species of Polana (Polana) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) from Brazil and Costa Rica, and new combinations in the genus, pp. 179-204 in Zootaxa 5584 (2) on pages 181-184, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5584.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/14830758