Abroma falcata Sanborn 2021, n. sp.
Creators: name: Sanborn, Allen F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadidae
Abroma
Abroma falcata

description: Abroma falcata n. sp.
(Fig. 4)
Type material.— Holotype. “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Province, Andohahela Nat’l / Park, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II / 24° 56.21’S, 46° 37.60’E / 19—26 November 2002 // California Acad of Sciences / colls: M. Irwin, F. Parker, / R. Harin’Hala. el 180 m / malaise trap in transitional / forest, MA-02-20-05 // CASENT / 8078971” male (CASC) (CASTYPE number 20144). Paratype. “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov. / Parc National de Kirindy Mite, / 16.3 km 127º SE Belo sur Mer / 20º 47’ 43” S 44º 8’ 49” E / Elev 80m 6–10 Dec 2001 // coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / at light in tropical dry forest / collection code: BLF4727 // CASENT / 3004777” one male (AFSC).
Etymology.—The name is in reference to the narrow, curved male operculum (L. falcatus, sickle-shaped, curved).
Description
Body castaneous marked with piceous and greenish ochraceous, covered with white pile.
Head
Head wider than mesonotum, castaneous with transverse piceous fascia between eyes through lateral ocelli, expanding anteriorly to encircle median ocellus, expanding laterally along eye margin posteriorly to piceous posterior of eye and anteriorly along anterolateral vertex and supra-antennal plate anterior and medial margins forming castaneous spot in middle of supra-antennal plate, posterior epicranial suture greenish ochraceous. Dorsal head covered with short white, longer posterior to eye. Ocelli red, eyes ochraceous but cells have retracted from eye surface so they appear hollow. Gena piceous, lorum castaneous with posterior piceous spot, with long and short white pile, denser than on dorsal head. Postclypeus castaneous, weakly sulcate, dark castaneous along midline and medial portion of 12 transverse ridges, dorsum with dark castaneous medial fascia, small greenish ochraceous fascia on ventral midline, white pile in transverse grooves and on dorsal surface. Anteclypeus piceous, carina castaneous with medial piceous spot, covered with white pile. Mentum greenish ochraceous proximally with castaneous distal mark, labium castaneous with piceous lateral fascia, piceous distally with castaneous tip, rostrum radiating short white pile, reaching to posterior coxae. Antennal segments castaneous except greenish ochraceous annular mark on distal scape, proximal and distal pedicel and proximal first flagellar segment.
Thorax
Pronotum castaneous with piceous spot on midline ambient fissure, darker castaneous posterior to posterior lateral fissure, and disk posteromedial to posterior paramedian fissure, mark extends across disk with laterad curving posterior terminus in paratype. Pronotal collar light castaneous with dark castaneous pronotal collar lateral angles. Pronotum with short white pile. Mesonotum castaneous with piceous submedian sigillae, mottled piceous in lateral sigillae, anterior lateral sigillae piceous in paratype, piceous scutal depressions, anteromedial cruciform elevation piceous, separated into a pair of spots on either side of midline in paratype, lateral and posterior cruciform elevation and wing groove greenish ochraceous. Metanotum greenish ochraceous, piceous within wing groove. Dorsum with short white pile, longer and denser on posterior margins, between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, between anterior and posterior arms of cruciform elevation, on posterior mesonotum, in wing groove, and on posterior metanotum. Ventral thoracic segments light castaneous laterally, piceous basisternum 2 and basisternum 3, covered with dense white pile.
Wings
Fore wings and hind wings hyaline, with eight and six apical cells respectively. Venation dark ochraceous proximally, becoming castaneous distally, ochraceous cubitus posterior + anal vein 1, piceous anal vein 2 + 3, castaneous fascia along base of radius & subcostal vein in proximal basal cell. Basal cell hyaline. Pterostigma present. Basal membrane of fore wing gray with darker posterior. Hind wing venation similar to fore wing with ochraceous cubitus posterior, anal vein 1, anal vein 2 and anal vein 3, castaneous spot on base of anal vein 2 and 3. Anal cell 3 margin almost to distal cell, anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3, and anal cell 1 along anal vein 2 light gray, anal cell 3 infuscated within gray margin, infuscation along distal two-thirds of gray in anal cell 2 along anal vein 3.
Legs
Coxae, trochanters and femora dark castaneous striped with castaneous, tibiae castaneous with darker distal terminus, tibial spurs and comb castaneous with dark castaneous tips. Fore femora with primary spine longest, angled to femoral axis, secondary spine angled less than primary spine with curved tip, tertiary spine smallest angled to greatest degree, spines castaneous with darker base. Tarsi castaneous, darker distally. Pretarsal claws castaneous with piceous tips. Meracanthus broadly triangular, curved mediad, ochraceous with piceous spot on base, not reaching anterior margin of medial operculum. Legs covered with dense, short white pile, and radiating long golden pile.
Operculum
Male operculum narrow, curving mediad, ochraceous with castaneous medial base and piceous lateral base, lateral margin curved, operculum reaching to anterior sternite II, semicircular medial margin, medial margins reaching to medial meracanthus, not covering tympanal cavity medially or anteromedially, concave anteromedial margin to base lateral to meracanthus, covered with white pile, radiating long golden pile from opercular margin.
Abdomen
Male abdominal tergite 1 castaneous, holotype with piceous posterior margin, tergite 2 piceous anterior margin, piceous not reaching anterior margin in paratype, dark castaneous dorsally, lighter castaneous laterally, tergite 3 castaneous with transverse dorsal piceous fascia, dark castaneous lateral spots in paratype, tergites 4–7 dark castaneous with lighter posterior margin, tergite 8 castaneous with darker anterodorsum and anterolateral regions, ochraceous membrane between tergites, tergites covered with dense, short, white pile. Timbal cover absent, timbal completely exposed, with 10 long ribs. Male sternite I piceous with dark ochraceous posterior margin, sternite II piceous, dark castaneous laterally, auditory capsule dark castaneous, sternites III–V piceous with greenish castaneous posterior margin, sternites VI–VII piceous. Epipleurites light castaneous with dark castaneous anterolateral corner. Sternites and epipleurites with short white and radiating long white pile. Sternite VIII castaneous, lighter on posteroventral midline, covered with white pile, radiating white pile, denser laterally and posteriorly, no notch when viewed from posterior.
Genitalia
Male pygofer dark castaneous, distal shoulder undeveloped, reflexed medially, dorsal beak broadly triangular, pygofer with dense, short white pile posteroventrally, posterolaterally, and posterodorsally. Upper pygofer lobe small, angled mediad, flattened with triangular tip, pygofer basal lobes elongated, adpressed to lateral pygofer, distal terminus semicircular, angled mediad, radiating dense golden pile. Anal styles dark castaneous margined with ochraceous, radiating short golden pile, anal tube greenish ochraceous. Uncus absent. Claspers broad, curving distally to meet under aedeagus, anterolateral margin terminating in anterolateral oriented dentate extension, castaneous, darker medial margin and point. Aedeagus large, tubular, castaneous and dark ochraceous with conjunctiva claws separated by ochraceous membrane, restrained by claspers.
Female is unknown.
Measurements (mm).—N = 2 males, mean (range). Length of body: 11.15 (10.60–11.70); length of fore wing: 15.28 (14.60–15.95); width of fore wing: 5.15 (4.95–5.35); length of head: 2.65 (2.40–2.70); width of head including eyes: 4.43 (4.20–4.65); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 4.30 (3.90–4.70); width of mesonotum: 3.70 (3.40–4.00).
Diagnosis.—This new species can be distinguished from the remaining Madagascar species of Abroma except for A. bezamahafalyensis n. sp. by the small body size. This new species can be distinguished from A. bezamahafalyensis n. sp. by the reduced dorsal piceous markings, the expanded abdominal piceous markings, timbal with ten ribs, the narrow operculum exposing most of the tympanal cavity, and the claspers that are semicircular ventrally with a small, anterolaterally oriented lateral point in A. falcata n. sp.
Distribution.—The species is only known from the type specimen collected in Tulear Province, southwestern Madagascar.
description: Published as part of Sanborn, Allen F., 2021, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) of Madagascar including a new tribe, five new genera, twelve new species, four new species synonymies, five revised species status, ten new combinations, new tribal assignments for four genera, one new subtribe synonymy, a checklist and key to the species, pp. 1-79 in Zootaxa 4937 (1) on pages 34-37, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4937.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4559438