Phlogis kibalensis Helden 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Helden, Alvin J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Phlogis
Phlogis kibalensis

description: Phlogis kibalensis sp. nov.
Measurements. Male 6.6 mm long; head width 1.6 mm across eyes; maximum pronotum width 1.7 mm.
Colouration. Head black; rostrum ochreous, contrasting strongly with black face (Fig. 1d); eyes brownish-red in preserved specimen, although whilst still alive colour quite strongly red (Figs. 1 & 2); antennal segments 1, 2 and basal flagellum yellow, with distal flagellum black (Fig. 2). Thorax black, pronotum showing some bronzy sheen (Fig. 1); a small pale yellow-ochreous sclerite just dorsal to hind coxa (Fig. 1b); most of legs ochreous. Abdominal sternite III black, with sternites IV to VIII yellow-ochreous (Fig. 3). Abdominal tergites black, apart from a narrow strip of yellow-ochreous colouration along lateral margins adjoining sternites (Fig. 3). Genital valve yellow-ochreous and pygofer mostly black (Fig. 8a, b). Forewings entirely black-brown, with bronzy sheen, apart from a small mid-brown area where wing articulates with thorax, and for a short length of main veins leading from this area (Fig 1a, b). Fore and mid coxae pale yellow-ochreous; basal two-thirds of hind coxae black with distal third pale ochreous (Fig. 1a). Femora pale ochreous with well-defined blackish areas on lateral sides, and dorsal and ventral areas mostly ochreous (Fig. 1a); blackish region extending most of femoral length in fore-femora and outer third to half of mid and hind femora. Fore and mid tibiae slightly darker yellow ochreous colour with blackish line present along outer lateral side for full length.
Vestiture. Body covered in coarse, closely spaced punctures, heavily covered with brochosomes (Rakitov 2002) making many pits look white (Fig. 1a, b, c). Brochosomes concentrated in antennal pits and spread over other areas of head, particularly genae and lora; they also occur on all thoracic and abdominal surfaces, as well as basal areas of wings and coxae; with greatest concentration on sides of thorax and basal wing area. Punctures present on all head, thoracic and abdominal sclerites; those on abdomen mostly at slightly greater spacing, and sometimes larger than those on head; clear contrast between larger and more spaced pits on pronotum and slightly smaller, more-closely spaced pits on face (Fig. 1).
Head. Crown evenly rounded to face; with a pair of lateral oval-shaped depressions located close (c. 0.2 mm) to eyes (Fig. 1), each depression covering approximately a third of crown, with maximum length of c. 0.4 mm (viewed from above direction of this dimension approximates to a line from back corner of crown to central point at front edge of crown), width (perpendicular to maximum length) of depression c. 0.3 mm, hind edge of depression touching crown-pronotal junction at back of head; ocellus at edge of each depression proximal to centre of crown. Face elongate (Fig. 1c); antennae set in a depression (c. 0.3 mm across) formed by antennal ledge and lateral frontal suture (Fig. 1d); antennal ledge curves dorsally from ventral part of eye to a point c. 0.1 mm from eye, sharply changing direction and subsequently curving down and towards front of face and meeting lateral frontal suture; lateral frontal suture runs from just anterior to crown depression, meeting antennal ledge, and continuing ventrally; frontoclypeus convex with a series of lateral, short, parallel ridges between groups of punctures, approximately parallel sided between antennae and top of lorum (Fig. 1d); below top of lorum, sides curve inwards to meet top of anteclypeus, where frontoclypeal-anteclypeal suture is obscure; anteclypeus convex with no medial ridge or keel evident (Fig. 4a); apex smoothly curved, in front view appearing to have sharp outer angles but in lateral view curved behind rostrum (Fig. 4a, b).
Thorax. Pronotum humped, raised well above level of wings (Fig. 1a, 1c, 2); approximately equal in length to maximum width at base of forewings, narrowing towards head; three pairs of depressions (foveae) located laterally (Fig. 1a, b), one pair located at lateral edge of pronotum, just posterior to eyes; second foveal pair between lateral edge foveae and centre of pronotum, with third pair further toward front and centre of pronotum; second and third pairs very close but with narrow undepressed area between them. Mesonotum with pair of deep foveae arranged antero-laterally.
Legs (chaetotaxy after Rakitov (1998)). Fore femur in anterior view with ventral margin incurved in distal half with row of several short spine like AV marginal setae and row of five longer spine like submarginal IC setae; in posterior view ventral margin not incurved, with several short spine-like posteroventral setae (PV) present distally (Fig. 5a). Fore tibia with flattened baso-ventral area, expanded anteriorly (Fig. 5b, arrow), and bordered anteriorly by a row of close set, short setae (Fig. 5b arrow, 6c arrow). Hind tibiae slightly bowed, with the blackish line enclosing one row of large setae (anterodorsal (AD)) (Fig. 6b). Hind right tibia: six AD setae (thick and sharply pointed, emerging from raised regions, interspersed by very small setae); anteroventral setae row (AV) with approximately 54 very small setae and one large sharply pointed seta close to distal end of tibia (small setae appear to arise from small black spots); 10 PV setae, long, spatulate (pale ochreous), alternately arranged with nine shorter bicoloured setae (basal 2/3 blackish and apical third, pale ochreous), with a further four spatulate setae of similar length to bicoloured setae, towards basal part of tibia; 4 long spatulate posterodorsal (PD) setae emerging from raised regions (Fig. 6a, b). Hind left tibia: AD 6; AV 51 + 1; PV 10 + 9 + 4; PD 4. Tarsi pale ochreous with some slight darkening at distal ends, particularly of third tarsi. Claws black basally, with brown tips. Surface of legs covered in very fine reticulated microsculpture (Fig. 5a, 6a).
Forewings. With well-developed appendix (Fig. 8d); punctures present between veins at base of forewings, with some extending along edges of veins, and along costal and inner margin of clavus; veins prominent and raised, with similar vein like elevation bordering claval suture (Fig. 1a, b); structure and position of veins in basal region obscured by brochosomes and punctures. As well as punctures in proximal areas, fine microsculpture present throughout wing (Fig. 7), most clearly visible along veins, showing as numerous perpendicular ridges (Fig. 7a, c); within cells and on appendix, there is reticulate microsculpture (Fig. 7b, c).
Male genitalia. Pygofer separated into two lobes with a narrow dorso-ventral hyaline band between; posterior lobe strongly sclerotised and black, covered with pits distributed more or less evenly over most of its surface (Fig. 8a, b), and in lateral view tapered to a rounded point posteriorly, where edge with series of very short tooth like projections, resembling a saw edge; posterior lobe with a small number of very short scattered setae, very difficult to see against the dark surface; anterior lobe with two less sclerotised regions, separated by a black, heavily sclerotised and pitted region, the latter with approximately 12 to 15 small setae, distinctly longer than those of posterior lobe; in dorsal view an elongate central hyaline region from basal margin of anal tube to basal margin of pygofer, where it narrows to fine point; internal margins of sclerotised lateral regions of pygofer strongly rounded (Fig. 8b).
Anal tube approximately parallel sided in dorsal view (Fig. 9a), although in situ appearing expanded from base due to overlap by sides of pygofer (Fig. 8b); with a curved, basal ventral process on each side (Fig. 9 a-c); ventral processes of anal tube extend to point approximately ¾ distance from dorsal margin of pygofer (Fig. 11b).
Dorsal connective present, somewhat butterfly-shaped in dorso-anterior view (Fig. 9a, c); dorsal branches connected to basal regions of ventral processes of anal tube.
Sub-genital plates with distal two thirds black, basally pale, elongate, tapered to narrowly rounded apex, fused basally to each other, with short setae on lateral margins (Fig. 8c). Genital valve antero-posteriorly short, overlapping but separate from sub-genital plate; with long dorsal extensions, and pale in colour (Fig. 8c, 11a).
Style with broadly lamellate anterior region (Fig. 10f, h), slightly shorter than distal region beyond connective articulation; lateral margin distally relatively straight; broad at base of apophysis (Fig. 10h, arrow); sub-apical lobe produced ventrally with a series of small setae on pronounced setal bases; apophysis hook shaped, curved ventrally; styles located at base of genital segment, with strong antero-dorsal to postero-ventral orientation (Fig. 11a).
Connective, in dorsal view (Fig. 10f), longer than wide, with lateral sides approximately straight and parallel, anterior margin with v-shaped incision; arms very short; stem short; in lateral view (Fig. 10g) strongly curved, almost right angular; with thin, dorsal, median keel; in dorsal view, region of keel appears dark (Fig. 10f); in lateral view keel almost colourless (Fig 10g).
Aedeagus in lateral view, widened from base to broad central part of basal region, which in distal part narrows to base of upturned region (Fig. 10a, b); ventral edge of basal region sinuous, with two distinct concavities; upturned region narrows as it curves more or less evenly in a dorso-anterior direction, with pair of sub-apical lateral processes, which curve in a ventral and slightly anterior direction, appearing somewhat leaf like in dorso-posterior view (Fig. 10c), expanded from base and tapered to apex, dorsal edge of process with slight concavity before apex, ventral edge of process smoothly convex in outline (Fig. 10a, b, e); distad of processes, aedeagus gradually narrows to point, sharp in dorso-posterior view and blunt in lateral view (Fig. 10 a-e); gonopore sub-apical, located just ventral to base of sub-apical processes (Fig. 10e); opening of atrium tear shaped, pointed apically and curved basally (Fig. 10d).
Material examined. Holotype male, Uganda, Kibale National Park, (0.5612 N, 30.3257 E), Makerere University Biological Field Station, 1514 m altitude, swept from low vegetation by Alvin Helden, 2.ix.2018, (deposited in Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge).
Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, Kibale Forest, Uganda.
Remarks. P. kibalensis sp. nov., is very similar to the other African species of Phlogis, P. mirabilis. The latter species was originally described from the female from Cameroon and subsequently from the male originating from Central African Republic (Viraktamath & Dietrich 2017). The differences between the species include the following: P. kibalensis sp. nov. notably smaller (6.6 mm in male) than P. mirabilis (7.4 mm in male and 7.5 mm in female); visible abdominal sternites (excluding those of genital segment) of P. mirabilis pale, while in P. kibalensis sp. nov. sternite III is black and IV to VIII pale (Fig. 3); antennae completely pale yellow in P. mirabilis but in P. kibalensis sp. nov. antennae are only basally yellow and the remainder black (Fig. 2). The differences between the males of the two species are as follows: aedeagus differing in shape and orientation of the sub-apical lateral processes, i.e. in P. mirabilis the processes curve posteriorly, then anteriorly and are relatively uniform in width (see Viraktamath & Dietrich, (2017) Fig. 4H, I), while in P. kibalensis sp. nov., they curve in a more ventral direction and are leaf like and expanded from a relatively narrow base (Fig. 10 a-e); upturned region of aedeagus of P. kibalensis sp. nov. is more broadly curved basally in lateral view, and ventral margin has a more distinct concavity just anterior to upturned region (Fig. 10a, b); style in P. kibalensis sp. nov. (Fig. 10h) is straighter with less of a concavity distally on lateral margin, and is also broader at base of apophysis (see Viraktamath & Dietrich, (2017) Fig. 4F); lateral margins of frontoclypeus more distinctly curved in male P. mirabilis, and more parallel sided in P. kibalensis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Helden, Alvin J., 2022, A new species of the unusual leafhopper genus Phlogis Linnavuori (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Signoretiinae) from Uganda, pp. 401-413 in Zootaxa 5093 (4) on pages 402-407, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5093.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5912697