Gergithomorphus levis, Gnezdilov, 2025

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M., 2025, Once per 125 years-a new species of the genus Gergithomorphus Haglund, 1899 (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea, Tropiduchidae) from Gabon, Zootaxa 5632 (1), pp. 138-144 : 140-142

Gergithomorphus levis sp. nov.

( Figs 3–14 )

Material examined. Gabon: Holotype, ♂, “Gabon: Kongouleu / 16.7.1985 / A. Pauly réc. // joűt / II // Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. ”.

Description. Structure ( Figs 3–8 ). Metope damaged from right side. Metope wide, glossy, with straight upper margin and slightly diverging downwards lateral margins, without carinae ( Fig. 5 ). Lateral margins of metope leaf-shaped and overhanging pedicles ( Fig. 4 ). Ocelli absent. Pedicel elongately cylindrical. Metopoclypeal suture convex. Postclypeus smooth, without carina. Rostrum short, barely protruding beyond middle coxae, with 3 rd segment shorter than 2 nd one, not narrowing apically. Eyes small, diameter of each eye is 1/4 of coryphe width. Coryphe very transverse, 11 times as wide as long medially, concave, with anterior and lateral margins keel-shaped; anterior margin nearly straight, lateral margins slightly diverging posteriorly, posterior margin deeply concave ( Figs 3 , 6 ). Pronotum large, with strongly convex anterior margin and concave posterior margin, with two point-shaped concavities medially ( Fig. 6 ). Lateral carinae of pronotum convex, not reaching its posterior margin. Paradiscal fields of pronotum wide behind eyes. Paranotal lobes of pronotum wide, with lower margins not bent. Mesonotum large, twice longer than pronotum, glossy, without carinae. Tegulae small, not visible behind paranotal lobes of pronotum. Forewings hemispherical, glossy, with smooth longitudinal veins ( Figs 3, 4 ). Clavus small, only Pcu visible. Basal cell, small, rounded. Forewing vein branching sequence: R 5–6, firstly furcating near to basal cell; M 2, furcating after wing middle; CuA 2, furcating at claval middle; few transverse veins ( Fig. 7 ). Hind wings tri-lobed, almost as long as fore wings, remigium well developed, vannus small. Basal cell large, costal margin strongly concave at its basal third ( Fig. 8 ). Hind wing branching sequence: R 3, furcating apically; r-m 2; M 3, furcating apically; m-cua 2; CuA 5, firstly furcating at wing basal third, with a long loop and again furcating apically; icua 1; cua-cup 1; CuP 1; Pcu 1; A 1 1; A 2 1 ( Fig. 8 ). R and M running closely (or fused) near to basal cell. Pcu and A 1 fused basally and medially, but free apically. Legs not flattened nor foliated. Hind tibia with two lateral spines subapically and five spines apically. First metatarsomere twice as long as second, both with long setae ventrally. First metatarsomere with two latero-apical and five intermediate spines in whole straight row. Second metatarsomere with two latero-apical spines.

Coloration ( Figs 3–5 ). Metope light brownish green, with dark brown transverse stripe medially and with a trace of another dark brown stripe above it. Postclypeus black. Anteclypeus black laterally and green frontally. Rostrum light green. Head laterally light green, with two black spots—in front of and above eye. Scapi and pedicels light green. Flagellum light brown. Coryphe brownish green, with brown lateral margins. Pronotum green, with brown hind margin. Paranotal lobes of pronotum green, with black spot behind each eye. Mesonotum light brownish green. Fore wings light brownish green, with brown costal margin. Fore and mid coxae black, hind coxae green. Legs greenish light brown. Claws dark brown. Apices of leg spines black. Abdominal sternites light green. Abdominal tergites light green, with light brown hind margins. Genital block light green, with dark brown caudo-dorsal angles of styles and dark brown to black apex of anal tube.

Male genitalia structure ( Figs 9–14 ). Anal tube nearly oval, with slightly truncate apex (in dorsal view); wide (in lateral view) ( Figs 9, 10 ). Anal column narrow, 0.3 as long as anal tube. Pygofer narrow, horseshoe-shaped (in lateral view), without processes on hind margins. Connective with small cup ( Fig. 9 ). Styles fused ventrally except its apical parts ( Fig. 12 ), elongate, enlarged apically (in lateral view) ( Fig. 9 ), each with large rounded process on internal surface near to its middle ( Fig. 11 ). Anal tube and aedeagus basally connected by strongly sclerotized suspensorium ( Fig. 13 ). Penis (aedeagus + phallobase) elongate, weakly curved. Phallobase narrowing apically, with two ridges along its whole length and two rows of six large teeth each subapically—one of the teeth row is not visible from the side ( Figs 13 , second teeth row is indicated by dotted line). Gonopore subapical on left side of penis ( Figs 9, 14 ).

Total length. 4.8 mm.

Etymology. The species is named after smooth postclypeus (lacking median carina).

Figures

FIGURES 3–5. Gergithomorphus levis sp. nov., holotype, male. 3—dorsal view, 4—lateral view, 5—frontal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 6–8. Gergithomorphus levis sp. nov., holotype, male. 6—head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view, 7—left forewing, 8—right hind wing. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 9–14. Gergithomorphus levis sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia structure. 9—genital block, lateral view, 10—anal tube and pygofer, dorsal view, 11—style, lateral view, 12—styles, connective, and pygofer, ventral view, 13—penis and anal tube, with suspensorium, right lateral view, 14—penis, left lateral view. Not to scale.