Sogatella unidentata, Mariani & Lenicov, 2018

Mariani, Roxana & Lenicov, Ana María Marino de Remes, 2018, A new species of Sogatella (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) from temperate Argentina, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 62 (1), pp. 77-81 : 79-80

S. unidentata sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–16 ).

Diagnosis: S. unidentata sp. nov. can be distinguished from the most closely allied species by the combination of the following characteristics: head brown with yellow carinae and tegmen with apical portion of M 2, M 3+4 and Cu infuscate and a dark claval spot as in Fig. 13 ; male with aedeagus slightly compressed, broadly rounded at base with the shaft slightly twisted and regularly narrow with the apex slightly produced in a curved blunt tip as in Fig. 7 , and parameres with the inner apical angle strongly produced in a long digitiform process as in Fig. 8 ; female with gonapophysis IX (= second valvula) slightly curved at the base, bearing numerous small teeth on distal half as in Fig. 12 .

Description. Holotype male. Uniformly brown; carinae of vertex, frons, clypeus and legs, yellow; tegulae and a stripe across vertex and the middle portion of pro- and mesonotum whiteyellowish ( Figs.1–2 and Fig.14–16 ); tegmen hyaline, apical portion of M 2, M 3+4 and Cu infuscate, with a dark claval spot ( Figs. 3 and 13 ).

Vertex rectangular, longer than wide (1.5:1), wider at base, narrowing slightly toward apex, projecting beyond eyes about onethird of its length; basal compartment occupying approximately the basal half; carinae prominent, submedian forming a slender triangular area continuing beyond the fastigium ( Figs. 1–2 and 14 ).

Frons more than twice longer than wide (2.2:1), wider near apical margin; lateral margins subparallel, slightly convex at apex; carinae well-developed, median carina narrowly forked at basal sixth. Clypeus subtriangular, as long as wide, median carina weaker apically; lateral carinae reaching genal carinae. Rostrum short, slightly surpassing mesocoxa, shorter than frons (0.5:1), subapical segment longer than the apical one (1.4:1). Antennae with first segment slightly longer than wide, second segment length 2.5× its width ( Figs. 2 , 15 and 16 ).

Pronotum with conspicuous carinae, lateral ones straight, not reaching hind margin. Mesonotal disk longer than vertex plus pronotum (1.33:1), carinae becoming obsolete apically, not reaching hind margin ( Figs. 1 , 13 and 14 ). Metatibial spur leaf-like, bearing 23–25 black-tipped regular teeth on trailing margin, metatibiae almost as long as metatarsi; first metatarsomere slightly longer than the second plus third ( Fig. 4 ).

Terminalia: pygofer dorsally with deeply concave anal emargination; anal angles rounded in lateral view ( Figs. 5 and 6 ); diaphragm short, dorsal margin with a typical medial U-shaped emargination with the sclerotized border posteriorly projected, ventral margin sinuous with a small medioventral process ( Fig. 6 ). Aedeagus slightly compressed, dorsocaudally directed, wide in the basal third almost twice as wide as the shaft, rounded in profile; shaft rather straight and slightly twisted, 3× as long as wide, regularly narrow, ending in a slightly ventrally-curved blunt tip; two divergent rows of 14 small teeth ascending from ventro-basal third on both sides to the dorsal third, the left one continuing with an oblique dorsal row of 6 teeth that end subapically, phallotreme subapical on left side ( Fig. 7 ). Suspensorium short, 3× longer than wide, widely joined to the anal segment. Connective somewhat curved at base, genital chamber transversal, slightly longer than suspensorium and apically embracing the base of the aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ). Parameres relatively long and apically convergent, with inner margin strongly concave, produced and bordered in the middle of its length; external margin sinuous; apical margin obliquely truncate; inner apical angle strongly produced mediad in a long digitiform process; outer apical angle rounded ( Fig. 8 ). Anal segment moderately short, collar-like, with a pair of slender, curved, cephalad-directed and moderately-long spine-like processes arising sub-medially from the apical margin; anal style 2 × longer than wide ( Fig. 9 ).

Measurements (n = 10): T.L., 3.7 ± 0.02; B.L., 2.3 ± 0.02; l.t., 3.3 ± 0.01; t.n., 23–25.

Female. Color pattern similar to male, ovipositor brown with gonapophysis VIII light brown.

Genitalia: Ovipositor short, reaching anal segment at base ( Fig. 10 ). Sternite VII membranous, finely sculptured. Valvifers VIII (= gonocoxa VIII) regularly broad, in ventral view separated at rest; cuticle finely denticulated at base ( Fig. 11 ). Gonapophysis IX (= second valvula) slightly curved at base, bearing numerous small teeth on its dorsal margin, becoming bigger and more spread toward distal half ( Fig. 12 ).

Measurements (n = 9): T.L., 4.3 ± 0.02; B.L., 2.9 ± 0.015; l.t., 3.95 ± 0.02; t.n., 23–25.

Etymology. The species name refers to the shape of the genital parameres, with the strongly produced inner angle.

Material examined. Holotype male: ARGENTINA, Tucumán, Manantial , 26 ◦ 51 lS 65 ◦ 17 lO, 31-V-2010, on weed, E. Virla, ( MLP) . Paratypes. ARGENTINA: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( MLP) ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Villa Carmela , 26 ◦ 75 lS 65 ◦ 28 lW, Tucumán, 29-IV-1999, in Cynodon sp. , E.Virla ( MLP) ; 2 ♂♂, Pueblo Cazes , 32 ◦ 00 lS 58 ◦ 30 lW, Entre Ríos, 19-XI-2005, in Oryza sativa L., G. Bonnot ( MLP) ; 1 ♂, La Plata , 34 ◦ 56 lS 57 ◦ 57 lW, Buenos Aires, 9-II-2010, on O. sativa, R. Mariani col. ( MLP) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Delta INTA , 34 ◦ 17 lS 58 ◦ 86 lW, Buenos Aires, I-1973, A. Bachman col. ( FCEyN-UBA ) .

Additional material not included in the type series. ARGENTINA: 1 female, Clorinda , 25 ◦ 17 lS 57 ◦ 43 lW, Formosa, I-1979, A. Cicchino ( MLP) ; 1 male, Laguna Oca , 26 ◦ 14 lS 58 ◦ 10 lW, Formosa, I-1970, P. Denier ( MLP) ; 1 female, Puerto Iguazú , 25 ◦ 36 lS 54 ◦ 49 lW, Misiones, XI-1944, B. Torres ( MLP) , 1 male and 1 female, Famaillá , 27 ◦ 03 lS 65 ◦ 24 lW, Tucumán, I-2012, in Cynodon sp. Arguello ( MLP) , 1 male, El Siambón , 26 ◦ 44 lS 65 ◦ 27 lW, Tucumán, 27-VI-1999, E.Virla ( MLP) , 1 male, Villa Carmela , 26 ◦ 75 lS 65 ◦ 28 lW, Tucumán, 15-V-1999, in Zea mays, E. Virla ( MLP) ; 1 female, Arroyito , 31 ◦ 25 lS 63 ◦ 03 lW, Córdoba, 3-III-2001, in Cynodon sp. ( MLP) , 1 male, 1 female (both with genitalia dissected in vial), Sampacho , 33 ◦ 23 lS 64 ◦ 43 lW, Córdoba, 3-I-1985, in bermudagrass, E. Dagoberto ( MLP); male, San Lorenzo, 28 ◦ 08 lS 58 ◦ 46 lW, Corrientes, 2-III-2001, in weed ( MLP) ; 1 males, 1 female, Villa Elisa , 32 ◦ 10 lS 58 ◦ 24 lW, Entre Ríos, 10-X-2005, in weed, G. Bonnot ( MLP) ; 1 male (with genitalia dissected in vial), La Plata , 34 ◦ 56 lS 57 ◦ 57 lW, Buenos Aires, 20-XI- 1991 in weed ( MLP) .

Geographical distribution. ARGENTINA: Tucumán, Formosa, Misiones, Córdoba and Buenos Aires provinces.

Host plants. S. unidentata sp. nov. was mostly collected in natural communities of grasses, where Cynodon prevailed, as well as, from maize ( Z. mays L.) and rice ( O. sativa L.).

Remarks. S.unidentata sp. nov. is included in the genus Sogatella by the combination of the following characteristics according to Asche and Wilson (1990), who studied this genus and related groups based on characters of the male genitalia: the dorsal margin of the diaphragm with a broad U-shape process; aedeagus slightly compressed and twisted with two regular rows of teeth ascending from the ventrodorsal third on both sides to the dorsal third, with the phallotreme situated subapically on the left side. Although species of Tagosodes Asche and Wilson, 1990 have similar coloration and external appearance, they can be mainly differentiated for having other configuration on dorsal margin of the diaphragm (not broad U-shape) and the aedeagus more or less straight never twisted and with teeth irregular spaced and/or forming rows.

S. unidentata sp. nov. may be placed in the S. furcifera group ( Asche and Wilson, 1990) only by the morphological features of the parameres – outer and inner angle of the equally produced or the outer one rounded – although from a biogeographic basis it would seem little feasible. Externally, the new species share with S. furcifera and S. nigeriensis the dark coloration of the frons and clypeus and the marking of the clavus. The diagnostic characteristic of the parameres, which have outer apical angles entirely rounded, make S. unidentata sp. nov. similar to Sogatella petax Fennah, 1963 and S. manetho Fennah, 1963 , a shared feature that is distinguishable from all the other Sogatella species. Further studies will be necessary to determine the phylogenetic affinity among species of Sogatella .

Figures

Figs. 1–12. Sogatella unidentata sp. nov. male holotype: (1) head and thorax, dorsal view; (2) head, frontal view; (3) tegmen; (4) apex of metathoracic leg and metatibial spur; (5) male terminalia, lateral view; (6) diaphragm of pygofer, caudal view; (7) aedeagus, lateral view; (8) left paramere, posterior view; (9) anal segment, ventral view; (10) paratype female abdomen, ventral view; (11) left valvifer VIII, ventral view; (12) gonapophysis IX, right lateral view (Scale= 0.1mm).

Figs. 13–16. Sogatella unidentata sp. nov. male holotype:(13) habitus, lateral view; (14) head and thorax, dorsal view; (15) head, frontal view; (16) head,ventro-lateral view (Scale =1 mm, figure 13; Scale= 0.2mm, Figs. 14–16).