Roxasella sulawesiensis, Lu & Dietrich & Webb & Zhang, 2025

Lu, Lin, Dietrich, Christopher H., Webb, M. D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2025, Revision of the Oriental Roxasella leafopper group: phylogeny, morphological evolution, biogeography, and description of 14 new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 204 (3) : -

Roxasella sulawesiensis sp.nov.

( Fig. 17A–N) (URN:LSID:ZOOBANK.ORG:ACT: 1951C16C-29E2-473F-94C4-859BE3A6FF4B)

Diagnosis: Head with two narrow transverse black bands at anterior margin. Style apex not bilobed, with lateroapical margin convex. Aedeagal shaf relatively short and slightly broader at base, thereafer parallel sided to apex in lateral view, with one pair of short sinuate apical processes. Without additional sclerite between connective and aedeagus. Fore tibia with dorsal setal arrangement of rows AD and PD 1 + 5.

Description: Length (including tegmen): male 7.8 mm.

Coloration: Body sordid yellow. Head with two narrow transverse black bands at anterior margin. Vertex with orange band between anterior eye corners; eyes crimson either side of white transverse band in line with anterior margin of head.

Head slightly wider than pronotum. Crown produced medially by approximately one and a half times length next to eyes. Fore tibia with dorsal setal arrangement of rows AD and PD 1 + 5.

Male genitalia: Pygofer lobe with caudal margin acutely rounded. Style apophysis very short, robust with posterior lateral angle acutely produced, pre-apical lobe moderately well developed. Connective with stem similar in length to arms. Aedeagus with shaf relatively short, in lateral view evenly curved, very slightly broader at base, thereafer parallel sided to apex, in ventral view slightly tapered from base to apex, digitate, with pair of short sinuate apical processes narrow at base, thereafer broadened to midlength and tapered to acute apex, extended ventrolaterally, gonopore apical, small; basal apodeme slightly broadened from base to apex in ventral view, apical margin slightly curved. Without additional sclerite (paraphysis) between connective and aedeagus.

Material examined: Holotype: ♂, Indonesia, Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone National Park , 230 m, 11 July 1985, Fog 13, Plot A ( NHM) . Paratypes: Indonesia, Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone National Park, 1♂, near Edward’s camp, 664 m, 27.iv.1985, M. Horak ;

1♂, ii.1985; 1♂, Edwards camp, 664 m, J.H. Martin; 1♂, Toraut, near base camp, c. 200 m, vi.1985, M.R. Wilson. All types and non-types (see below) collected on Royal Entomological Society of London Project Wallace , B.M. 1985: 10 ( NHM) .

Additional (non-type) material: Indonesia, Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone National Park , 1♀, ii.1985 ; 2♀♀, Edwards camp, 664 m, J.H. Martin, 12.iv.1985; 2♀♀, Toraut, near base camp, ca 200 m, vi.1985, M.R. Wilson.

Etymology: Tis species takes its name from the type locality (Sulawesi).

Remarks: Tis species is similar to R. acontata and R. appendasclerita in shape and coloration but differs from the former in having the aedeagal shaf shorter and broader and from the later in having the aedeagal processes situated apically on the shaf rather than subapically and lacking a small accessory sclerite (paraphysis) between the connective and aedeagus.