Afronaso pumilio Gnezdilov, 2025

Afronaso pumilio Gnezdilov , sp. nov.

( Figs 12–14 View FIGURE 12–14 , 26, 27 View FIGURE 24–29 )

Type material. Uganda: Holotype, female, “UGANDA: / P.E.S. Whalley / B.M. 1961-343” ( BMNH) . Paratype, female, “UGANDA: / P.E.S. Whalley / B.M. 1961-343” ( BMNH) .

Description. Structure ( Figs 12–14 View FIGURE 12–14 , 26 View FIGURE 24–29 ). Brachypterous, with head and body with fore wings covered with sparse tiny depressions with setae inside. Head with body elongate. Metope wide, with convex lateral margins and with sublateral carinae running from its upper margin to metopoclypeal suture. Upper margin of metope trapezoidally concave. Metopial proboscis chisel-shaped (in dorsal view), with median carina apically. Coryphe concave, transverse, three times as wide as long medially, nearly hexagonal, with almost straight hind margin. Rostrum reaching hind coxae, with short, cylindrical third segment. Pedicel cylindrical short, with a strong process and sensory organs. Pronotum slightly shorter than coryphe, with median carina; anterior and posterior margins straight. Paradiscal fields of pronotum very narrow, not visible behind the eyes. Paranotal lobes of pronotum wide. Mesonotum 2.5 times as long as pronotum medially, with lateral carinae. Fore wings with indistinct venation, except relief radius. Hind margins of fore wings reaching middle of third abdominal tergite. Upper margin of fore wings slightly saddle-shaped ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 12–14 ). Femora slightly flattened. Fore tibiae foliate, flattened ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 24–29 ). Middle and hind tibiae not flattened neither foliate. Hind tibia with a single lateral spine near to its middle and five spines apically. First metatarsomere with two latero-apical and one intermediate spines, with short dense setae ventrally. Second metatarsomere with only two latero-apical spines, with dense hair-shaped setae ventrally.

Coloration ( Figs 12–14 View FIGURE 12–14 ). Generally head and body with fore wings whitish light brown, with dense dark brown to black dots. Metope dark brown to black between lateral margins and sublateral carinae, with light yellow traces of larval sensory pits (pustules), and light yellow, with dark brown to black dots between sublateral carinae. Metopial proboscis glossy dark brown to black laterally. Head laterally below and in front of eyes light yellow to dark brown or black. Scapus black, with brown apical margin. Pedicel brown, with dark to black basement and process. Rostrum whitish light brown, with dark brown third segment. Fore femora and tibiae dark brown. Middle and hind legs including coxae brown, with dark brown spots. Hind episternae and epimerae dark brown to black. Third tarsomeres and claws dark brown. Apices of leg spines black.Abdominal sternites light brown, with dark brown to black lateral parts. Gonoplacs dark brown, each with large light yellow lateral spot.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 27 View FIGURE 24–29 ). Hind margin of sternite VII strongly convex ( Fig. 27 View FIGURE 24–29 ). Anal tube widely oval. Anal column short. Gonoplacs short, not surpassing beyond apex of anal tube in lateral view ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 12–14 ).

Total length. 2.5 mm.

Etymology. Species name is referring to the small size of the specimens, in Latin.

Note. Dr. Paul Ernst Sutton Whalley (1930–2019) studied zoology and entomology at Bangor University (Wales, The United Kingdom) and worked in Uganda as an entomologist before returning to the United Kingdom and securing a post with the Natural History Museum in London. Currently his diaries represented by 12 books ranging from 1944 to 2000 are deposited in the Bangor University Archives and Special Collections. In particular, the book 7, with the address on the inside cover “Agricultural Research Station, Kawanda, Uganda ”, consists of 137 pages covering three years period from August 1956 to April 1958 Dr. Whalley spent in Uganda (Paul Whalley Nature Diaries). According to the personal communication of Mr. Gwyn Williams (Bangor, The United Kingdom), there is no any reference to planthoppers in this book. Thus, perhaps the specimens listed above were collected in Kawanda around the Agricultural Research Station where Dr. Whalley worked.

Comparison. The species differs clearly from other species of the genus by small size and short chisel-shaped metopial proboscis. By strongly convex hind margin of sternite VII it is similar to A. rhinarius Jacobi , however, well differing in other external characters.