Ruppeliana tridentata, Alasmar & Cavichioli, 2025

Ruppeliana tridentata sp. nov.

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Figs 12–13 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Large sharpshooters, about 10 mm length ( Fig. 12A–B View Fig ). Crown yellow, with black marks ( Fig. 12A View Fig ). Frons yellow, with three longitudinal stripes, two laterally, one medially, connecting each other posteriorly ( Fig. 12C View Fig ). Forewings mottled with pale spots ( Fig. 12A View Fig ). Male pygofer strongly produced posteriorly, with a slight reentrance preapically in dorsal margin, subgenital plate not surpassing apical third ( Fig. 12D View Fig ). Connective U-shaped, style with apex obtuse ( Fig 12F View Fig ). Aedeagus shaft with apex truncated ( Fig. 12G View Fig ). Aedeagal atrium with an elongate basidorsal process, with apex acute and a pair of lobate processes dorsoapically at the sheath-like portion ( Fig. 12H View Fig ).

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ tridentata ’ is derived from the Latin, where the word ‘trident’ means ‘three teeth’. This refers to the trident-shaped maculae present on the specimen’s frons.

Type material

Holotype

BRAZIL – Rio de Janeiro State • ♂; Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos (PARNASO); Jun. 2007; Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos , UFRJ leg.; MNRJ.

Paratypes

BRAZIL – Rio de Janeiro State • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; MNJR; 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; DZUP .

Description

MEASUREMENTS (mm). Total length. Male holotype: 9.5. Paratypes ( ♂): 8.9 (n = 1); ( ♀) 9.7–9.9 (n = 2).

HEAD ( Fig. 12A View Fig ). In dorsal view, moderately produced anteriorly, anterior margin rounded, median length of crown approximately ⅓ of interocular width and approximately ⅓ of transocular width. Frons ( Fig. 12C View Fig ), in lateral view, with a slight anteapical process, in frontal view, texture slightly granular, muscular impressions indistinct, epistomal suture complete. Clypeus ( Fig. 12C View Fig ) without pubescence. Pronotum ( Fig. 12A View Fig ), in dorsal view, with lateral margins parallel, posterior two-thirds of disk slightly transversely striated medially. Mesonotum ( Fig. 12A View Fig ) slightly granulated before transverse sulcus and slightly transversely striated posteriorly. Forewings ( Fig. 12A–B View Fig ) with veins indistinct; membrane distinct, including inner apical cell and posterior third of remaining apical cells, bases of anteapical cells approximately aligned with claval apex. Remaining characteristics of external morphology as described for the genus by Young (1977: 747).

COLORATION. Crown ( Fig. 12A View Fig ) yellow, with blackened marks. Frons ( Fig. 12C View Fig ) yellow, with a longitudinal trident-shaped maculae: two bands laterally and one medially, connected posteriorly. Clypeus ( Fig. 12C View Fig ) black, anterolateral margins yellow. Lorum and gena ( Fig. 12C View Fig ) yellow and black, respectively. Pronotum ( Fig. 12A View Fig ) anterior third yellow, with black maculae, posterior two-thirds browned, with yellowed areas laterally, posterior margin black. Mesonotum ( Fig. 12A View Fig ) yellow, with two inverted triangular black maculae laterally. Meso and metasternum ( Fig. 12B View Fig ) black. Forewing ( Fig. 12A–B View Fig ) browned, mottled with paler spots, costal margin smoky yellow basally. Legs ( Fig. 12B–C View Fig ) yellow, tibia anterior portion browned. Abdomen ( Fig. 13A–B View Fig ) blackened with lateral portions paler.

MALE GENITALIA. Pygofer ( Fig. 12D View Fig ), in lateral view, strongly produced posteriorly, dorsal margin with a slight reentrance preapically, posterior margin rounded, macrosetae distributed from basal to ventroapical portions. Valve ( Fig. 12E View Fig ), in ventral view, narrow, lateral margins acute anteriorly, ventral margin slightly concave. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 12D View Fig ), in ventral view, triangular, narrowing gradually towards apex, inner margin rectilinear, outer margin with a multiseriate row of macrosetae; in lateral view, broadened, not reaching pygofer apical portion. Style ( Fig. 12F View Fig ), in dorsal view, elongate, extending posteriorly beyond apex of connective, outer margin with a slight median lobe, apical portion slightly curved outwards and outer margin bearing microsetae, apex obtuse. Connective ( Fig. 12F View Fig ), in dorsal view, U-shaped, arms short, with a median keel. Aedeagus ( Fig. 12G–H View Fig ), in lateral view, shaft slightly curved ventrally, with apex truncated; aedeagal atrium well developed, forming a sheath-like structure, directed anteroventrally, not trespassing shaft’s posterior half; with a pair of elongate narrowed basidorsal processes, with acute apex, directed posteriorly and trespassing much far as shaft’s apex, and a pair of lobate processes dorsoapically; in ventral view, anterior margin of atrium slightly concave, with a pair of lobated processes laterally, posterior margin projected medially; basidorsal processes apical portions slightly convergent or subparallel.

FEMALE GENITALIA. Pygofer ( Fig. 13B View Fig ), in lateral view strongly produced posteriorly, posterior margin triangular, macrosetae along ventral margin. Abdominal sternite VII ( Fig. 13B–C View Fig ) as long as wide; posterior margin with a slight tip medially, posterolateral corners convergent. Valvifer I ( Fig. 13D View Fig ), in lateral view, rounded. Valvula I ( Fig. 13D–E View Fig ), in lateral view, blade narrowed apically, apex narrowly rounded; dorsal sculptured area strigate, extending from basal portion to apex, reaching halfwidth of blade, ventral sculpted area strigate, restricted to apical portions. Valvula II ( Fig. 13F–I View Fig ), in lateral view, slightly expanded beyond basal curvature, narrowing gradually towards apex, without preapical prominence, apex rounded; dorsal margin with 45 continuous teeth, irregular shaped in basal curvature, robust and subtriangular at basal and median portions, small and rounded in apical portion, all bearing denticles. Gonoplac ( Fig. 13I–J View Fig ), in lateral view, with basal half narrow, apical half expanded; apex rounded, with apical surface bearing denticuli and macrosetae along ventroposterior margin.

Remarks

The specimens of Ruppeliana tridentata sp. nov. at hand were placed along R. grossii specimens, due to the same locality in the precedence label. However, they can be promptly differentiated by the overall coloration: while R. tridentata presents the entire forewing mottled with spots, R. grossii is remarkably blackened with few yellow spots in forewings basal half. Additionally, the pygofer in R. grossii is narrowed towards the apex, which is narrowly rounded, whereas in R. tridentata , dorsal margin with a slight reentrance preapically, and apex rounded. Until today, R. tridentata is known only from its type locality, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos (PARNASO), located in Teresópolis city, from Rio de Janeiro State.