Ladoffa tsibi, Chávez-Gutiérrez & Pinedo-Escatel, 2025

Ladoffa tsibi sp. nov.

( Figs 2–5 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig )

Type locality. Ocotal Grande in Veracruz state, Mexico.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: MEXICO: VERACRUZ: J, Ocotal Grande, L. Cervantes, 8-XII-1985 ( CNIN) . PARATYPES: MEXICO: VERACRUZ: 14 JJ 1 ♀; 1 J, Catemaco, Coyame, R. E. Woodruff, Black light trap, 5-III-1963 ( FSCA); 3 JJ, Los Tuxtlas, Arroyo Claro, H. Pérez, 25-V-1977 ( FSCA: 1 J, CNIN: 1 J, INHS: 1 J); 2 JJ, Los Tuxtlas Ocotal Chico, Sierra de Santa Marta, H. Pérez, 17-18-VII-1982 ( CNIN: 1 J, CZUG:1 J); 1 J, Catemaco, Bastonal, H.Rojas & L. Colin, 17-VII-1989 ( CNIN); 2 JJ, H. Rojas, 16-X-1989 ( CNIN: 1 J, INHS: 1 J); 3 JJ, L. Colín, 16-X-1989 ( AMNH: 1 J, ANSP: 1 J, CNIN: 1 J). CHIAPAS: 2 JJ 1 ♀, km 23 Montebello a Santa Elena, CRB, 8-IV-1979 ( CNIN: 1 J 1 ♀; USMN:1 J).

Diagnosis. Forewing disposing a set of red spots arranged as shown in Figs 4 View Fig and 5 View Fig . Pygofer moderately small, square-shaped, having denticles on dorso-apical margin and truncate posterior margin, without processes. Connective T–shaped. Paraphysis globose. Aedeagus with three processes, two subapical and one basal; the paired subapical processes are directed ventrad, and the basal process has a bifid tip.

Description. Coloration. Head almost entirely red in dorsal view ( Figs 2B View Fig , 3A View Fig ); face in anterior view pale yellow ( Figs 2C View Fig , 3C View Fig ); anterior margin of crown brown with a light brown spot on the posterior margin forming an inverted U above midline; eyes dorsally tinged red and from anterior view dark brown to black. Pronotum with a W-shaped red mark; anterior margin with two subparallel brown bands extending towards posterior margin; lateral margins brown. Scutellum with anterior margin brown and red posteriorly ( Figs 2B View Fig , 3A View Fig ). Legs pale yellow ( Fig. 2A View Fig ). Abdomen with venter light cherry-colored and dorsum darker.

Forewing color pattern. Wing ground color black with red spots. Clavus usually with three irregular ( Figs 4A View Fig , 5A–F, I–M View Fig ) or with four spots ( Figs 4B–C View Fig , 5G–H, N–P View Fig ), the first spot is near the wing base, second is likely a circle, third irregularly shaped, fused or not, and fourth almost reaches the base of inner apical cell.Another series of three spots parallel to the claval suture, in some specimens fused to other spots, commonly the first and third spots irregularly shaped while the second is ovoid. Costal margin with two posterior medial spots joining, in some specimens isolated from other spots. One irregular spot over subapical cells extending to the costal margin. Discal zone with four hyaline zones, two triangular on costal margin and two medially semicircular.

Morphology. Crown moderately produced, 1.2× as wide as long, anterior margin conical ( Figs 2B View Fig , 3A View Fig ). Interocular width in dorsal view 1.5× as wide as eye diameter. Frontoclypeus 2.0× as long as wide, not prominent in lateral view. Anteclypeus 1.2× as long as wide, apex rounded, not prominent in lateral view. Gena narrow, 2.5× as long as wide; lora 2.0× as long as wide ( Figs 2C View Fig , 3C View Fig ). Pronotum with anterior margin convex and posterior margin slightly concave, almost straight. Pronotum width medially equal to transocular width and 1.6× wider than length. Basal lateral margins as long as head width. Scutellum without striations on midline, wider than long ( Figs 2A–B View Fig , 3A View Fig ). Scheme of first and second pair of wings usual for Cicadellini . Abdominal apodemes inconspicuous.

Male terminalia. Pygofermoderatelysmall,square-shaped, as wide as long; posterior margin truncated, without processes, with few tiny denticles following dorsoapical margin and macrosetae arranged near posterior half ( Fig. 2D View Fig ). Anal tube membranous, elongated as 0.75× pygofer length, arising about midlength of pygofer. Valve triangular, 2.2× wider than long. Subgenital plates triangular with strongly elongated apex, not reaching posterior margin of pygofer; outer edge with a row of well-differentiated macrosetae, inner medial margin strongly corrugated ( Fig. 2H View Fig ). Styles linear, 1.5× longer than the connective; basal lobe simple and acute; medial lobe weakly developed; curved apophysis with blunt apex ( Fig. 2H View Fig ). Connective short, 1.5× smaller than style; T-shaped; apex slightly curved dorsally ( Fig. 2I View Fig ). Paraphysis elongated, almost reaching the posterior margin of pygofer, tubular, wider at base and narrowing towards apex, branching at two-thirds of total length into divergent branches with sharp posterior end that may or not curve dorsally ( Fig. 2G View Fig ). Aedeagus elongated, covering nearly half length of pygofer, recurved and directed posteriad, with three strongly sclerotized processes directed ventrad: a pair of processes inserted near aedeagus apex and a simple process with a bifid tip inserted near aedeagus base; flanges of stem with linear fine row of denticles reaching almost the tip, apex slightly truncated and without ornamentation; gonoduct weakly sclerotized and narrow; gonopore ovoid, placed on ventral margin ( Fig. 2E–F View Fig ).

Female terminalia. Pygofer, in ventral view, elongated, 2.8× longer than wide, macrosetae distributed near ventral margin along the entire pygofer length. Ovipositor as long as pygofer. Seventh sternite triangular, moderately produced, with a central notch; 0.8× wider than long ( Fig. 3D–E View Fig ).

Measurements (mm). Male (n = 15). Body length 7.81–8.40; body width 2.08–2.20. Head width 0.83–0.67; head length at midline 1.68–1.69; eye width 0.41–0.56, eye length 0.24–0.25; crown width at middle before eyes 1.15–1.21; crown posterior width between eyes 0.97–1.03; distance between ocelli 0.52–0.55; frontoclypeus width 0.80–0.81; frontoclypeus length 0.88–0.93; anteclypeus width 0.16–0.17; anteclypeus length 0.20–0.22; lorum width 0.09–0.10; lorum length 0.48–0.49; gena width 0.51– 0.59; gena length 0.11–0.11. Pronotum width 1.62–1.67; pronotum length 1.15–1.17. Scutellum width 1.19–1.40; scutellum length 0.84–1.00. Forewing length 6.14–6.22. Male capsule: pygofer height 1.08–1.09; pygofer length 0.92–0.96; valve width 0.65–0.68; valve length 0.19–0.21; subgenital plate: apex width 0.033 –0.035; width at middle 0.079 –0.092, base width 0.31–0.28; plate length 0.80–0.83; style length 0.44–0.47, connective length 0.31–0.33; paraphysis length 0.73–0.74; aedeagus length 0.83–0.90.

Female (n = 1). Body length 8.52; body width 2.06. Head width 0.84; head length at midline 1.23; eye width 0.48; eye length 0.25; crown width at middle before eyes 1.28; crown posterior width between eyes 1.06; distance between ocelli 0.60; frontoclypeus width 0.86; frontoclypeus length 0.93; anteclypeus width 0.18; anteclypeus length 0.23; lorum width 0.12; lorum length 0.43; gena width 0.60; gena length 0.12. Pronotum width 1.84; pronotum length 1.11. Scutellum width 1.41; scutellum length 0.95. Forewing length 6.85; forewing width 1.32. Female capsule: pygofer height 0.82; pygofer length 2.42; 7th sternite length 1.18; 7th sternite width 0.85; oviduct 1.93.

Etymology. The species epithet, a noun in apposition, is composed of the word ‘ tsibi ’, which comes from the Otomi language and means "fire", referring to the coloration of the organisms studied.

Habitat. Rainforest.

Distribution. Restricted to Mexico ( Veracruz and Chiapas) ( Fig. 6 View Fig ).

Taxonomic notes. The new species is externally very similar to L. purpurascens Fowler, 1900 , as far as the color pattern of the forewings is concerned. Nevertheless, no other described species has a similar arrangement of genital structures, which clearly differ in the shape of the aedeagus with three processes, two subapical and one basal, the paraphysis, which is globose, and a T-shaped connective.