Abstract
The South American sharpshooter genus Cardioscarta Melichar, 1932 comprises six species. In this paper we describe and illustrate C. splendida sp. nov. based on a specimen from Bolivia (male holotype deposited in DZUP). The new species can be recognized by the orange ground color with five transverse dark brown stripes on dorsum (one on crown and four on forewings), and by the aedeagus with two pairs of dorsal processes on the basal apodemes and a single process at the apex of the shaft. A female from Peru is tentatively assigned to the new species and is also described, since it has the same color pattern as the holotype. An updated key to males and females of all known species of the genus is also given.
Highlights
Cardioscarta Melichar, 1932 currently includes six species of colorful sharpshooters: C. albigutta (Walker, 1851), C. electa Melichar, 1932, C. flavifrons (Signoret, 1853), C. quadrifasciata (Linnaeus, 1758), C. sponsa Melichar, 1932, and C. vernicosa (Le Peletier & Serville, 1825). This genus, which is recorded from Colombia and the Guianas to southern Brazil and Bolivia, is considered related to Poeciloscarta Stål, 1869 and Janastana Young, 1977 (Young 1977)
Cardioscarta can be distinguished from Poeciloscarta and Janastana, as well as from the remaining Neotropical genera of Cicadellini, by the following combination of characters: (1) ocelli located on an imaginary line between anterior eye angles; (2) thorax with pronotal width greater than transocular width of head; (3) pronotal surface without rugae; (4) male pygofer strongly produced posteriorly and without processes; (5) subgenital plates not abruptly narrowed anteapically; and (6) aedeagus with processes basally or more apically on shaft
We describe a new Cardioscarta species based on a male from Bolivia
Summary
Cardioscarta Melichar, 1932 currently includes six species of colorful sharpshooters: C. albigutta (Walker, 1851), C. electa Melichar, 1932, C. flavifrons (Signoret, 1853), C. quadrifasciata (Linnaeus, 1758) (type species), C. sponsa Melichar, 1932, and C. vernicosa (Le Peletier & Serville, 1825). A female from Peru with the same color pattern as the holotype is tentatively assigned to the new species and is described.
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