Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the sharpshooter genus Dasmeusa Melichar, 1926, with a scanning electron microscopy study of D. pauperata (Fabricius, 1803) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini)

The genus Dasmeusa is distributed in Northern and Northeastern Brazil and the Guianas. Until the present study, six species were recognized within Dasmeusa. The species of this genus are very similar in terms of color and external morphology, being distinguished mainly by the male terminalia. Here, we review and redescribe Dasmeusa and its species, describe four new species, and present the first phylogenetic analysis of the genus, including 40 morphological characters and 15 terminal taxa. Dasmeusa flavescens Metcalf and Erythrogonia bicolor Metcalf are considered junior synonyms of the type-species, Dasmeusa pauperata (Fabricius). Scanning electron microscopy was employed for a detailed study of the integument of the type-species, including sensilla, surface sculpturing, brochosomes, organ of Evans, and other structures. The phylogenetic analysis with equal weights resulted in nine most parsimonious trees. The implied weighting method resulted in two trees, both with the same ingroup topology as observed in one of the nine equal-weights trees. This preferred topology is as follows: ((D. basseti (D. mendica (D. rafaeli sp. nov., D. falcifera sp. nov.))) (D. isabellina (D. oriximina sp. nov. (D. pauperata (D. imperialis, D. dinizi sp. nov.))))). Dasmeusa was recovered as monophyletic in all trees, being supported by five apomorphic characters

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae)

The leafhopper tribe Platyjassini, endemic to Madagascar, is revised, largely based on specimens obtained in a recent bioinventory project led by the California Academy of Sciences. Platyjassini was previously known based on the type genus, Platyjassus Evans, 1953, and four described species. Betsileonas marmorata (Blanchard, 1840), the largest leafhopper recorded from Madagascar, presently known from a few specimens collected &gt; 100 years ago and recently considered a genus and species incertae sedis within Cicadellidae, is newly placed in Platyjassini. Fourteen new genera and 54 new species are described and illustrated, and three new combinations are proposed. Pachyjassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov., Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. and Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. Pallijassus gen. nov. is erected to include two species previously placed in Platyjassus, Pallijassus reticulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. and Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. Petalojassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. Phaiojassus gen. nov. includes seven new species: Phaiojassus acutus sp. nov., Phaiojassus bispinosus sp. nov., Phaiojassus constrictus sp. nov., Phaiojassus grandis sp. nov., Phaiojassus spatulatus sp. nov., Phaiojassus undulatus sp. nov. and Phaiojassus unispinosus sp. nov. Pictojassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pictojassus kirindiensis sp. nov., Pictojassus productus sp. nov. and Pictojassus tulearensis sp. nov. Platyjassella gen. nov. includes six new species: Platyjassella ancora sp. nov., Platyjassella andohahelensis sp. nov., Platyjassella attenuata sp. nov., Platyjassella cormorana sp. nov., Platyjassella emarginata sp. nov. and Platyjassella immaculata sp. nov. Platyjassula gen. nov. includes four new species: Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov., Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov., Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. and Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. In addition to the type species, Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953, Platyjassus includes 11 new species: Platyjassus acutus sp. nov., Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov., Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov., Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov., Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov., Platyjassus irwini sp. nov., Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov., Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov., Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov., Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov. and Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov. Plerujassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plerujassus brunnescens sp. nov., in addition to Plerujassus appendiculatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov., previously placed in Platyjassus. Plexijassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plexijassus caliginosus sp. nov. Pseudocurtara gen. nov. includes three new species: Pseudocurtara minima sp. nov., Pseudocurtara nigripicta sp. nov. and Pseudocurtara quadrata sp. nov. Pseudocyrta gen. nov. includes one new species, Pseudocyrta hyalina sp. nov. Pseudomarganana gen. nov. includes two new species: Pseudomarganana olivacea sp. nov. and Pseudomarganana rosea sp. nov. Pulchrijassus gen. nov. includes eight new species: Pulchrijassus anjozorobensis sp. nov., Pulchrijassus eunsunae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus pallescens sp. nov., Pulchrijassus roseus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus rubrilineatus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus sindhuae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus talatakelyensis sp. nov. and Pulchrijassus toamasinensis sp. nov. Punctijassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Punctijassus circularis sp. nov., Punctijassus compressus sp. nov. and Punctijassus ivohibensis sp. nov. Illustrated keys to genera and species are provided.</p

Three new genera from South America and some taxonomic changes in Gyponini (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Three new South American leafhopper genera of the tribe Gyponini are proposed: Beltrana gen. nov. based on Beltrana reticulata gen. et sp. nov. from French Guiana, Fulana gen. nov. based on Fulana brasiliensis gen. et sp. nov.from Brazil, and Sicrana gen. nov. based on Sicrana plana gen. et sp. nov.from Brazil and Ecuador. Diagnoses, detailed descriptions, and illustrations are provided for each taxon, as well as comparisons with closely related genera. In addition, the following synonyms are proposed: Freytagana DeLong, 1975 as a junior synonym of Marganana DeLong, 1948 and F. gibsoni DeLong, 1975 as a junior synonym of M. (Marganana) mexicana DeLong &amp; Freytag, 1963. Chilella DeLong &amp; Freytag, 1967 is transferred from Gyponini to Selenomorphini Evans, 1974.</p

First record of Segonalia Young (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) from Brazil including the description of S. machadoi sp. nov.

Cavichioli, Rodney R., Takiya, Daniela M. (2016): First record of Segonalia Young (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) from Brazil including the description of S. machadoi sp. nov. Zootaxa 4078 (1): 137-142, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4078.1.1

Four species of the new Amazonian sharpshooter Daedaloscarta gen. nov. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Four new species, Daedaloscarta erwini sp. nov. (Peru: Loreto), D. maculata sp. nov. (Brazil: Amazonas), D. mene sp. nov. (Ecuador: Orellana), and D. redacta sp. nov. (Brazil: Amazonas) are described and placed in the new genus Daedaloscarta gen. nov. Species of the new genus can be readily distinguished from other Cicadellini genera by their: (1) dark brown to black dorsal coloration with contrasting large ivory spots; (2) crown produced and round anteriorly (Figs 1-8); (3) pronotum narrower than transocular width of head, with lateral margins parallel; (4) male pygofer with pair of acute finger-like processes arising at dorsal margin directed inwardly and ventrally; (5) subgenital plates with apical two-thirds very slender; (6) aedeagus very large with shaft elongate, with an unpaired basidorsal, elongate bifurcate basiventral, and paired retrorse lateral processes at midlength of shaft; and (7) paraphyses bifurcate and slender. All known specimens are associated with terra firme or flooded Amazonian forests and were collected by light trapping or insecticidal fogging

On the sharpshooter Versigonalia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini): Versigonalia lentiginosa nom. nov., redescription of V. vermiculata comb. nov., and key to species of the genus

Syntypes of Tettigonia vermiculata Signoret, 1855 were studied and redescribed, including the first description and illustration of the male and female genitalia of this species. Based on this study, this Brazilian species, previously placed in Molomea (Proconiini), is herein transferred to Versigonalia (Cicadellini). This transfer resulted in a secondary homonymy and its junior homonym from Argentina, Versigonalia vermiculata Young, 1977 is considered invalid. Thus, we propose a new name, V. lentiginosa nom. nov., for the latter. A taxonomic key to all three species of Versigonalia is also given