Neobelocera lii Hou & Chen

Hou, Xiao-Hui & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2010, Review of the Oriental bamboo delphacid genus Neobelocera Ding & Ya n g (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae) with the description of one new species, Zootaxa 2387, pp. 39-50 : 47-49

Neobelocera lii Hou & Chen , sp. nov.

( Figs 17–29 )

Description. Length of body 1.90–2.00 mm (male), 2.60–2.80 mm (female); including forewing 3.00– 3.40 mm (male), 3.80–4.00 mm (female); forewing length 2.60 mm (male), 3.20 mm (female).

Coloration. Vertex, pronotum, mesonotum ( Fig. 17 ) dirty yellowish brown. Frons ( Fig. 18 ) with basal half dark brown, apical half yellowish white. Genae yellowish white. Clypeus pale yellowish brown to brown. Eyes dark brown. Ocelli reddish brown. Antennae with first segment blackish brown, except median longitudinal band pale yellowish brown, second segment dirty yellowish brown. Thorax with sterna, including coxae of legs yellowish white to pale yellowish brown. Legs yellowish brown, speckled with brown markings. Forewing ( Fig. 19 ) pale yellowish white, almost hyaline, basal part uniform blackish brown and apical part from transverse veins to apex with blackish brown markings, nearly V-shaped, in dark portion veins bear short white stripe at intervals. Pterostigma blackish brown. Abdomeinal terga dark brown, pleura and sterna yellowish white to yellowish brown, except central area reddish orange. Pygofer and anal segment dark brown. Genital styles and aedeagus yellowish brown.

Head and Thorax. Head including eyes wider than pronotum (1.14:1). Vertex ( Fig. 17 ) wider at base than long submedially about 3.46:1. Frons ( Fig. 18 ) longer in middle line than wide at widest part about 1.2:1. Antennae with first segment shorter than second segment about 0.5:1, second segment cylindrical, longer than wide about 2.5:1. Pronotum ( Fig. 17 ) subequal to vertex submedially. Mesonotum longer than pronotum and vertex combined about 2.5:1. Forewing ( Fig. 19 ) longer in middle line than wide at widest part about 2.79:1. Basal segment of digitus longer than second and third together, about 2.0:1.

Male Genitalia. Anal segment ( Figs 20, 21, 24 ) small, ring-like, ventral margin with a stout process medially. Pygofer in caudal view ( Figs 23, 24 ) with opening larger in length than width, ventral margin concave medially, with two short lobes at lateral side, pygofer in profile ( Fig. 22 ) with ventral margin longer than dorsal margin, posterior margin convex caudad. Genital styles ( Figs 24, 27, 28 ) moderately long, widen apically, apical margin slightly concave. Phallus ( Figs 25, 26 ) expanded at base, with aedeagus and phallobase. Phallobase developed, arising from base of phallus, median portion slightly expanded, forming a half sheath at apical half, surrounding aedeagus dorsally, in dorsal view ( Fig. 26 ), phallobase forked unequally at apex. Aedeagus tubular, slender, curved at apical 1/8, forming a node at apex, with 3 spine-like processes subapically. Diaphragm ( Fig. 23 ) membranous, separated.

Female Genitalia. Female pygofer ( Fig. 29 ) with first valvifers moderately large, second valvifers long, broad and large. Ovipositor shorter than pygofer distinctly. Gonangulum small, apex blunt, connected first valvifers and apart from first valvulae.

Type Material. Holotype: male, CHINA: Huanan Botanical Garden (23° 0 8′N, 113′14′E), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 22 Nov. 2006, collected by X.-S. Chen; paratypes 1 male, 4 females, same data as holotype; paratypes 2 males, 1 female, CHINA: Sanzhao County, Guangdong Province, 6 Oct. 2008, collected by X.-H. Hou; paratype 1 male, CHINA: Diaoluoshan National Natural Reserve (18°39´N, 109°32´E- 18°43´N, 109°56´E), Hainan Province, 16 Aug. 2007, collected by B. Zhang.

Host Plant. Bamboo ( Neosinocalamus sp.).

Distribution. Southeastern China (Guangdong: Guanzhou, Zhuhai, Hainan: Diaoluoshan).

Remarks. This new species is similar to N. asymmetrica Ding & Yang , but can be distinguished from the latter by the following features: frons yellowish white at apical half, without dark brown transverse stripes along the inner side of lateral carinae and subapical portion of median carina; genae yellowish white, without pale brown spots; forewing with basal half brown totally, apex with a distinct dark brown V-shaped marking; anal segment with a short, stout process at ventral margin; genital styles expanded apically, apical margin slightly concave; aedeagus with 3 spine-like processes subapically, phallobase thick, half-sheath-shaped. The body coloration pattern and the structural features of male genitalia are distinctly different from other known species in this genus.

Etymology. The species is named after the Chinese entomologist Prof. Zi-Zhong Li in honor of his contributions to homopterous taxonomy.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 29. Neobelocera lii Hou & Chen, sp. nov. (17) Head and thorax, dorsal view; (18) Frons and clypeus; (19) Forewing; (20) Anal segment, lateral view; (21) The same, ventral view; (22) Male genitalia, lateral view; (23) Male pygofer, posterior view; (24) Male genitalia, caudal view; (25) Aedeagus, left side; (26) Aedeagus, dorsal view; (27) Right genital style, posterior view; (28) Right genital style, lateral view; (29) Female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.