Neotetricodes Zhang & Chen

Zhang, Zheng-Guang & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2012, A new genus of the tribe Parahiraciini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae) from China with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3174, pp. 35-43 : 36-37

Neotetricodes Zhang & Chen , gen. nov.

Type species. Neotetricodes quadrilamina sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis. The genus is readily separated from others in the tribe Parahiraciini by vertex wider than long, frons is nearly flat in disc, with median keel, sublateral keels absent, aedeagus laterally with laminae, dorsal lobe with a process in midline distad.

Description. Body length (from apex of vertex to tip of forewing) 3 6.1-6.5 mm, Ƥ 7.1 mm. Head and thorax. Head (including eyes) slightly wider than pronotum. Vertex subquadrate, anterior margin obtusely angulately produced, posterior margin curvedly emarginate, margins ridged, disc flat and deeply depressed, median keel present, 1.7-2.0 times wider at base than long in midline. Frons with median keel, 1.2 times longer in midline than the widest part, with small verrucoses near lateral margins. Clypeus disc convex, median keel absent. Pronotum with a small pit and some verrucoses beside midline, median keel present. Mesonotum subtriangular, lateral keels present. Forewings elongate, obtuse distally, 2.3-2.6 times longer than widest part, longitudinal veins distinct, Sc and R convergent near base, M three or four-branched, MA simple or bifurcate, MP bifurcate at middle part, Cu simple. Hindwings deeply incised on apical margin into two lobes, anal lobe absent, with a network of veins. Hind tibiae with 2-3 lateral teeth. Spinal formula of hind leg: 8–(8, 10)–2.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus strongly curved in lateral view, with lateral, ventral and dorsal lobes, dorsal lobe of aedeagus distally with a triangular process in midline. Aedeagus laterally with laminae on each side, lateral lobes apically bilobed, acute or rounded apically (in ventral view), anterior margin of ventral lobe trifoliate. Genital styles in profile long oval, with strong process on dorsal margin, caudo-dorsal angle rounded.

Etymology. The genus name, which is masculine, is a combination of “neo-” (means new) and “ Tetricodes ” (name of the related genus), indicates the new genus is similar to the genus Tetricodes Fennah.

Host plant. Unknown.

Distribution. Southwest China (Guizhou)

Remarks. This new genus is similar to Tetricodes Fennah 1956 , but can be distinguished from the latter by: frons with long distinct median keel, disc not swollen; aedeagus laterally with a pair of laminae on each side; dorsal lobe with a process in midline distad (in Tetricodes frons without distinct median keel or only present near base, disc tumid near base; aedeagus laterally with only one lamina on each side; dorsal lobe without any process distad). The genus is also similar to Flavina Stål , but differs from the latter by: frons without sublateral keels; aedeagus laterally with laminae, ventrally without any hooks (in Flavina frons with sublateral keels; aedeagus laterally without laminae, ventrally with a pair of hooks).