Sphinctogoniella, Meng, Ze-hong, Yang, Mao-fa & Zhou, Yu-feng, 2016

Meng, Ze-hong, Yang, Mao-fa & Zhou, Yu-feng, 2016, A new sharpshooter genus for Sphinctogonialingula Yang & Li (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Cicadellini) from China, ZooKeys 561, pp. 21-29 : 22-23

Taxon classification Animalia Hemiptera Cicadellidae

Sphinctogoniella gen. n. Figs 1-6, 13-18, 26-32

Type species.

Sphinctogonia lingula Yang & Li, 2002.

Diagnosis.

The new genus can be recognized by the following combination of features: (1) head anteriorly broadly rounded with ocelli located on imaginary line between anterior eye angles; (2) forewing with membrane distinct, veins obscure; (3) male pygofer without processes, surface with macrosetae near posterior margin; (4) subgenital plates slender, apex acute; (5) aedeagus slender, articulating sub-basally with unpaired paraphysis; (6) paraphysis with long spiniform processes; (7) style slender, extending posteriorly well beyond apex of connective, apex curved, hook-shaped; (8) female abdominal sternum VII well produced from ligulate base.

Description.

Length. 8.7-9.8 mm.

Coloration. Head and thorax dorsum and forewings orange-red to red, with black markings.

External features. Head (Figs 1-6) with anterior margin broadly rounded, median length slightly shorter than interocular width; crown with surface slightly convex, with fovea between ocelli and anterior angles of eyes; ocelli located on imaginary line between anterior eye angles, lateral frontal sutures extending onto crown, attaining ocelli; ocellus closer to adjacent eye than to each other; frontoclypeus flattened medially, muscle impressions distinct, anteclypeus convex longitudinally, apical margin sinuate, transclypeal suture indistinct medially. Pronotum (Figs 1, 4) slightly narrower than head, lateral margins divergent posteriorly, basal portion with transverse concavity, posterior margin slightly concave; mesonotum with surface of scutellum convex, transverse depression short and nearly straight; forewing with membrane distinct, veins obscure, base of second and third apical cells aligned transversely; hindleg with femoral setal formula 2:1:1.

Male genitalia. Male pygofer lobes tapered to apex (Fig. 13), without processes, with macrosetae near posterior margin. Subgenital plates (Fig. 14) tapered to acute apex, distal half with uniseriate macrosetae medially and some short microsetae laterally. Aedeagus (Figs 15, 16) slender, articulating at its base with subapical part of paraphysis; gonopore apical on dorsal surface. Paraphysis (Figs 15, 16) unpaired with long spiniform processes. Connective (Fig. 17) broadly V-shaped. Style (Fig. 18) slender, extending posteriorly well beyond apex of connective, apex curved, hook-shaped.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII (Fig. 26) produced from ligulate base. Pygofer (Fig. 27), in lateral view, moderately produced; surface with macrosetae on posterior portion and ventral margin. Valvulae I (Figs 28, 29) of ovipositor, in lateral view, slightly expanded near apex; dorsal area with strigate sculpture in oblique lines extending from basal curvature to apex; ventral sculptured area restricted to apical portion, formed mostly by scale-like sculpture; apex of shaft acute. Valvulae II (Figs 30-32) of ovipositor, in lateral view, expanded beyond basal curvature; dorsal and ventral margins slightly convex; apex acute; preapical ventral prominence absent; 23 stout subtriangular teeth distributed from basal expanded portion to apical portion of shaft; teeth and apical portion of shaft bearing denticles. Gonoplacs, in lateral view, with basal half narrow and apical half distinctly expanded; apex rounded; surface with few setae on apical portion.

Distribution.

China (Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou).

Etymology.

The generic name is derived from Sphinctogonia . The gender of the genus is feminine.

Remarks.

In Young’s (1986) key to genera of the Old World Cicadellini the new genus runs to Nanatka Young, 1986, but differs from this genus in having a greater body size, the hindleg with femoral setal formula 2:1:1, the subgenital plates slender and acute apically (Fig. 14), and the paraphysis with long spiniform processes subapically (Figs 15, 16). Although the new genus also shares similarities with Sphinctogonia Breddin, 1901, such as the roundly produced head (Figs 1 and 4) and the male pygofer without processes (Fig. 13), it differs in the various features shown in Table 1.