Asiacercopis Liang, 1994

Liang, A. - P. & Webb, M. D., 2002, New taxa and revisionary notes in Rhinaulacini spittlebugs from southern Asia (Homoptera: Cercopidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (6), pp. 729-756 : 737-738

Asiacercopis Liang

Asiacercopis Liang, 1994b . Type species: A. hainanensis Liang.

Remarks. This genus is similar to Colsa Walker but the latter genus needs to be revised before the extent of their relationship can be ascertained. Liang’ s (1994b) identi®cation of A. niger (Lallemand) was based on non-type material. Examination of the type (BMNH) has shown some diOEerences in the male genitalia (compare ®gures 12, 13 with Liang, 1994b: ®gures 5±8).

Circulocercopis gen. nov. Type species: Circulocercopis ochraceus sp. nov.

Small (5.2±7.0 mm), slender, strongly and ®nely pubescent spittlebugs (®gures 22, 27).

Pale yellow; pronotum posteriorly and scutellum centrally suOEused with brown, with or without brown transverse bands on head and pronotum; fore wings (®gure 20) with pale area basally and near midlength of costal margin and with brown patch between, apical veins brown, variable; ocelli reddish.

Head relatively broad, triangular shaped, sloping anteriorly; vertex with medial length 0.6±0.9 times narrowest transocular width, irregularly rugose without medial longitudinal carina; ocelli close to each other, slightly basad of midlength. Face with postclypeus weakly tumid and slightly laterally compressed with a weak to strong medial longitudinal sulcus (weaker in females); rostrum short, not extending beyond middle coxae. Pronotum with posterior margin concave, transversely rugose. Scutellum similar in length to pronotum, centrally depressed, irregularly rugose. Fore wings elongate, about 2.6±3.0 times as long as broad with veins of apical cells prominent; Rs branched apically. Hind wings with four closed apical cells, Cu1 branched, Cu1a and Cu1b on relatively long stalk, cross vein m±cu meets Cu1a well before branch of Cu1a/Cu1b. Hind tibiae with one strong lateral spur beyond middle; black-tipped spines at apex of hind tibiae and ®rst and second tarsomere numbering 8±10, four and four, respectively.

Male abdomen with eighth sternite narrow, produced posteriorly (as in ®gure 1). Pygofer (®gure 9) moderately long ventrally, very short dorsally. Subgenital plates not fused to pygofer, expanded basally then constricted to form an apical spine-like process; lateral plates elongate, extending to near apex of style. Styles club-shaped, with a dorsally directed apical or subapical forked process. Aedeagus simple, shaft very elongate, curved dorsally then anteriorly, with ®liform coiled or sinuate distal half, laterally compressed.

Female genitalia as in Kanozata (®gures 4, 5).

Etymology. From the Latin Circulus 1 cercopis, referring to the circular apex of the aedeagal shaft in some species; masculine.

Distribution. Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and south and south-west China (Yunnan, Hainan).

Remarks. Circulocercopis can be distinguished by the forked Rs vein in the fore wing and in the male genitalia by its elongate lateral plates and ®liform coiled or sinuate apex of the aedeagal shaft.

Key to species of Circulocercopis 1 Length 5.2±5.5 mm, 5.5±5.8 mm. Head and pronotum without transverse bands; subgenital plate (®gure 23) with very large basal expanded region; aedeagal shaft

(®gure 26) with a ventral process near midlength. Vietnam, Thailand and south

China (Hainan).............. ochraceus sp. nov.

± Length 5.8±6.2 mm, 6.6±7.0 mm. Head and pronotum with transverse brown bands; male genitalia not as above.............. 2

2 Vertex (®gure 27) relatively short, 0.7 times narrowest transocular width; subgenital

plate (®gure 28) with expanded basal area small, apical process elongate; style (®gure 29) with dorsal processes apical, dorsal lobe broad; aedeagal shaft (®gure 31) with apex coiled. Vietnam, Laos and south-west China (Yunnan).. fasciatus sp. nov.

± Vertex relatively long, 0.9 times narrowest transocular width; subgenital plate (®gure 7) with expanded basal area large with apical process moderately long; style (®gure 10) with dorsal process subapical, dorsal lobe acuminate; aedeagal shaft (®gure 6) sinuate in lateral aspect. South-west China (south Guangxi)..... sinuatus sp. nov.