Macrocixius rarimaculatus, Zhang, Pei & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2013

Zhang, Pei & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2013, Taxonomic study on the planthopper genus Macrocixius Matsumura (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with descriptions of two new species from China, Zootaxa 3646 (3), pp. 277-288 : 283-285

Macrocixius rarimaculatus sp. nov.

( Figs 27–39 )

Description. Body length (from apex of vertex to tip of forewings): male 10.5–11.2 mm (n = 9), female 11.4–12.5 mm (n = 5)

Coloration. General color black brown ( Figs 55, 59, 63 ). Eyes deeply brown. Ocelli yellow. Face black brown, areas near two ends of frontoclypeal suture with yellow color. Pronotum generally yellow brown, with discal area darker in color. Mesonotum black brown, discal area paler in color. Forewing colorless, hyaline, spreading with small dark brown markings on costal cell, clavus and apical area; stigma black brown; strip between bases of CuP and PCu black brown; yellow alternating with black brown on total length of veins. Hind tarsi with platellae pale brown. Abdomen blackish brown ventrally.

Head. Median ocellus ( Figs 28 , 63 ) slightly above the peak of frontoclypeal suture. Vertex ( Figs 27 , 55 ) 1.6 X wider than long; subapical carina joins lateral carinae at apical 1/4; anterior margin slightly concave into an angle, posterior margin archedly concave; areolets before subapical carina concave, area behind subapical carina deeply and curvedly concave; median carina only existing behind subapical carina. Frons ( Figs 28 , 63 ) 1.3 X longer than wide; anterior margin archedly concave; both sides of median carina with transverse scores. Rostrum with subapical segment 1.3 X longer than apical segment.

Pronotum and mesonotum. Pronotum ( Figs 27 , 55 ) 1.6 X longer than vertex; intermediate carinae curving parallel to posterior margin of eyes, vanishing near anterior margin of pronotum; both sides of median carina deeply concave; posterior margin concave, forming an obtuse angle. Mesonotum ( Figs 27 , 55 ) 1.9 X longer than pronotum and vertex combined; lateral carinae slightly curving laterally, median carina indistinct on posteromedian area.

Wings. Forewing ( Figs 29 , 55, 59 ) 2.9 X longer than wide; fork Sc+ RP basad of fork CuA1+CuA2, fork PCu+A1 basad of center of clavus.

Legs. Hind tibia with 3 lateral spines; chaetotaxy of hind tarsi: 8/9, 2nd hind tarsus with 4 platellae.

Abdomen. Pygofer ( Figs 30, 31 ) with outer margin slightly sinuous in ventral view, almost equal in width from base to apex; in lateral view, lateral lobes subtriangularly extending caudally, outer margin with setae. Medioventral process ( Figs 30, 31 ) 2.7 X wider than long in ventral view, reaching to 1/6 of length of lateral lobes; thumb-like in lateral view. Anal segment ( Figs 30, 32, 33 ), in lateral view, dorsal margin nearly straight, ventral margin sinuous; in caudad view, dorsal margin archedly convex, ventral margin subtriangularly convex; 2.3 X longer than wide in dorsal view; loosely connected with pygofer, movable. Anal style ( Figs 30, 32 ) relatively broad and large; abdominal segment XI relatively broad and large, covering basal half of anal style. Genital styles ( Figs 30, 31, 34 ), in ventral view, apical portion inflated, nearly hammer-shaped, touching each other; in lateral view, dorsal and ventral margins with basal half sinuous and apical portion inflated into balloon-shape; closely connected with connective, unmovable. Aedeagus ( Figs 36–39 ) with total of nine spines; four spines on right side: the shortest one generally straight, with base inflated and the remainder slender, directed dorsocephalad, the longest one crossing dorsal margin of aedeagus to left side, the remaining two spines nearly as long as each other, the upper one slightly sinuous, generally curving downward, directed ventrocephalad, the lower with basal half nearly straight and apical half curving upward, directed dorsocephalad; three spines on left side: the anterior one with basal half broad and large, apical half finely curving upward, directed dorsocephalad, the upper one of the posterior two spines slightly sinuous, directed dorsocephalad, the lower one of the posterior two spines nearly straight, directed dorsocephalad. Flagellum with two subtriangular short spine on apical half, the former one directed dorsocephalad, the latter one directed cephalad. Connective ( Fig. 35 ) broad and large; aedeagal shaft 1.5 X as wide as connective plus ventral arm.

Type material. Holotype: 3, CHINA: Linjiang, Xishui County, Guizhou Province, 1 June 2006, X.-S. Chen. Paratypes: 3 3, 2 ƤƤ, same data as holotype; 5 3, 1 Ƥ, Xiangshuwan, Kuankuoshui National Natural Reserve, Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, 8–12 June 2010, P. Zhang, Y.-L. Zheng and Q.-Z. Song; 1 Ƥ, Wangcao, Kuankuoshui National Natural Reserve, Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, China, 3–6 June 2010, Q.-Z. Song; 1 Ƥ, Baishao Town, Kuankuoshui National Natural Reserve, Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, China, 6–8 June 2010, Y.-J. Li.

Distribution. Southwest China (Guizhou).

Remarks. This new species is similar to M. giganteus , but differs in: (1) the forewing with fewer dark markings; (2) the spines on the left side of the aedeagus differ from the latter in size, direction and position; (3) aedeagus with the shortest spine on right side generally straight, with its base inflated and the remainder slender (the shortest spine on right side of aedeagus awl-shaped in giganteus ); (4) two short spines on flagellum smaller, in tandem for some distance (in giganteus , two short spines of flagellum longer, one above another, near each other).

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin words “ rarimaculatus ”, which refers to the forewing with fewer dark markings.

Figures

FIGURES 27 – 39. Macrocixius rarimaculatus sp. nov. (27) Head and thorax, dorsal view; (28) Face, ventral view; (29) Forewing; (30) Male genitalia, lateral view; (31) Pygofer and genital styles, ventral view; (32) Anal segment, dorsal view; (33) Anal segment, caudal view; (34) Right genital styles, ventral view; (35) Connective, dorsocephalad view; (36) Aedeagus, right side; (37) Aedeagus, left side; (38) Aedeagus, dorsal view; (39) Aedeagus, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 53 – 64. Adult of Macrocixius species. 53, 57, 61. M. giganteus. (53) Habitus, dorsal view; (57) Habitus, lateral view; (61) Face, ventral view. 54, 58, 62. M. grossus. (54) Habitus, dorsal view; (58) Habitus, lateral view; (62) Face, ventral view. 55, 59, 63. M. rarimaculatus. (55) Habitus, dorsal view; (59) Habitus, lateral view; (63) Face, ventral view. 56, 60, 64. M. unispinus. (56) Habitus, dorsal view; (60) Habitus, lateral view; (64) Face, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.