Stirellus daii, Duan, Yani, Webb, M. D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2016

Duan, Yani, Webb, M. D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2016, Review of the leafhopper tribe Stenometopiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from China with description of four new species, Zootaxa 4171 (1), pp. 101-138 : 111

Stirellus daii sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–8 )

Length. Male: 4.2–4.7mm; female: 5.9–6.4mm.

Color. General color greenish-stramineous throughout ( Fig. 7 ). Vertex and pronotum with yellow hues ( Fig. 7 A, 7D).

Body. Head narrower than pronotum, anterior margin rounded to face, rounded. Vertex nearly as long as width between eyes ( Fig. 7 A, 7D). Ocellus next to eye slightly below anterior margin ( Fig. 7 B–C). Eye relatively large ( Fig. 7 A, 7D). Apex of anteclypeus widened, extending beyond normal curve of genae ( Fig. 7 C, 7F). Pronotum median length nearly as long as median length of crown or slightly longer than median length of crown. Mesonotum and scutellum shorter than pronotum ( Fig. 7 A, 7D). Forewing macropterous, sometimes exposing apex of abdomen in female ( Fig. 7 A–B, 7D–E).

Male. Pygofer side without macrosetae, apex angulate ( Fig. 8 A). Subgenital plate slightly concave laterally, apex round, macrosetae nearly uniseriate laterally ( Fig. 8 C). Style narrow, apophysis digitate, laterally curved ( Fig. 8 D–E). Connective stem shorter than arms ( Fig. 8 F–G). Aedeagal shaft bent at base, long, curving, parallel to aedeagal base, tip pointed ( Fig. 8 H–K).

Female. Hind margin of seventh sternum concave ( Fig. 7 G).

Material examined. Holotype: Ƌ, China, Fujian Prov.: 1Ƌ, Wuping County, 320m, 2 September 2008, coll. Gao Xia & Li Xiaoqing . Paratypes: China, Guangdong Prov.: 2Ƌ, 3♀, Guangzhou City , 23 October 2005, coll. Li Jun & Feng Yongjun ( GDEI); 1Ƌ, Guangzhou City, 19 March 2006, coll. Li Jun ( GDEI) ; Hainan Prov.: 1Ƌ, 3♀, Baisha County, Mt. Yinggeling , 480m, 24 May 2007, coll. Duan Yani ; Yunnan Prov.: 1♀, Mengla County, Longmen , 13 May 2013, coll. Xue Qingquan .

Remarks. This species can be distinguished by vertex and pronotum with yellow hues, head narrower than pronotum and vertex nearly as long as width between eyes ( Fig. 9 A, 9D). Based on Fig. 3 , this species is somewhat similar to S. breviceps (Matsumura) , but the proportions of the vertex and colour are slightly different in the two species. Its male genitalia is somewhat similar to S. flavovirescens (Stål) from South Africa, as figured by Theron (1980: 286), but the proportions of the vertex, anteclypeus and subgenital plate are slightly different in the two species.

Etymology. This species is named for Wu Dai for his work on Chinese leafhopper systematics

Figures

FIGURE 3. Stirellus breviceps. Holotype. A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view; C: labels.

FIGURE 7. Stirellus daii sp. nov. A – C: male; D – G: female. A, D: habitus, dorsal view; B, E: habitus, lateral view; C, F: face; G: the end of female abdomen, ventral view.

FIGURE 8. Stirellus daii sp. nov. A, B: male pygofer and segment X – XI, lateral and dorsal view, respectively; C: valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; D – E: style, dorsal view; F – G: connective, dorsal view; H, J: aedeagus, dorsal view; I, K: aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURE 9. Stirellus grandis. A – C: male; D – G: female. A, D: habitus, dorsal view; B, E: habitus, lateral view; C, F: face; G: the end of female abdomen, ventral view.