Kusala populi, Song & Li & Xiong, 2011

Song, Yuehua, Li, Zizhong & Xiong, Kangning, 2011, New species and new records of Erythroneurini from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae), Zootaxa 2774, pp. 48-56 : 51

Kusala populi Song & Li sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–20)

Vertex ( Fig. 11) milky yellow, with three large orange yellow patches, the central one produced forward and a dark brown stripe along anterior margin of vertex. Eyes ( Fig. 11) black. Face ( Fig. 12) milky yellow; lorae and lower part of frontoclypeus brownish black; anteclypeus and pair of dark spots below antennal pits black. A slim transverse brownish fascia at transition from face to vertex, arc-like. Pronotum ( Fig. 11) whitish yellow, with large irregular orange brown patches at middle area. Scutellum ( Fig. 11) triangular, transverse impression distinct, curved slightly, with a longitudinal dark line between basal triangles and a blackish brown tip of apex. Fore wing ( Fig. 13) with large orange yellow stripes or patches, smoked pattern in apical area light brown.

Abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 14) long, extended beyond posterior margin of 4th sternite.

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe ( Fig. 15) broad, with oblique dorsolateral internal ridge. Several macrosetae at basal lower angle and near caudal margin well developed. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 16) short, broadened especially at base, with several macrosetae arranged in a row along upper margin. Style ( Fig. 17) apex curved laterally, with a small tooth at subapex; preapical lobe cheliform. Aedeagal shaft ( Fig. 19) just upper part slim, tubular and lower part expanded, with single robust apical process. A large strong appendage arising from central area of aedeagal shaft, which apex bifurcate, teeth-like. Aedeagus ( Figs. 18, 19) preatrium absent; dorsal apodeme little shorter than shaft, expanded in lateral view. Connective ( Fig. 20) central lobe absent, two arms long and slim, stem very short.

Specimen examined. Holotype, ♂, China, Guizhou Province, Mt. Leigong , 1400~ 2170 m, 14-VII-2005, coll. Bin Zhang and Zaihua Yang. Paratypes: 19♂, 20♀, same data as holotype .

Host plant. Populus davidiana Dode (Poplar) .

Measurement. Body length males 2.8–3.0 mm, females 3.0–3.2 mm.

Remarks. This new species resembles K. datianensis sp. nov., sharing with the latter the aedeagal shaft ( Fig. 19) only upper part tubular, slightly curved dorsally and lower part expanged; a strong and long process arising from the central area of aedeagal shaft ventrally; but can be distinguished from the latter by the aedeagus ( Fig. 19) preatrium absent; the dorsal apodeme ( Fig. 19) broadened in lateral view and little shorter than aedeagal shaft; the apex of atrium appendage ( Figs. 18, 19) branched, teeth-like.

Etymology. The specimen examined were collected from poplar tree, so the new species is named after the name of its plant host.