Metanigrus afflatus, Lv & Yang & Chen, 2024

Lv, Shasha, Yang, Lin & Chen, Xiangsheng, 2024, Two new species of the planthopper genus Metanigrus Tsaur, Yang & Wilson from China (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Meenoplidae), with an updated checklist and key to species, Zootaxa 5419 (2), pp. 289-295 : 290-292

Metanigrus afflatus sp. nov.

Figs 1–13

Measurements. Length (including forewing): male 3.83–4.23 mm (N = 2), female 4.41–4.75 mm (N = 2).

Diagnosis. Upper part of frons ( Fig. 4 ) grayish brown, middle and basal parts yellowish brown; forewings ( Fig. 5 ) with black spots, veins brown; apex of pygofer ( Fig. 7 ) each with an obtuse process in ventral view; basolateral fingerlike process of anal tube ( Fig. 6 ) tapering at apex, apex curved dorsad, with a protrusion in lateral view; apex of aedeagus ( Figs 6, 13 ) expanded in lateral view; outer process of gonostyli ( Figs 6, 10 ) sharply angular at apex in lateral view.

Coloration. General color grayish yellow ( Figs 1, 2 ), with thin white wax powder. Upper part of frons grayish brown, middle and basal parts yellowish brown. Clypeus yellowish brown. Eyes black, ocelli grayish white. Pronotum white, middle aera with 2 faint yellowish brown spots. Mesonotum fuscous. Forewings with black spots, veins brown. Hindwings hyaline.

Head and thorax. Head ( Figs 1, 3 ) significantly narrower than pronotum, without median carina. Vertex ( Figs 1, 3 ) shorter in middle line than wide basally (1: 2.31), with two posterolateral areolets at base not meeting medially. Frons ( Fig. 4 ) subrectangular, without median carina, longer in middle line than wide at widest portion (about 1.73: 1), lateral carinae with a row of dense sensory pits along outer margin. Postclypeus ( Fig. 4 ) with distinct median and lateral carinae. Frontoclypeal suture nearly straight. Rostrum elongate, in repose well surpassing hind coxae. Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) wider than maximum width of head (including eyes) (1.32: 1), with median carina and sinuate lateral carinae. Mesonotum ( Fig. 3 ) about 5.41 times longer than pronotum in midline, with distinct median carina. Forewings ( Fig. 5 ) slender, longer than maximal width (2.77: 1), almost as wide at postnodal as prenodal area, veins ScP + R + MP with several sensory pits, MP3 two branched; five postnodal closed cells with C1 smaller than C2, C5 placed next to C3, C4 distally displaced after nodal line, im, r-m and anterior two-thirds of margin with white areas. Hindwings ( Fig. 8 ) with lateral margin notched at CuA1, CuP, and A2, more strongly at A1; A2 not reaching posterior margin. Metatibiotarsal formula: (3+5)-6-5.

Male genitalia. Pygofer ( Figs 6, 7 ) symmetrical, gradually narrowed towards apex, with sinuate anterior and posterior margins, pygopher with internal sulcus; in ventral view, lateral margins slightly curved, apex each with an obtuse process. Anal tube ( Figs 6, 9 ) in lateral view, hand-shaped, anal style slender, lateral lobes distally shorter than anal style, dorsolateral fingerlike process stout, apex rounded, basolateral fingerlike process tapering towards end, apex curved dorsad, with a protrusion; symmetrical in dorsal view, with a thick fingerlike process on each side, rounded at apex. Aedeagus ( Figs 6, 12, 13 ) slender, long, apex expanded in lateral view, with tubular periandrium, lateral lobes swelling on both sides, surface beset with scale-like productions, ventral lobe slender with acute apex, dorsal lobes fingerlike; in ventral view, middle part wider. Gonostyli ( Figs 6, 7, 10, 11 ) slender, divided into two parts, inner process extremely narrow, curved apically, tapering into a process; in lateral view, outer process convex, apex sharply angular, inner margin with long setae; in ventral view, divergent, top of outer process fist-like, inner process sharpened downward; in dorsal view, lateral margins curved, outer process enlarged at apex.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Jianfengling National Natural Reserve, Hainan Province, 13 May 2021, Sha-Sha Lv . Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀♀, Jianfengling National Natural Reserve, Hainan Province, 13 May 2021, Sha-Sha Lv, Lan Zhang , Yong-Jin Sui .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective “ afflatus ”, referring to the apex of aedeagus expanded in lateral view.

Remarks. This species is similar to M. guttatus Lv & Chen, 2021 , but differs from the latter in: (1) basolateral fingerlike process of anal tube tapering at apex in lateral view (basolateral fingerlike process of anal tube rounded at apex in lateral view in M. guttatus ); (2) apex of aedeagus expanded in lateral view (apex of aedeagus unexpanded in lateral view in M. guttatus ); (3) outer process of gonostyli sharply angular at apex in lateral view (outer process of gonostyli nearly fan-shaped at apex in lateral view in M. guttatus ).

Host plant. Bamboo (Bambusoideae).

Distribution. China (Hainan province) ( Fig. 27 ).

Figures

FIGURE 27. Geographic distribution of Metanigrus species.

FIGURES 1–13. Metanigrus afflatus sp. nov., male 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Habitus, lateral view; 3. Head and thorax, dorsal view; 4. Frons, ventral view; 5. Forewing; 6. Pygofer, lateral view; 7. Pygofer, ventral view; 8. Hindwing; 9. Anal tube, dorsal view; 10. Gonostyli, lateral view; 11. Gonostyli, dorsal view; 12.Aedeagus, ventral view; 13.Aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.