Minucella, Wei, Cong & Zhang, Yalin, 2008

Wei, Cong & Zhang, Yalin, 2008, Minucella, a new leafhopper genus from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Stegelytrinae), Zootaxa 1854, pp. 33-44 : 34-36

Minucella gen. n.

Type Species: Minucella divaricata sp. n.

Etymology. The generic name Minucella is an arbitrary combination of letters. Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis. This new genus is similar to other oriental stegelytrine genera, i.e. Cyrta Melichar 1902 , Paracyrta Wei, Webb & Zhang 2008 and Trunchinus Zhang, Webb & Wei 2007 , in having the laterofrontal sutures extending well onto the vertex with apices converging ( Figs 1 , 29 ). It differs from the above and other genera in the following characters: claval veins fused ( Fig. 3 ), colour pattern consisting of symmetrical patches ( Figs 2, 3 ), 5th apical cell of the fore wing very small ( Fig. 3 ), inner processes of the male pygofer large and lobelike, and aedeagus with paired apical processes or a dorsal process ( Figs 17 , 34 ).

Description. Body generally yellow-brown to black. Frontoclypeus with basal half generally pale yellow to dark brown; lower half black ( Figs 2 , 24 , 30 ). Scutellum with a large white spot near lateral margin medially. Fore wing with a somewhat fuscous patch on appendix and another one adjacent to costal margin medially; 5th apical cell overlapped by a small fuscous patch ( Figs 3 , 31 ).

Head small, distinctly narrower than pronotum, fore margin rounded; eyes encroaching onto pronotum laterally. Vertex slightly shorter than width between eyes, sloping to front; coronal suture distinct, nearly extended to fore margin. Face approximately as long as wide; ocelli on anterior margin of vertex, situated approximately 3X their own diameter from corresponding eye; lateral frontal suture extending well beyond lateral margin of corresponding ocellus; transclypeal suture distinct. Anteclypeus broadening apically, apical margin slightly convex; gena flat; lora broad. Antenna slightly shorter than body length, arising adjacent to lower corner of eye; antennal ledge absent ( Figs 1–2 and 29–30 ). Pronotum about 3X broader than median length; posterior margin slightly concave; lateral margin long with carina present, sharply curved to eye anteriorly. Scutellum slightly longer than pronotum; basal width subequal to width of head ( Figs 1 , 29 ). Fore wing with five apical cells; 5th apical cell very small; middle and outer subapical cells closed, inner subapical cell open; claval veins fused medially and a cross-vein present between inner claval vein and claval suture; appendix broad with margin rounded, extended to fourth apical cell; claval margin strongly elevated and crimped at apex ( Figs 3 , 31 ). Legs densely setose. Fore femur setae short to long: anterior surface with intercalary (IC) setae comb-like and anteromedial (AM) setae irregular; dorsal surface with anterodorsal (AD) and posterodorsal (PD) setae arranged into two rows on basal half and irregular on apical half ( Figs 4, 5 ). Fore tibia with dorsal surface flattened, sloped ( Fig. 9 ); setae of posterodorsal (PD), anterodorsal (AD), anteroventral (AV) and posteroventral (PV) setal rows of similar length, a row of setae (intercalary) between PD and AD rows ( Figs 6, 8 ). Hind femur broadened distally and slightly bowed, with several distal setae elevated on strong bases and several short setae subbasally ( Fig. 10 ). Hind tibia flattened and slightly bowed; several supernumeral setae present between anterodorsal and anteroventral rows ( Fig. 11 ), with posterodorsal row setae very long; anterodorsal row with somewhat thin setae between very thick macrosetae ( Figs 12, 13 ).

Male pygofer side longer than broad, strongly attached to lateral basal margin of valve thereafter with or without an excision, or excision indistinct; with macrosetae near posterodorsal margin and smaller setae near distal margin ( Figs 15 , 25 , 32 ); posterior interconnecting membrane with relatively weakly developed sclerotised areas comprising star-shaped medial area (dorsal connective) between dorsal apodeme of aedeagus and 10th segment and a lobe-like lateral inner process between pygofer and basal apodeme of aedeagus ( Figs 17, 18 ). Valve large, posterior margin angularly produced medially in ventral view ( Figs 16 , 33 ). Subgenital plate moderately long, subtriangular, with a few long fine setae distally ( Figs 16 , 33 ). Connective somewhat Tshaped; stem broad; arms short with weakly fused apical extensions (Figs 26, 35). Style with inner basal arm short, outer basal arm elongate; preapical lobe prominent with several setae adjacent apical process; apical process elongate, tapered to acute apex distally, crenulate ventrally (Figs 26, 35). Aedeagus flat and broad, with lateral margin irregularly dentate in dorsal view; curved anterodorsally in lateral view; with pair of dorsal and ventral processes apically ( Figs 27 , 28 ) or with well developed ventral process subbasally ( Fig. 34 ); gonopore apical; basal apodeme moderately long ( Figs. 28 , 30 ). 10th segment large ( Figs 17 , 25 , 32 ).

Female 7th sternite with posterior margin with a very distinct V-shaped incision medially and a rounded incision laterally. First valvifer very long, visible in undissected specimen ( Fig. 19 ). Female pygofer with ventroposterior margin incurved ( Fig. 20 ). First valvulae sculpture comprising striations and scale like rows, arranged longitudinally basally and oblique to transverse more distally ( Fig. 21 ). Second valvulae with bladelike area extending over distal half, relatively broad in lateral view with teeth robust and truncate, dorsal sclerotised and hyaline areas absent ( Fig. 22 ). Third valvulae with ventral margin slightly incurved at midlength, expanded distal region extending over distal one half ( Fig. 23 ).

Distribution. China (Fujian, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hainan and Shaanxi Prov.).

Figures

FIGURE 24. Minucella leucomaculata Colour pattern variations of face, head and thorax. YNJH (YUNNAN PROV.: Jing-Hong Co.); YNLJ (YUNNAN PROV.: Li-Jiang Co.); YNMH 1 (YUNNAN PROV.: Meng-Hai Co.; coll. Ji-Kun YANG); YNMH 2 (YUNNAN PROV.: Meng-Hai Co.; coll. Huan-Guang ZOU); SC (SICHUAN PROV.: Omei Shan); FJ (Fujian PROV.); SX (SHAANXI PROV.: Zi-Yang Co.).

FIGURE 25. Minucella leucomaculata Variations of male pygofer, lateral view.

FIGURES 27. Minucella leucomaculata Variations of aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 28. Minucella leucomaculata Variations of aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 1 – 14. Minucella leucomaculata 1, head and thorax, dorsal view; 2, face; 3, fore wing; 4, fore femur, dorsal view; 5, fore femur, anterior view; 6, fore tibia, anterodorsal surface; 7, fore tibia, ventral surface; 8, fore tibia, dorsal surface; 9, cross section of fore tibia; 10, apex of hind femur, lateral view; 11, base of hind tibia, ventral view.; 12, hind tibia, anterior surface; 13, hind tibia, dorsal surface; 14, hind tarsomeres and pretarsus, ventral surface.

FIGURES 29 – 36. Minucella divaricata sp. n. 29, head and thorax, dorsal view; 30, face. 31, fore wing. 32, male genital capsule and segment X, lateral view; 33, valve and subgenital plate, ventral view; 34, style, connective and aedeagus, lateral view; 35, connective and style, dorsal view; 36, aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURES 15 – 23. Minucella leucomaculata 15, male genital capsule and segment X, dorsal view; 16, valve and left subgenital plate, ventral view; 17, base of aedeagus, part of sclerotised inner process and dorsal connective, lateral view; 18, aedeagus, part of scerlerotised inner process and dorsal connective, in view of arrow in Fig. 17; 19. apex of female abdomen. 20, female genital capsule; 21, first valifer and first valvula; 22, second valvula. 23, third valvula.