Mileewa rubricosta He & Yang, 2021

He, Hong-Li, Yan, Bin, Yang, Mao-Fa & Webb, M. D., 2021, Four new species of Mileewini leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Mileewinae) from China, with a checklist to Chinese species, Zootaxa 4949 (3), pp. 521-540 : 526

Mileewa rubricosta He & Yang , sp. nov.

( Figs 1e–h , 3 )

Length: male 5.9 mm.

Dorsum reddish brown; crown with a median longitudinal stripe and one more slender sublateral stripe in anterior half on each side, small spot on posterior margin on either side of median line, yellowish white; eyes yellowish brown; ocelli dull reddish; pronotum with two yellowish brown oblique stripes symmetrically on anterior margin, connected to two small spots posteriorly; thorax with small yellowish brown spots; forewing hyaline mottled with pale and dark brown, costal area broadly reddish, large hyaline spot at apex of clavus, and one small spot at base of second and third apical cell respectively, veins reddish; venter yellowish orange ( Figs 1e–h ).

Head slightly narrower than pronotum, crown roundly produced in dorsal view, median length slightly shorter than interocular width. Forewing similar in width throughout length, apex truncate ( Fig. 1h ).

Male pygofer with ventral process long with few teeth on ventral margin, expanded in basal two thirds in lateral view then abruptly narrowed to acute apex ( Fig. 3a ); process sinuate in ventral view with basal half expanded then gradually tapered to acute apex ( Fig. 3b ). Subgenital plate with inner margin sinuate in ventral view, with several macrosetae laterally (uniseriate in basal half of plate) and several fine microsetae on ventral surface ( Fig. 3c ). Connective Y-shaped, stem short, arms widely spaced. Style slender, foot like apically, with approximately 12 setae at mid-length ( Fig. 3d ). Aedeagus broad in lateral view, laterally compressed, shaft slightly expanded distally in ventral view with a process on each side asymmetrically placed and numerous spicules dorsally, gonopore apical ( Figs 3 e-g).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the reddish costal area in this species.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, China, Gansu Province, Diebu County, Lazikou (2121 m), 30 August 2018, coll. Zai-hua Yang and Wen Zhang.

Remarks. This species is not a typically marked Mileewa as its dorsum is reddish brown rather than blackish brown. It is also unusual in having the forewing apex very slightly rounded ( Fig. 1h ) rather than truncate or concave as in most other Mileewa . However, it is similar to M. zhanae Yang, Meng & Li in the shape of the aedeagus in lateral view, but can be distinguished from the latter species by its more expanded aedeagus in ventral view and by its un-forked pygofer process (forked in M. zhanae ). In the single specimen examined its processes are asymmetrically placed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. External features of Mileewa species. a–d, M. clavata sp. nov., a, habitus, dorsal view; b, habitus, lateral view; c, face; d, forewing; e–h, M. rubricosta sp. nov., e, habitus, dorsal view; f, habitus, lateral view; g, face; h, forewing; i–l, forewings, i, M. xiaofeiae; j, M. lackstripa; k, M. houhensis; l, M. alara. Scale lines = 500 μm.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of Mileewa rubricosta sp. nov. a–b male pygofer, a, lateral view; b, right side, posterior view of process; c, subgenital plate, lateroventral view; d, style and connective, ventral view; e–g, aedeagus, e, dorsal view; f, lateral view; g, ventral view. Scale lines = 0.1 mm.