Unkanodes (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis, Sohail & Naveed & Qin & Zhang, 2020

Sohail, Kamran, Naveed, Hassan, Qin, Daozheng & Zhang, Yalin, 2020, Taxonomic study of the genus Unkanodes (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Delphacidae) from Pakistan, with description of a new species, ZooKeys 995, pp. 1-13 : 1

Unkanodes (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov.

Description.

Length of male (n=2) 1.4-1.6 mm.

Colour.

General body colour dark brown to black. Vertex pale, compartments with three distinct yellow spots. Carina on frons pale, intercarinal region dark brown, gena concolourous with intercarinal region, compound eyes greyish. Antenna yellowish slightly darker at junction of scape and pedicel. Pronotum and mesonotum medially with a white stripe; darker at adjoining areas, extreme lateral margins and median carina white, lateral carina concolourous with adjoining regions. Forewings dark brown to black, apical and anal margins pale. Legs yellowish, spines with black apices. Abdominal tergites darker, segments IX and X lighter, pygofer brown.

Structure.

Head narrower than pronotum, eyes extending beyond posterior margin of vertex (Figs 12 , 14 ). Vertex ca. 2X longer than wide; stem of Y-shaped carina of vertex obsolete, lateral and posterior margins distinct, arms of submedian carina meeting at fastigium (Fig. 14 ). Frons parallel-sided; widest near basal 1/4 of eyes, narrower in apical 1/3, median carina bifurcate near fastigium (Fig. 15 ). Antennal scape about as long as wide, ca 1/2 x length of pedicel, pedicel bearing many sensory pits arranged in longitudinal rows dorsally from base to apex (Figs 13 , 15 ). Frontoclypeal suture distinct, slightly arched; median carina on postclypeus visible, rostrum elongate, reaching hind coxae (Fig. 15 ). Pronotum much wider than long at midlength; lateral carinae strongly diverging, vanishing before reaching posterior margin and not in line with mesonotal lateral carinae, anterior margin straight at vertex, posterior margin slightly concave medially (Fig. 14 ). Mesonotum tricarinate, subequal to length of pronotum; median carina not extending to apex of scutellum, lateral carinae slightly diverging reaching hind margin, tegula inconspicuous (Fig. 14 ). Forewing covering only half of abdomen; veins granulate (Figs 12 , 16 ). Metatibiae with two lateral spines on shaft, first near tibiofemoral articulation, second after middle. Metatibial spur tectiform, distally narrowed bearing row of 18 black-tipped teeth on outer margin, inner margin straight (Fig. 17 ). Spinal formula of hind leg 5/7/4.

Male genitalia.

In caudal view, pygofer wider than long widest at mid length, dorsolaterally nearly straight (Figs 18 , 20 ); diaphragm armature well-developed, V-shaped, pair of lobes located near the parameres directed upwards, pygofer bridge bearings two distinct tooth-like processes widely diverging, directed backwards forming blunt apex (Fig. 20 ). In lateral view, anterior margin nearly straight gradually arched apically, dorsal and posterior margins acutely rounded (Fig. 19 ). Segment X (anal tube) bearing large, widely spaced posteroventrally curved acute processes (Figs 18 , 19 ). Parameres longer than wide, apically narrow, subapical lobe wider, posterior margin straight (Fig. 24 ). Aedeagus elongate and narrow, basal 1/3 straight, bent gradually forming an obtuse angle, apical 1/3 gradually curved ventrad (Fig. 21 ); in lateral view, with lobe or hump-like process on ventral aspect, with a large tooth just above the lobe on the dorsal aspect (Fig. 21 ). Suspensorium angling circled laterally, apically wider (Figs 22 , 23 ).

Type materials.

Holotype: ♂ Malamjabbah, Swat-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 35°13'21.76"N, 72°25'32.93"E, 2993.39 m, 5 vii 2018, sweeping grasses, coll. Kamran Sohail. Paratype: 1♂, same data as holotype.

Remarks.

This new species was collected in a grass habitat near ponds. The Type locality is an understudied habitat for fulgoroids and the region reflects a true diversity of planthoppers for future prospects.

Female.

Unknown.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the type locality ‘Malamjabba’.

Diagnosis.

The new species is externally similar to U. (Kwonianella) albifascia which also has a white stripe on the thorax and median margins of the forewings. However, it can be separated by the distinctly separated process of the pygofer bridge, widely diverging in U. (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov. but very short and bifurcate at the apex in U. (Kwonianella) albifascia ( Anufriev and Emeljanov 1988, Figs 2 , 6 ; p. 412); and apical half of aedeagus gradually curved ventrad bearing a lobe-like process on the ventral aspect in U. (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov. versus the apical half of the aedeagus slanting dorsad without a lobe in U. (Kwonianella) albifascia ( Anufriev and Emeljanov 1988, Fig. 4 ; pp. 409, 412). Unkanodes (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov. is also close to U. (Kwonianella) insularis Anufriev and U. (Kwonianella) sympatricus Anufriev in external appearance but can be distinguished by the distinct shapes of the aedeagus and parameres.

Figures

Figures 12 - 17. Unkanodes (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov. 12, 13 adult, dorsal and lateral views 14 head and thorax, dorsal view 15 frons, ventral view 16 forewing 17 metatibial spur.

Figures 18 - 25. Unkanodes (Kwonianella) malamjabbensis sp. nov. 18, 19 male genitalia, caudal and lateral view 20 pygofer, caudal view 21 aedeagus, lateral view 22, 23 same, dorsal and ventral views 24 genital style, lateral view 25 medioventral process of armature of diaphragm.

Figures 1 - 11. Unkanodes (Chilodelphax) latespinosa (from Pakistan) 1 adult, dorsal view (macropterous) 2 adult, same species (brachypterous) 3 adult (macropterous), lateral view 4 vertex, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view 5 frons, ventral view 6, 7 male genitalia, caudal and lateral views 8 - 10 anal segment and aedeagus, lateral, dorsal and ventral views 11 genital style, lateral view.