Thagria decussata Fan & Dai

Fan, Zhi-Hua, Li, Zi-Zhong & Dai, Ren-Huai, 2015, Taxonomic study of the leafhopper genus Thagria Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from Guangxi, China, Zootaxa 3918 (4), pp. 451-491 : 459-460

Thagria decussata Fan & Dai sp. nov.

( Figs. 60–84 )

Description. Body length of male 8.2 mm, female 9.5 mm.

Body slightly robust, medium ( Figs. 60 , 70 ). Crown with four transverse bands, from base to apex brown, black, ivory and black; ocelli and eyes brown ( Figs. 62 , 72 ). Face with clypeus with three black-brown bands, anterior band narrowest, middle widest, distal longest crossing lora and genae; clypellus apical half blackish brown, remainder of face light yellow in male or deep yellow in female ( Figs. 63 , 73 ). Pronotum densely covered with yellow-brown nubs and traversed by three bands: black anteriorly, ivory medially, posteriorly brown ( Figs. 62 , 72 ). Mesonotum brown, with yellowish white spots ( Figs. 62 , 72 ). Forewing fuscous, with numerous transparent ivory and ivory-yellow patches, venation black with orange spots ( Figs. 60, 61 , 70, 71 ).

Head in dorsal view anteriorly rounded, crown wider than eye width, produced about 1/4 of crown midline anterad of eyes, coronal suture evident, about half of median length, disk flat ( Figs. 62 , 72 ). Face with clypeus long, lateral margins slightly convex; clypellus short, base broad, inflated (male) or slightly inflated (female), wider than clypeus at juncture of clypeal suture, apical half constricted, apex truncate ( Figs. 63 , 73 ). Crown, pronotum and mesonotum midline ratio about 1:1:1.5 ( Figs. 62 , 72 ). Forewing long, apex rounded, appendix narrowed ( Figs. 60, 61 , 70, 71 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view with caudoventral lobe long, broad, narrowed distally, ventral margin folded near middle, caudodorsal margin with paired processes, bent subapically ( Fig. 64 ). Segment X ventral processes slender, exceeding margin of pygofer, apex hooked ventrad in lateral view ( Fig. 64 ). Subgenital plate long and narrow, segmented subbasally, marginal setae fine long or short ( Fig. 66 ). Dorsal connective broad Ushaped, stem absent, rami long, attaching to base of segment X ventral processes by membrane ( Fig. 65 ). Aedeagus in dorsal view symmetrical, short, about 1/3 as long as paraphysis, broad basally, gradually narrowed apically ( Figs. 67, 68 ); paraphysis in dorsal view asymmetrical, broad throughout, narrowest near midlength, right margin with serrate fold from base to middle, opposite side expanded distally with short, retrorse spine subapically at broadest point, apex with hooked spine, in lateral view X-shaped, both spines twisted dorsally, right margin expanded subbasally and narrowed apically, outer margin narrowed basally and expanded distally ( Figs. 67, 68 ). Style long, exceeding the midlength of paraphysis, base broad, tapered to apex, subbase twisted ( Figs. 67, 69 ).

Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII in ventral view with base broad, narrowed distally, anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin with shallow emargination medially, lateral margins convex ( Fig. 74 ). Internal sternite VIII completely membranous. Pygofer in lateral view, moderately produced posteriorly, dorsoposterior margin obliquely truncate, with macrosetae extending to ventral margin in posterior half ( Fig. 75 ). Valvifer I in lateral view, broad, posterodorsal margin with a small lobe ( Fig. 76 ). Valvifer II length-width ratio 3:1, in lateral view, nearly fusiform, with small group of clustered setae above articulation point, articulation point located on submedian ( Fig. 77 ). Valvulae I long, in lateral view curved, medial 1/2 narrowed, distal 1/4 broadened and gradually narrowed towards acute apex ( Fig. 78 ), with horizontally nephroid sculptured sclerotized area on the basal half of shaft ventrally ( Fig. 79 ), and with obliquely striated sclerotized area on dorsal margin 1/4 and on ventral margin near apex ( Fig. 80 ). Valvulae II long, basal 3/4 with membrane joining two sides, distal 1/4 detached and narrowed gradually to tip, shaft bearing 18 or 20 teeth over posterior 1/4 of each blade, and one shared tooth at apex of joint area, teeth rounded, widely spaced, apicoventral margin without teeth, dorsal margin of blade without secondary denticles, ducts well delimited, extending to teeth and towards apical blade portion in lateral and dorsal views ( Figs. 81–83 ). Valvulae III in lateral view, expanded at apical half, apex obtuse, surface with fine setae mostly distributed on apical portion and extending anteriorly along ventral margin of apical half ( Fig. 84 ).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Guangxi, Damingshan, Alt. 800–1300 m, 5–10 Aug. 2011, coll. Yang Zaihua ( GUGC). Paratype: ♀, same data as holotype ( GUGC).

Etymology. The new species name is derived from the Latin word “ decussata ” meaning “the figure X” for the X-shaped paraphysis in lateral view.

Remarks. This new species is superficially similar to T. multipars (Walker, 1858) , but easily distinguished by the combination of the two spines of the paraphysis ( Figs. 67, 68 ); pygofer caudoventral lobe broad and segment X ventral processes hooked apically ( Fig. 64 ). It also resembles T. fossa Nielson, 1977 , but can be distinguished from the latter by the following: clypeus with longest band crossing lora and genae ( Fig. 63 ) and two spines of paraphysis at apex and subapex, respectively ( Fig. 67 ).

Figures

FIGURES 60 – 69. Thagria decussata Fan & Dai, sp. nov. Holotype: 60. habitus, dorsal view; 61. habitus, lateral view; 62. head and thorax, dorsal view; 63. face; 64. pygofer and segment X ventral process, lateral view; 65. dorsal connective, pygofer and segment X processes, dorsal view; 66. subgential plate, lateral view; 67. aedeagus, paraphysis, connective and style, dorsal view; 68. aedeagus and paraphysis, lateral view; 69. style, lateral view. Scale bars: 60 – 63 = 1.0 mm; 64 – 69 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 70 – 84. Thagria decussata Fan & Dai, sp. nov. Female: 70. habitus, dorsal view; 71. habitus, lateral view; 72. head and thorax, dorsal view; 73. face; 74. sternite VII, ventral view; 75. pygofer, lateral view; 76. valvifer I, lateral view; 77. valvifer II, lateral view; 78. valvua I, lateral view; 79. base of valvua I, lateral view; 80. apex of valvua I, lateral view; 81. valvua II, lateral view; 82. apex of valvua II, dorsal view; 83. apex of valvua II, lateral view; 84. valvua III, lateral view. Scale bars: 70 – 73, 76 – 78, 81, 84 = 1.0 mm; 74, 75, 82 = 0.5 mm; 79, 80, 83 = 0.1 mm.