Connelicita phongdienensis Constant & Pham, 2023

Constant, Jerome, Pham, Thai-Hong, Le, Cuong Viet Canh, Vu, Trung Thanh & Nguyen, Hoai Thu Thi, 2023, The tropiduchid planthopper genus Connelicita Wang & Bourgoin, 2015: two new species from Central Vietnam and new records (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Tropiduchidae), ZooKeys 1186, pp. 105-122 : 105

Connelicita phongdienensis Constant & Pham sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10

Type materials.

Holotype ♂, Vietnam - Thừa Thiên-Hu ế Province • Phong Dien Nature Reserve, CCRR; 16°30'27"N, 107°16'05"E; 23 May 2023; alt. 350-400 m; J. Constant & L. Semeraro leg.; I.G.: 34.640; VNMN.

Paratypes, Vietnam •- Thừa Thiên-Hu ế Province • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; RBINS • 1 ♀; Phong Dien Nature Reserve, CCRR; 16°30'27"N, 107°16'05"E; 23 May 2023; alt. 350-400 m; Trung T. Vu leg.; VNMN • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS.

Diagnosis.

The species can be separated from the other species of Connelicita by the following characters of the male terminalia: anal tube in lateral view abruptly narrowing in distal half (Fig. 9A ), posterior margin of pygofer rounded in lateral view (Fig. 9A ), capitulum of gonostylus with a lateral spine in ventral portion, and a dorsal curved digitiform process (Fig. 9A, D ), dorsal process of periandrium tooth-shaped, strong, and projecting dorsocephalad (dpp - Fig. 9E ) and absence of a strong digitiform process directed dorsally at apex of aedeagus (Fig. 9E-G ).

The closest species are C. backyensis and C. haiphongensis , from which C. phongdienensis Constant & Pham, sp. nov. can be separated by the dorsal digitiform process of the capitulum of the gonostylus, which is absent in both other species (compare with Wang et al. 2015: figs 12, 31).

Description.

Measurements and ratios: LT: ♂ (n = 2): 10.15-10.77 mm. LTg/BTg = 2.26; LW/BW = 1.89; LV/BV = 0.85; LF/BF = 1.04.

Head (Fig. 8A-C ): narrower than thorax and elongate, with ~2/3 of vertex length surpassing eyes and genae largely visible from above. Vertex brown, with median yellowish line, weakly concave, ~1.0 × as long in mid-line as broad basally, concave on each side, with lateral margins subparallel, anterior margin roundly produced anteriorly in middle portion and posterior margin excavate. Frons yellowish brown, with irregular brown markings; convex in lateral view; smooth, with median carina reaching dorsal margin but not frontoclypeal suture. Genae yellowish, with brown marking between eye and anterior margin, brown line between antennal insertion and posterior margin, and a dark brown spot near red ocellus. Clypeus pale yellowish brown, with median carina and one curved line on each side, brown, triangular, with median carina in distal portion and with fronto-clypeal suture rounded. Labium yellowish, elongate, and narrow, reaching metacoxae, with apical segment elongate. Eyes globular (not emarginate) protruding laterally. Antennae yellowish brown, with longitudinal black line along underside of pedicel; scape ring-shaped and pedicel cylindrical, longer than broad.

Thorax (Fig. 8A, B ): Pronotum brown, with median carina, posterolateral angles and 3 or 4 small yellowish tubercles on sides of disc, yellowish; paranotal fields yellowish, with 3 black spots, one being behind eye. Mesonotum brown, with median and peridiscal carinae, anterior portion of lateral angles, scutellum, and area before latter yellowish; lateral fields darker and 2 blackish points at base of scutellum. Tegulae yellowish brown.

Tegmina (Figs 7A-D , 8D ): translucent, with brown spot near middle of vein CuP and vein CuA2, extending into clavus and irregular, greyish markings in cells in distal half of tegmen; costal and postclaval margins slightly diverging towards posterior; distal margin widely rounded.

Venation (Fig. 8D ): costal area well developed, with numerous cross-veins delimitating elongate cells, pterostigma absent; veins ScP+R, MP, and CuA separated at base, first fork of vein ScP+R near base; first fork of vein MP after first fork of vein CuA; oblique, transverse cross-vein between MP and CuA1 in basal portion of latter; clavus long, reaching near 4/5 of tegmina length; veins Pcu and A1 fused at basal half of clavus.

Hind wings (Fig. 8E ): translucent, with veins blackish; CuP-Pcu-A1 lobe infuscate in distal portion, with apical angle largely blackish; A2 lobe weakly infuscate and roundly protruding along postclaval margin.

Venation: main veins present; ScP+R, MP, and CuA running more or less parallel, slightly diverging towards posterior; Pcu curved around distal third of wing towards CuP but not reaching the latter; A2 complete, reaching margin.

Legs (Figs 7A, B , 8F-G ): pale yellowish brown, with dark brown marking along dorsal portion of metafemora and basiventral portion of metatibiae. Metatibiotarsal formula: (2) 9 / 2 / 2.

Abdomen (Fig. 7B ): pale yellowish brown, with narrow brown line interrupted in middle, along posterior margin of sternites.

Terminalia ♂ (Fig. 9 ): pygofer (Py - Fig. 9A, B ) ~1.9 × as high as wide in caudal view, in lateral view with posterior margin deeply inclined posteriorly at upper 1/3 then broadly rounded, and sinuate at lower 2/3. Gonostyli (G - Fig. 9A-C ) rather elongate in lateral view, with capitulum at about 2/3 of gonostylus length, and with large laminate process projecting medially behind capitulum; posterior lobe rounded; capitulum (ca - Fig. 9A-D ) laterally flattened, with posterior margin rounded in lateral view and bearing a complex lateral process, with upper digitiform process curved cephalodorsad and sinuate ventral spine directed posteroventrad. Aedeagus (Fig. 9E-I ) strongly upcurved at mid-length, with pair of slender lateral pointed processes (lpa) not reaching apex of aedeagus, and with apical point directed anterodorsad; 3 small terminal processes, middle one shortly projecting posterad; dorsal process of periandrium (dpp) tooth-shaped, strong and projecting dorsocephalad, placed slightly after mid-length of aedeagus; paired ventral processes of periandrium (vpp) not reaching ½ length of aedeagus, elongate, sinuate in distal portion, and with pointed apex directed lateroposterad; connective (co) moderately curved. Anal tube (An - Fig. 9A-C ) ~1.26 × as long in median line, as wide, in dorsal view; subcylindrical in proximal half, then with dorsal margin excavate and sinuate in lateral view; in dorsal view, lateral margins subparallel in proximal half, then regularly converging in distal half; posterior margin deeply concave in dorsal view, with basal ventral bulge; epiproct rather large, located at ½ length of anal tube.

Female. Similar to male.

Etymology.

The species epithet phongdienensis refers to Phong Dien District, the locality where the new species was discovered, at the Centre for Conservation of Vietnam Natural Resources and Rescue of Animals and plants.

Biology.

The specimens were found sitting on leaves on the lower vegetation in a subtropical evergreen forest (Fig. 10 ) in the Northern Vietnam lowland rain forests ecoregion at rather low altitude (150-600 m).

Distribution.

Vietnam, Thua Tinh-Hue Province, Phong Dien District, CCRR (Fig. 5 ).

Figures

Figure 5. Distribution map of the species of Connelicita of Vietnam.

Figure 7. Connelicita bachmaensis sp. nov., holotype ♂ A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C habitus, lateral view D habitus, anterolateral view.

Figure 8. Connelicita phongdienensis sp. nov., holotype ♂ A-C detail of head and thorax A dorsal view B lateral view C perpendicular view of frons D right tegmen E right hind wing F right metatibia and metatarsus, ventral view G left metatarsus, ventral view.

Figure 9. Connelicita phongdienensis sp. nov., holotype ♂, terminalia A-C pygofer, gonostyli and anal tube A lateral view B caudal view C dorsal view D-E capitulum of left gonostylus D left laterodorsal view E right laterodorsal view F-I aedeagus, phallobase and connective F left lateral view G anterodorsal view H posteroventral view dorsal view I left lateroventral view.

Figure 10. Habitat of Connelicita phongdienensis sp. nov., Vietnam, Phong Dien, CCRR, 23 May 2023.