Empoasca (Empoasca) megalophylla Qin & Liu

Liu, Yang, Qin, Dao-Zheng, Fletcher, Murray J. & Zhang, Ya-Lin, 2011, Review of Chinese Empoasca Walsh (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), with description of seven new species and some new Chinese records, Zootaxa 3055, pp. 1-21 : 6-7

Empoasca (Empoasca) megalophylla Qin & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs.28–35 ; 85–88)

Type materials. China: holotype: 3, Wuzhifeng (26° 21’ 34” N, 114° 13’ 17” E), Suichuan, Jiangxi Prov., 11 August 2004, 760m, coll. Cong Wei & Meixia Yang; paratypes: 3 3, same data with holotype; 2 3, Wuzhifeng, Suichuan, Jiangxi Prov., 13 August 2004, 760m, coll. Cong Wei & Meixia Yang; 1 3, Wuzhifeng, Suichuan, Jiangxi Prov., 10 August 2004, 760m, coll. Cong Wei & Meixia Yang; 9 3, Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong Prov., 15 July 1985, coll. Yalin Zhang; 1 3, Bawangling, Hainan Prov., 25 May 1983, coll. Yalin Zhang (all in NWAFU).

Length: 3 2.3 mm.

Ground color of body green (fig. 88). Crown with light green patch distinctly on each side of coronal suture (fig. 85). Eyes black. Pronotum with irregular light green patches on anterior margin of pronotum and under eyes. Forewing and hindwing semitransparent. Abdomen yellow. Legs light yellow to green (fig. 87).

Ventral abdominal apodemes subparallel-sided, reaching segment 5 (fig. 33). Pygofer with short dorso-apical lobe curved mediad, ornamented with 16–17 rigid setae distributed from outer to inner face of pygofer; pygofer appendage not exceeding pygofer margin, nearly straight, tapering to apex (fig. 28). Anal appendage stout, swollen distinctly in sub-apical part, narrowing to apex (fig. 32). Subgenital plate in lateral view curved gradually caudodorsad apically, expanded apically; with numerous macrosetae and fine setae somewhat irregularly arranged; dorsolateral margin with 4–5 long stout setae subbasally and 26–27 short microsetae cover apical 2/3 (fig. 35).

Paramere with 3 teeth on dentifer, 8–9 setae subapically (fig. 34). Connective broad, anterior margin medially emarginate, strongly sclerotized along mid-line but without obvious dorsal keel (fig. 29). Aedeagus shaft well sclerotized, provided with two short distally projecting appendages at apex; another pair of processes arising from preatrium on ventral side; aedeagus shaft compressed laterally and with prominent crest at ventral margin (figs. 30, 31). Gonopore terminal.

Etymology. The species name is derived from “ megalo ” = large + “ phylla ” = leaf, which refers to the shape of the aedeagal shaft in lateral view.

Distribution. China (Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Empoasca simbava Dworakowska, 1981 , but differs in having the shaft a little thicker in lateral view, and the pygofer appendage not exceeding the pygofer margin, nearly straight, and tapering to the apex.

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 35. Empoasca (Empoasca) megalophylla sp. nov., 28, male pygofer, lateral view; 29, connective; 30, aedeagus, ventral view; 31, aedeagus, lateral view; 32, anal tube appendage, lateral view; 33, abdominal apodemes; 34, paramere; 35, subgenital plate.