Mukaria creagra Zhao, Luo & Chen, 2024

Zhao, Yong-Tao, Luo, Qiang, Yang, Lin & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2024, Review of bamboo-feeding leafhoppers of the genus Mukaria (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) in China, with description two new species, Zootaxa 5474 (3), pp. 259-270 : 261

Mukaria creagra Zhao, Luo & Chen sp. nov.

Figs. 1–11 , 23, 25–28

Body length: male: 3.39–3.62 mm, female: 3.65–3.81 mm.

Coloration. Body mostly black. Crown black ( Fig. 3 ). Frontoclypeus with a dark yellow rounded spot in basal middle region, the rest black ( Fig. 5 ). Ocellus dark yellow, middle area of eye dark brown, surrounded by milky white ( Fig. 4 ). Pronotum and scutellum dark. Forewing clavus with rectangular white spot on posterior half at commissural margin, (female spots white to yellowish white) ( Fig. 1 ). Outer margin of forewings with two slightly transparent white spots at central and subapical parts, tips light gray and slightly transparent ( Figs 1, 2 ).

Head and thorax. Anterior margin of crown arcuately convex, midlength about 0.4 times the inter ocular width (1: 2.68) ( Fig. 3 ). Ocellus located at lateral margin of crown, near eyes ( Fig. 4 ). Face including eyes 1.3 times as wide as long (1.28: 1); base of frontoclypeus tumid, middle and terminal parts flat; lorum with obvious wrinkles on surface ( Fig. 5 ). Pronotum transversely broad, subequal to head width (1.04: 1) ( Fig. 3 ). Forewing length about 5.3 times as long as widest part (5.31:1) ( Fig. 1 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer transversely broad, dorsal part with thick and long bristles, ventral margin with small spine in middle ( Fig. 7 ). Valve pentagonal, subgenital plate narrow at base, broad at the middle, and densely bristled laterally ( Fig. 11 ). Style apex fingerlike, curved obliquely laterad ( Fig. 10 ). Connective and aedeagus fused, aedeagus stout at base, separated into two branches at middle, both branches curved and hook-like at the subterminal part, pointing towards each other and ending in a thick and long spine, with another small denticle at the subterminal part, near gonopore ( Fig. 8, 9 ).

Female genitalia. Sternite VII about 4 times as wide as long, with bowed anterior margin, “V”-shaped depression in middle of posterior margin, and acute projection of lateral angles of anterior and posterior margins ( Fig. 23 ). Dorsal surface of Valvula I with strigate sculpturing occupying approximately distal 1/2 ( Figs. 25, 26 ). Valvula II with prominent teeth, occupying about distal 1/3 ( Figs. 27, 28 ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂, China: Guizhou, Bijie City, Weining County, Caohai National Nature Reserve (26°88’N, 104°23’E), 13 August 2018, collectors: Shasha Lv, Hongxing Li. paratypes: 1♂♂ 2♀♀, China: Guizhou, Bijie City, Weining County , Caohai National Nature Reserve (26°88’N, 104°23’E), 13 August 2018, collectors: Shasha Lv, Hongxing Li. 10♂♂ 5 ♀♀, China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Mengla County , Menglun Town (21°93’N, 101°25’E), 30 August 2017, collectors: Nian Gong, Qiang Luo.

Distribution. China (Guizhou and Yunnan).

Host Plant. Bamboo.

Etymology. The name is the Latin noun ‘creagra’ meaning ‘hook’ and refers to the hook-like projection at the subterminal part of the aedeagus branches.

Remarks. The new species is most similar to M. penthimioides Distant, 1908 , but differs as follows: (1) forewing clavus of the new species with a rectangular white spot (black in latter); (2) pygofer of new species with spine-like protrusion in lateral view (latter with rod-like protrusion); (3) aedeagus of new species starts branching from the middle, with both branches hook-like preapically and end acute (aedeagus of latter starts branching from the base, with the tip pointed and curved to the dorsal side).

Figures

FIGURES 1–11. Mukaria creagra sp. nov., male: 1. Male habitus, dorsal view; 2. Male habitus, lateral view; 3. Head and thorax, dorsal view; 4. Head and thorax, lateral view; 5. Face; 6. Male pygofer, lateral view; 7. Male pygofer, ventral view; 8. Connective and aedeagus, dorsal view; 9. Connective and aedeagus, lateral view; 10. Style; 11. Valve and subgenital plate, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1–5); 0.2 mm (6–11).

FIGURES 23–32. Mukaria creagra sp. nov., female: 23. Female sternite VII, ventral view; 25. First valvula; 26. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of first valvula; 27. Second valvula; 28. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of second valvular; Mukaria striola sp. nov., female: 24. Female sternite VII, ventral view; 29. First valvula; 30. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of first valvula; 31. Second valvula; 32. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of second valvular. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.