Hylica scutealba, Tang & Zhang, 2018

Tang, Jiu & Zhang, Yalin, 2018, Review of the leafhopper genus Hylica Stål (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Hylicinae) with description of one new species, Zootaxa 4388 (4), pp. 526-536 : 535

Hylica scutealba sp. n.

( Figs. 10–18 , 21–31 , 37–42 , 48–54 )

Length (incl. tegmen): ♂, 6.7–7.8 mm; ♀, 9.0–9.2 mm.

Coloration and morphology. Body with coloration brown-black. Head in dorsal view with one pair of angulate projections between eyes and apex; frons ( Fig. 15 ) produced to short, compressed, slightly curved horn at base and furnished with many small tubercles; frons and clypeus area convex. Pronotum ( Fig. 13 ) without raised median longitudinal ridge; anterior margin straight. Scutellum ( Figs. 16, 17 ) divided into three parts: anterior part disklike with two pairs of large tubers; middle part elevated with centre slightly hollowed out; region connecting middle and posterior part of scutellum long and light-colored; posterior part lower than middle region, furnished near apex with small conical tubercle. Abdomen ( Fig. 18 ) tergites III-VI with lateral margins weakly expanded into dentations.

Male genitalia. ( Figs. 25–31 , 37–42 ) Connective ( Figs. 31 , 40 ) Y-shaped, stem longer than arms. Style about 2.5x connective length. Only terminal half of shaft with interrupted wavy wrinkles; gonopore subapical on ventral surface.

Female genitalia. Second valvula ( Figs. 52, 53 ) with toothed distal blade slightly more than half of total length, apparently broadened, dorsal margin with small, somewhat irregular teeth distributed over most of length.

Type material. Holotype ♂, S. India, S. Malabar , 1,000m, P. S. Nathan, ( NMNH) . Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype, ( NCUS) ; 2♂, Siruvani, 1,700m, Coimbatore Dt. , S. India, 23 & 26-IX-38, ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Muthikolam, 3,000m, Coimbatore Dt. , S. India, 23-26-IX-38, ( BMNH) ; 2♂, Tenmalai, 500 – 800m, Travancore , S. India, 11-17- X-38, ( BMNH) ; 2♂, S. India, 700m, Kerala State, Walayar Forests, X-1965, P. S. Nathan, ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Cheragode Nilgri Hills , S. India, 3,500 ft, Oct. 1950, PSN, ( NCUS) ; 1♂, Bangalore , S. India, 3,000ft, 11-X-10, (IMK). ; 1♂, Dohnavur, 350m, Tinnevelly Dt. , S. India, 30-IX-38, ( BMNH) ; 1♀, Malabar , S. India, 2,000 feet, Oct. 21 1938, P. S. Nathan, ( NMNH) .

Etymology. This species epithet was derived by combining scute -, meaning scutellum, with - alba, meaning white.

Remarks. This species closely resembles H. paradoxa Stål , but is readily distinguishable by the shape of the pronotum, scutellum and abdomen, and the texture of the aedeagal shaft.

Figures

FIGURES 10–18. Hylica scutealba sp. n., male: 10. Habitus, dorsal view; 11. Habitus, lateral view; 12. Habitus, ventral view; 13. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; 14. Head and pronotum, lateral view; 15. Face, ventral view; 16. Scutellum, lateral view; 17. Scutellum, dorsal view; 18. Female abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 19–24. 19–20, Hylica paradoxa Stål, female: Habitus, dorsal view. 21–24, Hylica scutealba sp. n., 21–22, female: Habitus, dorsal view; 23–24, male: 23. Head, pronotum and scutellum, dorsal view; 24. Head, pronotum and scutellum, lateral view.

FIGURES 25–36. 25–31, Hylica scutealba sp. n., male: 25. Genital capsule, posterior view; 26. Genital capsule, dorsal view; 27. Pygofer side, lateral view; 28. Sternite VII-VIII, ventral view; 29. Aedeagus, lateral view; 30. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 31. Connective and style, dorsal view. 32–36, Hylica paradoxa Stål, male: 32. Pygofer side, lateral view; 33. Sternite VII-VIII, ventral view; 34. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 35. Connective and style, dorsal view; 36. Aedeagus, connective and style, lateral view.

FIGURES 37–47. 37–42, Hylica scutealba sp. n., male: 37. Genital capsule, dorsal view; 38. Genital capsule, ventral view; 39. Pygofer side, lateral view; 40. Connective and style, ventral view; 41. Aedeagus, ventral view; 42. Aedeagus, connective and style, lateral view. 43–47, Hylica paradoxa Stål, male: 43. Aedeagus, ventral view; 44. Aedeagus, lateral view; 45. Connective and style, ventral view; 46. Genital capsule, dorsal view; 47. Pygofer side, lateral view.

FIGURES 48–61. 48–54, Hylica scutealba sp. n., female: 48. Sternite VI–VII, ventral view; 49. Pygofer, dorsal view; 50. First valvula; 51. Apex of first valvula; 52. Second valvula; 53. Apex of second valvula; 54. Third valvula. 55–61, Hylica paradoxa Stål, female: 55. Sternite VI-VII, ventral view; 56. Pygofer, dorsal view; 57. First valvula; 58. Apex of first valvula; 59. Second valvula; 60. Apex of second valvula; 61. Third valvula.