Sophonia furcata, Gou & Xing, 2024

Gou, Guangli & Xing, Jichun, 2024, Description of a new leafhopper species of the genus Sophonia Walker (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) from China, Zootaxa 5405 (3), pp. 411-421 : 415

Sophonia furcata sp. nov.

Figs. 1–16

Description. Color pattern of anterior dorsum and face as in Figs. 1–4 . Body yellow with orange-red halo around ocellus; eyes yellow dorsally, black ventrally; face yellow; frontoclypeus with yellow transverse carinae on both sides of longitudinal ridge; median longitudinal dorsal stripe absent; preapical brown spot of forewing very large. Head relatively short, crown slightly shorter than width between eyes. Other external features as in generic description.

Male genitalia. Pygofer side base broad, narrowed distad, lobe with forked distal process with short ventral and long dorsal branch weakly divergent; 13 macrosetae apically ( Fig. 5 ). Subgenital plate long and broad, with 3 long macrosetae in the middle and several long and thin setae on distal area ( Fig. 6 ). Aedeagus with preatrium well developed, atrium V-shaped in posterior view with each lateral arm bearing a short, sharply pointed medial and lateral projection distally; shaft relatively broad in lateral view, evenly curved dorsad, with pair of long, slender preapical processes extended laterad, apex tapered to blunt point in posterior view ( Figs. 7–9 ). Connective 2.5x longer than basal width across arms. Style with basal half slender and broadening to the middle, apical foot relatively slender, elongate and arched.

Female genitalia. Pygofer with ventroposterior margin slightly incurved ( Fig. 11 ). Female seventh sternite as broad as long at base, posterior margin roundly produced with slight median notch ( Fig. 12 ). First valvula of ovipositor gradually broadened over most of length, then tapered to acute apex; sculpture strigate dorsally, granulose ventrally ( Figs. 13, 14 ). Second valvulae toothed area confined to distal third, with ~14 small conical teeth somewhat irregularly spaced, gradually becoming smaller distally, apex pointed ( Figs. 15, 16 ).

Measurement. Length (including tegmen): ♂, 5.4–5.8 mm; ♀, 5.9–6.2 mm.

Type Material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Sichuan Prov., Menghuocheng , 1 August 2022, coll. Lan Zhang ( GUGC) . Paratypes: 1♂ 2♀♀, same data as holotype ; 15♂♂, Sichuan Prov., Longcanggou , 29 July 2022, coll. Lan Zhang ( GUGC) .

Remarks. This new species is similar to Sophonia fuscomarginata Li & Wang, 1991 , but can be distinguished from the latter by the aedeagus with a pair of forked processes and the male pygofer side with a forked apical processes.

Etymology. The new species name is a modification of the Latin word “furca” (fork), referring to the male pygofer side and aedeagus with a pair of forked processes.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Sophonia furcata sp. nov. 1. ♂, dorsal view; 2. ♂, lateral view; 3. ♂, Head and thorax, dorsal view; 4. ♂, face.

FIGURES 5–10. Sophonia furcata sp. nov. 5. Male pygofer, lateral view; 6. Subgenital plates, ventral view; 7. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 8. Aedeagus,ventral view; 9. Aedeagus, lateral view; 10. Connective and style, ventral view.

FIGURES 11–16. Sophonia furcata sp. nov. 11. Female genital capsule, lateral view; 12. Seventh sternite, ventral view; 13. First valvula, lateral view; 14. Detail of sculptures of first valvula; 15. Second valvula, lateral view; 16. Detail of sculptures of second valaula.