Empoasca (Matsumurasca) Anufriev

Qin, Dao-Zheng & Zhang, Ya-Lin, 2008, The leafhopper subgenus Empoasca (Matsumurasca) from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Empoascini), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 1817, pp. 18-26 : 19

Subgenus Empoasca (Matsumurasca) Anufriev

Empoasca (Matsumurasca) Anufriev, 1973: 540 .

Type species: Empoasca diversa Vilbaste, 1968 , by original designation.

Green to yellowish-green species. Body relatively robust. Anterior margin of crown roundly protuberant and continuous with outer margin of eyes, posterior margin broadly concave, anterior and posterior margins of crown subparallel, middle length of vertex less than width between eyes. Coronal suture distinct. Face broad, anteclypeal and frontoclypeal areas apparently swollen. Pronotum large, longer than crown. Scutoscutellar sulcus distinct. Forewing with 2nd apical cell slightly broadening towards apex; c and r cells nearly equal in width, narrower than m and cua cells; veins RP, MP’ arise from r cell and MP”+CuA’ from m cell, 3rd apical cell stalked or triangular, 4th apical cell shortest.

Abdominal apodemes well developed, parallel sided. Male pygofer elongated, with rigid macrosetae on each side of pygofer lobe; ventral appendage present. Subgenital plate far exceeding pygofer, base prominently broadened and triangularly protruded basolaterad, lateral macrosetae forming an irregular double row merging into a single row distally, reaching apex of plate, short marginal microsetae occupying almost half length of anterior margin. Paramere serrate apically, setae and sensory pits basad of apical serrations. Connective lamellate. Aedeagus with preatrium long, dorsal apodeme absent or undeveloped. Anal tube process developed or not.

Discussion: Anufriev (1973) in his original description of the subgenus states that “some Oriental species of the genus, in particular some mentioned in Linnavuori’s paper (1960), may perhaps be included in the subgenus Matsumurasca too”. Linnavuori (1960) reported 20 species of Empoasca from Micronesia. However, some of these species, including macarangae Metcalf and fuscovitta Metcalf have been transferred to the genus Austroasca ( Dworakowska, 1971) ; boninensis (Matsumura) has been transferred to Austroasca (Jacobiasca) ( Dworakowska, 1972) . Empoasca sesuvii Linnavuori has been transferred to Sundapteryx ( Dworakowska, 1970) , but Sundapteryx was later regarded as a synonym of Amrasca ( Dworakowska & Viraktamath, 1975) , this species should be excluded from the subgenus Matsumurasca because it has the subgenital plate narrow basally. For the same reason, Empoasca esakii Linnavuori , crenulata Linnavuori , dentistylus Linnavuori , xanthopus Linnavuori , pitiensis Metcalf and yona Metcalf should also be excluded from subgenus Matsumurasca. Empoasca pipturi Metcalf , bipunctulata Metcalf , barringtoniae Metcalf , colorata Linnavuori , morindae Metcalf also should be excluded from this subgenus as they lack the stalked or triangular 3rd apical cell of the forewing. Empoasca nocturna Linnavuori is not member of the subgenus because all apical veins arise from the m cell. Empoasca acuticeps Linnavuori should not be included in the genus because it lacks a ventral pygofer appendage. Empoasca fumatipennis Linnavuori probably also should not be placed in the genus because it has the pygofer lobe strongly narrowing terminally and abdominal apodemes strongly diverging.

The remaning two species of Empoasca included by Linnavuori (1960) namely, ngatpangensis Linnavuori and puncticeps Linnavuori are also not members of the subgenus because the two species have the crown subangularly produced at the anterior margin, the pronotum small, in puncticeps the vertex nearly as long as pronotum and parameres not serrate at apex; and in ngatpangensis the ventral pygofer appendage free only in apical part and abdominal apodemes rather diverging.

As noted above, the authors describe below three new species in the subgenus.

Distribution: China (Zhejiang, Hainan, Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan, Henan, Hubei, Gansu), USSR, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India.