Yunnantettix Zheng, 1995

Zha, Lingsheng, Wen, Tingchi, Boonmee, Saranyaphat & Eungwanichayapant, Prapassorn D., 2016, Notes on the genus Yunnantettix Zheng (Tetrigidae: Cladonotinae), with descriptions of two new species from Thailand, Zootaxa 4205 (4), pp. 373-385 : 374-375

Genus Yunnantettix Zheng, 1995

Yunnantettix Zheng, 1995: 344 ; Liang & Zheng, 1998: 36; Zheng, 2005: 34; Deng, Zheng & Wei, 2007: 33; Storozhenko & Pushkar, 2015: 212.

Type species: Yunnantettix bannaensis Zheng, 1995 , by original designation.

Generic characteristics. Original. Body size small. Vertex convex, anterior margin arcuate and protruding forward, median carina presented; vertex 3 times as wide as an eye; in lateral view face slightly oblique, fascial carinae between antennal grooves protruding forward; in frontal view scutellum wide, triangular. Antennae filiform, inserted between lower margins of eyes; lateral ocelli situated at the middle of inner margins of eyes. Pronotum covered with many bulges; slightly roof-like in nearly anterior half, the posterior half relatively flattened; anterior margin truncated, hind process reaching knees of hind femora, apex triangularly concave; median carina of pronotum entire and conspicuous; humeral angles indistinct; apex of posterior angle of lateral lobe of pronotum rounded, posterior margin of each lateral lobe with two concavities. Tegmina presented and hind wing absent. Lower margins of fore and mid femora undulated; first segment of hind tarsus longer than third, third pulvillus longer than first and second ( Zheng, 1995).

Updated. Body size small (body length 8.5–12.5 mm), head and pronotal disc covered with numerous fine granules; pronotal disc generally covered with many bulges, but few individuals relatively smooth.

Vertex convex or flattened, 2.4–3.6 times as wide as an eye; anterior margin arcuate or obtusely angled, distinctly surpassing anterior margins of eyes, lateral margin little folded upwards or not; median carina conspicuous in anterior half, or protruding forward or not, while absent in posterior half, paired fossulae presented; in lateral view vertex together with frontal costa or arcuate, or obtusely rounded and protruding forward, face vertical or slightly oblique, fascial carinae between lateral ocelli or little concave or not, between antennal grooves little arcuate and protruding forward; in frontal view scutellum shallow, triangular and very wide, between antennal grooves 2.0–2.7 times as wide as diameter of scapus (1st antennal segment). Antennae filiform and short, generally 15(♂) or 16(♀) segmented, inserted between or slightly below lower margins of eyes, the longest segment 3.75–5.5 times as long as wide, coloration of distal 2–3 segments darker. Eyes globose and low, lateral ocelli situated at or slightly below the middle of inner margins of eyes.

Pronotum slightly roof-like in anterior half, the posterior half nearly flattened; median carina distinct, in lateral view arcuate in anterior half, while low, undulate or straight in posterior half; anterior margin of pronotum truncated, prozonal carinae distinct, erected, or parallel or a little contracted backwards; between sulci median carina lamellate with swollen base, on both side pronotum concave. Humeral angles low, or obtusely angled or indistinct; between shoulders pronotum uplifted more or less, and paired interhumeral carinae presented on both side of median carina. Posterior angle of lateral lobe of pronotum extending oblique backwards, apex truncate and anterior margin of apex rounded; posterior margin of each lateral lobe with two concavities. Hind process wedged and wide, reaching knees or slightly beyond apex of hind femora, apex straight, concave, or obtusely rounded.

Tegmen ovate; hind wing vestigial and invisible, triangular, partial or wholly covered by tegmen; visible part of tegmen narrow and long, sometimes also invisible. Fore and mid femora compressed, lower margins of fore and mid femora undulate; hind femur very stout, 2.3–3.0 times as long as wide, upper and lower margins entire or margined with indistinct small denticles; first segment of hind tarsus 1.75–2.3 times as long as third. Male subgenital plate short, cone-shaped, nearly as long as wide, apex fissured, generally upper apex on both sides forming into a pair of very short and small spines; female subgenital plate also nearly as long as wide, posterior margin truncate and in the middle with a broad triangular protrusion.

Relationship to other genera. The genus Yunnantettix Zheng was placed in Cladonotinae (Tetrigidae) based on: 1) filiform antennae; 2) medial ocellus situated below lower margins of eyes; 3) dorsal margin of fore and mid femora without a furrow; and 4) fascial carina enclose a broadened scutellum (2.0–2.7 times wider than diameter of scapus).

Yunnantettix is similar to the genera Pseudepitettix Zheng and Aspiditettix Liang , while Pseudepitettix is very similar to the genus Epitettix Hancock (Hancock, 1907 ; Shishodia, 1991; Zheng, 1995; Liang et al., 2009; Storozhenko & Pushkar, 2015, Zheng & Lin, 2016). In order to clarify the taxonomic confusions among these allied genera, we give an overall comparison to their morphologic differences as in Table 1 .

According to Table 1 , Yunnantettix differs from Pseudepitettix by: 1) posterior margin of each lateral lobe of pronotum present two concavities; 2) tegmina generally visible; and 3) pronotum covered with many bulges. Yunnantettix can easily be separated from Aspiditettix by extremely degenerate tegmina and wings, and not elongate third segment of hind tarsus. While Pseudepitettix differs from Epitettix generally only depending on ratio of width of scutellum between antennal grooves than diameter of scapus.