Stirellus mankiensis Shah & Duan, 2020

Shah, Bismillah, Naveed, Hassan & Duan, Yani, 2020, Taxonomic review of the leafhopper genus Stirellus Osborn & Ball (Hemiptera Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Stenometopiini) from Pakistan with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4763 (2), pp. 189-202 : 198-200

Stirellus mankiensis Shah & Duan sp. n.

( Figs 9 –10 )

Measurement. Male: 3.80–4.00mm; female: 5.00mm.

Coloration and morphology. General color greyish brown ( Fig. 9 A–B). Surface of crown, pronotum and scutellum pale to yellowish brown ( Fig. 9A, 9C ). Crown with brown spots on each side of median vertical suture ( Fig. 9A, 9C ). Pronotum, mesonotum and scutellum with yellowish brown to dark brownish spots ( Fig. 9A, 9C ). Eye tinged with yellow and blackish spots. Face yellowish, frontoclypeus with transverse brownish streaks ( Fig. 9D ). Apical margin of gena as well as anteclypeus dark brown ( Fig. 9B, 9D ). Forewing with numerous small irregular greyish brown spots, whitish to yellowish brown venation, with costal margin yellow ( Fig. 9 A–B). Legs yellowish with brown spots. Crown broader than pronotum, slightly longer than breadth between eyes ( Fig. 9A, 9C ). Crown with anterior margin slightly upturned in lateral view, moderately produced ( Fig. 9A, 9C ). Ocelli on margin next to eyes ( Fig. 9 A–C). Face as long as broad ( Fig. 9D ). Anteclypeus parallel-sided, extending slightly beyond normal curve of genae ( Fig. 9D ). Pronotum median length slightly shorter than median length of crown. Mesonotum and scutellum shorter than pronotum ( Fig. 9A, 9C ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe broad basally with apex truncate ( Fig. 10A ). Pygofer side with two macrosetae dorsally ( Fig. 10A ). Subgenital plate slightly concave laterally, macrosetae not uniseriate laterally ( Fig. 10B ). Valve triangular ( Fig. 10B ). Style narrow with digitate apophysis, laterally curved ( Fig. 10B ). Connective Y-shaped with arms well separated, stem longer than arms ( Fig. 10C ). Aedeagal shaft in lateral view bent near base, long, slender, parallel to aedeagal base slightly sinuate, tip pointed, gonopore apical ( Fig. 10 D–E).

Female genitalia. Female seventh sternum as shown in Fig. 9E .

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Manki , 34°0′34.5096 N, 72°19′44.4432 E, Sweeping hand net, 20 August 2019, coll. Bismillah Shah. Paratypes: 10♂♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology. The species epithet “mankiensis indicates the type locality Manki in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

Remarks. The species can be distinguished from other species of Stirellus by its distinct external appearance and crown with anterior margin slightly bulbous. This species somewhat resembles Stirellus neospeciosus Duan, Webb & Zhang in aedeagal structure but can readily be differentiated by other genital characters like subgenital plates with macrosetae not uniseriate and connective stem longer than arms, also extremely different from them in external appearance.

Figures

FIG. 9. Stirellus mankiensis Shah & Duan sp. n. A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view; C: head and thorax; D: face; E: end of female abdomen, ventral view.

FIG. 10. Stirellus mankiensis Shah & Duan sp. n. A: male pygofer, lateral view; B: subgenital plate, valve and style, ventral view; C: connective, dorsal view; D: connective and aedeagus, lateral view; E: aedeagus, dorsal view.