Alebroides muzitaneus, Qin, Dao-Zheng & Zhang, Ya-Lin, 2011

Qin, Dao-Zheng & Zhang, Ya-Lin, 2011, Taxonomic study of the typhlocybine leafhopper genus Alebroides Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in China, Zootaxa 2987, pp. 31-44 : 35-36

Alebroides muzitaneus , n. sp.

( Figs 13 – 26 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, Tianpingshan, Sangzhi, Hunan Province, China, 13 Aug. 2001, 1250 m, coll. Qiang Sun, by lamp dome ( NWAFU). Paratypes: 13, same data as holotype; 23, Dayaoshan, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China, 9 Sept. 2000, coll. Zhenjiang Liu, Xiangqun Yuan and Zhongli Sha; 13, Emeishan, Sichuan Province, China, 29 Oct. 1999, 700– 900 m, coll. Daozheng Qin ( NWAFU).

Length: male 3.6–3.8 mm.

Ground colour of body yellowish beige. Vertex with large creamy patches surrounding ocelli caudomesad. Face and basal antennal segments yellowish. Eyes blackish. Pronotum mostly yellow, surrounded by irregular arc of light hypodermal pattern in addition to large median creamy patch along anterior margin; scutoscutellar sulcus brownish, below with a large creamy patch. Thorax and legs whitish yellow except 1st tibia and tarsus yellow. Forewing hyaline. Abdomen yellow. The specimen collected in Sichuan Province has the following differences: ground colour sordid beige. Vertex yellowish orange, coronal suture blackish brown. Frontoclypeus and anteclypeus yellow, genae and antennal bases whitish yellow. Pronotum mostly sordid beige, irregular arch of hypodermal pattern light yellow with three creamy patches along anterior margin. Scutoscutellar sulcus dark. Dorsum of abdomen blackish, laterally sordid yellowish with sordid brownish patch at each tergite, ventrally with each sternite with a sordid brownish spot laterally.

Abdominal apodemes reaching end of segment 5 ( Fig. 26 ). Male genitalia: Pygofer anteriorly almost straight except strongly constricted ventral margin anteriorly, with about 10 rigid setae terminally on outside and inside of lobe ( Fig. 17 ); ventral appendage slightly s-shaped, apex curved caudo-ventrad and subapically adorned with small teeth ventrally ( Figs 18, 19 ). Subgenital plate in lateral view parallel sided at basal 1/4 and gradually narrowing apicad, with 3–4 setae in basal group, ca. 22–25 marginal microsetae, 22 lateral macrosetae; and several long fine lateral setae in 2–3 rows ( Figs 17, 20 ). Paramere slim caudally, with slightly elongate dentifer bearing 3–4 teeth, 1– 2 setae and 4–5 sensory pits arranged linearly below ( Fig. 21 ). Aedeagal shaft in profile elongate, apical part curved cephald and slightly expanded subapically, basally with a strongly laterally expanded protrusion with numerous small teeth on anterior and lateral margins ( Figs 22, 23 ). Connective narrow, lateral margins almost straight, apical margin deeply emarginated medially ( Fig. 24 ). Anal tube process evenly curved and gradually tapered to acute apex, at its base has a triangular branch directed ventrad ( Figs 17, 25 ).

Etymology. The specific name is an arbitary combination of letters.

Diagnosis. Alebroides muzitaneus n. sp. is assigned to the A. soror species group based on the following combination of characters: body light coloured; ventral pygofer appendage long, subapically adorned with small teeth ventrally ( Figs 18, 19 ); caudal part of paramere slim ( Fig. 21 ); connective narrow ( Fig. 24 ); aedeagal shaft with apical part curved cephald in profile and and slightly expanded subapically, with a basal protrusion strongly expanded laterad ( Figs 22, 23 ); anal tube process has additional branch at base ( Figs 17, 25 ); abdodminal apodemes not exceeding segment 5 ( Fig. 26 ). It differs from other species of this group by: lobate branch situated at base of anal tube process ( Figs 17, 25 ) and basolateral expanded protrusion of the shaft with numerous small teeth on anterior and lateral margins ( Fig. 23 ).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 26. Alebroides muzitaneus n. sp., 13, head and thorax, dorsal view; 14, face; 15, forewing; 16, hindwing; 17, male terminalia, lateral view; 18, 19, ventral pygofer appendage; 20, subgenital plate, dorsal view; 21, paramere; 22, aedeagus, lateral view; 23, same, ventral view; 24, connective; 25, anal tube process, lateral view; 26, abdominal apodeme.