Limois kikuchii Kato, 1932

Lin, You-Sheng, Liao, Jhih-Rong, Shiao, Shiuh-Feng & Ko, Chiun-Cheng, 2023, Lanternflies (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) of Taiwan., Zoological Studies (Zool. Stud.) 62 (7), pp. 1-37 : 4-9

Limois kikuchii Kato, 1932

( Figs. 4 , 5 )

Limois kikuchii Kato, 1932: 225 ; Kato, 1933: pl. 3, fig. 3; Metcalf,

1947: 170; Lallemand, 1963: 56; Nagai & Porion, 1996: 22; Chou et al., 1985: 108; Wang et al., 2020: 43.

Type locality: Manchuria [= Northeast China] ( Metcalf 1947).

Description: Measurements: body length, male (n = 1) 17.1 mm; tegmen length, male (n = 1) 14.1 mm.

Head: general color reddish brown ( Fig. 4A, B, C, D ); cephalic process short, protruding upward, ventral margin yellowish green ( Fig. 4A, C, D ); vertex broader than long, with 1 pair of brown spot on disc and 1 pair of brown subtrapezoid patch along posterior margin, lateral margins medially carinate ( Fig. 4A, C ); frons longer than broad, with 1 orange patch on each latero-posterior angle, 1 orange patch along middle of posterior margin, and 3 longitudinal carinae extending from ventral side of cephalic process, median carina sometimes indistinct terminally ( Fig. 4B, D ); antennae brown ( Fig. 4C, D ); clypeus longer than frons, with 3 orange patches along anterior margin, and 2 orange patches on median carina, 1 near anterior margin and 1 near posterior margin ( Fig. 4B ); labium elongate, reaching apex of abdomen ( Fig. 4B ).

Thorax: ( Fig. 4A, C ) pronotum reddish brown, with 1 pair of brown subquadrangular patch along anterior margin, followed by 1 pair of small brown spot posteriorly and 1 dark brown spot on each lateral area; mesonotum yellowish brown, with 2 pairs of dark brown subquadrangular patch and 1 pair of dark brown spot along anterior margin, 2 big dark brown patches on each lateral side of median carina between lateral carinae, 1 brown subtriangular patch on each lateral area ouside lateral carinae, and 1 pair of dark brown suboval patch on posterior angle.

Tegmina: ( Fig. 4A ) basal 1/3 with 1 brown oblique irregular band, dividing tegmen into basal colored area and apical hyaline area; basal colored area coral pink, with 1 big brown patch near anterior margin, 2 moderate brown spots along claval suture and numerous small brown spots throughout; apical hyaline area with several brown spots varying in size along anterior margin, 2 moderate brown spots near middle of anterior margin, several brown spots varying in size along apical margin, 1 big brown patch along apico-posterior margin, and numerous small brown spots throughout.

Hindwings: ( Fig. 4A, B ) basal 1/2 red with 1 big and 1 small brown spot on A1 vein; apical 1/2 hyaline.

Legs: ( Fig. 4B, C ) general color brown; femora with several yellowish white irregular patches; tibiae with 2 yellowish white rings, metatibiae with 5 lateral spines.

Abdomen: ( Fig. 4A, B ) general color black, posterior margin of tergites yellow.

Male genitalia: 9th abdominal segment, in lateral view, with anterior margin slightly convex near ventroanterior margin, dorso-anterior margin obtuse, dorso-posterior margin angulate, ventro-posterior margin slightly protrudent ( Fig. 5A ); 10th abdominal segment with ventral margin moderately convex at 1/3 from apex in lateral view ( Fig. 5A ), apical margin about 1.5 times broader than basal margin, medially concave as “U” shape dorsally and ventrally in dorsal view ( Fig. 5B ); 11th abdominal sternite about 2 times longer than 11th abdominal tergite ( Fig. 5B ); genital styles longer than 10th abdominal segment in lateral view ( Fig. 5A ), suboval with a hook on each lateral margin between 1/3 and 1/2 from base in ventral view ( Fig. 5C ); lateral phallobasal lobes membranous ( Fig. 5D, E ); phallobasal conjunctival processes exposed, straight and sclerotized except for apexes, about 6 times longer than sheath, apexes inflated and fin-like ( Fig. 5D, E ).

Materials examined: 1 male, Ritozan [= Litungshan, Hsinchu], VII-31-1928, leg. S. Issiki ( NTU).

Host plant: unknown.

Distribution: Taiwan, China, Korea ( Wang et al. 2020).

Remarks: This species is similar to Limois westwoodii ( Hope, 1843) . Wang et al. (2020) argued that the number of longitudinal carinae on frons can be used for distinguishing these two species. However, this character sometimes can be equivocal. Here three new diagnostic characters were proposed based on morphology of male genitalia: (1) L. kikuchii has 9th abdominal segment with dorso-posterior margin angulate in lateral view ( Fig. 6A ), while L. westwoodii has 9th abdominal segment with dorso-posterior margin rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 6B ); (2) L. kikuchii has 10th abdominal segment with apical margin medially concave as “U” shape dorsally and ventrally in dorsal view ( Fig. 6C ), while L. westwoodii has 10th abdominal segment with apical margin medially concave as “V” shape dorsally but slightly concave as “U” shape ventrally in dorsal view ( Fig. 6D ); (3) L. kikuchii has suboval genital styles in ventral view ( Fig. 6E ), while L. westwoodii has subtriangular genital styles in ventral view ( Fig. 6F ).

Figures

Fig. 4. Limois kikuchii Kato, 1932, adult male. A, Habitus, dorsal view. B, Habitus, ventral view. C, Habitus, left lateral view (not to scale). D, Frons (not to scale).

Fig. 5. Limois kikuchii Kato, 1932, male genitalia. A, Male genitalia, left lateral view. B, 10th–11th abdominal segments, dorsal view. C, Genital styles, ventral view. D, Phallic complex, ventral view. E, Phallic complex, dorsal view.

Fig. 6. Diagnostic characters for Limois kikuchii and L. westwoodii. A–B, Dorso-posterior margin of 9th abdominal segment in lateral view. A, L. kikuchii. B, L. westwoodii. C–D, Apical margin of 10th abdominal segment in dorsal view. C, L. kikuchii. D, L. westwoodii. E–F, Genital styles in ventral view. E, L. kikuchii. F. L. westwoodii.