Limassolla (L.) forcipata

Song, Yuehua & Li, Zizhong, 2011, Five new species of the leafhopper genus Limassolla Dlabola (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from China, Zootaxa 3127, pp. 53-63 : 56

Limassolla (L.) forcipata Song & Li sp. nov.

( Figs. 10–18 )

Body yellowish orange. Crown and pronotum milky yellow, with large conspicuous brown yellow pattern as in Fig. 10 . Eyes greyish brown. Scutellum ( Fig. 10 ) milky yellow; apex brown yellow, with pair of dark spots; basal triangles ( Fig. 10 ) yellow, two small oval dark spots near end of basal triangles. Forewing ( Fig. 11 ) light brown yellow, with scattered brown or brownish spots; clavus with three yellowish orange spots.

Abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 12 ) large, extending to 6th segment.

Male genitalia: Pygofer lobe ( Fig. 13 ) broad, with long ventral appendage strongly broadened subapically; group of small short microsetae at base of appendage. Pygofer microtrichia prominent ( Fig. 13 ). Subgenital plate ( Fig. 14 ) with single macroseta near base. Style ( Fig. 15 ) long, apex tapered, with four microsetae near mesal surface. Aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 16, 17 ) with pair of long processes basoventrally; apices of long processes slightly arcuately curved and crossing each other ( Fig. 17 ). Preatrium and dorsal apodeme pronounced. Gonopore ( Figs. 16, 17 ) subapical on ventral surface. Connective ( Fig. 18 ) Y-shaped, with short medial lobe; stem and lateral arms broad.

Specimen examined. Holotype, 3, China, Yunnan Prov., Menghai county, 23 Jul. 2008, coll. Yuehua Song. Paratypes: 23, 2Ƥ, same data as holotype; 23, 1Ƥ, China, Yunnan Prov., Xiaomengyang, at light, 22 Jul. 2008, coll. Yuehua Song.

Measurement. Body length males 2.8–3.0 mm, females 3.0–3.1 mm (including wing).

Remarks. The new species resembles L. fasciata Zhang & Chou (1988) , but can be distinguished from the latter by the gonopore ( Figs. 16, 17 ) located preapically on the ventral surface, not apically; the abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 12 ) large, very long, extending to the 6th segment; and the apex of the aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 16, 17 ) rounded, not truncate.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ forcipata ”, which refers to the long atrial processes of the aedeagus ( Fig. 17 ) with terminal portions crossed and forceps-like.

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 18. Limassolla forcipata sp. nov. 10. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 11. Fore wing. 12. Abdominal apodemes. 13. Pygofer lobe, lateral view. 14. Subgenital plate. 15. Style. 16. Aedeagus, lateral view. 17. Aedeagus ventral view. 18. Connective, ventral view.