Myittana (Benglebra) dongae Zhao, Luo & Chen, 2023

Zhao, Yong-Tao, Luo, Qiang, Yang, Lin, Long, Jian-Kun, Chang, Zhi-Min & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2023, Two new species of the bamboo-feeding subgenus Myittana (Benglebra) (Hemiptera Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from China, Zootaxa 5244 (1), pp. 82-88 : 85-87

Myittana (Benglebra) dongae Zhao, Luo & Chen sp. nov.

Figs 13–23 , 24–28

Body length: male: 4.97–5.05 mm (n=6), female: 5.55–5.59 mm (n=5).

Coloration. Body yellowish white to orange, females are lighter in color than males. Crown yellowish-white, with two longitudinal bright red stripes starting from the top of the head back to the end of the clavus, gradually darkening from the clavus ( Fig. 13 ). Face yellowish white, eyes yellowish-brown ( Fig. 17 ). Pronotum with two additional bright red stripes on each side near the lateral margin ( Fig. 15 ). Forewings dark grey longitudinal stripe on commissural margin, extended along entire length. Outer cells dark grey and medial area of third cells with a black spot ( Fig. 17 ). Legs yellowish white.

Head and thorax. Anterior margin of crown slightly inclinate and elevated, median length is close to width between the eyes (1: 1.18) ( Figs 13, 15 ), apex of head truncate in lateral view, with face flat ( Fig. 16 ). Width of face including eyes approximately 0.8 times length (1: 1.2) ( Fig. 17 ). Pronotum transversely wide, width slightly wider than head including eyes (1.18: 1), length evidently longer than medium length of crown (1.78: 1) ( Fig. 15 ). Forewing length is about 4.5 times as long as the widest part (4.49: 1) ( Fig. 13 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer transversely broad in lateral view, with many long setae in distal half, tubercular process at apical 2/3 of ventral margin ( Fig. 19 ). Valve triangular, subgenital plate elongated ( Fig. 23 ).Style twisty, apical nipple-like process pointing outwards ( Fig. 22 ). Connective V-shaped, outer margin of base concave inward, apex arc-shaped ( Fig. 21 ). Aedeagus tubularly curved, stout at base, tapering towards tip, gonopore at the apex ( Fig. 20 ).

Female genitalia. Sternite VII with anterior margin nearly straight, lateral margin posteriorly convergent, posterior margin concave, slightly bulging in the middle ( Fig. 28 ). First valvula weakly curved with strigate sculpture extended to dorsal margin, slightly wider at the apex 1/3, apically tapering ( Figs 24, 25 ). Second valvula dorsal margin with numerous arched and distinct regular teeth, each tooth with secondary dentition, distal 1/3 with very closely packed much smaller teeth ( Figs 26, 27 ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♁, China: Guangxi, Guilin City, Xing’an County, Maoer Mountain (25°86’N, 110°49’E), 15 July 2015, Qiang Luo and Meng-Shu Dong; paratypes: 6♁♁ 5♀♀, China: Guangxi, Guilin City , Xing’an County, Maoer Mountain (25°86’N, 110°49’E), 15 July 2015, Qiang Luo and Meng-Shu Dong.

Distribution. China (Guangxi).

Host Plant. Bamboo.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Mr. Meng-Shu Dong, collector of the new species.

Remarks. The new species is most similar to M. (B.) ventrospina ( Chen & Yang, 2007) , but the differences are as follows: (1) the new species has two bright red stripes extending from the crown to the end of the clavus ( Fig. 13), the latter has two longitudinal orange-red stripes on the crown and pronotum terminating at the scutellum; (2) male pygofer of the new species has a small wart-like process at 2/3 length of the ventral margin ( Fig. 19 ), the latter has a stout process at the middle of the ventral margin; (3) style of the new species has a single nipple-like process at the tip, slightly curved ( Fig. 22 ), the latter has two processes at the tip.

Figures

FIGURES 13–23. Myittana (Benglebra) dongae sp. nov., male: 13. Male habitus, dorsal view; 14. Male habitus, lateral view; 15. Head and thorax, dorsal view; 16. Head and thorax, lateral view; 17. Face; 18. Male pygofer, lateral view; 19. Male pygofer, ventral view; 20. Connective and aedeagus, dorsal view; 21. Connective and aedeagus, lateral view; 22. Style; 23. Valve and subgenital plate, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (13–17); 0.2 mm (18–23).

FIGURES 24–28. Myittana (Benglebra) dongae sp. nov., female: 24. First valvula; 25. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of first valvula; 26. Second valvula; 27. Detail of dorsal sculptured area of second valvular; 28. Female sternite VII, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.