Drabescus mucronatus, Xu & Zhang, 2023

Xu, Deliang & Zhang, Yalin, 2023, Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Drabescus Stål (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae Deltocephalinae) with description of two new species from China, Zootaxa 5264 (3), pp. 393-404 : 400-403

2. Drabescus mucronatus sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 4 )

Description. Body length (including tegmen), male: 11 mm.

Body color tawny. Crown ( Fig. 3 , A, B, E) brown, fore margin with a median bulging black-brown longitudinal ridge toward apex, portion near ocelli with black brown radial striation, anterior margin of head ( Fig. 3 , E) with a yellowish transverse band leading onto eyes. Face ( Fig. 3 , C) yellow; frontoclypeus near base above eyes blackbrown with fuscous striations; anteclypeus with apex black-brown. Pronotum ( Fig. 3 , A, B, E) with small dense yellowish irrorations, lateral margin black-brown. Scutellum ( Fig. 3 , A, B) ginger. Forewing ( Fig. 3 , A, D) dark brown with veins yellowish brown, with white transverse band in the middle section, periphery of costa and subcosta dark-brown. Leg ( Fig. 3 , C, D, F) yellow to dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 3 , A, B, E) broader than pronotum. Crown ( Fig. 3 , A, B, E) strongly triangularly produced and elongate, median length approximately three times as long as next to eyes, middle region raised and both sides with oblique concavity extending to apex, with longitudinal wrinkles subapically, coronal suture distinct; head ( Fig. 3 , D) flat and thin in lateral view, eaves-shape; ocelli on anterior margin of head, visible dorsally, approximately three times own diameter distant from adjacent eyes. Face ( Fig. 3 , C) rhombus-shaped; frontoclypeus narrow and long, discal portion with a sharply bulging lamellate longitudinal ridge toward central section; anteclypeus strikingly expanded apically; clypeal suture obscure; lorum broad; gena with oblique wrinkles below antennae, with dense punctations subapically; antennal pits deep, antennal ledge strong. Pronotum ( Fig. 3 , A, B, E) with dense fine transverse wrinkles, lateral margin long and straight, carinate, hind margin prominently concave. Forewing ( Fig. 3 , A, D) crimped and appendix broad extending to the wing apex. Fore femur with anteromedial (AM1) setae only enlarged and stout, intercalary (IC) row with one row of several longish setae, anteroventral (AV) row nearly without setae. Hind femur ( Fig. 3 , F) with apical setal formula 2+1+1.

Male pygofer side ( Fig. 4 , G, H) triangularly constricted and tapered, without posterior process, with several long macrosetae near caudal margin. Valve ( Fig. 4 , I) semicircular. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 4 , I) with apical process tapering distally, long and digitate, sharply curved and curled dorsad, with several short and fine hair-like microsetae arising from lateral margin. Style ( Fig. 4 , J) with apical process long and rather thick, lateral lobe prominent but short with microsetae, apex strongly sclerotized. Connective ( Fig. 4 , L, M) Y-shaped, arms robust and short; stem slightly longer than anterior arms, articulated with aedeagus.Aedeagal shaft ( Fig. 4 , K) slender, curved dorsad, base wide and apex expanded in lateral view, ventroposterior margin of shaft ( Fig. 4 , K, L, M) with a pair of long basal broad processes, extending beyond apex of shaft and apex unevenly bifurcated; dorsoatrium developed; gonopore ( Fig. 4 , K) large, apical on ventroposterior surface.

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Guangdong Province, Shaoguan City, Shixing County, Chebaling National Nature Reserve , 19-VII-2020, Coll. Zhang Huan ( NWAFU) . Paratype: 1♁, S, China, Hunan Prov., Lam Mo District, Tai Kwong Village , 26 – 28-VII-1934, Coll. P. K. To ( ZSU) .

Etymology. The new species epithet derives from the Latin word “ mucronatus ”, referring to the pointed and strongly triangularly produced head.

Remarks. This new species can be distinguished from all other species in this genus by the following unique characters: head strongly triangularly produced and elongate, median length approximately three times as long as next to eyes; crown and frontoclypeus with the median bulging longitudinal ridge extending to apex.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A–F, Drabescus mucronatus sp. nov., male; A, Habitus, dorsal view; B, Head, pronotum and scutellum, dorsal view; C, Face, ventral view; D, Habitus, lateral view; E, Head, dorsoanterior view; F, Apex of hind femur, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. G–M, Drabescus mucronatus sp. nov., male; G, Genital capsule, left lateral view; H, Pygofer side, ventral view; I, Valve, subgenital plates and style, dorsal view; J, Style, dorsal view; K–M, Connective and aedeagus, lateral, dorsal and posterior view, respectively.