Caliscelis rhabdocladis, Che & Wang & Zhang, 2011

Che, YL, Wang, YL & Zhang, YL, 2011, Two new species and one new record of the genus Caliscelis de Laporte (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Caliscelidae) from China, Zootaxa 3067, pp. 35-48 : 41-42

Caliscelis rhabdocladis , sp. nov.

Figs 7–12, 35–44

Description. Length, male: 4.0– 4.4 mm, length of tegmen: 2.3–2.4mm; female: 5.8–6.0mm, length of tegmen: 2.4–2.6mm.

Male. Body dark brown, with pale brown maculae ( Fig. 7). Vertex brown, suffused with blackish brown ( Fig. 7). Eyes blackish brown. Frons brown, suffused with dark brown spots; clypeus dark brown ( Fig. 8). Rostrum pale brown. Pronotum white and mesoscutellum brown with dark brown spots ( Fig. 7). Tegmina dark brown with white stripe ( Fig. 7). Legs reddish brown, fore femora and tibia blackish brown, hind femora with black stripe ( Fig. 9). Dorsum of the abdomen brown with pale brown stripe and dark brown spots, and venter blackish brown with yellow stripe ( Figs 7, 9).

Female. Body pale brown with brown maculae, with pale brown stripe in the middle of dorsum ( Figs 10–12).

Vertex subquadrilateral, with anterior margin somewhat convex and posterior margin nearly truncate, 3.3× wider at apex than length in middle line ( Fig. 7), disc evidently depressed. Frons not elevated with lateral carinae present only near apical part; disc finely granulose, anterior margin evidently concave, 1.1× wider at widest part than at base, midlength 1.3× longer than greatest width ( Fig. 8). Frontoclypeal suture nearly straight. Clypeus smooth, without carina, disc evidently elevated ( Fig. 8). Pronotum wide, medial carina absent. Mesoscutellum broad and short; disc evidently elevated, with lateral carinae, which curves inwards as in Figure 8; 2.1 × wider at widest part than medial length ( Fig. 8). Tegmina short, subquadrilateral, with pits on disc; 1.3× longer than widest part; one clubbed stripe from base to inner apex ( Fig. 8). Fore femora and tibia distinctly foliately dilated ( Figs 9, 35); hind tibia with a lateral tooth near apex. Spinal formula of hind leg 6–2–2.

Male genitalia: Anal segment in dorsal view elliptical, apical margin distinctly convex with angles obtuse, evidently longer than medial width, anal foramen near middle ( Fig. 37). In lateral view, anal segment relatively small, latero-apical angles downcurved, tapering directed caudad, ventral margin nearly straight ( Fig. 36). In lateral view, pygofer with laterodorsal angles slightly prominent, lateral margin strongly sinuate, dorsocaudal angle shallowly produced and narrowed near middle ( Fig. 37). Phallus tubular in profile, asymmetrical, connective rod-like and with one short spiniform process near base and one short spiniform process near apex ( Figs 38–39). Aedeagus terminating in lobes directed caudad ( Figs 38–39), dorsal margin serrulate as Figs 39. Genital styles moderately long, nearly rectangular, about as wide near base as apex; basal margin evidently convex, ventral margin nearly straight; apical margin more or less rounded; dorsal margin near middle produced dorsad in one large and long finger-like lobe ( Fig. 36).

Female genitalia: Anal segment in dorsal view nearly triangular, apical margin convex with angles rounded, lateral margin smoothly, length in middle longer than widest part, anal foramen in basal half ( Fig. 40). Ovipositor with first valvulae narrow with 3 finger-like processes at apex, first valvifer nearly square ( Fig. 41); second valvulae with two laminae in apical half united in basal half, the lamina with a row of teeth (about 11) on dorsal margin, proximally, the valvulae with pair of short processes ( Figs 42, 43); third valvulae stout, flat medially, nearly rectangular, dorsal part with short notch ( Fig. 44). Pregenital sternite with apical margin nearly straight.

Material examined

Holotype: ♂, China: Beijing, Langfang , 10 Sept. 2010, coll. P. Wang. Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀, same data as holotype ; 4♂ 3♀, Beijing, Langfang , 13 June 2011, coll. P. Wang ; 1♂, Beijing, Pinggu , 15 July 1981, coll. X. L. Wang. ( NWAFU) .

Distribution. China (Beijing).

Remarks. This species resembles C. affinis but it can be distinguished by: 1) frons without median carina, present in C. affinis ; 2) mesoscutellum with lateral carinae, absent in C. affinis ; 3) fore femora and tibiae distinctly foliately dilated, while in C. affinis , fore femora and tibiae are more or less expanded.

Etymology. The specific epithet “rhabdocladus” is derived from Latin, referring to the rod-like connective of the phallus.

Notes. This species usually likes to crawl slowly, or jump quickly on reeds, it rarely flies (P. Wang, pers. obs.).