Maua squeala, Wang & Duffels & Wei, 2021

Wang, Jiali, Duffels, Joannes P. & Wei, Cong, 2021, Description of a new species of the genus Maua Distant (Hemiptera, Cicadidae) from China, Zootaxa 4949 (3), pp. 582-588 : 583-584

Maua squeala sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( NWAFU), China: Jiufeng Mountain, Nanping City , Fujian Province, 07.VIII.2020, coll. Xiaohan Yu. Paratypes: 14♂♂ 1♀ ( NWAFU), China: Jiufeng Mountain, Nanping City , Fujian Province, 07.VIII.2020, coll. Xiaohan Yu ; 1♂ ( NWAFU), China: Damao Mountain , Dexing City, Jiangxi Province, China, collector unknown .

Measurements (in mm; 12♂♂, 1♀). Body length: ♂ 33.4–36.3, ♀ 27.8; fore wing length: ♂ 39.5–42.3, ♀ 37.2; fore wing width: ♂ 14.0–14.9, ♀ 11.5; width of head including eyes: ♂ 9.4–10.5, ♀ 9.8; pronotum width (including pronotal collar): ♂ 11.3–12.3, ♀ 11.8; mesonotum width: ♂ 8.9–10.6, ♀ 9.7.

Etymology. The species name is the Latin adjective meaning “squeal” in reference to the distinctive calling song.

Description of male. Head ( Fig. 1A–D ) mostly ochraceous, almost equal to width of mesonotum. Eyes blackish fuscous; ocelli yellowish brown, enclosed by blackish ochraceous fascia. Postclypeus protruding, with two longitudinal, blackish ochraceous fasciae medially, which are connected with alternate transverse, blackish ochraceous grooves and white stripes on each side. Basal area of anteclypeus with pair of longitudinal, blackish ochraceous patches. Lorum with corner black. Rostrum reaching almost posterior margin of sternite 3; apex dark ochraceous.

Thorax ( Fig. 1A–D ). Pronotum ochraceous, longer than head; paired central fasciae blackish ochraceous, widened apically, with corresponding apexes connected with each other; pronotal collar generally ochraceous, anterior margin symmetrically with several blackish ochraceous markings anteriorly, lateral margin with small tooth. Mesonotum ochraceous, usually with five blackish ochraceous fasciae: median fascia very long and straight, extending from anterior margin of mesonotum to cruciform elevation; oblique paramedian fasciae long, extending from anterior margin of mesonotum to about half-length of mesonotum, widened posteriorly; one or several irregular spots laterad to paramedian fascia. Cruciform elevation ochraceous with dark markings on anterior angles. Golden pile in depressions and along lateral mesonotum.

Legs ( Fig. 1A–B ). Mostly yellowish brown. Fore femur with dorsal side and apex of ventral side blackish ochraceous; three spines dark ochraceous: primary spine long and slender, secondary spine somewhat shorter and broader, subapical spine small. Fore tibia with dark brown fasciae on ventral surface. Tarsi of fore and middle legs brown, hind tarsi ochraceous, claws brown.

Wings ( Fig. 1A–D ). Hyaline. Fore wing with distinct dark brown spots on transverse veins at bases of second and third apical cells; transverse veins at bases of fifth and seventh apical cells usually with small brown spots. Apices of longitudinal veins of apical cells with small brown spots. Basal membrane of fore wing and hind wing jugum tinged with light-brown.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1A–D ). Mostly ochraceous with silvery to golden pubescence; longer than head and thorax together, widest across abdominal segment 3 or 4, which is slightly wider than pronotal collar. Tergites VII–VIII dark brown, with posterior margins of tergites II–VI with black markings. Timbal covers ochraceous. Opercula generally ochraceous with margin blackish ochraceous, triangular in shape, separated from each other at base, with apex broadly rounded, reaching or slightly exceeding posterior margin of abdominal sternite II. Abdominal sternites mostly ochraceous with median part blackish ochraceous. Sternites III and IV with paired nipple-like tubercles: tubercles of sternite III yellowish; tubercles of sternite IV glossy brown. Epipleurites with laterodistal corner blackish ochraceous.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 1E–G ). Pygofer ochraceous, nearly elliptical. Uncus triangular with inwardly curved base and somewhat straight lateral margins in ventral view. Dorsal beak small. Distal shoulder broad and rounded in lateral view. Upper lobes of pygofer absent. Basal lobes of pygofer straight, placed laterally adjacent to side of pygofer.

Description of female ( Fig. 2A–D ). Forebody identical to that of male. Opercula small, ochraceous to brownish, somewhat wider than long, exceeding posterior margin of abdominal sternite II. Abdomen noticeably shorter than male. Ovipositor sheath dark ochraceous, protruding beyond segment 9. Posterior margin of sternite VII incised at middle.

Distribution. China (Fujian, Jiangxi, Duangdong).

Habitat. The microhabitat of this new species is always close to rivers in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests, with an elevation of ~ 150– 350 m. Individuals were observed sitting and singing on trunks and branches of high trees, with the perching sites of different heights.

Remarks. Variations of M. squeala sp. nov. mainly occurs on the lateral fasciae on mesonotum and spots of the fore wings. Individuals that possess only one distinct blackish ochraceous spot laterad the paramedian fascia usually have spots on transverse veins at bases of fifth and seventh apical cells ( Fig. 1A ), but individuals that possess several distinct irregular blackish ochraceous spots laterad the paramedian fascia usually have no spot on transverse veins at bases of fifth and seventh apical cells ( Fig. 1C ).

This new species was misidentified to be M. affinis by Chou et al. (1997) based on two male specimens they examined, but the new species can be distinguished from M. affinis by the following characteristics: mesonotum has either one or several distinct irregular blackish ochraceous spots laterad to the paramedian fascia (lateral fasciae are linear in M. affinis ); abdomen broad, segment 3 is slightly wider than pronotal collar (abdomen wider, segment 3 is distinctly wider than pronotal collar in M. affinis ); posterior margins of tergites II–VI with blackish bands (tergite II with black band of variable width along about two thirds of posterior margin, posterior margins of tergites III–VI brown in M. affinis ); basal lobe of pygofer straight (basal lobe of pygofer with slightly sinuate ridges in M. affinis ); uncus triangular (uncus trapezoidal in M. affinis ). This new species is similar to M. palawanensis , but differs from the latter in the shorter and slender body of males (body length of males of M. palawanensis is ~ 39 mm) and in the lateral fasciae on mesonotum in male (lateral fasciae on mesonotum of M. palawanensis males are not broken up). This new species is also similar to M. albigutta with respect to the configuration of the male abdomen, but it can be distinguished from the latter species by the larger body size (body length of males of M. albigutta less than 30 mm) and the small brown spots on apices of longitudinal veins of all apical cells (apices of longitudinal veins of apical cells 1–4 with small brown spots in M. albigutta ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maua squeala sp. nov. (male). A. habitus of holotype, dorsal view; B. habitus of holotype, ventral view; C. habitus of a paratype from Fujian Province, dorsal view; D. habitus of a paratype from Jiangxi Province, dorsal view; E. male pygofer of holotype, lateral view; F. male pygofer of holotype, ventral view; G. male pygofer of holotype, posterolateral view.

FIGURE 2. Maua squeala sp. nov. (paratype, female). A. habitus, ventral view; B. habitus, dorsal view; C. female terminalia, lateral view; D. female terminalia, ventral view.