Forficus Qu

Qu, Ling, Webb, M. D. & Dai, Ren-Huai, 2015, A new genus and species of the leafhopper subtribe Paraboloponina from China (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), Zootaxa 3919 (2), pp. 260-270 : 266-267

Forficus Qu gen. nov.

Type species: Forficus maculatus Qu sp. nov.

Description. External morphology. Head ( Figs 1–5 ) including eyes as wide as pronotum; vertex approximately one and a half times longer medially than next to eyes, with two transverse carinae on rim and few fine transverse striations above antennal ledge and on ocellocular region; face ( Fig. 3 ) across eyes wider than long; laterofrontal sutures ( Fig. 3 ) strongly divergent, extended to ocelli; antennae ( Fig. 3 ) located slightly above middle of eyes and 1/2 as long as body length; antennal pits encroaching onto clypeus; ocelli ( Figs 1–5 ) situated slightly above marginal rim and visible in dorsal view, twice own diameter from eye; clypellus ( Fig. 3 ) broader apically than basally.

Forewing ( Fig. 2 ) with four apical cells, three anteapical cells, first anteapical cell open basally.

Fore femur ( Fig. 6 ) with IC row arcuate; AM1 present, large; without AV row. Fore tibia ( Fig. 6 ) with dorsal setal formula 1+4. Hind femur ( Fig. 8 ) with apical setal formula 2+2+1. Hind tibia ( Fig. 7 ) with 11 setae of AD row, 21 setae of PD row and numerous setae of PV and AV rows. Hind first tarsomere ( Fig. 9 a) with longitudinal row of short setae ventrally and dorsoapical pair of macrosetae at the apex and ( Fig. 9 b) distal transverse row of four platellae; second tarsomere with distal transverse row of two platellae.

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe ( Fig. 11 ) truncate apically with margin turned inward, with several macrosetae. Segment X without processes. Valve ( Fig. 10 ) trapezoidal. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 10 ) with inner margin straight, lateral margin strongly convex basally, distal two thirds digitate, with few short fine setae near base. Style ( Fig. 12 ) with large subapical lobe; apophysis acute apically. Connective ( Figs 13, 15 ) with stem produced posteriorly, bifurcate; connected to aedeagus with membrane. Aedeagal shaft ( Figs 13, 14 ) tubular; slightly compressed laterally and tapered to narrowly rounded apex; with subapical processes on ventral surface; gonopore apical; basal apodeme similar in length to shaft, compressed dorsoventrally and extended laterally subapically.

Distribution. Oriental region ( China).

Diagnosis. This genus is similar to Parabolopona and Tenompoella in having the stem of the connective extended posteriorly and the aedeagus disassociated from the connective and connected by membrane ( Fig. 13 ). It is also similar to Tenompoella in having the posterior extension of the connective bifurcate but differs in lacking the bright orange coloration of this genus and in having the pygofer lobe turned inward at the apex ( Fig. 11 ), the valve trapezoid shaped ( Fig. 10 ) and the aedeagal shaft with processes ( Figs 13, 14 ).

Etymology. This new genus name is derived from the Latin “ forficus ”, referring to the scissor-shaped connective.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Forficus maculatus. 1 — male, in dorsal view; 2 — same, in lateral view; 3 — face; 4 — head and thorax, in lateral view; 5 — same, in dorsal view; 6 — left front leg, in anterior view; 7 — left hind leg, in ventral view; 8 — apex of hind femur, in dorsal view; 9 a—hind tarsus, in ventral view; 9 b—hind tarsus, in dorsal view.

FIGURES 10 – 15. Forficus maculatus. 10 — valve and subgenital plate, in ventral view; 11 — pygofer, in lateral view; 12 — style, in dorsal view; 13 — aedeagus and connective, in lateral view; 14 — aedeagus, in ventral view; 15 — connective, in dorsal view.