Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930

Li, Feng-E, Yang, Lin, Long, Jian-Kun, Chang, Zhi-Min & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2020, First Description of Adult Males of Four Species of the Treehopper genus Tricentrus Stål from China (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Centrotinae, Tricentrini), Zootaxa 4894 (2), pp. 247-260 : 248-252

Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930

Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930: 302 ; Funkhouser, 1950: 209; Metcalf & Wade, 1965; 383; Yuan & Chou, 2002: 381.

Description. Body length (including forewing): male 5.9–6.1mm (N=7), female 6.5–6.7mm (N=13); forewing length: male 4.9–5.3mm (N=7), female 5.5–5.6mm (N=13); width between suprahumeral horn apices: male 2.5– 2.7mm (N=7), female 2.3–2.4mm (N=13); width between humeral angle apices: male 2.2–2.3mm (N=7), female 2.3–2.4mm (N=13).

Coloration. Black, with the following parts yellow-brown except veins, coxa and tarsi dark-brown: eyes, ocelli, legs, apical limbus of forewing. And with the following parts white pubescent except head and pronotum yellow: ventrolateral lobes of pronotum, sides of meso- and metathorax, and basal part of abdomen ( Figs 1 A–F).

Head and thorax. Vertex with dorsal and ventral margins slightly arcuate and oblique respectively; ocelli and eyes oval, ocelli slightly closer to inner margin of eyes than to each other; frontoclypeal margins parallel, apex slightly curved back and rounded, frontoclypeus lobes distinct and surpassing ventral margins of vertex ( Figs 1 E–F). Suprahumeral horn elongate, evenly tapered toward apex, extended dorsolaterally above pronotum and well beyond humeral angles, with one dorsal carina (indistinct in male) ( Figs 1A, 1C ); posterior pronotal process ending at quarter to third of forewing cell M 3+4 (last apical cell), with four carinae, middle carina extended full length, lateral carinae extended from base of posterior pronotal process to apex, ventral carina from middle to apex (female distinct and male indistinct) ( Figs 1B, 1D ). Basal one-sixth of forewing punctate with opaque sclerotization, veins M and Cu fused on one-fourth and divergent, veins M+Cu and R fused basally ( Fig. 1H ). Metathoracic tibia with three longitudinal rows of cucullate setae, trochanter with processes weakly developed, and extended center of body ( Fig. 1G ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer with dorsal margin convex basally ( Figs 2A, 2C ), irregularly quadrangular in lateral view, sternite IX longer than wide ( Fig. 2D ). Lateral plate with slight depression medially, with fingerlike dorsal lobe at base, apex acute, lateral margins with numerous pale yellow or hyaline setae ( Fig. 2B ). Basal two-fifths of subgenital plate fused ( Fig. 2D ). Style clasp angled dorsally ( Fig. 2A ); distally recurved, dorsal surface with setae; connective N-shaped ( Fig. 2G ). Aedeagus in lateral view nearly C-shaped, narrow in anterior view, two-thirds of interior surface and margin densely clothed with coarse denticulation ( Figs 2 E–F).

Female genitalia. Sternite VII in ventral view with posterior margin concave, surface with setae ( Fig. 3B ). Pygofer in lateral view depressed, longer than wide with numerous setae; drop-shaped in ventral view ( Figs 3 A–B). First valvulae long, moderately wide, evenly curved, apex acute ( Fig. 3C ). Second valvulae knife-shaped, parallelsided through most of length, tapered to bluntly rounded apex, distal third of dorsal margin dentate ( Figs 3D, 3F ). Third valvulae (gonoplac) with distal half expanded, ventral margin with setae ( Fig. 3E ).

Specimens examined. 2³³, China: Yunnan, Hushui County, 19 August 2011, Jian-kun Long; 5³³ 13♀♀ , China: Yunnan, Hushui County, 6 August 2018, Hong-xing Li, Feng-e Li .

Distribution. China (Yunnan, Taiwan); Japan.

Remarks. Females and males of this species were collected on the same plant, but females were more numerous. The white setae on both sides of the thorax behind the eyes nearby are an important diagnostic characteristic. The species is similar to T. allabens Distant, 1916 (both with white setae on the thorax).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930 A, B, E) Female habitus, dorsal view, lateral view, frontal view. C, D, F) Male habitus, dorsal view, lateral view, frontal view. G) Metathoracic leg. H) Forewing. I) Hindwing. Scale bar = 1mm.

FIGURE 2. Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930 A, C, D) Male genitalia, lateral view, posterior view, ventral view. B) Lateral plate, posterior view. E, F) Aedeagus, posterior view, lateral view. G) Style, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.2mm.

FIGURE 3. Tricentrus albipennis Kato, 1930 A, B) Female genitalia, lateral view, ventral view. C) First valvula. D, F) Second valvula, apical of second valvula. E) Third valvulae (gonoplac). Scale bar = 0.5mm.