Thapaia tina

Song, Yuehua & Li, Zizhong, 2009, Three new species of the leafhopper genus Thapaia Dmitriev & Dietrich (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from China, Zootaxa 2299, pp. 62-68 : 63

Thapaia tina Song & Li sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–11 )

Vertex ( Fig. 1 ) yellowish, anterior margin produced medially, with 4 dark spots: two bigger, black, near anterior margin; two smaller, brownish-black, near posterior margin. Coronal suture obvious, a brownish patch in midline at very apex of vertex. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) colour pattern from dark brown to black; anterior region yellowish and posterior region milky grey. Scutellum ( Fig. 1 ) yellow or orange yellow; basal triangles and apex black, at outer margin of basal triangles with pair of small black apical spots, oval-like; midline darker, fuscous. Face of male broadened ( Fig. 2 ), with pair of small black spots anterodosad of antennal pits. Frontoclypeus almost black or brownish black, with a transverse streak about up to lower 2/3; anteclypeus inflated, nearly pentagonal. Forewing ( Fig. 3 ) whitish, with many large brownish or brown markings; brochosome spot bright ochre-yellow.

Abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 4 ) large, extended beyond 3rd sternite.

Male genitalia: Pygofer lobe ( Fig. 5 ) broad, few rigid setae scattered near caudal margin. The hind margin of lobe with a small hook-like process, curved ventrally with group of microsetae around it. Anal tube ( Fig. 6 ) with pair of basal processes. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 7 ) with 4 macrosetae in oblique row starting not far from apex and row of rigid microsetae along outer margin, its apex bending towards to internal margin, dentiformlike. Style apex slender and acuminate, preapical lobe prominent ( Fig. 8 ). Aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 9, 10 ) with a large single basal process and pair of processes at apex and sub-apex respectively. The pair of sub-apical processes smaller and shorter than another pair. Preatrium shorter than shaft, but dorsal apodeme longer, broadly expanded in lateral view. Gonopore apical. Connective ( Fig. 11 ) Y-shaped, arms long and central lobe compressed.

Measurement: Body length males 3.2–3.3 mm, females 3.3–3.4 mm.

Material examined: Holotype male: CHINA, Henan Prov. Mt. Baiyun, 1300–1400 m, 14~17 (eight)- 2008, coll. Yuehua Song and Can Li. Paratypes: three males, fifteen females, same data as holotype.

Remarks: The new species is similar to T. nema Thapa, 1989 , but can be distinguished from the latter by its aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 9, 10 ) with a pair of small tooth-like processes subapically; the connective ( Fig. 11 ) Y-shaped, with a broad central lobe between two arms, and by the abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 4 ) long, extended beyond the 3rd sternite.

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ tina ” (teeth, bud), referring to the small teeth-like subapical processes of the aedeagal shaft ( Figs. 9, 10 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Thapaia tina sp. nov. 1. Head and thorax, dorsal view. 2. Face. 3. Fore wing. 4. Abdominal apodemes. 5. Pygofer lobe, lateral view. 6. Anal tube. 7. Subgenital plate. 8. Style. 9. Aedeagus, ventral view. 10. Aedeagus, lateral view. 11. Connective.