Kalasha aequalis, Tang & Zhang, 2019

Tang, Jiu & Zhang, Yalin, 2019, Review of the leafhopper genus Kalasha Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Hylicinae), Zootaxa 4545 (3), pp. 408-418 : 417

Kalasha aequalis sp. nov.

( Figs. 43–53 )

Length (including forewing): ♂, 10.0 mm.

External morphology. Body dark brown. Crown ( Fig. 45 ) slightly shorter than wide. Face ( Fig. 46 ) shorter than width including eyes, lateral margins of gena slightly concave and apex of gena truncate. Pronotum ( Figs. 44, 45 ) with posterior margin slightly wider than anterior margin, maximum length shorter than width of anterior margin, posterior margin moderately concave. Exposed part of mesonotum and scutellum ( Figs. 44, 45 ) slightly shorter than wide, nearly flat with tubercle poorly developed.

Male genitalia. ( Figs. 47–52 ) Pygofer ( Fig. 51 ) ventral process about 1/3 as long as pygofer side, extended mesad, branches long and slender, nearly parallel and comparatively far apart in ventral view, lateral branch above and approximately as long as central one in lateral view, more than ten microsetae present on base of branches. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 48 ) somewhat shorter than 1/2 length of pygofer. Connective ( Figs. 49, 50, 52, 53 ) length about 1.8x width, vertical process apex surpassing anterior margin in dorsal view. Style ( Figs. 49, 52, 53 ) about 3.0x longer than connective, apophysis disc-like and curved laterad with 5–8 setae on ventral surface. Aedeagus ( Figs. 49, 50, 52 ) broad and depressed in middle on dorsal surface, sides convex and with transverse rugae on dorsal surface throughout length, shaft moderately broad, gonopore at apex.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, Vietnam N., Vinh Fhu. Tam Dao Mts. , 950m, 5. VI ~ 8. VII, 1991, leg. V. Novotny & M. Tonner ( BMNH).

Etymology. This species epithet is the Latin word aequalis , referring to the branches of apophysis, which are as long as each other.

Remarks. This new species was described based on the paratype of K. minuta Shen & Zhang, 1995 . We found sufficient differences between the holotype and paratype of K. minuta to consider the two specimens to represent different species. Kalasha aequalis differs from the latter in the following respects: 1) aedeagus rugose on dorsal surface along nearly whole length, 2) style with apical half broadened and disc-shaped in lateral view rather than in dorsal view, 3) connective with vertical processes of apex clearly surpassing anterior margin in dorsal view, 4) two branches of pygofer process about same length.

Figures

FIGURES 43–53. Kalasha aequalis sp. n., Holotype ♂: 43. Habitus, dorsal view; 44. Habitus, lateral view; 45. Head and thorax, dorsal view; 46. Face; 47. Genital capsule, ventral view; 48. Subgenital plate, ventral view; 49. Aedeagus, connective and style, lateral view; 50. Aedeagus, lateral view; 51. Pygofer ventral process, ventral view; 52. Aedeagus, connective and style, dorsal view; 53. Connective and style Apophysis, ventral view.