Semia magna, Emery, David L., Lee, Young June & Pham, Hong-Thai, 2017

Emery, David L., Lee, Young June & Pham, Hong-Thai, 2017, Descriptions of four new species of Semia Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Psithyristriini) from Vietnam, with a key to the species of Semia, Zootaxa 4216 (2), pp. 153-166 : 154-159

Semia magna sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 A, 3A–B)

Type material. Holotype: 1♂, Kon Tum Prov., Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves , 1900 m, 15°00’39”N, 107°57’53”E, 20 IV 2016 (typed ink label) ( VNMN; E-00105) . Paratypes: 4♂♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype ( VNMN;E- 00106- 111) ; 2♂♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype (AM; K.493586-89) ; 5♂♂, 4♀♀, same data as holotype (DE).

Other material. 7♂♂, same location, 15 III 2016 (DE) ; 1♂, Thua Thien Hue Prov. , Bach Ma National Park, 1400 m, 16°11’51”N, 107°51’36”E, 20 III 2016 (DE).

Description of male ( Figs 1 A–B, 2A, 3A–B). Head mostly brown, brown anteriorly with irregular black markings around ocelli and margins of eyes; ocelli pink, distance between lateral ocellus and corresponding eye much longer than that between lateral ocelli; postclypeus with brown marking along anterior third of midline, black horizontal striations along transverse grooves mid-anteriorly, brown patch either side of midline over central third, and shiny black patch posteriorly; anteclypeus mainly brown with black anterior and posterior markings; gena and lorum mostly black with lateral margins brown; rostrum brown, black at tip, extending to anterior margin of abdominal sternite II; compound eyes dark red; antennae black; supra-antennal plates black.

Thorax: Pronotum mostly pale brown-ochraceous with black markings outlining two midline brown triangles and black patch along parapsidal sutures and lateral margins; pronotal collar evenly brown-red to ochraceous, expanded laterally. Mesonotum olive-brown with black median stripe, black patterned motif on submedian sigella, impressive black patterning stippled over lateral sigella, black strip on distal half of lateral margin, and black scutal depressions. Cruciform elevation dark brown with black anterior borders, lateral depressions brown, and golden hairs sparsely spread. Metanotum dark brown.

Legs variously patterned brown and black; coxa brown with anterior black stripes; trochanters brown; fore femur with equivalent black-brown-black annular markings and with primary spine prominent, erect, black; mid and hind femora with increasingly brown central segments and black extremities; tibia similarly patterned to femora; tarsi brown anteriorly, black at tips; claws black. Meracanthus narrow, striped brown and black, sharply pointed, overlapping anterior half of corresponding operculum.

Wings hyaline, forewing with faint milky glaze proximal to nodal line, veins brown to black, cream at node; fore wing with infuscations along crossveins r, m, r-m, and m-cu, vein CuA2, bases and apices of veins RA2, RP, M1-4, and CuA1, nodal line intersection, and outer margins of apical cells 1–7; basal membrane pale anteriorly, blackening posteriorly; basal cell orange-brown; hind wing with 6 apical cells; with continuous infuscations along proximal veins of apical cells 1–3 and outer margins of apical cells 1–6; plaga grey, covering jejum, with ovoid translucent area near distal margin.

Opercula pale yellowish brown, triangulate, ridged laterally, not extending beyond posterior margin of sternite II, rounded and meeting on midline.

Timbals ( Fig. 2 A) with 5 long ribs; ribs 1–4 dark brown, full length and fused ventrally, thinner through dorsal half to prominent central expansion, thicker ventrally, pale brown to yellow, interspersed by three intercalary ribs; rib 5 discontinuous centrally. Timbal plate prominent when timbal plate removed; timbal dome pale brown, extending over half width of timbal, inverted distally. Apodeme pit small, slit like, conspicuous.

Abdomen with tergites mainly brown, darker medially, lighter laterally, darker brown along posterior and lateral margins; tergite 1 dark brown medially with black anterior margin; timbal covers pale brown, ovoid and convex, completely covering timbals; tergite 2 with black anterior margin, brown over remainder; tergites 3–7 brown with lateral golden hairs; tergite 8 black; sternites I–VII dark brown, translucent, blackish laterally; tergite VIII black, brown along lateral third.

Genitalia ( Fig. 3 A–B): Pygofer trapezoid in ventral view; dorsal beak short, rounded, not extending to anal styles; distal shoulder acute, curved laterally; uncal lobe long, with inner margins separating towards apex, apex bevelled inwards, rounded at tip, gently curved in lateral view, with lateral projection short, rounded; basal lobe stout and curved inward in ventral view; aedeagus slender, short, entirely within uncus.

Description of female ( Fig. 1 C, D). Head and thorax similar to male, with generally darker coloration; pronotal collar olive green; mesonotum distinctly olive green with similar black patterns to male.

Abdomen dark brown; tergite 1 brown; tergites 2–3 with black anterior margins, brown posteriorly; tergites 3– 8 black-brown medially, browner laterally with distinct golden hairs; sternites I–VII dark brown to black, black mottling along anterior margins; abdominal segment 9 black, dark brown laterally, with dark green strip along dorsal midline. Ovipositor black, dark brown at tip, not extending beyond abdomen.

Measurements (12 males, 8 females). Body length: male 43.4–46.8 (45.2); female 34.9–37.4 (36.0). Length of head + thorax: male 17.0–18.2 (17.4); female 15.6–16.4 (16.0). Length of abdomen: male 26.4–28.6 (27.8); female 18.4–21.0 (19.9). Fore wing length: male 50.1–52.9 (51.0); female 50.6–52.8 (51.6). Head width: male 11.3–12.2 (11.7); female 10.7–12.0 (11.6). Pronotum width: male 12.8–14.6 (13.4); female 13.2–14.5 (13.8). Abdomen width: male 14.1–16.6 (15.4); female 13.2–15.0 (14.1).

Etymology. The name “ magna ” (Latin feminine adjective for large) is appropriate for the size of this species, the largest of the Semia species described to date.

Distinguishing features. Semia magna sp. nov. is readily distinguished from all other Semia species except S. klapperichi by its larger size (body length> 43mm); the fore wing radial crossvein which is nearly right-angled to the outer margin of the fore wing; and the well developed timbal cover which is distinctly longer than the tergite 2. With these very distinguishing characteristics of the two species, S. magna and S. klapperichi can be grouped separately from other congeners under the name of 'the S. klapperichi species group'. This species group is thought to be very closely related to the Pomponia linearis species group of the genus Pomponia Stål, 1866 , which has these characters and also the well-developed anterolateral pronotal collar as the common characters. Semia magna sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. klapperichi by the following combination of characters: less pronounced black infuscations on fore and hind wings compared with very thick infuscations in S. klapperichi ; inner area of pronotum largely light coloured compared with mostly black inner area in S. klapperichi ; uncal lobes with distinctly narrowed apices, with rounded apices in S. klapperichi ; majority of mesonotum pale brown, black in S. klapperichi ; ventral postclypeus and anteclypeus with conspicuous pale brown markings, which are mostly black in S. klapperichi ; opercula light brown, dark brown to black on S. klapperichi .

Distribution, habitat, and seasonality. This species has been found on Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves in Kon Tum Province and 350 km north at Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue Province. At both locations, the species co-exists with S. spiritus sp. nov. and S. pallida sp. nov. on Bach Ma National Park ( Fig. 4 ). Specimens have been collected from March to May.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Semia magna sp. nov.: A – B, Holotype Male, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E): A, Dorsal habitus. B, Ventral habitus. C – D, Female, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E): C, Dorsal habitus. D, Ventral habitus. Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male left timbals, with dorsal edge at left and posterior margin at bottom: A, Semia magna sp. nov., Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E); B, Semia spiritus sp. nov., Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E); C, Semia pallida sp. nov., Bidoup Nui Ba National Park (12 ° 06 ’ 43 ” N, 108 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E); D. Semia albusequi sp. nov., Bach Ma National Park (16 ° 11 ’ 51 ” N, 107 ° 51 ’ 36 ” E).

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia, with sternite VIII removed: A – B, Semia magna sp. nov., Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E): A, Viewed ventrally. B, Viewed laterally from the left. C – D, Semia spiritus sp. nov., Ngoc Linh Nature Reserves (15 ° 00 ’ 39 ” N, 107 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E): C, Viewed ventrally. D, Viewed laterally from the left. E – F, Semia pallida sp. nov., Bidoup Nui Ba National Park (12 ° 06 ’ 43 ” N, 108 ° 57 ’ 53 ” E): E, Viewed ventrally. F, Viewed laterally from the left. G – H, Semia albusequi sp. nov., Bach Ma National Park (16 ° 11 ’ 51 ” N, 107 ° 51 ’ 36 ” E): G, Viewed ventrally. H, Viewed laterally from the left. aed aedeagus; bpl basal lobe of pygofer; db dorsal beak; ds distal shoulder; unc uncus.

FIGURE 4. Map of Vietnam showing where the Semia species described in this paper were found.