Mileewa Distant, 1908

He, Hong-Li, Yan, Bin, Yang, Mao-Fa & Webb, M. D., 2021, Four new species of Mileewini leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Mileewinae) from China, with a checklist to Chinese species, Zootaxa 4949 (3), pp. 521-540 : 522

Genus Mileewa Distant, 1908

Type species. Mileewa margheritae Distant, 1908: 238 .

Distribution. Palaearctic, Oriental, Ethiopian, Pacific.

Remarks. This widespread, large and diverse genus is distinguished from other members of the tribe by its usually dark appearance dorsally and forewing being usually truncate or concave apically and sometimes distinctly expanded from base to apex ( Fig. 1d ). Among the Chinese species, the distinction between a rounded or truncate forewing apex is sometimes less clear (see figs 1h-j) while in two other Chinese species, M. houhensis and M. alara , it is distinctly rounded (see figs 1k, 1l) and in the former the head is much narrower than other congeners suggesting it may belong to a different genus. Fifty-six species of Mileewa are known from China (see Appendix) including the three new species described below. As one of the new species, M. quinquemaculata sp. nov., lacks pygofer processes found in other congeners it is only tentatively included in the genus (see under species Remarks). The identity of specimens identified as M. margheritae Distant from mainland China ( Yang et al., 2017: 390-394, fig. 222) needs to be confirmed as specimens from the type locality ( India) and Taiwan have a slightly different aedeagal shape (Viraktamath & Webb, in prep. and Chiang & Knight, 1991: 119-121, fig. 1, respectively) which may have implications for the identity of its junior synonym Tylozygoides artemisiae Matsumura. See also Notes below.

Figures

FIGURE 1. External features of Mileewa species. a–d, M. clavata sp. nov., a, habitus, dorsal view; b, habitus, lateral view; c, face; d, forewing; e–h, M. rubricosta sp. nov., e, habitus, dorsal view; f, habitus, lateral view; g, face; h, forewing; i–l, forewings, i, M. xiaofeiae; j, M. lackstripa; k, M. houhensis; l, M. alara. Scale lines = 500 μm.