Malaxa hamuliferum, Li, Hong-Xing, Yang, Lin & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2019

Li, Hong-Xing, Yang, Lin & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2019, Taxonomic study of the genus Malaxa Melichar, with descriptions of two new species from China (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Delphacidae), ZooKeys 861, pp. 43-52 : 45-47

Malaxa hamuliferum sp. nov. Figs 1, 2, 5-14

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, China: Yunnan, Yingjiang County (24°44'N, 97°33'E), on bamboo, 17 August 2018, Hong-Xing Li; paratypes, 5♂♂, 10♀♀, same data as holotype, Hong-Xing Li and Qiang Luo.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin word “hamulus” and the postfix “-ferus”, referring to the middle of genital styles with large process, hook-like.

Measurements.

Body length including tegmina: male 3.9-4.1 mm (N = 10); female 4.8-5.0 mm (N = 5); tegmen length: male 3.4-3.6 mm (N = 10); female 4.0-4.4 mm (N = 5).

Diagnosis.

The salient features of the new species include the following: aedeagus with phallobase broad basally, apical third narrowing abruptly, and genital styles with large process at middle, hook-like.

Description.

Coloration. General color pale yellowish brown, with dark brown to black markings, shiny (Figs 1, 2). Vertex with basal half yellowish brown, apical half pale black. Pronotum and mesonotum brown to black except each lateral side yellow (Figs 5, 6). Frons and genae black. Clypeus with basal half black, rest yellow. Rostrum yellow except apex pale brown (Fig. 7). Eyes and ocelli reddish brown. First segment of antennae with dorsal side pale yellow, with ventral side brown, second segment dark brown. Tegmina with basal half yellow except areas around apex of Cu1, after bifurcation of IA and IIA hyaline, at apical half, along Sc1, sc-r and area between R1 and M2 dark brown (Fig. 8). Wings hyaline, veins brown. Abdomen with dorsal side black, with ventral side yellow white. Genitalia dark brown.

Head and thorax. Vertex (Figs 5, 6) longer submedially than wide at base ~ 0.98: 1, at base longer than at apex ~ 1.4: 1, submedian carinae uniting slightly beyond middle, apex produced in front of eyes, apical margin straight, greatest length of basal compartment shorter than wide at base of vertex ~ 0.53: 1. Frons (Fig. 7) longer in middle line than wide at widest part ~ 1.47: 1, widest at apex. Postclypeus wide at base as wide as frons at apex. Antennae very long, cylindrical, surpassing apex of clypeus, first segment longer than wide ~ 4.06: 1, shorter than frons in middle line ~ 0.79: 1, shorter than the second segment ~ 0.43: 1 (Fig. 7). Pronotum with lateral carinae not attaining hind margin, shorter than vertex ~ 0.69: 1. Mesonotum with lateral carinae not attaining hind margin, longer in middle line than vertex and pronotum together ~ 1.76: 1 (Figs 5, 6). Tegmina narrow, longer than widest part ~ 4.12: 1 (Fig. 8).

Male genitalia. Anal segment of male small, ring-like (Fig. 9). Pygofer in profile tapering to dorsad (Fig. 10), in posterior view with opening longer than wide (Fig. 9), in ventral view medioventral margin V-like (Fig. 11). Aedeagus with phallus slender, tubular, acute at apex, apical third curved C-like, phallobase in profile broad basally, apical third narrowing abruptly (Fig. 12). Genital styles long and slender, tapering to apex, inner margin with large process at middle, hook-like (Fig. 13).

Host plant.

Bamboo.

Distribution.

Southwest China (Yunnan).

Remarks.

This species is similar to Malaxa semifusca Yang & Yang, 1986 but differs from it by: (1) frons and genae black, clypeus with basal half black (frons with apical third, genae with ventral half and clypeus yellow in M. semifusca ); (2) anal segment of male without process (anal segment with left lateroapical process small and obtuse in M. semifusca ); (3) aedeagus with phallobase without tooth at apex (aedeagus with phallobase incomplete, apex membraneous, with several teeth along margin and around apex in M. semifusca ).