Herbiflata sacra, Peng, Lingfei, Fletcher, Murray & Zhang, Yalin, 2016

Peng, Lingfei, Fletcher, Murray & Zhang, Yalin, 2016, A new genus in the family Flatidae with one new combination and three new species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Zootaxa 4117 (2), pp. 265-276 : 272

Herbiflata sacra sp. nov.

( Figs 2 B, F, J, N; 5A–H)

Etymology. This specific epithet is derived from the Latin word “sacer” (feminine: sacra ), which means “sacred”. Specific epithet refers to the type locality, which means that place is “ideal and magical land”.

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from other species by the following characters: mesonotum without carinae; apex of aedeagus inflated to a triangle, subapical ventral margin bearing a finger-like process.

Description. Size. Body length 8.8–9.5 mm.

Coloration. Overall color pale grey; head, thorax and legs slightly yellow, eyes fuscous; ocelli very pale white; apex of antennal segment II and clypeus yellow; legs brownish yellow, tibia and tarsus slightly darker; tegmina pale grey, translucent.

Head. Head ( Figs 2 F, 5A) about 3.5 times broader than long, narrower than pronotum, anterior margin obtusely pointed, lateral margins ridged.Vertex ( Fig. 5 A) very short in the middle, anterior margin truncate, lateral margins carinate. Frons ( Figs 2 J, N, 5B, C) convex, slightly wider than long, lateral margins convex, strongly carinate, with median longitudinal carina almost full length of frons. Clypeus ( Figs 2 J, 5B) convex medially. Rostrum long, extending to meta-trochanter. Antennal segment I ring-like, segment II about four times longer than segment I.

Thorax. Thorax ( Figs 2 N, 5C) highly humped. Pronotum ( Figs 2 F, 5A): anterior margin convex, posterior margin concave. Mesonotum ( Figs 2 F, 5A) without carinae. Metatibia with two lateral spines, rarely one, metatibia with seven or eight spines apically, basal metatarsal segment with seven spines apically.

Tegmen ( Fig. 2 B) length 7.8–8.8 mm, width between costal margin and apex of clavus 3.8–4.2 mm; costal margin convex, apical margin rounded to apex of clavus; postclaval sutural margin convex; costal membrane about 1.7 times wider than costal cell at the level of bulla; costal cell with few transverse veinlets. ScP+R stem very short, ScP+RA not forked, RP forked slightly after bulla; MP forked apicad of RP forking, branch MP1+2 short, forked slightly apicad of M forking, MP3+4 forked apicad of MP1+2 forking; CuA forked slightly basad of 2/3 length of tegmen, CuA1 forked midlength of tegmen, CuA2 not forked, CuP about 3/5 length of tegmen, Pcu and A1 fused in apical portion of clavus; m-cua present middle of CuP.

Male terminalia. Male anal tube ( Fig. 5 D) bent down in the middle, apex slightly turned up. Pygofer ( Fig. 5 D) ring-like, anterior margin slightly sinuate, posterior margin evenly convex, ventral margin as long as dorsal margin. Genital style ( Fig. 5 D) more or less semicircular, longer than wide, bearing distinct long capitulum; posterior margin sinuate. Phallic complex ( Fig. 5 D) strongly arched. One membrane lobe positioned dorsally at base of periandrium ( Fig. 5 E); apical half of periandrium bilobate, lobe large and long, apex membranous, dorsolateral emargination deeply and widely concave; ventral part apically bipartite with strongly sinuate process at inner surface of apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 F) bipartite, apex inflated to triangle, subapical ventral margin with finger-like process.

Female terminalia. Female anal segment ( Figs 5 G, H) nearly ovate in dorsal view, apical margin emarginate at middle; anal pore situated near middle, paraproct short, about 0.25 times as long as anal segment. Gonoplac, in lateral view, narrowly rounded apically, dorsal margin weakly concave medially; disc flat, bearing several rows of teeth in postero-dorsal and posterior part; posterior margin with well-developed seate ( Fig. 5 G). Gonapophysis IX small, apex cuspidal in lateral view ( Fig. 5 G). Endogonocoxal process short and narrowly foliate ( Fig. 5 G). Anterior connective laminae of gonapophysis VIII broad basally, tapering apicad, with four teeth near apex ( Fig. 5 G). Sternum VII with posterior margin weakly concave.

Type material. Holotype, ♂, Menglun, XiShuangBanNa, Yunnan Province, China, 640 m, 21/ 30.iv.1974, Chou Io, Yuan Feng & Hu Yinyue ( NWAFU). Paratypes: 2♂♂, 3♀♀, same data as holotype.

Distribution. China (Yunnan) ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution of Herbiflata species in China.

FIGURE 2. Herbiflata species. (A – C) left lateral view; (D) tegmen; (E – H) head and thorax, dorsal view; (I – L) head, frontal view; (M – P) head and thorax, left lateral view; (A, E, I, M) H. chromata sp. nov.; (B, F, J, N) H. sacra sp. nov.; (C, G, K, O) H. saxeta sp. nov.; (D, H, L, P) H. xizangensis. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Herbiflata sacra sp. nov. (A) head and thorax, dorsal view; (B) head, frontal view; (C) head and thorax, left lateral view; (D) male terminalia, left lateral view; (E) periandrium, left lateral view; (F) aedeagus, left lateral view; (G) female terminalia, left lateral view; (H) female anal segment, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.