Grammacephalus furcatus Dai & Zhang

Dai, Wu, Zhang, Yalin, Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2006, Two new Asian Scaphytopiini leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of a new genus, Zootaxa 1309, pp. 37-44 : 39-41

Grammacephalus furcatus Dai & Zhang , sp. nov.

Figs 1–9 .

Vertex brown with a stripe along midline slightly widened at apex, a shorter longitudinal stripe on each side of midline over basal half, and a stripe on each side of lateral margin, ochraceous; face creamy white with narrow brown band along anterior margin. Pronotum brown with pale roundish irregular spots. Scutellum brown with pale markings comprising two short lateral spots, a pair of lateral stripes and a median stripe. Fore wing densely speckled with brown; costal margin whitish­yellow with dark brown margin.

Head strongly produced. Crown nearly flat, medial length almost one and one half times length of greatest width between eyes; ocelli near lateral margins of crown, separated from eye by distance less than their own diameter. Frontoclypeus basally widened, approximately three times as long as wide near clypellus. Clypellus strongly constricted basally and expanded apically, roundly produced at apex. Genae expanded beyond eyes and visible in dorsal view. Pronotum wider than head including eyes, anterior margin roundly produced and posterior margin slightly concave. Scutellum almost as long as head, transverse depression distinct, curved, and depressed. Tegmen long and narrow, about four times as long as wide, appendix well developed; inner anteapical cell open basally, outer anteapical cell triangular, central anteapical cell about twice as long as outer.

Male genitalia: Pygophore with side truncate posteriorly, with several macrosetae posteriorly including a tuft of setae at posterior margin, caudoventral margin with a well sclerotized process, branched at apex. Subgenital plate long, lateral margin slightly incurved at mid­length, with a uniseriate row of macrosetae ventrally from base to apex, apical margin rounded. Style apical process elongate, curved laterally and truncate at apex; lateral lobe well developed with a group of small setae. Connective U­shaped with arms well developed. Aedeagus reflexed basally and apical half extending caudad, narrowed gradually to apex, with a pair of apical appendages curved dorsally; gonopore apical on ventral surface.

Measurement: Male 5.1mm long (including tegmen).

Material examined: Holotype ɗ, China: Yunnan Prov., Yuanmou county, Yuanmazhen, Yuelongcun, Daheishan, 4 Nov. 2005, coll. Li Qiao ( NWAFU).

Host: Dodoneae viscosa (L.)

Remarks: This species resembles Grammacephalus rahmani (Pruthi) externally but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) Pygofer side with a two­branched process at caudoventral margin; 2) aedeagus reflexed basally and apical half extending caudad, with a pair of appendages curved dorsally. The new species is also very similar to G. pallidus Linnavuori in the shape of the aedeagus, but differs from the latter by: 1) Pygofer process branched at apex; 2) aedeagus with a pair of appendages curved dorsally.

Etymology. This new species is named for its branched process at the caudoventral margin of the male pygofer.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Grammacephalus furcatus Dai & Zhang sp. nov. 1, head and thorax, dorsal view; 2. face; 3. forewing; 4. aedeagus and connective, ventral view; 5. aedeagus and connective, lateral view; 6. pygofer, lateral view; 7. style, dorsal view; 8. pygofer side, ventral view; 9. genital valve and subgenital plate, ventral view.