Aconurella furcata, Duan, Yani & Zhang, Yalin, 2012

Duan, Yani & Zhang, Yalin, 2012, A taxonomic review of the grassland leafhopper genus Aconurella Ribaut (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Chiasmini) from China with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3397, pp. 28-44 : 34

Aconurella furcata sp. n.

( Figure 3–4 , Plate III)

Length. Male: 3.1–3.2mm; female: 3.2mm.

Greenish-ochraceous (Plate III: A, B). Vertex with a central spot, two transversely striae, markings sometimes reduced to absent (Plate III: A, B, E, F). Frontoclypeus ochraceous, oblique striae in the lateral regions (Plate III: G). Forewing macropterous (Plate III: A, B).

Male genitalia. Pygofer basolateral cleft not membranous, darkly sclerotized part of pygofer side on posteroventral margin more than half its length, with small spines, dorsoapical margin without or with sparse small spinules ( Figs 3 A, 4A); style apophysis three times length of preapical lobe ( Figs 3 D, 4C); connective furcate with arms widely divergent ( Figs 3 E, 4D).

Female. Sternite VII as shown in Plate III: D.

Material examined. Holotype: 3, China, Yunnan Prov., Diancang Mountain, 2173m, 05.viii.2005, coll. Li Meng ( NWAFU). Paratypes: 13, 1Ƥ, China, Yunnan Prov., Tengchong County, 1632m, 05.vi.2011, coll. Lu Lin ( NWAFU).

Remarks. This species is tentatively described as distinct from A. prolixa . Both male specimens show some signs of poor development, i.e., the male pygofer basolateral cleft is not membranous ( Figs 3 A, 4A). In addition, the genitalia are weakly sclerotised in the paratype male. Distinguishing features of the species are the apophysis of style which is three times length of preapical lobe ( Figs 3 D, 4C) and the furcate connective with arms widely divergent ( Figs 3 E, 4D).

Etymology. The specific epithet is based on the furcate connective.

PLATE III. Aconurella furcata sp. n. A & B: habitus, dorsal view; C: habitus, lateral view; D: the end of female abdomen, ventral view; E & F: head and thorax, dorsal view; G: face.

Figures

FIGURE 3. (Paratype) Aconurella furcata sp. n. A: male pygofer side, lateral view; B: subgenital plate, ventral view; C: valve, ventral view; D: style, dorsal view; E: connective, dorsal view; F & G: aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, respectively.

FIGURE 4. (Holotype) Aconurella furcata sp. n. A: male pygofer side, lateral view; B: subgenital plate, ventral view; C: style, dorsal view; D: connective, dorsal view; E & F: aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, respectively.