Flavina lami, Constant & Pham, 2024

Constant, Jérôme & Pham, Hong Thai, 2024, Issid planthoppers from Bach Ma and Phong Dien in Central Vietnam. I. Tribe Parahiraciini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 975, pp. 1-64 : 23-29

Flavina lami sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:51B097C1-2F3A-4A26-B342-C84986E3E29F

Figs 1 , 2D , 12–14

Diagnosis

Flavina lami sp. nov. can be recognized by:

(1) the moderately narrow dorsal margin of the frons, equal to 0.35 of the length of the frons in midline;

(2) the vertex without median carina;

(3) the pronotum with obsolete median carina;

(4) the mesonotum without median carina and with peridiscal carinae very weakly marked;

(5) the pygofer subquadrate in lateral view, with posterior margin broadly rounded and maximum length around midheight;

(6) the anal tube with apical margin strongly bisinuate, with middle portion roundly protruding and with lateral lobes strongly developed, angularly pointing posteroventrad;

(7) the capitulum of the gonostylus massive, wide, falcate and short (about as high as wide), dorsally hooked cephalodorsad, and with wide neck;

(8) the lateroventral processes of the aedeagus elongate, rather wide in basal portion and directed mesocephalad (weakly sinuate), then tapering, curved laterocephalad and pointed apically.

Differential diagnosis

The identification key to the species of Flavina proposed by Zhang et al. (2010) leads to F. walkeri , described from “ India ”. However, from the description and illustrations provided by Signoret (1861), F. walkeri differs by the vertex more than 1.5 times as wide as long (about 1.2 times as long as wide in F. lami sp. nov.), the pronotum densely tuberculate on disc and along anterior margin (no tubercles on pronotum in F. lami ), the yellowish abdomen (dark brown in F. lami ) and the seven lateral spines of the metatibiae (3–4 in F. lami ). The species also shares a number of characters with F. quangi sp. nov., also found in Bach Ma National park, but can be separated from the latter by a smaller size (LT = 6.6 mm; 8.0 minimum in F. quangi ), the broadly rounded hind margin of the pygofer in lateral view (weakly concave in dorsal ⅔, then strongly emarginate in ventral ⅓ in F. quangi ) and the round apical margin of the anal tube of the male in dorsal view (emarginate in F. quangi ).

Etymology

The species epithet is a patronym dedicated to Lâm Bá Vũ Nguyễn, one of the rangers who helped us during the fieldwork in Bach Ma National Park.

Type material

Holotype

VIETNAM • ♂; [Thừa Thiên-Huế Province], Bach Ma National Park , summit; 16°12′ N, 107°52′ E; 15–16 Jul. 2011; [1300–1400 m a.s.l.]; J. Constant and J. Bresseel leg.; day [time] collecting; I.G.: 31.933; RBINS.

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 1): 6.6 mm; LT/BB = 1.85; LTg/BTg = 2.51; LW/BW = 1.50; BV/ LV = 1.17; LF/BF = 1.42.

HEAD ( Fig. 13A–D ). Narrower than thorax and moderately elongate, with less than half of vertex length surpassing eyes. Vertex variegated brown with median line and basal portion of lateral carinae paler, strongly concave (longitudinally grooved), about 0.85 times as long in midline as broad basally, with sides weakly, evenly converging towards somewhat angular apex; median carina absent; all margins carinate, lateral ones strongly elevated; posterior margin angularly concave. Frons variegated brown, darker along dorsal margin; series of small yellowish tubercles along lateral margins; median carina well marked, extending from dorsal margin to slightly before clypeal suture; dorsal margin concave and moderately narrow, 0.35 times as wide as length of frons in midline. Posterior side of head yellowish. Genae yellowish with black-brown marking at anterodorsal angle and anterior to base of antennae. Clypeus coloured as frons, flat in middle portion, moderately elongate, subtriangular with fronto-clypeal suture rounded; anteclypeus yellowish, brown apically, with median blunt carina. Labium yellowish, elongate and narrow, nearly reaching metacoxae, with apical segment elongate, nearly as long as penultimate. Eyes reniform (not emarginate) protruding laterally; ocelli absent. Antennae rather short with scape yellowish, ring-shaped and pedicel dark brown on anterior face and yellowish on posterior one, barrel-shaped, slightly longer than broad.

THORAX ( Fig. 13A–D ). Pronotum with disc (delimited by peridiscal carina) yellowish, smooth, with central depression with two brown impressed points; rather wide dark brown area on dorsal portion of lateral fields, continued along posterior margin of paranotal lobes; yellowish tubercles along posterior margin of paranotal lobes; 0.71 times as long as mesonotum in midline; anterior margin strongly protruding in round angle anteriorly between eyes, with carinae directed obliquely posteriorly, not reaching hind margin of pronotum; posterior margin nearly straight, slightly elevated; median carina obsolete; paranotal lobes (lateral view) broad with hind margin rounded, angularly rounded posteroventrally. Mesonotum variegated yellowish, with brown marking at base of scutellum; subtriangular with nearly complete transverse anterior carina and with obsolete median carina; peridiscal carina weakly marked; disc smooth, slightly depressed in midline. Tegulae dark brown.

TEGMINA ( Fig. 12A–C ). Variegated pale yellowish, with more or less extensive, scattered, irregular blackish brown markings, larger ones at base of costal cell and at ⅔ of length along costal margin; tegmina subcoriaceous with longitudinal veins elevated and with dense reticulum of pale veinlets; shape elongate and convex with sides subparallel (weakly bisinuate) in middle portion, about 2.5 times as long as wide; angularly rounded apically. Postclaval margin straight, slightly notched at apex of clavus. Clavus closed, slightly surpassing half of tegmen length. Venation: ( Fig. 12A, C ) ScP+R moderately developed, forking into subparallel ScP+RA and RP; MP forking rather close to base into diverging MP 1 and MP 2+3, with MP 1 running parallel to RP; MP 2 and MP 3 separated at about 2/5 of tegmen length, then running parallel to MP 1; CuA unforked, parallel to claval joint and curved at apex of clavus, then parallel to postclaval margin; Pcu fused with A1 at ⅔ of clavus length; Pcu+A1 fused with CuP slightly before apex of clavus.

HIND WINGS ( Fig. 13E ). Dark brown with paler brown area at base of Pcu, and narrow area along basal portion of ScP+R; veins mostly black, darker than background; wing broader than tegmen and deeply bilobed at CuP; costal margin rather weakly sinuate; CuP-Pcu-A1 lobe nearly twice as wide as ScP-R-MP-CuA lobe, the two lobes almost the same length; both lobes somewhat angularly rounded apically; postclaval margin broadly rounded; A2 lobe brown, reduced and narrow. Venation: main veins present; dense network of cross-veins; ScP+R and MP diverging in basal portion, then running subparallel; CuA running more or less straight; Pcu rather strongly curved around basal third of wing towards CuP; A1 weakly curved, more or less parallel to postclaval margin; vein A2 distinct.

LEGS ( Fig. 12A–E ). Pro- and mesocoxae yellowish, mesoanteriorly margined with brown; metacoxae brown; trochanters variegated yellowish and brown. Pro- and mesofemora yellow-brown with anteapical brown ring followed by yellowish ring before narrowly brown apex; ventral face darker than dorsal; elongate, rather slender and slightly flattened dorsoventrally. Pro- and mesotibiae yellowish with apex and subbasal ring brown; ventral face darker than dorsal; protibiae more contrasted; tibiae weakly flattened dorsoventrally, narrower and longer than corresponding femora. Pro- and mesotarsi elongate and brown. Metafemora yellowish with elongate brown marking along anteroventral portion. Metatibiae yellowish; lateral spines: 1 subbasal and 2–3 in distal half; 8 apical spines, all spines brown, apically black. First metatarsomere elongate and slender, with a strong spine at each side and a row of 6 smaller spines in between ventrally along posterior margin; second metatarsomere short with one spine at each side, all spines black-brown apically. Metatibiotarsal formula: (3–4) 8 / 8 / 2.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 12B ). Dark brown, slightly paler basally.

MALE TERMINALIA. Pygofer (Py – Fig. 14A–D ) about 2.0 times as high as long (slightly above midheight) in lateral view, with anterior margin nearly straight and posterior margin forming a wide lobe rounded to posterodorsal angle; posterior margin dorsally with deep, V-shaped, rounded excavation. Gonostyli (G – Fig. 14A–C ) (in lateral view) longer than high (without dorsal capitulum), projecting posteriorly in distinct elongate lobe rounded apically and with ventral margin weakly rounded; capitulum (ca – Fig. 14A–C ) directed dorsad, rather massive, wide, falcate and short (about as high as wide), slightly twisted, with moderately long, wide neck, and with apical hook directed dorsocephalad; with basal lamina projection directed lateroventrad in caudal view. Aedeagus ( Fig. 14E–J ) symmetrical, evenly curved dorsad (in lateral view); pair of lateroventral processes (lvp) elongate, rather wide in basal portion and directed mesocephalad (weakly sinuate), then tapering, curved laterocephalad and pointed apically; ventral lobe of periandrium (vl) rather wide, spatulate with apex slightly excavate, shorter than aedeagus (ae) and dorsal lobe (dl); aedeagus bilobed apically, each lobe with apical subtriangular process with dorsal margin undulate in caudal view ( Fig. 14G ), pointing laterocephalad. Connective (co) and tectiductus (te) weak (maybe not fully mature specimen). Anal tube (An – Fig. 14A–D ) dorsoventrally flattened, in dorsal view evenly widening to midlength, with apical margin strongly bisinuate with middle portion roundly protruding, with lateral lobes strongly developed, angularly pointing posteroventrad; anal opening before basal ½.

Biology

Flavina lami sp. nov. was collected in July, in montane evergreen tropical forest, at about 1300– 1400 m a.s.l. near the summit ( Fig. 1D ). The specimen was collected on tree trunks densely covered in lichens and mosses. Later fieldwork in April 2017 and May 2023 at the same locality failed to provide additional specimens.

Distribution

Vietnam: Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, summit of Bach Ma National Park ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of the sampled localities in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Vietnam.

Fig. 2. Typical habitats in Bach Ma National Park, May 2023. A. Pheasant trail. B. Roadside (1200– 1300 m a.s.l.). C. Rhododendron trail. D. Summit (1300–1400 m a.s.l.).

Fig. 12. Flavina lami sp. nov., dissected holotype, ♂ (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Right hind leg, ventral view. E. Metatarsus and apex of metatibia, ventral view.

Fig. 13. Flavina lami sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (RBINS). A. Head and thorax, dorsal view. B. Frons, perpendicular view. C. Head and thorax, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, anterolateral view. E. Right hind wing.

Fig. 14. Flavina lami sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (RBINS). A–D. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli. A. Left lateral view. B. Posterolateral view. C. Caudal view. D. Dorsal view. E–K. Aedeagus. E. Left lateral view. F. Left laterodorsal view. G. Posteroventral view. H. Dorsal view. I. Anterodorsal view. J. Ventral view. K. Anteroventral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.