Polydictya nigrifrons, Constant & Pham, 1843

Constant, Jérôme & Pham, Hong Thai, 1843, Polydictya lanternflies of the Indochinese region: Six new species and identification key (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 86, pp. 1-42 : 1-42

Polydictya nigrifrons sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:307C59A4-2C94-4E42-A0B4-6CBFD0E2DB06

Figs 4 , 12

DIAGNOSIS. The species can be separated from all other Polydictya species by the following combination of characters: (1) tegmina with paler and darker areas forming cloudy effect ( Fig. 12 A ); (2) posterior wings with basal half bright red turning to bright orange around mid-length, then a sinuate pale yellowish band slightly extending towards apex along costal margin and brown area opaque ( Fig. 12 A ); (3) frons mostly brownish black with dorsal margin not projecting anterodorsally ( Fig. 12 B, D ); (4) protibiae not laminate, mostly black with obsolete paler ring ( Fig. 12 A, C ); (5) abdomen red dorsally and mostly black ventrally. ( Fig. 12 A, C ); (6) genital segments orange.

The closest species are P. laotiana sp. nov. ( Laos – Fig. 8 ), P. thompsoni sp. nov. ( Thailand – Fig. 13 ) and P. pantherina Gerstaecker, 1895 ( Sri Lanka – Fig. 19 ), from which P. nigrifrons sp. nov. can be separated by character (3): the three other species show a yellowish brown frons (mostly brownish black in P. nigrifrons sp. nov.) and (4): the three other species show pro- and mesotibiae with broad well defined pale yellowish ring (pro- and mesotibiae mostly black with obsolete paler ring in P. nigrifrons sp. nov.).

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet is formed from niger (adj., Latin) = black and frons (noun, Latin) = frons and refers to the diagnostic black frons of this species.

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TYPE MATERIAL. VIETNAM: Holotype ♀ ( Fig. 12 ): [Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., Vietnam, Lam Dong prov., Dambri, Bao Lam, ix.2017, leg. local collector, I.G.: 33.636] ( RBINS).

VIETNAM: Paratype ♀: same data as holotype ( RBINS) .

DESCRIPTION.

Measurements and ratios: LT: ♀ (n = 2): 27.2–28.0 mm; LTg/BTg = 2.8; BV/LV = 3.8; LF/BF = 0.75.

Head: ( Fig. 12 B, D, F ) brownish black with vertex and narrow band along dorsal margin of frons pale yellow brown and basal angles of frons and clypeus, narrow band on frons along fronto-clypeal joint and apex of clypeus paler; vertex curved and deeply grooved transversely with lowest point in middle and with all 4 margins carinate; frons not visible from above, convex, smooth, subquadrate with impressed, slightly wrinkled longitudinal groove along lateral margin, starting in front of eye; clypeus slightly narrower and shorter than frons; labium elongate, dark brown, surpassing metacoxae; antennae black with scape cylindrical, elongate; pedicel bulbous.

Thorax: ( Fig. 12 B, D, F ) pronotum yellow-brown with lateroventral lobes bownish black; mesonotum blackish brown with brown markings at anterolateral angles and at basal angles of scutellum; pro-, meso- and metasternites blackish brown; pronotum rugulose with transverse groove on disc limited at each side by small impressed point covered in white wax, another point with white wax behind eye, median carina obsolete, more visible in middle; mesonotum smooth with disc wrinkled, median carina slightly marked from anterior margin to scutellum and obsolete peridiscal carinae; scutellum slightly impressed on disc; tegulae yellow-brown with dorsal and ventral apical portions darker; metanotum bright red.

Tegmina: ( Fig. 12 A, C, E ) pale yellow-brown with 4 black markings on costal cell; cells black with groups of pale yellow cells forming a cloudy effect; veins pale yellowish brown; costal and sutural margins subparallel, apex obliquely rounded.

Posterior wings: ( Fig. 12 A, C ) brown on distal third and along sutural margin; basal half bright red turning to bright orange around mid-length of wing; brightly coloured basal area and brown portion separated by sinuate pale yellowish band slightly extending towards apex along costal margin; veins concolorous with background except on pale yellowish portion with veins darker and in some portions of brown area with veins yellowish or red; broader than tegmina.

Legs: ( Fig. 12 A, C ) elongate and slender with pro- and mesotibiae not foliaceaous. Anterior and median legs black with weak reddish brown tint, slightly paler dorsally; pro- and mesotibiae with obsolete paler ring at mid-length; pro- and mesotarsi black. Metacoxae, trochanters and femora blackish with reddish brown tint, slightly paler dorsally; metatibiae and tarsi dark reddish brown. Metatibiotarsal formula: (5–6) 7/8/7.

Abdomen: ( Fig. 12 A, C ) bright red dorsally with anal tube orange in female; lateral pleura bright red on dorsal half and brownish on ventral half; black ventrally with intersegmental membranes and lateral portion of last segments red.

DISTRIBUTION. Central Vietnam: Lam Dong Province ( Fig. 4 ).

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Figures

Fig. 4. Polydictya spp. nov. and P. chantrainei Nagai & Porion, 2004, distribution map.

Fig. 12. Polydictya nigrifrons sp. nov., holotype ♀ (RBINS). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, frons, normal view. E, habitus, lateral view. F, head and prothorax, lateral view.

Fig. 8. Polydictya laotiana sp. nov., holotype ♂ (RBINS). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, frons, normal view. E, habitus, lateral view. F, head and prothorax, lateral view.

Fig. 13. Polydictya thompsoni sp. nov., holotype ♀ (RBINS). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, head, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, frons, normal view. E, habitus, lateral view. F, head and prothorax, lateral view.

Fig. 19. Polydictya pantherina Gerstaecker, 1895. A–C, holotype ♀ (ZIMG – photographs © P. Michalik). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, habitus, ventral view. C, labels. D–G, holotype ♂ of synonym Polydictya krisna Kirkaldy, 1902 (BMNH). D, habitus, dorsal view. E, frons, normal view. F, labels. G, head, lateral view.