Kuchingella Wei & Webb

Wei, Cong & Zhang, Yalin, 2010, On the identity of Chunra gigantea Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the largest member of the arboreal leafhopper subfamily Idiocerinae, Zootaxa 2674, pp. 26-32 : 27-31

Kuchingella Wei & Webb , gen. n.

Type species: Chunra gigantea Distant

Body generally pale brown, with blackish brown markings on face, pronotum and scutellum ( Figs 1–3 , 9–10 ). Head and thorax shagreen ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing generally transparent, with dark brown on basal and subapical areas, costal margin and veins ( Figs 1 , 12 ).

Head (incl. eyes) ( Figs 2 , 9 ) slightly wider than pronotum; vertex short and rounded evenly into face; anterior and posterior margins of vertex evenly curved and parallel. Face ( Figs 3 , 10 ) approximately as long as wide or slightly longer than wide; lateral frontal suture incurved, extending to corresponding ocellus; anteclypeus broadened apically; lora narrow; gena very slightly concave marginally, with short seta adjacent to corresponding eye; ocelli placed slightly close to eye than to each other; antenna short; antennal ledge very strong, obscuring basal antennal segment in dorsal view; rostrum long, extending to hind coxae, with lateral wing-like lobes apically in male. Pronotum ( Figs 2 , 9 ) convex, much shorter than scutellum, shagreen. Scutellum ( Figs 2 , 9 ) elevated, produced posteriorly, longer than pronotum and vertex together; transverse suture depressed, inverted V-shaped. Forewing ( Figs 1 , 12 ) macropterous, solid, with additional cross vein on costal area, appendix broad. Hind wing ( Fig. 13 ) with venation complete. Fore femur ( Fig. 14 ) with AD and PD setae irregularly arranged and very short except apical macrosetae; AV and PV setae only on apical half, very sparse and short; setal comb near anteroventral margin somewhat dense, irregularly arranged. Fore tibia ( Fig. 15 ) with AD and PD setae very short and irregularly arranged; AV and PV setae long, with a few additional small AD setae basally. Hind femur ( Fig. 16 ) with two main macrosetae on rim and a few extra smaller dorsal setae slightly more medially. Hind tibia ( Figs 17–18 ) moderately flattened, with very stout AD setae 5–6, situated on strongly elevated bases; row of very short and sparse setae near AD margin; row of very short setae on apical half adjacent to long AV setae; PD setae dense and long, somewhat broadened subapically; PV row with alternating long macrosetae and short simple macrosetae setae, apices of long macrosetae distinctly broadened subapically, very short but dense supernumeral setae adjacent to PV row. Hind tarsomeres and pretarsus as in Fig. 19 .

Male eighth abdominal segment (Figs 31–33) with tergite with pair of stout apodemes adjacent to a transverse sclerotised band, a relatively dorsally situated pleurite and a circular sternite in ventral view.

Male pygofer (Figs 24–26) long in lateral view; with long oblique dorsolateral fracture, separating dorsal and lateral parts, and a transverse hyaline area from near termination of fracture across pygofer. Subgenital plate (Figs 24, 26), flattened dorsoventrally, broadened medially and tapering apically in ventral view, with very dense and long hair-like setae on ventral surface. Valve (Figs 24, 26) either reduced and fused to the pygofer laterally or represented by a small sclerotised area medially or totally absent, depending on interpretation. Style (Figs 27, 28) with inner basal arm indistinct; outer basal arm strong, elongate; apophysis reduced, club-shaped, with deep excavation on inner margin and several small setae dorsally. Connective (Fig. 28) rectangular shaped in dorsal/ventral view, slightly broadened apically, with dorsomedial keel. Aedeagus (Figs 29–30) simple without processes, shaft curved dorsad in lateral view, gonopore subapical on ventral surface; basal apodeme robust. Tenth segment (Figs 24, 25) simple, flattened dorsoventrally, ventral surface slightly concave.

Valvulae very long and thin. First valvula ( Figs 4–5 , 20–21 ) with oblique striations at dorsal margin and apex. Second valvula ( Figs 6–7 , 22 ) with blade-like area only slightly expanded apically; dorsal sclerotised region subbasally; dorsal hyaline region absent; dorsal margin with few large teeth along apical one fourth. Third valvula ( Figs 8 , 23 ) somewhat abruptly tapered distally..

Etymology. The generic name is based on the type locality of the type specimens, Kuching. The gender is feminine.

Distribution. Malaysia ( Sarawak).

Remarks. The new genus forms a group with Megipocerus Zachvatkin based on the following characters: large size (upto 11.2 mm in Kuchingella and 10.0 mm in Megipocerus ), long elevated scutellum ( Figs 1–2 ), ocelli placed slightly closer to eyes than to each other ( Fig. 3 ), apex of rostrum with lateral wing-like lobes ( Fig. 11 ), male pygofer with a long oblique dorsolateral fracture and a transverse hyaline area from near the termination of the fracture across the pygofer (Fig. 24), genital valve either reduced and fused to the pygofer laterally or represented by a small sclerotised area medially or totally absent, depending on interpretation (see Fig. 26), subgenital plate dorsoventrally flattened (slab-like) with long fine setae ventrobasally appressed to plate (Fig. 26), and apical process of style reduced (Fig. 28).

FIGURES 24–33. Kuchingella gigantea 24, male genital capsule and 10th segment, lateral view; 25, male genital capsule and 10th segment, dorsal view; 26, male genital capsule, ventral view; 27, right style, lateral view; 28, style and connective, dorsal view; 29, aedeagus, lateral view; 30, aedeagus, posteroventral view; 31–33, male 8th abdominal segment (cleared), ventral, lateral and dorsal view respectively.

The new genus differs from Megipocerus in having the head broader, the antennal ledges very strong and obscuring the basal antennal segment in dorsal view, and in having three rather than two subapical cells in the forewing and in the male genitalia by the ventroposterior pygofer process (Fig. 24) arising directly from the pygofer margin rather than as a continuation of an internal sclerotized band. Also in the new genus the male eighth abdominal segment is unusual (see description).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Kuchingella gigantea 1, male habitus, lateral view; 2, male habitus, dorsal view; 3, male face; 4, first valvula; 5, enlarged apex of first valvula; 6, second valvula; 7, enlarged apex of second valvula; 8, apex of third valvula.

FIGURES 9 – 23. Kuchingella gigantea 9, head and thorax, dorsal view; 10, male face; 11, apex of male face and rostrum; 12, forewing; 13, hind wing; 14, fore femur, anterior surface; 15, fore tibia, anterior surface; 16, apex of hind femur, dorsal surface; 17, hind tibia, anterior surface; 18, partial hind tibia, posterior surface; 19, hind tarsomeres and pretarsus, ventral surface; 20, first valvula; 21, enlarged apex of first valvula; 22, second valvula; 23, third valvula.