Longtania Ding

Longtania Ding, 2006: 446 –447. Type species. Longtania picea Ding, 2006, by original designation.

Diagnosis. Small-sized, brownish delphacids. Head longer and narrower than pronotum (Fig. 1). Vertex longer than wide at base, anterior margin of vertex rounded projecting in front of eyes (Fig. 1), in profile meeting frons at nearly right angle (Fig. 3). Y-shaped carina with stem absent, submedian carinae uniting before apex of vertex (Fig. 1). Median carinae of frons simple (Fig. 2). Lateral carinae of pronotum attaining hind margin (Fig. 1). Calcar foliate, tectiform, with many black-tipped teeth on lateral margin. Male pygofer with diaphragm narrow, dorsal margin produced medially, truncate or emarginate dorsally (Fig. 8); dorsolateral apices of pygofer not expanded (Fig. 7). Parameres broadened distally with convergent apex (Fig. 15). Suspensorium strap-shaped (Fig. 10) and fused with aedeagal base on its dorsal side (Figs 9, 11, 12). Aedeagus tubular, armed with spines (Figs 9, 11, 12). Male anal segment ring-like, without processes (Fig 14).

Remarks. The genus Longtania Ding is characterized by its long and apically rounded vertex, by its submedian carinae uniting before apex of vertex (Fig. 1), by its pronotum with lateral carinae attaining hind margin (Fig. 1), and by the characters of the male genitalia: dorsolateral apices of pygofer not expanded (Fig. 7), dorsocaudad directed process of the diaphragm (Fig. 8), aedeagus armed with spines (Figs 9, 11, 12), suspensorium fused with the dorsal base of the aedeagus (Figs 9, 11, 12) and parameres broadened distally with convergent apex (Fig. 15).

Longtania belongs to a group of taxa including Harmalia Fennah (1969) and Wuyia Ding (1991), all characterized by the presence of short submedian carinae on the vertex. However, it differs from these genera mainly in the structures of the male genitalia: in Longtania the male pygofer lacks strongly produced dorsolateral angles; the suspensorium is rectangular, strap-shaped and fused with the base of the aedeagus (ring-like in Harmalia and rope-shaped in Wuyia and not fused with the aedeagus in either of these genera); diaphragm with mediodorsal process truncate or emarginate dorsally, without median longitudinal carina (roundly or angulately produced in these other genera and, in Wuyia, with median longitudinal carina dorsoventrally). Longtania also differs from Wuyia in having the parameres converging distally.

At present only the subtribe Numatina Emeljanov (1993) has been formally defined within the Delphacini . All the other genera of Delphacini are held within the nominal subtribe Delphacina. Based on the fusion of the suspensorium to the dorsal base of the aedeagus, Longtania is here excluded from the subtribe Numatina in which the suspensorium is articulated with the base of aedeagus. It is therefore retained within the Delphacina. However, until the Chinese fauna is more comprehensively known and a more satisfactory subtribal classification is available, the subtribal placement of Longtania remains problematic.

Distribution. The species of Longtania are currently known only from China (Yunnan and Hubei Provinces).