Hishimonus diffractus, Dai, Wu, Fletcher, Murray J. & Zhang, Yalin, 2013

Dai, Wu, Fletcher, Murray J. & Zhang, Yalin, 2013, First records of the genus Hishimonus Ishihara from Thailand (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) including description of three new species, Zootaxa 3670 (3), pp. 301-316 : 311-314

Hishimonus diffractus sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 C, 2F, 8A–E)

Holotype, male, China: Jiangxi, Suichuan, 13. Viii. 2004, Wei Cong & Yang Meixia ( NWAFU). Paratypes. 1 male, same data as holotype ( NWAFU); 1 male, North Thailand Hort. Res. Stn. SW of Ban Mae Win, 18o37’32”N 98o30’17”E, 21.v.2005, P.S. Gillespie, u. v. light ( ASCU).

Description. Testaceous mottled in varying degree with fine brown. Midline of frontoclypeus and anteclypeus pallid. Tegmen translucent clear becoming whitish distally covered with fine mottling. Dorsal brown patch defined to varying degree by dark brown.

Male genitalia. Subgenital plates broad triangular, apically abruptly roundly truncate to narrow fingerlike apical process from median corner. Paramere with apical process long and thick, apically rounded. Connective with lateral arms about as long as stem. Aedeagus shafts, in posterior view, more or less straight, divergent of even width throughout and bearing short sharp thornlike process on inner margin at about two thirds length. In lateral view, shafts evenly lightly curved from base with apical process much narrower and strongly reflexed anteriorly.

Comments. This species has closest affinity with H. aberrans Knight which is also recorded in this work from Thailand for the first time and which also has the subgenital plates abruptly narrowed before the apical process. However, the basal processes which are separate from the shaft for almost their entire length in H. aberrans are entirely fused with the shafts in H. diffractus except for the apical portion which remains as a short spinelike process at about two thirds of the length of the shaft. This species was first recognised by the senior author in material from China although the record from Thailand is more recent.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Species of Thailand Hishimonus. A, D, H. phycitis; B, E, H. pallidus sp. nov.; C, F, H. diffractus sp. nov.. [A – C. Habitus, dorsal view; D – F. Habitus, latero-dorsal view].