Trachypeplus elongatus, Guilbert, Eric, 2007

Guilbert, Eric, 2007, Tingidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from Laos: new species and new records, Zootaxa 1442, pp. 1-18 : 11-12

Trachypeplus elongatus sp. n.

(figs. 12, 13)

Material examined: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Laos, Phong Sali prov., Long Nai Kai, 3.X.2004, Guilbert coll., MNHN; 2 Ψ, Laos, Phong Sali prov., Namak, 8.X.2004, Guilbert coll., MNHN.

Description: body narrow, clear brown, punctate portion of pronotum a little darker in some specimens, head, body beneath, two small spots on RM along discoidal area and some other small spots on apex of costal area much darker, almost black. Body length, 3.50– 4.00; width, 1.17–1.33.

Head armed with five spines; occipital spines long, slender, directed forwards, median and frontal spines short, bulbous; antennae long, slender, first two segments stouter, antennal segment measurements: I, 0.17; II, 0.10; III, 1.23; IV, 0.37; bucculae three areolae wide, closed in front; rostral sulcus straight, narrow, almost closed behind; rostrum extending beyond mesosternal coxae, almost reaching hind coxae.

13 Pronotum narrow, strongly gibbose, tricarinate, carinae parallel, raised, uniseriate, the areolae small; median carina more elevated on top of pronotum, with larger areolae; collar broad, three areolae wide, top slightly raised and forming a tectiform hood, however, less elevated than top of median carina, paranota wide, five areolae wide at widest part, not reaching lateral carinae, reflexed, in contact with pronotum, except at opposite humeri where raised but not forming a crest.

Hemelytra long, narrow; boundary vein raised; costal area narrow, uniseriate, the areolae irregularly oval, small, some tiny extra inner areolae at base; subcostal area slightly wider than costal area, biseriate, the areolae round, small; discoidal area more than half length of hemelytra, five areolae wide at widest part; sutural area large, seven to eight areolae wide at widest part, these areolae larger than in other areas.

Etymology: The name of this species refers to the fact its body is longer than those of its congeners.

Comments: Trachyplepus elongatus is very similar to T. yunnanus Jing ; however, it differs in its longer body ( T. yunnanus is 3.27–3.32 mm), its paranota being a little more elevated, its rostrum being slightly longer and reaching the hind coxae. T. chinensis Drake & Poor , also similar to elongatus sp. n., is much smaller (2.76 mm). T. magnus Jing also resembles this new species and has almost the same length; however, the paranota of T. magnus are anteriorly and posteriorly in contact with lateral carinae, which is not the case in T. elongatus sp. n.