Motaga acicularis Wang & Song, 2024

Wang, Jinqiu, Xu, Wenming, Pu, Tianyi, Zhang, Ni & Song, Yuehua, 2024, Four new erythroneurine leafhopper species from karst areas in Southwestern China (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae, Erythroneurini), ZooKeys 1204, pp. 1-13 : 1-13

Motaga acicularis Wang & Song sp. nov.

Figs 25–28 , 29–36

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished from other Motaga species by its extremely long and slender in lateral view aedeagal shaft, which has a pair of short basal processes that are not bifurcated at apex; the pygofer dorsal appendage, which tapers to the apex and is bent ventrad and hook-like apically; the connective with two long arms; the subgenital plate with four macrosetae; and the very small male abdominal apodemes.

Description.

Vertex light brown (Figs 25 , 27 ). Crown fore margin strongly produced, median length of crown slightly less than width between eyes (Figs 25 , 27 ). Crown nearly equal to width of pronotum. Pronotum and mesonotum brownish yellow, posterior margin of pronotum almost straight (Figs 25 , 27 ). Eyes black (Fig. 26 ). Forewings without spots, semitransparent (Figs 25 , 26 ).

Male abdominal apodemes extremely small, not exceeding 3 rd sternite (Fig. 36 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe broad, with numerous microtrichia; several peg-like setae scattered on middle area and hind edge (Fig. 33 ). Dorsal pygofer appendage with base expanded, with hook-like apex (Fig. 34 ). Subgenital plate with four macrosetae medially on lateral margin and numerous microsetae distributed along upper margin (Fig. 32 ). Style apex truncate and slightly expanded (Fig. 29 ). Connective with lateral arms robust, with obvious central lobe (Fig. 35 ). Aedeagal shaft long, slender, with paired processes at base (Figs 30 , 31 ). Preatrium short; dorsal apodeme well developed, with apex bifurcate; gonopore located at basal 1 / 3 of aedeagal shaft (Figs 30 , 31 ).

Specimens examined.

Holotype: ♂; China, Guangxi Prov., Liuzhou ; 18 July 2021; Ni Zhang leg.; GZNU -2021-GX-LZ-8-001 . Paratypes: 96 ♂♂, 144 ♀♀; same data as holotype; GZNU -2021-GX-LZ-8-002 to 241 .

Measurements.

Male length 2.3–2.4 mm, female length 2.4–2.5 mm (including wings).

Remarks.

This species is very similar to Motaga rokfa Dworakowska, 1979 but can be distinguished by having the aedeagal shaft without a bifurcated apex, the preatrium expanded but short, and the paired basal processes approximately 1 / 3 length of aedeagal shaft.

Etymology.

The species epithet is the Latin word acicularis, which means slender, as a needle and refers to the needle-like aedeagal shaft.

Figures

Figures 25–28. Motaga acicularis Wang & Song, sp. nov. 25 habitus, dorsal view 26 habitus, lateral view 27 head and thorax, dorsal view 28 face.

Figures 29–36. Motaga acicularis Wang & Song, sp. nov. 29 style 30 aedeagus, ventral view 31 aedeagus, lateral view 32 subgenital plate 33 pygofer lobe 34 dorsal pygofer appendage, lateral view 35 connective 36 abdominal apodemes.