Lasiacantha gressitti, Guilbert, Eric, 2007

Guilbert, Eric, 2007, Tingidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from Laos: new species and new records, Zootaxa 1442, pp. 1-18 : 4-5

Lasiacantha gressitti sp. n.

(fig. 5)

Material examined: 1 Ψ, Laos, Vientiane prov., Ban Van Eue, 1415. IV.1965, J.L. Gressitt coll., Bishop; 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Laos, Vientiane prov., Ban Van Eue, 30.XI.1966, native coll., Bishop.

Description: Body large, wide, shiny, pilose, spiny on margins of hemelytra, pronotal expansions, boundary hemelytral areas, areolae hyaline, reticulation whitish to brownish; transversal band across costal area, peripherical band of discoidal area, middle of median carina, head, hind tarsi darker. Body length, 4.32; width, 2.17.

Head armed with five long, slender spines, directed forwards, occipital spines divergent; bucculae long, three areolae wide, closed in front; antennae long, slender, pilose, hairs straight, long, antennal segment measurements: I, 0.17; II, 0.12; III, 1.82; IV, 0.53; rostral sulcus deep, short, laminae curved, wide, with large areolae, open behind; rostrum reaching apex of second visible abdominal segment.

Pronotum slightly gibbose, posterior process short, rounded, tricarinate, median carina raised, foliate, wide, four areolae wide on top of pronotum; lateral carinae raised, foliate, wide, but lower than median carina, uniseriate, areolae large; hood high, narrow, somewhat cyst-like, lower than median carina, four to five areolae high; paranota wide, five areolae wide at widest part, raised, straight, but not reflexed onto pronotum.

Hemelytra large, wide, greatly widened at base; costal area wide, sinuate, four areolae wide at widest part, areolae small anteriorly, large posteriorly; subcostal area narrower than costal area, almost vertical, biseriate, areolae small; discoidal area small, less than half length of hemelytra, five areolae wide at widest part; sutural area narrow, three areolae wide at widest part, areolae large.

Etymology: This species is named in honor of Dr. J. L. Gressitt, who collected a large amount of Tingidae through southeastern Asia and the western Pacific Islands.

Comments: This species is similar to L.cuneata (Distant) and altimitrata (Takeya) but differs by the wider costal area (four areolae wide), and the median carina is higher than the hood.