Philagra bimaculata Liang 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liang, Ai-Ping
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Aphrophoridae
Philagra
Philagra bimaculata

description: Philagra bimaculata sp. nov.
(Figs 1A, 2, 3A–C, 3F–H, 4)
Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from other Philagra species by the presence of one distinct, relatively large, nearly ovoid, yellowish orange marking crossing the claval suture before the middle of the forewing (Figs 1A, 2); presence of an inverse V-shaped, yellowish fascia on the upper two thirds of the postclypeus (Fig. 4B); and by the shape of the male genitalia (Figs 4D–H). This species is similar to P. cheni Liang 1988 in general external appearance but can be very easily distinguished from the latter by the distinctive large, round, yellowish orange marking on the forewing (Figs 1A, 2).
Description. Relatively small to medium sized, slender species, body length: ♂ 9.7–11.4 mm, ♀ 10.9–12.6 mm, length of cephalic process: ♂ 2.0– 2.15 mm, ♀ 2.28–2.45 mm (Figs 1A, 2).
Body brown, finely silverishly pilose; vertex and cephalic process fuscous. Eyes grey. Ocelli bright yellowish. Callosities between eye and ocellus grey. Postclypeus dark brown, with an indistinct inverse V-shaped yellowish fascia on upper two thirds of postclypeus (Fig. 4B). Antennae with basal segments and antennal ledges yellowish brown. Rostrum with basal segment yellowish brown, apical segment fuscous, with extreme apex yellowish brown. Prothorax and mesothorax with pleurum and sternum fuscous; metathorax with pleurum and sternum yellowish brown. Forewing with one distinct, relatively large, nearly ovoid, yellowish orange marking crossing claval suture before middle (Figs 1A, 2). Legs yellowish brown, femora of anterior and middle legs much darker, sometimes fuscous; claws and tarsomere III of posterior legs fuscous or blackish; tips of spines on lateral outer edge of hind tibiae and tips of spines at end of hind tibiae and metatarsomeres I and II, black. Abdomen yellowish brown or sometimes orange yellow.
Cephalic process relatively slender and elongate, longer than pronotum, gradually tapered from base to apex, without dorsal and ventral median carina (Figs 1A, 4A–C). Antenna with scape short; pedicel cylindrical and relatively elongate; flagellum segmented by scar-shaped rings (Fig. 3C), flagellar base expanded, bulbous and hidden in apical cavity of pedicel and invisible in ventrolateral view, with two peg-like basiconic sensilla (ba in Fig. 3A) (12.63–15.26 µm long, 5.0–5.53 µm in diameter basally) and more than ten coeloconic sensilla (co in Fig. 3A) on surface (Figs 3A–C). Rostral tip consisting of 2 lateral lobes separated by dorsal stylet groove, each lateral lobe possessing 10 basiconic sensilla with two types of sensilla (Figs 3G, 3H): 9 type I sensilla (possibly mechanosensory) (b 1 in Fig. 3G) distinctly slender and long (18.72–26.81 µm in length), gradually tapered from base to apex and having longitudinally grooved surfaces; 1 type II sensillum (possibly chemical sense organ) (b 2 in Fig. 3G) distinctly short (16.60 µm in length), relatively broad and blunt (4.04 µm in diameter basally and 3.30 µm in diameter subapically) and smooth with one very fine pit on surface subapically.
Male genitalia with pygofer short and high, with posterior margin relatively broadly extending posteriorly in lateral view. Subgenital plates (Figs 4D, 4E) large, fully covering genital styles and aedeagus ventrally, with base broad, gradually narrowing toward apex over distal three fifths (Fig. 4E); arched subbasally and directed posterodorsally in lateral view, with extreme apex hooked and curved anterodorsally in lateral view (Fig. 4D). Genital styles as in Fig. 4F. Aedeagal shaft (Figs 4G, 4H) relatively slender, tubular, moderately elongate, directed dorsally, slightly curved anterad medially (Fig. 4G); apex with two relatively slender and acute, posteroventrally directed spines arising from apical lateral side in lateral view (Figs 4G, 4H); gonopore dorsal (Fig. 4H).
Remarks. This species forms a relatively primitive Philagra species group together with P. albinotata Uhler 1896, P. quadrimaculata Schmdit 1920, P. graham Metcalf & Horton 1934 and P. cheni Liang 1988 from China and Japan since they possess many plesiomophic characters including the relatively slender and narrow cephalic process, absence of the median dorsal and ventral carina on the cephalic process and the presence of a yellowish inverse V-shaped fascia on the lateral margin of the cephalic process and propleurae.
Distribution. Sothwestern China (Tibet, Yunnan), Bangladesh.
Etymology. The name of this new species is derived from the Latin, prefix “ bis- (two)” and word “ macula (marking)”, referring to the presence of two distinct, yellowish orange markings on the forewings (Figs 1A, 2).
Type specimens examined. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Tibet: Mêdog County, Hanmi, light trap, 2120 m, 11.viii.2006 (Z.S. Song) (TJNU). Paratypes. China, Tibet: 1♀, Mêdog County, 2400 m, 18.viii.1982 (Y.H. Han); 3♂♂, 1♀, Mêdog County, Gelin village, 1550–1900 m, 24.v.1983 (Z. Lin); 1♀, same data, except 25.v.1983 (Z. Lin); 2♂♂, Mêdog County, Hanmi, light trap, 2120 m, 11.viii.2006 (Z.S. Song); 1♀, Bomê County, Yi’ong, 2300 m, 26.viii.1983 (Y.H. Han) (all in IZCAS); 5♂♂, 3♀♀, Yi’ong, 2300 m, 15.vi.1978 (F.S. Li); 1♂, 2♀♀, same data, except 16.vi.1978 (F.S. Li); 1♂, same data, except vi.1978 (F.S. Li); 1♀, same data except 29.vii.1978 (F.S. Li); 1♂, same data except 30.vii.1978 (F.S. Li); 2♀♀, same data except 31.vii.1978 (F.S. Li) (all in CAU); 1♂, Cona County, Le Town, Xian Village, 2800 m, N°27.8430, E°91.7589, collected in the daytime, 3.vi.2016 (H.B. Liang); 1♂, Cona County, Le Town, 4.5km of BianFangLiuLian road, 2670 m, N°27.8202, E°91.7576, collected in the day time, 7.vi.2016 (H.B. Liang) (all in IZCAS). Yunnan Province: 1♂, 1♀, Yunlong, Mt. Zhibenshan, 2550 m, 22.vi.1981 (S.B. Liao) (IZCAS).
Other specimens examined. BANGLADESH: 1♂, 1♀, Enayet, Rajshahi, 14.viii.2016 (M.E.A. Pramanik) (TJNU).
description: Published as part of Liang, Ai-Ping, 2022, Three new species of the genus Philagra Stål (Hemiptera: Cercopidea: Aphrophoridae) from China and Bangladesh, pp. 169-180 in Zootaxa 5200 (2) on pages 171-175, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5200.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7256824