Thaioasca Wang, Xu & Qin 2021, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Yi-Mei
name: Xu, Ye
name: Dmitriev, Dmitry A.
name: Dietrich, Christopher H.
name: Qin, Dao-Zheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Thaioasca

description: Thaioasca Wang, Xu & Qin, gen. nov.
Type species: Thaioasca contaminata Wang, Xu & Qin sp. nov.
Description. Body robust. Head including eyes distinctly wider than maximum width of pronotum, eyes in dorsal view narrower than distance between basomedial angles and wider than half of distance between basomedial angles (Figs 1, 3). Coronal suture extended nearly to anterior margin of crown (Fig. 3). Ocelli present (Fig. 4). Lateral frontal sutures extended below ocelli, male anteclypeus tapered and weakly convex, not expanded (Figs 2, 4). Forewing narrow, rounded apically, veins R2 and RM confluent for short distance, distal segments of both arising from m cell, vein RM and MCu almost parallel apically (Fig. 5). Hind wing with veins MP and CuA confluent (Fig. 6).
Fore femur with 2 or 3 enlarged AV setae on basal margin. Middle femur with 2 distinct dorsoapical macrosetae. Hind femur setal formula 2+1+1, tibia row AV with 4 macrosetae near apex.
Male basal abdominal sternal apodemes (2S apodemes) developed (Fig 7). Pygofer elongated, extended into sharp point, strongly depressed dorsally in profile, dorsal bridge undeveloped, membranous, ventral appendage robust (Figs 8–12). Subgenital plates fused at least at base, basal setal group submarginal near midlength of plate; marginal microsetae sparse, limited to distal part of plate margin; macrosetae uniseriate basally, somewhat irregular apically; feeble microsetae present but inconspicuous (Figs 8, 10, 13). Style broadened at base, apex tapered and smooth, with preapical setae (Figs 8, 10, 14). Aedeagus shaft tubular, preatrium absent, dorsoatrium well developed, gonopore medial on ventral surface (Figs 8, 9, 15, 16). Connective not delimited, completely fused with base of aedeagus (Figs 8, 10). Anal tube process well-developed but short (Figs 8, 10, 17).
Distribution. Thailand.
Etymology. The generic name combines a prefix referring to the type locality (Thailand) with the name of the type genus of the tribe, Empoasca. Gender: feminine.
Notes. Thaioasca is included in the Ficiana generic group sensu Xu et al. (2015). The new genus resembles other members of this group in the proportions of the head (crown shorter than width between eyes), the fore- and hind wing venation, and in having the subgenital plates fused basally and the connective fused to the aedeagus. Thaioasca differs from Ficiana Ghauri, Dialecticopteryx Kirkaldy, Ishiharella Dworakowska, and Mahmoodia Dworakowska in having the coronal suture extended to near the anterior margin of the crown (it extends onto the face in Ficiana and Dialecticopteryx but absent in Ishiharella and Mahmoodia). From Kotwaria Dworakowska, Daluana Ramakrishnan, and Nimabanana Dworakowska the new genus differs in having a well-developed anal tube appendage (absent in these other three genera). Thaioasca is, so far, the only member of the Ficiana group with a ventral appendage on the pygofer; thus, the definition of the group provided by Xu et al. (2015) should be modified accordingly. Fusion of the connective with the base of the aedeagus in this group has been confirmed by study of specimens of three genera in addition to the new genus, Ishiharella, Ficiana, and Dialecticopteryx; and is indicated by the original illustrations of male genitalic characters of the type species of the other four included genera (Mahmoodia, Nimabanana, Kotwaria, and Daluana; see Dworakowska, 1970a: figs 2, 6; Dworakowska, 1984: figs 65, 75, 76; Dworakowska, 1994b: figs 62, 63; Ramakrishnan, 1982: fig. 8). Further investigations are needed to determine the phylogenetic status and relationships of this group.
description: Published as part of Wang, Yi-Mei, Xu, Ye, Dmitriev, Dmitry A., Dietrich, Christopher H. & Qin, Dao-Zheng, 2021, Two new empoascine leafhopper genera, Thaioasca and Mjolnirus, from Thailand (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae), with a checklist of Empoascini in Thailand, pp. 246-254 in Zootaxa 4915 (2) on page 247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4915.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/4454393