Taperus Li & Wang
Creators: name: Zhang, Xinmin
name: Zhang, Yalin
name: Wei, Cong
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Taperus

description: Taperus Li & Wang
Taperus Li & Wang, 1994: 374
Type species: Taperus fasciatus Li & Wang
Vertex, pronotum and scutellum brown or nearly black, usually with pale brown longitudinal marking along midline of head and scutellum; face white to yellowish brown; forewing dark brown, large pale white or brown patches near costal margin (Figs 1–10, 16–20).
Head (Figs 1–5, 16–20) triangularly produced anteriorly; vertex shorter than pronotum and scutellum together, median longitudinal carina very weak, nearly indistinct; lateral margin carinate, area between median longitudinal carina and submarginal carina not concave, nearly flat; ocellus located on lateral margin, closer to corresponding eye than to apex of vertex. Face (Figs 11–15) including eyes longer than wide; frontoclypeus with median longitudinal carina distinct, laterally obliquely striate; clypellus broad and swollen at base, narrowed apically; gena strongly declivous laterally. Pronotum (Figs 16–20) wider than head, basal area with very weak transverse carina medially; lateral margins carinate and posteriorly divergent; hind margin slightly indented medially. Scutellum (Figs 16–20) triangular, about as long as pronotum, transverse depression distinct. Forewing (Figs 1–5, 50–54) in repose extending beyond apex of abdomen; venation distinct, with four apical cells, appendix very narrow. Hind femoral macrosetae 2+1+1.
Male pygofer (Figs 21, 26, 31, 36, 41) with ventral process absent, dense rows or groups of stout spinelike macrosetae marginally. Subgenital plate (Figs 25, 30, 35, 40, 45) long and narrow, apex rounded; inner margin with spinelike macrosetae submarginally and marginally, outer margin and apex with many long setae. Style (Figs 24, 29, 44) elongate; basal articulating arm very short; apophysis well developed; footlike apical process with several setae laterally and elongate lateral angle. Connective Y-shaped, stem very long. Aedeagus (Figs 22–23, 27–28, 32– 33, 36–37, 41–42) well developed; shaft with lateral lamellate process on both sides; dorsal apodeme developed basally; apex of aedeagus curved dorsad in lateral view; gonopore apical.
Female slightly longer than male. Ovipositor exceeds apex of pygofer. First valvula with longitudinal striations extending over distal half (Figs 48–49). Second valvula with blade-like area extending over distal half; dorsal sclerotized and hyaline areas present; dorsal margin with prominent rounded teeth on distal half (Figs 46–47).
Remarks. The genus Taperus is most similar to Onukia Matsumura. It can be distinguished from the latter by the following characteristics: 1) median longitudinal carina of vertex very weak, nearly indistinct; 2) area between median carina and submarginal carina of vertex nearly flat rather than concave; 3) male pygofer with rows or groups of stout spinelike macrosetae marginally.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Xinmin, Zhang, Yalin & Wei, Cong, 2010, Review of the leafhopper genus Taperus Li & Wang (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) from China, with description of three new species, pp. 39-46 in Zootaxa 2721 on pages 40-41, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.199896