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

description: Philagra straminea sp. nov.
(Figs 1C, 3D, 3E, 7)
Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from other Philagra species by its small size; pale stramineous colouration; presence of a central longitudinal fuscous fascia on the dorsum of the cephalic process (excluding extreme apex), pronotum, scutellum and inner margin of the forewing with the fascia on the pronotum and scutellum containing a central longitudinal pale stramineous line (Figs 1C, 7A); forewings very sparsely covered by some longitudinal, short, fine, brownish fasciae (Fig. 1C); and by the structure of the male genitalia (Figs 7C–G).
Description. Small sized, body length ♂ 8.8–9.1 mm, ♀ 10.5–10.7 mm, length of cephalic process: ♂ 1.6 mm, ♀ 2.1–2.3 mm (Fig. 1C).
Generally pale stramineous, sometimes pale brown, with a central longitudinal fuscous fascia (relatively wider in male and narrower in female) on dorsum of cephalic process (excluding extreme apex), pronotum, scutellum and inner margin of forewings, with the fascia on pronotum and scutellum containing a central, longitudinal, pale stramineous line (Fig. 1C). Head brown ventrally; anteclypeus fuscous; postclypeus fuscous, darker towards apex in male, pale stramineous and suffused with brown in female. Rostrum with basal segment pale stramineous and apical segment fuscous. Forewing pale stramineous, with some fine, short, longitudinal brownish fasciae along veins. Legs brown, with claws darker, apical half of tarsomere III brown, tibiae and tarsomeres of posterior legs pale stramineous, and 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 pale stramineous, with sterna sometimes fuscous or suffused with fuscous.
Cephalic process short and somewhat stout, shorter than pronotum in dorsal view; relatively flat, subapically slightly restricted in dorsal view; without dorsal and ventral carina (Figs 1C, 7A, 7B). Antenna with flagellum segmented by scar-shaped rings (Figs 3D, 3E), with two peg-like basiconic sensilla (12.86–14.29 µm long, 5.41– 6.49 µm in diameter basally) and more than ten coeloconic sensilla on surface of expanded flagellar base (Figs 3D, 3E).
Male genitalia with pygofer (Fig. 7C) relatively short and small, with posterior margin relatively narrowly extending posteriorly in lateral view. Subgenital plates (Fig. 7D) in ventral view relatively narrow and elongate, with basal half distinctly broad, gradually tapered from base to apex, extreme apex bluntly short, recurving anterodorsally in lateral view. Genital style (Figs 7C, 7E) relatively broad in lateroventral view, with ventral margin widely excavated subapically in lateral view. Aedeagal shaft (Figs 7C, 7F, 7G) relatively broad, curved slightly anterad, with apical spines distinctly broad and stout.
Remarks. This species is similar to P. dissimilis Distant 1908 from southern China but can be distinguished from the latter by its pale stramineous body colour; the presence of a central longitudinal fuscous fascia on the dorsum of the cephalic process (excluding extreme apex), pronotum, scutellum and inner margin of forewings with the fascia on the pronotum and scutellum containing a central longitudinal pale stramineous line (Fig. 1C); the colour pattern on frons (Fig. 7B); and the details of the male genitalia (Fig. 7C–G). It is known only from the type locality.
Distribution. China (Sichuan).
Etymology. The name of this new species is derived from the Latin word, “ stramineus ”, referring to its general stramineous body colour.
Type specimens examined. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Sichuan Province: Mt. Emei, Chudian, 1780 m, 26.vi.1957 (TJNU). Paratypes. CHINA: Sichuan Province: 1♂, Mt. Emei, 18.vi.1955 (K. R. Huang & G. T. Jin); 1♂, same locality, but 1800–2100 m, 24.vi.1955 (Z.L. Ge) (both in IZCAS); 1♀, same locality, but 25.viii.1961 (R. H. Jin) (CAU); 1♂, 3♀♀, Mt. Emei, Jiulaodong, 1800–1900 m, 10, 11.viii.1957 (K. R. Huang); 3♂♂, 2♀♀, same data except 17, 19, 21.viii & 25.ix.1957 (Y.C. Lu); 2♂♂, 3♀♀, same data except 8.vii & 10, 11, 25.viii.1957 (Z.Y. Wang) (all in IZCAS); 1♀, same data except 20.viii.1961 (R. H. Jin) (CAU); 1♂, Mt. Emei, Qingyinge, 800–1000 m, 14.vi.1957 (Z.Y. Wang); 8♂♂, 9♀♀, Mt. Emei, Xixiangchi, 1800–2000 m, 14–21.viii & 8.ix.1957 (K. R. Huang); 12♂♂, 14♀♀, same data, except 25.vi & 9–28.viii.1957 (F.X. Zhu); 2♀♀, same data, except 18.viii & 7.ix.1957 (Z.Y. Wang) (all in IZCAS); 1♀, [Mt. Emei], Leidongping, 13.ix.1943 (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 177-178, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5200.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7256824