﻿Three new species of the leafhopper genus Mitjaevia Dworakowska from Karst areas in Southwest China (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae)

﻿Abstract Three new species of the leafhopper genus MitjaeviaDworakowska 1970, M.bijiensissp. nov., M.solitariasp. nov., and M.salaxiasp. nov., are described from the Karst region of Southwest China. Specimens studied were taken by sweep net. Morphological descriptions, depictions of habitus and illustrations of male terminalia are provided. A key and checklist to known species occurring in China are given.


Introduction
The genus Mitjaevia was designated by Dworakowska in 1970 belonging to the tribe Erythroneurini of the subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Some members of the genus are known as important agricultural pests in the world. Mitjaevia Dworakowska share similar features with Diomma Motschulsky and Kusala Dworakowska such as the vertex and pronotum, usually with dark spots or stripes; the style with apex slender and curved; and connective with two strong lateral arms but can be distinguished by the combination of the following characters: (1) pygofer lobe with numerous microsetae or microtrichia near caudal area and basal lower angle without clusters of long macrosetae; (2) abdominal apodemes small, not extending beyond hind margin of 3 rd sternite; (3) forewing semitransparent, light brown or brown, often decorated with white or milky patches.
Later, Song et al. (2011) and Dmitriev (2020) supplemented features of dorsum, eyes, legs, abdomen, pygofer and pygofer dorsal appendage of Mitjaevia and also noted that forewings possess four apical cells, subgenital plates contains 2-4 basal macrochaetae and the aedeagus has a distal short apical processes, toothlike or absent. The species of this genus are mainly distributed in the Palearctic and Oriental regions. Until now, 19 species have been described, of which 11 species are in China (see Checklist). In the present paper, three new species of Mitjaevia from Guizhou Province are proposed to the Chinese fauna. A key to recognize all Chinese species is provided.

Materials and methods
Specimens for this study were collected on roadside weeds in Karst (Guizhou Province, China) by sweep net. The morphological terms used in this study followed Dietrich (2005) and Song and Li (2013). A KEYENCE VHX-5000 digital microscope was used to take pictures of male habitus. The Olympus BX53 microscope was used to dissect the male genital and the Olympus SZX16 microscope was used for viewing and drawing the male genital. Body length was measured from the apex of vertex to the tip of forewing. All specimens examined were deposited in The School of Karst Science collection, at Guizhou Normal University (GZNU).
Male genitalia. Pygofer caudally rounded or angulate, weakly sclerotized caudally; dorsal pygofer appendage movably articulated, not extended beyond pygofer apex. Style distally slender with apex foot-like; preapical lobe large. Subgenital plates extended beyond pygofer, darkly pigmented, gradually curved dorsad, with three or more macrosetae of differing length present in middle. Aedeagus with shaft tubular, straight or curved dorsad in lateral view, with or without basal processes; preatrium developed. Connective Y-or M-shaped, with short stem and arms, central lobe well developed.
Distribution. Palaearctic and Oriental regions.  Aedeagal shaft with unbifurcated apical process (Fig. 17)  Aedeagal shaft with lamellate-like basal processes ventrally (Fig. 33)  Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from other species by the aedeagal shaft long with two apical processes; preatrium of aedeagus with two atrial processes. The head and pronotum yellow. Pygofer dorsal appendage tapered to apex and bent back into a hook shape. Style apex slightly expanded, underpart straight and thick. Connective with large central lobe.

Checklist of species of
Description. Head and thorax yellow marked with brown; vertex with a pair of dark brown spots (Figs 1-4). Pronotum yellow, with irregularly dark brown patch medially (Figs 1, 3). Scutellum yellow, transverse impression distinct. Face brownish yellow (Fig. 1); anteclypeus with black patches at sides basally (Fig. 4). Forewing brownish, with large milky white or whitish patches.

Remarks.
The new species is similar to Mitjaevia diana (Distant, 1918) but can be distinguished by the aedeagal shaft with two apical processes and preatrium of aedeagus with two atrial processes; the style apex slightly expanded, underpart straight and thick; the connective with large central lobe.
Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality Bijie City in China. Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from other species by the aedeagal shaft with only one thick finger-like process at base. Pygofer dorsal appendage not extended beyond hind margin of pygofer. Style strong; preapical lobe obvious. Subgenital plate wide and short with one hook-like process on apex.

Discussion
In recent years, most research on Chinese Erythroneurine leafhoppers has been intensified and focused to enrich the taxonomic knowledge of this tribe and taxonomists have paid attention to documenting taxa using efficient descriptions, high-quality drawings, and photographs. The Guizhou province is located on the eastern slope of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwestern China and has a particularly subtropical humid monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, seasonal temperature variations and high vegetation coverage, which is conducive to the survival and reproduction of leafhoppers. Since establishment of this genus, 19 species of Mitjaevia have been described worldwide, and more than half of valid species were found in China. Here, a comparison revealed that three new species shared similarities with already known species but differences were found, for example, the aedeagal shaft of M. bijiensis sp. nov. and M. diana have apical processes, but M. bijiensis sp. nov. dispose processes arising from preatrium of aedeagus, while M. diana shows another processes at base of aedeagal shaft. Mitjaevia. solitaria sp. nov. and M. aurantiaca also have a single process at base of aedeagal shaft, not paired. Moreover, the subgenital plate is short and wide but in latter species it is long or thin. Mitjaevia. salaxia sp. nov. is similar to M. protuberanta but differs in having lamellate-like processes arising from the base of aedeagal shaft and not branched at apex.