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A new bamboo-feeding species of the genus Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009 (Hemiptera, Caliscelidae, Ommatidiotinae) from China
expand article infoNian Gong‡, Xiang-Sheng Chen§, Lin Yang§
‡ Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University, Guiyang, China
§ Guizhou University, Guiyang, China

Corresponding author: Lin Yang ( yanglin6626@163.com )

Academic editor: Ilia Gjonov
© 2023 Nian Gong, Xiang-Sheng Chen, Lin Yang.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Gong N, Chen X-S, Yang L (2023) A new bamboo-feeding species of the genus Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009 (Hemiptera, Caliscelidae, Ommatidiotinae) from China. ZooKeys 1186: 97-104. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1186.111838
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A11C606-ED1F-4064-BA2F-EBA6539D4BD5
Open Access

Abstract

A new planthopper species, Pseudosymplanella maxima sp. nov., belonging to the genus Pseudosymplanella (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Caliscelidae: Augilini), is described and illustrated, from China. In common with other Chinese Augilini, the new species feeds exclusively on bamboo. Additionally, a key to the two species of Pseudosymplanella is provided.

Key words

Augilini, bamboo, identification key, morphology, Oriental region, plant­hopper, taxonomy

Introduction

The family Caliscelidae Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843, a worldwide distributed group, is divided into two subfamilies: Caliscelinae (including tribes Caliscelini and Peltonotellini) and Ommatidiotinae (including tribes Ommatidiotini, Augilini and Adenissini) (Gnezdilov and Wilson 2006; Emeljanov 2008; Gnezdilov 2008). The two subfamilies can be separated by nymphal characters (Gnezdilov and Wilson 2006), disparities in the first metatarsomere and the degree of aedeagus reduction (Gnezdilov and Bourgoin 2009).

Modern fauna of the tribe Augilini Baker, 1915 contains 16 genera and 41 species, including the new species described below (Zhang et al. 2020; Gong et al. 2021; Bourgoin 2023). A fossil genus and species was documented in Dominican amber in the New World (Bourgoin et al. 2015b). Now, seven genera and 21 species are recorded from southern China. It is worth noting that all these species have been documented to be bamboo-feeders (Chen et al. 2014; Gong et al. 2018, 2020, 2021; Zhang et al. 2020).

The planthopper genus Pseudosymplanella was established by Che, Zhang and Webb (2009) based on a single species, Pseudosymplanella nigrifasciata, from China and Thailand, and placed in the tribe Augilini of the subfamily Ommatidiotinae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Caliscelidae).

In the present paper, a new species, Pseudosymplanella maxima sp. nov. is described from Yunnan Province, China. Descriptions and illustrations are given, generic characteristics are redefined, and a key to species of Pseudosymplanella is provided.

Material and methods

Terminology used for the external morphology and the male genitalia mainly follows the classifications proposed by Fennah (1987) and Chan and Yang (1994). The standard terminology for hind and forewing venation adheres to the principle outlined by Bourgoin et al. (2015a). The methodology for describing the description of the female genitalia mainly follows Bourgoin’s (1993) approach. Dry specimens were used for the descriptions and illustrations. External morphology was observed under a stereoscopic microscope and characters were measured with an ocular micrometer. All dimensions were expressed in millimeters (mm); the body length was measured from the apex of the head to the apex of the forewing in repose. The genital segments of the examined specimens were subjected to maceration in a 10% NaOH and subsequently observed in glycerin jelly for illustration using a Leica MZ 12.5 stereomicroscope. Photographs were captured with a KEYENCE VHX-1000 system. Illustrations were scanned with CanoScan LiDE 200 and imported into Adobe Photoshop CS6 for labeling and plate composition. The dissected male genitalia were preserved in glycerine and then stored in small plastic tubes, which were pinned together with the specimens.

The type specimens and materials examined were deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China (IEGU).

Taxonomy

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758

Suborder Fulgoromorpha Evans, 1946

Family Caliscelidae Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Ommatidiotinae Fieber, 1875

Tribe Augilini Baker, 1915

Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009

Figs 1–4, 5–15, 16–21

Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009: 49.

Type species

Pseudosymplanella nigrifasciata Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009, by original designation.

Figures 1–4. 

Pseudosymplanella maxima Gong, Yang & Chen, sp. nov. 1 male habitus, dorsal view 2 male habitus, lateral view 3 female habitus, dorsal view 4 female habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1–4).

Diagnosis

Head with eyes as wide as or slightly narrower than pronotum; vertex with anterior margin a little convex or straight; second segment of antenna with a black transverse spot near apex. Mesonotum sometimes with pit along lateral margin, maximum width wider than medial length. Male with pygofer in lateral view, dorsal margin shorter than ventral margin, posterior margin with a rather slender and long process; genital style in lateral view elongate or rather broad; aedeagus simple, tubular, slightly ventrally curved. Female genitalia with gonoplacs rounded or triangular in lateral view.

Figures 5–15. 

Pseudosymplanella maxima Gong, Yang & Chen, sp. nov., male 5 head and thorax, dorsal view 6 face 7 head and thorax, lateral view 8 forewing 9 hindwing 10 anal segment, dorsal view 11 male genitalia, lateral view 12 pygofer, posterior view 13 genital styles, lateral view 14 pygofer and genital styles, ventral view 15 aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (8, 9); 0.5 mm (5–7); 0.3 mm (11); 0.2 mm (10, 12–15).

Figures 16–21. 

Pseudosymplanella maxima Gong, Yang & Chen, sp. nov., female 16 genitalia, lateral view 17 genitalia, ventral view 18 anal segment, dorsal view 19 abdominal sternite VII, ventral view 20 gonapophysis VIII, lateral view 21 gonapophysis IX, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (16, 17); 0.3 mm (19); 0.2 mm (18, 20, 21).

Host plant

Bamboo.

Distribution

Southern China (Yunnan Province) and Thailand (Fig. 22).

Figure 22. 

Geographic distributions of species of Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009.

Key to species of genus Pseudosymplanella Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009

1 Body mainly brown, anal segment with anal pore located at mid-length, posterior margin of pygofer in profile with thick and short process near dorsal margin P. nigrifasciata
– Body grass green, anal segment with anal pore located in apical half, posterior margin of pygofer in profile with slender and long process near mid-length P. maxima sp. nov.

Pseudosymplanella maxima sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/A2F51374-787E-4703-8C71-694657D3A9B2
Figs 1–4, 5–15, 16–21

Description

Measurements. Body length including forewing: male 5.1 mm (N = 1), female 6.0–6.2 mm (N = 3); forewing length: male 4.2 mm (N = 1), female 5.0–5.2 mm (N = 3).

Coloration. Body (Figs 1–4) grass green. Eyes reddish brown, ocelli orange red. Second segment of antenna (Fig. 6) with a black transverse spot near apex. Clypeus (Fig. 6) with basal half brown.

Head and thorax. Head (Fig. 5) with eyes as wide as pronotum. Vertex (Fig. 5) with length in middle line 0.8 times than width at base. Frons (Fig. 6) with length in middle line 1.1 times than maximum width. Pronotum (Fig. 5) with length in middle line shorter than vertex (0.8:1). Mesonotum (Fig. 5) 1.2 times as long as vertex and pronotum together in middle line. Forewing (Fig. 8) longer in middle line than broad at widest part (3.8:1); veins distinct, without nodal line, R and MP with common stem; ScP, R and CuA single, MP with three branches, Pcu uniting A1 at basal half of clavus. Hindwing (Fig. 9) with length 1.7 times as long as broad at widest part, ScP and RP single, MP and CuA with two branches. Legs relatively long, hind tibia with a single lateral tooth; spinal formula of hind leg 6-0-0.

Male genitalia. Anal segment (Fig. 10) in dorsal view with length 1.3 times longer in mid-line than widest part, apical margin slightly concave; anal pore located at apical half; in lateral view (Fig. 11) dorsal margin sinuated, ventral margin slightly concave near apex with a small process, broadening distally and abruptly narrowed subapically. Pygofer in lateral view (Fig. 11) with dorsal margin distinctly shorter than ventral margin, posterior margin sinuated with a rather slender and long process near mid-length; in posterior view (Fig. 12), nearly oval, with length 1.7 times longer in mid-line than widest part; in ventral view (Fig. 14), posterior margin broadly concave. Genital style in lateral view (Fig. 13) rather broad, nearly triangle, apical margin roundly convex; a strong finger-like process apically arising from dorsal margin, slightly curved. Aedeagus (Fig. 15) simple, tubular, slightly ventrally curved.

Female genitalia. Anal segment small, short, in dorsal view (Fig. 18) nearly quadrangle, anal pore near apex. Abdominal sternite VII in ventral view (Fig. 19) rather large and broad, behind the posterior margin with a small oval ossification flake. Gonapophysis VIII (first valvula) (Fig. 20) elongate, with five spines at apical margin. Gonapophysis IX (second valvula) (Fig. 21) with two symmetrical lobes, each lobe with many spines at dorsal margin. Gonoplac (third valvula) (Fig. 16) triangular, apical margin rounded.

Host plant

Bamboo.

Distribution

Southwestern China (Yunnan Province) (Fig. 22).

Type material

Holotype : ♂, China: Yunnan Province, Menghai County, Mengzhe Reservoir (22°08'N, 100°26'E), 2019-X-4, Nian Gong. Paratypes: 1♂3♀, data same as holotype.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Latin word “maximus”, referring to the long process of the pygofer.

Remarks

This new species is closely related to P. nigrifasciata Che, Zhang & Webb, 2009, but differs in: 1) body mainly green, without stripe (body brown, with stripe in P. nigrifasciata); 2) anal segment with anal pore located in apical half (anal pore located at mid-length in P. nigrifasciata); and 3) posterior margin of pygofer in profile with slender and long process near the mid-length (posterior margin of pygofer in profile with thick and short process near dorsal margin in P. nigrifasciata).

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the editor and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. We wish to express our sincere thanks to Prof. Yan Zhi (Laboratory Animal Center, Guizhou Medical University, China) for her critical proofreads on the manuscript.

Additional information

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Ethical statement

No ethical statement was reported.

Funding

This study was supported by the Science and Technology Support Program of Guizhou Province (No. 20201Y129), the Scientific Research Foundation of Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University (No. Guikangda K2023-9, K2022-6), and The research team specializing in the cultivation of medicinal insects of Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University.

Author contributions

Nian Gong conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, prepared figures, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft. Xiang-Sheng Chen analyzed the data, prepared figures and tables, and approved the final draft. Lin Yang conceived and designed the experiments, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft.

Author ORCIDs

Nian Gong https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8878-5337

Xiang-Sheng Chen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9801-0343

Lin Yang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7841-5156

Data availability

All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.

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