See Che et al. (2010).

The characters of L. nodigera Bey-Bienko and L. valida Bey-Bienko were compared with the generic diagnosis of Lupparia: the hind wing of the two species with the apical triangle small or not distinct differs from the main generic characters of Lupparia, and are consistent with Balta. The two species also share the following characters: 1) abdominal tergites unspecialized, tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized; 2) median phallomere appendage present and with brush-like structure; 3) front femur type B or C, which are also consistent with Balta. Therefore the two species are transferred to the genus Balta.

B. barbellata Che & Chen, 2010 China (Hainan)

B. curvirostris Che & Chen, 2010 China (Hainan)

B. crena sp. n. China (Yunnan)

B. dissecta Che & Wang, 2010 China (Fujian)

B. hwangorum Bey-Bienko, 1958 China (Yunnan)

B. jinlinorum Che & Wang, 2010 South China

B. maculata sp. n. China (Yunnan)

B. nodigera (Bey-Bienko, 1958), comb. n. China (Yunnan)

B. notulata Stål, 1860 (Oriental region islands, Indian Ocean islands, Korean Peninsula, Australasian islands)

B. spinea Che & Chen, 2010 China (Hainan)

B. spinescens Che & Wang, 2010 (Southeast China)

B. tangi sp. n. China (Yunnan)

B. valida (Bey-Bienko, 1958), comb. n. China (Yunnan)

B. vilis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 (Southeast Asia, East Asia)

B. yaoi sp. n. China (Yunnan)

Holotype: China, Yunnan: male (IESWU), Xishuangbanna, Menglun Botanical Garden, Lvshilin, 640 m, 21°54.600′N, 101°17.084′E, 17 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao. Paratypes: 1 male, same collection event as holotype; 10 males and 14 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) secondary forest, 644 m, 21°54.439′N, 101°17.755′E, 20 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 4 males and 1 female, Mengla County, Bubeng monsoon forest, 690 m, 21.61379°N, 101.58079°E, 10 August 2012, coll. Guo Zheng, Xue Li and Wenyue Zhu.

This species resembles Balta notulata (Stål, 1860) in appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) hind margin of subgenital plate concave and without produced medial lobe (Fig. 24) while that in B. notulata with produced medial lobes; 2) some fine spines present on either apex of lateral lobes of subgenital plate (Fig. 24), which are lacking in B. notulata.

Male. Body brownish yellow (Figs 1, 2). Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres almost the same length, both distinctly longer than the fifth (Fig. 16). Tegmen with M and CuA oblique (Fig. 18); hind wing with M simple; CuA with three or four complete branches and without incomplete ones (Fig. 19). Front femur type C₂ (Fig. 20), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 21). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Figures 1–14. 

1–2 Balta crena sp. n., male: holotype 1 dorsal view 2 ventral view 3–4 Balta maculata sp. n., male: holotype 3 dorsal view 4 ventral view 5–6 Balta tangi sp. n., male: holotype 5 dorsal view 6 ventral view 7–8 Balta yaoi sp. n., male: holotype 7 dorsal view 8 ventral view 9–10 Balta hwangorum Bey-Bienko, 1958, male 9 dorsal view 10 ventral view 11–12 Balta nodigera (Bey-Bienko, 1958) comb. n., male 11 dorsal view 12 ventral view 13–14 Balta valida (Bey-Bienko, 1958), comb. n., male 13 dorsal view 14 ventral view.

Figures 15–27. 

Balta crena sp. n. 15 head 16 maxillary palps 17 pronotum 18 tegmen 19 hind wing 20 front femur 21 tarsal claws and arolium 22 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 23 subgenital plate, ventral view 24 subgenital plate, dorsal view 25 right phallomere 26 median phallomere 27 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (15–17, 20–27), 2.0 mm (18, 19).

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate with posterior margin distinctly produced and concave in U-shape in the middle, right and left paraprocts simple (Fig. 22). Subgenital plate with hind margin strongly concave medially; two lateral lobes with styli on either apex direct dorsally and with fine spines (Figs 23, 24). Hook-like phallomere on right side and with preapical concavity (Fig. 27). Median phallomere with base acuminate, apex blunt with some long setae, median phallomere appendage with some fine spines (Fig. 26). Left phallomere complex, consisted of several irregular sclerites (Fig. 27).

Female. Both tegmina and hind wings slightly beyond the end of abdomen. Subgenital plate with hind margin rounded.

Overall length: male 13.5–14.0, female 9.5–10.0; tegmen length male 11.0–12.0, female 7.9–8.2; pronotum length × width male 2.5–2.7 × 3.5–3.8, female 2.5–2.7 × 3.4–3.7.

Latin word crena means “nick”, referring to subgenital plate with its hind margin strongly concave medially.

China (Yunnan).

Holotype: China, Yunnan: male (IESWU), Xishuangbanna, Menglun, 21 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang. Paratypes: 5 males and 5 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, 21 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang; 35 males and 63 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) bamboo forest, 581 m, 21°53.622′N, 101°16.955′E, 26 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 14 males and 50 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) bamboo forest, 2–26 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 9 males and 12 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun Botanical Garden, Lvshilin, 652 m, 21°54.710′N, 101°16.941′E, 16 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao.

This species resembles Balta yaoi sp. n. in appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) tegmen with more obvious black spots, cells slightly more hyaline and without yellowish brown spots (Fig. 31); while in the latter species, the tegmen has fewer and less obvious black spots, cell with yellowish brown spots; 2) median phallomere complex, the appendage base with brush-like structure (Fig. 38); while the latter with median phallomere simple, the appendage arched and without brush-like structure.

Figures 28–39. 

Balta maculata sp. n. 28 head 29 maxillary palps 30 pronotum 31 tegmen 32 hind wing 33 front femur 34 tarsal claws and arolium 35 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 36 subgenital plate, dorsal view 37 right phallomere 38 median phallomere 39 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (28–30, 33–39), 2.0 mm (31, 32).

Male. Body tawny. Face between eyes brown, between ocelli and antenna sockets with a light brown stripe, under antennal sockets also with a light brown stripe (Fig. 28). Pronotum with some small scattered and symmetrical spots or inconspicuous stripes, with tawny disk, lateral borders hyaline (Fig. 30). Tegmen and hind wing tawny, tegmen with black spots (most distributed on veins) (Fig. 31). The middle of anterior margin of abdominal tergites blackish brown. Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres approximately same length, both distinctly longer than the fifth (Fig. 29). Tegmen with M and CuA oblique (Fig. 31). CuA of hind wing with three complete branches and without incomplete ones (Fig. 32). Front femur of type C₂ (Fig. 33), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 34). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate short, hind margin rounded; right and left paraprocts similar (Fig. 35). Subgenital plate with hind margin strongly concaved; styli conical, arising on apexes of lateral lobes and slightly curved laterally (Fig. 36). Hook-like phallomere on the right side and with preapical concavity (Fig. 37). Median phallomere stick-like, curved near acuminated apex, median phallomere appendage present and with brush-like structure (Fig. 38). Left phallomere complex (Fig. 39).

Female. Supra-anal plate longer than subgenital plate, hind margin of the former with triangular process in the middle. Subgenital plate simple with hind margin rounded.

Overall length male 14.0–15.0, female 9.8–10.2; tegmen length male 12.1–12.5, female 8.0–8.5; pronotum length × width male 2.4–2.9 × 3.4–3.8, female 2.5–3.0 × 3.6–4.0.

Latin word maculata meaning “with dots”, referring to the tegmina with dots.

China (Yunnan).

Holotype: China, Yunnan: male (IESWU), Xishuangbanna, Menglun Botanical Garden, Lvshilin, 652 m, 21°54.710′N, 101°16.941′E, 16 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao. Paratypes: 25 males and 16 females, same collection event as holotype; 8 males and 8 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National Road) bamboo forest, 21–26 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 11 males and 21 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun Botanical Garden, Lvshilin, 656 m, 21°54.705′N, 101°16.898′E, 13 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao.

Balta tangi species resembles B. spinea in appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) face with transversal stripes between interocular space (Fig. 40) while face of B. spinea without transversal stripes but having two longitudinal stripes, each of them with one small rounded white spot; 2) subgenital plate in ventral view between the styli slightly emarginated and with a protrusion in the middle (Fig. 48) but in B. spinea without the protrusion.

Figures 40–51. 

Balta tangi sp. n. 40 head 41 maxillary palps 42 pronotum 43 tegmen 44 hind wing 45 front femur; 46 tarsal claws and arolium 47 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 48 subgenital plate, dorsal view 49 right phallomere 50 median phallomere 51 left phallomere; Scale bars: 0.5 mm (40–42, 45–51), 2.0 mm (43, 44).

Male. Body yellowish brown. Vertex brownish yellow. Face with three stripes (Fig. 40). Disk of pronotum yellowish brown and with some small scattered and symmetrical blackish brown spots, lateral borders of pronotum hyaline (Fig. 42). Lateral border of abdomen sterna with round blackish brown spots (Fig. 6). Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres nearly the same length, distinctly longer than the fifth (Fig. 41). Hind wing with triangle apical, near apex of R with posterior branches, CuA with three complete branches (Fig. 44). Front femur type C₃ (Fig. 45), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 46). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate symmetrical with hind margin slightly concave in the middle, paraprocts simple (Fig. 47). Subgenital plate with hind margin slightly emarginated and with process in the middle, conical styli located on the apex of either lateral lobes respectively, ventral side of subgenital plate with some fine spines near the stylus (Fig. 48). Hook-like phallomere on right side and with preapical concavity (Fig. 49). Median phallomere sticklike, base thick and strong, apex gradually becomes sharp-pointed, near the middle part of median phallomere with an arc-shaped appendage, base, and apex with short setae (Fig. 50). Left phallomere complex, apex with spinous structure (Fig. 51).

Female. Sexual dimorphism, female body thicker and stronger than male, both tegmina and hind wings degraded, just extending to supra-anal plate, RA with one or two branches.

Overall length male 14.5–16.0, female 12.0–13.5; tegmen length male 13.5–14.0, female 9.4–9.6; pronotum length × width male 2.9–3.0 × 3.9–4.1, female 2.8–3.0 × 3.9–4.2.

This species is named in honor of Mr. Guo Tang, who collected the holotype of the species.

China (Yunnan).

Holotype: China, Yunnan: male (IESWU), Xishuangbanna, Menglun, 2010, coll. Zhiyuan Yao. Paratypes: 4 males, same collection event as holotype; 14 males and 22 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, garbage dump, 627 m, 21°54.380′N, 101°16.815′E, 23 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 3 males, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, 2010, coll. unknown;

This species is similar to B. valida comb. n. in appearance, but can be distinguished in the following characteristics: 1) For the former, median phallomere appendage without brush-like structure (Fig. 62), while in the latter with brush-like structure; 2) subgenital plate with hind margin curved concave (Fig. 60), while in the latter not concaved medially.

Description male. Body yellowish brown (Figs 7, 8). Vertex slightly yellow, between eyes with a slightly brown stripe, under the stripe with a slightly brown triangular spot, under antennal sockets with or without a stripe (Fig. 52). Disk of pronotum yellowish brown, with some small scattered and symmetrical blackish brown spots, two lateral border hyaline (Fig. 54). Tegmen yellowish brown, with a few small round black spots, cell with yellowish brown spots. The lateral border of abdomen with round blackish brown spots. Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres nearly same length, longer than the fifth (Fig. 53). Tegmen with M and CuA oblique (Fig. 55). Hind wing with M simple, without branches, CuA with three complete branches and without incomplete ones, hind wing with small apical triangle (Fig. 56). Front femur Type C₂ (Fig. 57), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 58). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Figures 52–63. 

Balta yaoi sp. n. 52 head 53 maxillary palps 54 pronotum 55 tegmen 56 hind wing 57 front femur 58 tarsal claws and arolium 59 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 60 subgenital plate, dorsal view 61 right phallomere 62 median phallomere 63 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (52–54, 57–63), 2.0 mm (55, 56).

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate short, hind margin finely rounded, right and left paraprocts slightly unsymmetrical (Fig. 59). Subgenital plate with hind margin strongly emarginated, styli located on the apex of each lateral lobe respectively and slightly curved laterally (Fig. 60). Hook-like phallomere on the right side and with preapical concavity (Fig. 61). Median phallomere sticklike, slightly curved, apex acuminate, median phallomere appendage arched (Fig. 62). Left phallomere complex, without brush-like structure (Fig. 63).

Female. Both tegmina and hind wings slightly beyond the end of abdomen. The end of abdomen rounded.

Overall length of male 12.0–13.0, female 10.0–10.3; tegmen length male 10.0–11.0, female 7.9–8.0; pronotum length × width male 2.3–2.6 × 3.4–3.6, female 2.2–2.5 × 2.8–3.0.

This species is named in honor of Mr. Zhiyuan Yao, who collected the holotype of the species.

China (Yunnan).

Deposited in IESWU. China, Yunnan Prov.: 3 males, Xishuangbanna, Damenglong, 650 m, 13 April 1958, coll. Zhizi Chen; 5 males, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–750 m, 9 June 1958, coll. Xuwu Meng; 1 male and 1 female, Xishuangbanna, Jinghong, 650 m, 6–24 July 1958, coll. Junhua He; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–750m, 1 June 1958, coll. Leyi Zheng; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–1080 m, 7 June 1958, coll. Chunpei Hong and Shuyong Wang; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Damenglong, 650 m, 14 April 1958, coll. Chunpei Hong; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–750 m, 3 February 1958, coll. Shuyong Wang; 2 males, Xishuangbanna, Menga, 1050–1080 m, 20 May 1958, coll. Fuji Pu; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–750 m, 13 June 1958, coll. Yiran Zhang; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650–750 m, 18 April 1958, coll. Leyi Zheng; 1 male, Xishuangbanna, Xiaomengyang, 850 m, 13 June 1958, coll. Lingchao Zang; 2 males and 1 female, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) bamboo forest, 627 m, 21°54.380′N, 101°16.815′E, 21–26 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 2 males and 2 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) bamboo forest, 627 m, 21°54.380′N, 101°16.815′E, 22 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 2 males and 2 females, Xishuangbanna, Menglun, G213 (National road) secondary forest, 644 m, 21°54.439′N, 101°16.755′E, 20 November 2009, coll. Guo Tang and Zhiyuan Yao; 1 male, Mojiang, 1 May 2013, coll. Zongqing Wang. China: Guangxi: 1 female, Pingxiang, 850 m, 11 May 1963, coll. Sikong Liu.

Male. Body yellowish brown (Figs 9, 10). Vertex to anterior margin of antennal sockets reddish brown, face yellowish brown to blackish brown (Figs 9, 10). Pronotum with inconspicuous black brindle or two oblique and symmetrical stripes, with disk reddish brown to black brown, two lateral borders, anterior and posterior margin yellowish brown and hyaline (Fig. 66). Legs yellowish brown to blackish brown. Abdomen blackish brown. Apex of subgenital plate with reddish brown spots or without. Fourth and fifth maxillary palpomeres approximately same length, both distinctly shorter than the third (Fig. 65). Tegmen with M and CuA slightly oblique (Fig. 67). Hind wing with M without branches, CuA with five complete branches and without incomplete ones (Fig. 68). Front femur type C₂ (Fig. 69), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 70). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Figures 64–75. 

Balta hwangorum Bey-Bienko, 1958. 64 head 65 maxillary palps 66 pronotum; 67 tegmen 68 hind wing 69 front femur 70 tarsal claws and arolium 71 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 72 subgenital plate, dorsal view 73 right phallomere 74 median phallomere 75 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (64–66, 69–75), 2.0 mm (67, 68).

Supra-anal plate in ventral view short, hind margin arched, slightly emarginated in the middle; right and left paraprocts similar (Fig. 71). Subgenital plate symmetrical throughout except at the base, hind margin with deep V-shape emargination, styli similar, conical, arising on lateral lobes (Fig. 72). Hook-like phallomere on right side, hook slender (Fig. 73). Median phallomere sticklike, slightly curved, apex acuminate, near the apex part with a sclerite, base of arc appendage with brush-like structure (Fig. 74). Left phallomere complex, apex with a bifurcate spinous structure and a slender hairs structure (Fig. 75).

Slight sexual dimorphism in that the female body is smaller than the male. Supra-anal plate symmetrical, rounded, hind margin divided in the middle. Subgenital plate broad and rounded.

Overall length male 15.0–18.5, female 14.0–17.1; tegmen length male 13.5–16.0, female 11.2–14.0; pronotum length × width male 2.9–3.5 × 4.1–4.9, female 3.0–3.1 × 5.0–5.1.

Several specimens were separated as two species by Bey-Bienko, mainly based on the body color (1958). However, after examining a large number of specimens, the results show that body color of B. hwangorum varies. Moreover, in Bey-Bienko’s records, in B. hwangorum, the length of lobes of the subgenital plate is different among the species, but in fact we find no difference.

China (Yunnan, Guangxi).

Deposited in IESWU. China, Fujian Prov.: 1 male, Putian, 7 June 1979, coll. Jingying Liu; 1 male, Putian, 5 July 1978, coll. Bangkan Huang.

Male. Body medium-size, yellowish brown (Figs 11, 12). Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres yellowish brown, the fifth light brown. Pronotum yellowish brown and disk with two unobvious black spots, lateral borders hyaline. Tegmina and hind wings light brown. Abdomen brown. Third and fifth maxillary palpomeres almost same length, distinctly longer (Fig. 77). Tegmen with M and CuA oblique (Fig. 79). Hind wing with small triangle apical, CuA with four complete branches and without incomplete ones (Fig. 80). Front femur type C₂ (Fig. 81), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 82). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Figures 76–87. 

Balta nodigera (Bey-Bienko, 1958) comb. n. 76 head 77 maxillary palps 78 pronotum 79 tegmen 80 hind wing 81 front femur 82 tarsal claws and arolium 83 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 84 subgenital plate, dorsal view 85 right phallomere 86 median phallomere 87 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (76–78, 81–87), 2.0 mm (Figs 79, 80).

Supra-anal plate posterior margin slightly convex in the middle, paraprocts simple (Fig. 83). Subgenital plate in ventral view with hind margins strongly emarginated in the middle, conical styli located on the distal of lateral lobes, ventral side of subgenital plate with some fine spines (Fig. 84). Hook-like phallomere on right side, the hook structure short and thick (Fig. 85). Median phallomere sticklike, thick and strong at base, apex with two different size spines; one associated median phallomere appendage stronger and with setae at apex, (Fig. 86). Left phallomere with left side apex spine-like (Fig. 87).

Overall length male 14.5; tegmen length male 12.0; pronotum length × width male 3.0 × 4.0.

China (Fujian, Yunnan).

Deposited in IESWU. China, Yunnan Prov.: 19 males, Xishuangbanna, Menghun, 650 m, 4–9 April 1958, coll. Yiran Zhang and Xuwu Meng; 1 male and 1 female, Xishuangbanna, Dadugang, 22°22.190′N, 100°56.977′E, 29 May 2014, coll. Xinran Li and Hongguang Liu; 5 males and 5 females, Puer, Meizihu park, 20 May 2016, coll. Zhiwei Qiu and Lu Qiu; 2 males and 1 female, Xishuangbanna, Wangtianshu, 22 May 2016 coll. Zhiwei Qiu and Lu Qiu. China, Hainan Prov.: 1 male, Wuzhi Mountain, 18°54.290′N, 109°41.081’E, 795 m, 18 May 2014, coll. Shunhua Gui and Xinran Li. 1 male, Limu Mountain, 16 April 2016, coll. Jianyue Qiu.

Male. Body yellowish brown (Figs 13, 14). Vertex between eyes brick-red, between two ocelli yellow, remainder of face yellowish brown and without stripes (Figs 13, 14). Maxillary palpomeres yellowish brown with either base blackish brown. Base of antenna yellowish brown and the rest blackish brown to black. Pronotum yellowish brown and disc with some black spots, lateral borders hyaline. Legs yellowish brown. Base and two borders of abdominal sternites black (Fig. 14). Third and fourth maxillary palpomeres approximately same length, both distinctly longer than the fifth (Fig. 89). Tegmen with M degeneration and CuA with more branches (Fig. 91). Hind wing with M without branches, near apex of R with short branches, CuA with four to six complete branches and two or three branches of them bifurcated near apex (Fig. 92). Front femur type B₃ (Fig. 93), tarsal claws strongly asymmetrical and unspecialized (Fig. 94). Abdominal tergites unspecialized.

Figures 88–99. 

Balta valida (Bey-Bienko, 1958) comb. n. 88 head 89 maxillary palps 90 pronotum 91 tegmen 92 hind wing 93 front femur; 94 tarsal claws and arolium; 95 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view 96 subgenital plate, dorsal view 97 right phallomere 98 median phallomere 99 left phallomere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (88–90, 93–99), 2.0 mm (91, 92).

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate in ventral view short, hind margin finely rounded, right and left paraprocts unsymmetrical (Fig. 95). The hind margin of subgenital plate concave near lateral sides and with densely setae; styli conical, with densely scattered short setae, located on lateral lobes (Fig. 96). Hook-like phallomere on right side and with preapical concavity (Fig. 97). Median phallomere thick and strong and near apex with a brush-like structure; base of appendage also with long strip brush-like structure (Fig. 98). Left phallomere complex, with brush-like structure (Fig. 99).

Overall length male 16.3–20.5, female 14.5–17.0; tegmen length male 14.2–17.0, female 12.0–14.1; pronotum length × width male 2.3–4.0 × 3.3–5.3, female 3–4.3 × 3.3–5.1.

China (Hainan, Yunnan).