Taxonomic study of the genus Neurotettix Matsumura (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) with a description of a new species from China

Abstract This paper treats all four known species of the genus Neurotettix Matsumura, 1914 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae), including one new species: Neurotettix truncatus sp. n. from China. A key is given to distinguish all species of the genus, and illustrations of genitalia are provided.


Introduction
Th e leafhopper genus Neurotettix, belonging to tribe Athysanini of subfamily Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), was established by Matsumura (1914) for a single species, Neurotettix horishanus Matsumura from Taiwan. Later, Ishihara (1963) redescribed and illustrated this genus. Cai and Shen (1999) described a second species, Neurotettix bifurcatus, from China, and recently, Shen et Dai (2002) described a third species, Neurotettix fl angenus, from China. All the species of this genus are described from China.
Here we described and illustrated a new species from Guizhou Province, China. Th e type specimens of new species are deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China (GUGC). Th e genus Neurotettix now contains four species. A key is given to separate all species. Neurotettix Matsumura 1914: 192;Esaki and Ito 1954: 128;Ishihara 1963: 223. Type species: Neurotettix horishanus Matsumura, 1914 Description. Medium sized leafhoppers, body elongate, vertex triangular and produced. Head including eyes clearly narrower than pronotum. Eyes black, large. Ocelli located on anterior margin of vertex, near eyes. Face with dark, transverse streaks. Frontoclypeus long and narrow. Pronotum longer than vertex, its length of lateral carina 1/3 basal width of eye, anterior margin roundly protruded and posterior margin concave. Scutellum triangular, slightly shorter than pronotum, with transverse suture curved and depressed. Forewings with four apical cells and three subapical cells, apical cells short, anteapical cells with reticulate veins, clavus irregularly reticulated with many extra veins, appendix small.

Matsumura
Male pygofer side with about 10 stout setae, its ventro-posterior margin with a long appendage. Valve triangular. Subgenital plate with many setae in lateral margin. Aedeagus asymmetrical or symmetrical, base robust, aedeagal shaft slender or robust, with or without processes, gonopore apical or subapical. Connective nearly X-shaped. Style slender, elongate.
Diagnosis. Neurotettix may be distinguished from other Athysanini by the following combination of features: forewings with apical cells short, anteapical cells with reticulate veins, clavus irregularly reticulated with many extra veins; connective nearly X-shaped.
Distribution. Oriental Region and Palaearctic Region. Disscussion. Th e aedeagus is asymmetrical in the type species in original description (Ishihara 1963). But, the aedeagus is symmetrical in the other two species (Neurotettix bifurcatus and Neurotettix fl angenus) and the new species Neurotettix truncatus sp. n. According to the external characters and other male genitalia features, we confi rmed the other two species and the new species belong to the genus Neurotettix. Aedeagal with two paired apical processes (Figs 3, 4)  Gonopore subapical, about one-third from apex (Figs 1, 2)

Neurotettix fl angenus Shen & Dai
Female seventh sternum concaved medially on posterior margin. First valvula of ovipositor sculpture irregularly (Fig. 14), second valvula with teeth, tapered toward apex in lateral view (Fig. 15) Remarks. Th is species is similar to Neurotettix horishanus Matsumura, but can be distinguished from the latter by the symmetrical aedeagus and gonopore at apex, subgenital plate distally truncate and style apex curved.
Etymology. Th e new species name is derived from the Latin words "truncatus", indicating that the subgenital plate distally truncate.