Review of the Oriental bamboo delphacid genus Neobelocera Ding & Ya n g (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae) with the description of one new species
Author
Hou, Xiao-Hui
Author
Chen, Xiang-Sheng
text
Zootaxa
2010
2387
39
50
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.275835
9ebfe66d-f00b-4e03-a64e-bac989fefec7
1175-5326
275835
Neobelocera
Ding & Yang, 1986
Neobelocera
Ding and Yang
, in
Ding
et al
.1986
: 420
;
Chen and Liang, 2005
: 374
;
Ding, 2006
: 196
.
Type
species
.
Neobelocera asymmetrica
Ding & Yang
, in
Ding
et al.
1986
: 420, by original designation.
Description
. The distinctive characters used by
Ding and Yang (Ding
et al.
1986)
,
Chen and Liang (2005)
and
Ding (2006)
are modified as follows:
Body Size
. Macropterous form, small size, body length (including forewing): male
2.8–5.1 mm
, female
3.2–5.7 mm
.
Coloration
. General color dark yellowish brown. Vertex, frons, clypeus, genae, pro- and mesonotum with carinae pale yellowish brown, bordered with dark brown (
Figs 1, 2
,
9
,
17
;
Ding
et al.
1986
:
Fig. 6
: 1;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 1
;
Qin &
Yuan
1998
:
Fig. 1
: A). The first segment of antennae with two oblique bands brown to dark brown (
Figs 3
,
10
,
18
;
Ding
et al.
1986
:
Fig. 6
: 2;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 2
;
Qin &
Yuan
1998
:
Fig. 1
: B). Forewings hyaline, speckled with brown markings, veins dark brown, with several short white stripe at intervals from middle to apex (
Figs 1
,
11
,
19
;
Ding & Yang 1986
:
Fig. 6
: 6;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 4
). Hindwings hyaline with veins dark brown.
Head and Thorax
. Head, including eyes (
Figs 2
,
9
,
17
;
Ding
et al.
1986
:
Fig. 6
: 1;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 1
;
Qin &
Yuan
1998
:
Fig. 1
: A), wider than pronotum (1.09–1.15:1). Vertex wider at base than long submedially about 1.9–3.0:1, apical margin transversely broadened and only slightly produced medially. Y-shaped carina distinct, submedian carinae uniting at apex, apical margin evenly rounding onto frons. Frons (
Figs 3
,
10
,
18
;
Ding
et al.
1986
:
Fig. 6
: 2;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 2
;
Qin &
Yuan
1998
:
Fig. 1
: B) in median line longer than wide at widest part about 1.2–1.8:1, widest above level of lower margin of eyes, lateral carinae roundly angulate above level of ocelli, then converging apically, median carina forked at extreme base. Eyes strongly emarginate on lower margin. Post-clypeus wider at base than frons at apex, in profile, apical part of median carina bend at rounded, not angled. Rostrum very short, only reaching mesotrochanters. Antennae reaching the level of median part of post-clypeus, with first segment subsagittate, markedly flattened, a longitudinal carina down middle, with the apex unequally bifurcate, the inner apical angle much longer than outer apical angle, in middle line shorter than second segment about 0.48–0.71:1, second segment cylindrical or long oval, longer than wide about 2.5–3.5:1 (
Figs 3
,
10
,
18
;
Ding
et al.
1986
:
Fig. 6
: 2;
Zhu 1988
:
Fig. 2
;
Qin &
Yuan
1998
:
Fig. 1
: B). Pronotum (
Figs 1
,
12
,
23
, 31) equal to vertex medially (0.9–1.06:1), posterior margin concave medially, with lateral carinae extending from near the posterolateral angle of the vertex to the posterior margin of the pronotum, running as anterolateral margin, curving inward and reaching hind margin, lateral discs concave. Mesonotum longer in middle line than vertex and pronotum combined (1.7–2.5:1), median carina reaching the end of scutellum. Forewings relatively broad, longer in middle line than wide at widest part about 2.64–2.83:1, widest at about apical 1/3, broadly acute at apex with a series of nearly connected transverse cross veins present at the posterior 1/3. Spinal formula of hind leg 5–6–4, post-tibial spur with an apical tooth. Basal segment of digitus longer than second and third combined (1.6–2.0:1).
Male Genitalia
. Anal segment of male (
Figs 4–7
,
12, 13
,
20, 21, 24
) small, ring-like, ventral margin without processes or with a stout, very short process. Pygofer in lateral view (
Figs 5
,
13
,
22
) with ventral margin longer than dorsal margin, posterior margin convex, straight or slightly sinuate, in caudal view (
Figs 4
,
12
,
23, 24
) with opening longer than wide, ventral margin concave or with medioventral process. Genital styles subparallel, slender, long (
Figs 4, 8
,
12, 15, 16
,
24, 27, 28
). Phallobase (
Figs 7
,
14
,
25, 26
) with a projection or absent. Aedeagus tubular, long, protruding processes of various lengths from apex. Suspensorium not recognizable. Diaphragm membranous, separated.
Female Genitalia
. First valvifers present and moderately large, second valvifers long, broad and large. Ovipositor not surpassing the pygofer. Gonangulum (
Fig 29
;
Zhu, 1988
:
Fig. 5
) distinct, with apex blunt or rounded.
Host Plant
. Bamboo, such as
Indocalamus latifolius
(Keng) McClure (
Ding & Hu 1991
)
,
Indocalamus
sp. (
Chen & Liang 2005
), and
Neosinocalamus
sp. (this paper).
Distribution
. Oriental region (southern
China
).
Discussion
. Of the genera of the tribe Tropidocephalini, only three genera,
Bambucibatus
Muir, 1915
(monotypic,
Singapore
),
Belocera
Muir, 1913
(five species, south
China
) and
Neobelocera
(six species, south
China
), have the antennae flattened, sagittate or subsagittate.
The genus
Neobelocera
is closely related to
Belocera
(
Ding
et al.
1986
;
Chen & Liang 2005
;
Chen
et al
. 2007
), which also feeds on bamboo, but differs in the following: first segment of antennae with the apex unequally bifurcate, ventral apical angle much longer than dorsal apical angle (in
Belocera
, apex of first segment of antennae equally bifurcate, ventral apical angle subequal to dorsal apical angle); postclypeus in profile, apical part of median carina bend at rounded, not angled (in
Belocera
, postclypeus in profile, apical part of median carina and lateral carinae bend at angled); rostrum very short, only reaching mesotrochanters (rostrum surpassing mesotrochanters in
Belocera
); forewing relatively broad, longer in middle line than wide at widest part less than 3.0 times (more than 3.0 times in
Belocera
); and the surface of forewing often with blackish brown markings, in dark portion veins bear white or yellowish white spots (in
Belocera
, forewing often with a fuscous central longitudinal fascia, costal area light yellowish white).
The genus
Neobelocera
is also closely related to
Bambucibatus
and can be distinguished by: first segment of antennae shorter than second (two segments of antennae with the same length in
Bambucibatus
); head including eyes wider than pronotum (in
Bambucibatus
, head including eyes narrower than pronotum); vertex with median carina distinct (very faint in
Bambucibatus
); frons with median carina forked at extremely base (not forked in
Bambucibatus
).
The following characters are considered synapomorphies of the genus
Neobelocera
: antennae with first segment subsagittate, the ventral apical angle much longer than dorsal apical angle (
Figs 3
,
10
,
18
); when postclypeus viewed in profile, apical part of median carina bent at rounded angle, not at right angle; rostrum very short, only reaching mesotrochanters. The plesiomorphic character states based on outgroup comparison with the genus
Belocera
and
Bambucibatus
is antennae with first segment flattened, sagittate or subsagittate.