Leafhoppers are small members of the True Bug order Hemiptera,
closely related to Cicadas. They are typically small and inconspicuous as
individuals, seldom more than a few millimetres in length, but in large numbers
can be harmful to plants and are often considered to be agricultural pests.
In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys
on 28 August 2014, Xiaofei Yu and Maofa Yang of the Institute of Entomology at Guizhou University and the Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest
Management of the Mountainous Region, describe two new species of Leafhopper
from China. Both are placed in the genus Empoasca
and subgenus (Empoasca), which
already contains over 400 species globally and 53 species from China.
The first new species is named Empoasca (Empoasca) dorsodenticulata,
in reference to denticles which are found on the dorsal surface of the aedeagal
shaft, part of the male reproductive apparatus. Empoasca (Empoasca) dorsodenticulata is a 4.0-4.1 mm green
or yellowinsh Leafhopper with green and white markings. The species is
described from three male specimens collected from different sites in Guiazhou
Province; the female of unknown.
Empoasca (Empoasca) dorsodenticulata in
(top) lateral and (bottom) dorsal views. Yu & Yang (2014).
The second new species is named Empoasca (Empoasca) spiculata, again
in reference to the structure of the aedeagal shaft, which in this case has
ventral spicules. Empoasca (Empoasca) spiculata is a 3.9-4.1 mm Leafhopper, yellowish in colour, with
yellow and white markings. The species is described from six male specimens
collected from Luya and Lvliang Mountains in Shanxi Province; the female of
this species is also unknown.
Empoasca (Empoasca) spiculata in
(top) lateral and (bottom) dorsal views. Yu & Yang (2014).
See also…
Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are small members of the True Bug Order
Hemeptera, with specialized mouthparts for sucking sap. They are
extremely abundant across the globe, with over 20 000...
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Leafhoppers are small Insects belonging to the True Bug order, Hemiptera. They are mostly herbivorous, using needle-like mouthparts to drill into plants and drain their sap. Leafhoppers form large colonies on...
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