Loeia chelata, Dietrich, 2025

Dietrich, Christopher H., 2025, Review of the Southeast Asian leafhopper genus Loeia Duan (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), Zootaxa 5666 (2), pp. 195-210 : 202

Loeia chelata sp. nov.

( Figure 1E , 3E–H , 7G )

Diagnosis. This species resembles L. cetacea in lacking ventral processes on the pygofer and in having the style apex footlike and relatively slender, but is easily distinguished by aedeagus with a tubular gonopore-bearing dorsal shaft and branched ventral process together forming a clawlike structure in lateral view.

Description. Body length of male 5.3 mm, female 6.3 mm. Head in dorsal view with crown slightly longer medially than next to eye, 1.8× wider at base than medial length. Male pygofer ~3.3× longer than maximum height, ventral spine absent. Subgenital plate not extended to midlength of pygofer, laterally convex basal section as long as concave distal section. Style relatively short, robust, preapical lobe broadly rounded, apex footlike with obtusely angulate mesal heel and evenly tapered lateral toe. Aedeagus without dorsal apodeme; atrium with pair of angulate lateral extensions in ventral view, in lateral view with gonopore bearing shaft and basal process subequal in length and divergent at acute angle; vasal process straight with pair of tapered distal processes extended dorsad in lateral view and posterolaterad in ventral view; shaft straight and tubular with slight expansion at apex; gonopore apical. Female sternite VII slightly wider than long, lateral margins convexly tapered, posterior margin with broad median lobe distinctly indented in middle and with submarginal arcuate brown macula.

Etymology. The species name refers to the clawlike appearance of the aedeagus in lateral view.

Material examined. Holotype male, THAILAND Suphanburi, Pu Toei NP, Tapern Ki-yai waterfall-picnic area, 14º58.886'N 99º19.369'E, Malaise trap 1–7.i.2009, Wangkum P. leg. T3841 [ QSBG] . Paratype: 1 female, THAILAND Suphanburi, Pu Toei NP Headquarter / 300m /NE, 14º56.682'N 99º25.297'E 365m, Pan trap 4–5.x.2008, Jaisue;W. leg. T3588 [ INHS] .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Loeia new species, dorsal and lateral habitus, males. A, L. articulata; B, L. biclavata; C, L. brevis (left forewing missing); D, L. cetacea; E, L. chelata; F, L. compressa; G, L. decidua; H, L. elongata; I, L. robusta; J, L. serrata (right forewing missing); K, L. sinuata; L, L. tridentata. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Loeia male genital capsule and genitalia. A–D, L. cetacea: A–B, genital capsule, lateral and ventral view; C–D, genitalia, lateral and ventral view. E–H, L. chelata: E–F, genital capsule, lateral and ventral view (apices of pygofer lobes broken); G–H, genitalia, lateral and ventral views. I–L, L. compressa: I–J, genital capsule, lateral and ventral view; K–L, genitalia, lateral and ventral views.

FIGURE 7. A–D, Loeia serrata ovipositor: A–B, first valvula with enlargement of apex; C–D, second valvulae and gonoplac with enlargement of second valvulae apex. E–N, sternite VII: E, L. articulata; F, L. cetacea; G, L. chelata; H, L. compressa; I, L. decidua; J, L. elongata; K, L. robusta; L, L. serrata; M, L. tamtipi; N, L. tridentata. O, L. tamtipi, base of abdomen, ventral view, showing 1S and 2S apodemes; P, same showing apodemes only.