Genus Pseudepitettix Zheng, 1995

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Pseudepitettix Zheng, 1995: 343; Liang & Zheng, 1998: 34; Jiang & Zheng, 1998: 273; Liang & Jiang, 2004: 117; Zheng, 2005: 28; Deng et al., 2007: 28; Storozhenko & Dawwrueng. 2014: 329; Deng, 2016: 23; Deng, 2020: 423.

Type species: Pseudepitettix yunnanensis Zheng, 1995 by original designation.

Redescription. General characters and coloration. Body generally small in size, short and smooth or coarsely interspersed with granules. Coloration uniformly dark brown or yellow.

Head. Head is not exserted or a little exserted above pronotal surface. Fastigium of vertex short; in dorsal view, fastigium of vertex between eyes of variable width – either 1) narrower than or 2) wider than width of compound eye; anterior margin of fastigium nearly truncate, not surpassing or slightly surpassing anterior margin of eye; median carina visible anteriorly; lateral margins turned backward. In lateral view, frontal ridge and vertex forming a rounded shape or angle shape, frontal costa is nearly straight or concave between eyes, protruded anteriorly and broadly rounded between antennal grooves. In frontal view, frontal costa bifurcated above lateral ocelli, scutellum (longitudinal furrow) is widely forked between antennae, the rami strongly divergent, width of longitudinal furrow of frontal ridge distinctly wider than (about 2–3 times) antennal groove diameter. Antennae short, filiform, antennal grooves inserted far below or between inferior margin of compound eyes. Eyes globose, lateral (paired) ocelli located between middle of compound eyes to inferior margin of compound eyes.

Thorax. Pronotum is wide and short, smooth or coarsely interspersed with granules. In dorsal view, dorsum of pronotum slightly tectiform or distinctly tectiform, with truncate or angular anterior margin, lateral carinae of prozona parallel or constricted backward, median carina of pronotum entire and arch-like or straight in profile; humeral angles conspicuous; hind pronotal process is wide, not reaching apex of hind femur and its apex concave or widely (or narrowly) rounded. Posterior angles of lateral lobes produced outwards, end of posterior angles slightly truncate, posterior margins of lateral lobes of pronotum only with ventral sinus. Tegmina and hind wings are absent.

Legs. Fore and middle femora slightly compressed, margins finely serrated, with carinated and undulated or straight ventral margins. Hind femora robust and short, with carinated margins and margins finely serrated; length of the first segment of hind tarsi longer than the third segment.

Diagnosis. Closely related to Epitettix Hancock, 1907. However, the species of Epitettix Hancock, 1907 are larger and fastigium of vertex in dorsal view distinctly surpassing the anterior margin of the eyes as an evenly broad, distinctly blunt, triangular, or rounded process (Deng, 2020); humeral angles of pronotum are not distinctly visible.

Composition and distribution. The genus consists of nine species including a new one described below (Cigliano et al., 2021). These are distributed in China and Thailand (Storozhenko & Dawwrueng, 2014; Deng, 2020).