Yemmalysus brevispinus Cai, Ye

Yemmalysus brevispinus Cai, Ye & Bu, sp. nov.

(Figs. 2 A–F; 3B, D)

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from the other three known species in this genus by the short, oblique backward scutellar spine. It also differs from Y. procerus by the pale-colored pronotum and apical spine of the peritreme, and from Y. nigricephalus by the pale-colored head. Primary diagnostic characters of the two Chinese species, Y. brevispinus sp. nov. and Y. parallelus, are as in Table 1.

Description. Male (n = 4). Length 7.65–7.85 mm, width across hemelytra 0.67–0.70 mm. General coloration yellowish to yellowish brown, with a large portion of dorsal surface of abdomen blackish brown. Head (Fig. 2 B): length 0.68–0.70 mm, width 0.50–0.52 mm; yellowish, with jugum, tylus, apex of lorum, suture, base and venter of head yellowish brown; buccula yellowish, extending beyond to apex of tylus; frons unarmed; pubescence and punctures absent. Rostrum: segment I, length 0.30–0.34 mm; II, 0.82–0.91 mm; III, 0.30–0.35 mm; IV, 0.66–0.70 mm, nearly extending to the anterior margin of abdominal segment II; yellowish, segment IV pale brown with apex dark brown. Antenna: segment I, length 6.10–6.25 mm; II, 3.60–3.83 mm; III, 2.85–3.00 mm; IV, 0.78–0.84 mm; yellowish brown, segments I–III yellowish brown to pale brown; segment IV fusiform, black, apical 1/3 pale yellow. Pronotum (Fig. 2 A): length 1.08–1.20 mm, maximum width 0.72–0.76 mm; deeply and uniformly punctuate except for impunctate calli; yellowish to yellowish brown. Abdomen: venter yellow brown; mediotergites of abdominal segments III–V blackish brown except for yellowish brown lateral margins; blackish brown band on abdominal segments VI, narrowing and curving down sharply, ending at the posterior margin; venter and dorsum impunctate. Scutellar spine (Fig. 2 C): short, oblique backward, length 0.13–0.16 mm. Hemelytra: yellowish, transparent, reaching anterior 1/3 of abdominal segment VI. External scent efferent system (Figs. 2 D–E): yellowish; scent channel erect, spout extending into a spine rising well above hemelytra; the apical spine bent obliquely backward, with relatively glossy surface. Legs: yellowish brown, tibiae pale brown, tarsi dark brown; claws black. Femoral lengths: profemur 3.60–3.72 mm; mesofemur 3.85–4.15 mm; metafemur 5.90–6.25 mm. Tibial lengths: protibia 4.33–4.45 mm; mesotibia 4.35–4.49 mm; metatibia 7.65–7.90 mm. Opening of genital capsule and paramere as shown in Figs. 3 B, D.

Female (n = 3). Length 8.81–8.85 mm, width across hemelytra 0.78–0.84 mm. Head: length 0.74–0.78 mm, width 0.54–0.55 mm. Rostrum: segment I, length 0.30–0.34 mm; II, 0.88–0.99 mm; III, 0.36–0.40 mm; IV, 0.74– 0.82 mm. Antenna: segment I, length 6.00– 6.90 mm; II 3.55–4.00 mm; III 2.70–3.05 mm; IV 0.68–0.80 mm. Promotum: length 1.27–1.28 mm, maximum width 0.82–0.88 mm. Scutellar spine: length 0.15–0.20 mm. Femoral lengths: profemur 3.90–4.05 mm; mesofemur 4.20–4.25 mm; metafemur 6.75–6.80 mm. Tibial lengths: protibia 4.70–4.75 mm; mesotibia 4.81–4.85 mm; metatibia 8.50–9.30 mm. Similar to male in coloration and pubescence.

Type material. Holotype: male, China: Guizhou Province: Baishaogou, Kuankuoshui Natural Reserve (N28.00°, E107.25°), Suiyang, Zunyi, asl. 700 m, 12. viii. 2010, leg. Guijiang Yang. Paratypes: China: Guizhou Province: 2 males, 5 females, ibid.; 14 males, 18 females, Kuankuoshui Natural Reserve, Suiyang, Zunyi, asl. 900 m, 11. viii. 2010, leg. Xi Sun & Yanhui Wang; 1 male, Daheba Management Station, Mayanghe Natural Reserve, Yanhe, 320 m, 28. ix. 2007, leg. Bo Cai. Zhejiang Province: 3 males, 7 females, Tianmushan Mountain, Lin’an, 300–700 m, 0 8. viii. 2007, leg. Weibing Zhu; 2 males, 3 females, ibid., leg. Zhonghua Fan; 1 female, ibid., leg.

Gengping Zhu; 1 female, Wuyanling Natural Reserve (N27.64°, E119.71°), Taishun, Wenzhou, asl. 700–1000 m, 0 3. viii. 2005, leg. Ying Tian. Hunan Province: 1 male, 1 female, Shunhuangshan Mountain (N26.36°, E111.00°), Dongan, Yongzhou, asl. 500–700 m, 28. vii. 2004, leg. Yunling Ke; 1 female, Hengshan Mountain, Hengyang, asl. 335–610 m, 20. vii. 2004, leg. Weibing Zhu; 1 female, Hengshan Mountain, Hengyang, asl. 1030 m, 20. vii. 2004, leg. Yunling Ke. Shaanxi Province: 1 female, Ankang, 12. v. 1983, leg. Dahan He. Chongqing Municipality: 7 males, 2 female, Shiping, Fengdu, asl. 610 m, 0 5. x. 1995, leg. Jun Chen. Jiangxi Province: 1 male, 1 female (two of paratypes of Metacanthus insignis, see remarks of Y. parallelus above), Anyuan, Pingxiang, 23. v. 1948, collector unknown.

Eytmology. The specific name brevispinus (Latin adjective, meaning short-spined) is used to denote the short scutellar spine, compared with the long scutellar spines of the other three known species of this genus.

Distribution. China (Guizhou, Zhejiang, Hunan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, and Jiangxi).

Host. Unidentified bamboo (Bambusoideae).

Remarks. Zheng (1994) reported that both adults and nymphs of Yemmalysus sp. fed on the small newer branches of bamboo in Hainan Island, China. Unfortunately, we did not locate the specimens examined in that paper. Despite that bamboo was given as the host plant, we consider that that this record pertains to Y. parallelus, rather than Y. brevispinus sp. nov., based on the geographical distribution (Fig. 4).