Trachypeplus maae Guilbert & Guidoti 2018, sp. nov.

Trachypeplus maae sp. nov.

(Figs 15, 16)

Material examined. 1F, NW, Chiangmai, Fang, 12–19.IV.1958, T.C. Maa coll., BPBM.

Description. Body shiny, yellowish to brownish; fourth antennal joint and body beneath brown. Body length, 2.97; width, 1.23.

Head armed with five spines, long and slender, straight and directed forwards; bucculae two small areolae wide, closed in front; first and second antennal joints stout, third and fourth long and slender, antennal joints measurements. I, 0.13; II, 0.10; III, 0.80; IV, 0.30; rostral canal narrowing anteriorly and slightly widened posteriorly, open behind; rostrum almost reaching middle of metasterum.

Pronotum long and gibbose, tricarinate, carinae pilose, raised all along pronotum, foliate, uniseriate, except top of median carina biseriate, the areolae rather large; collar raised as to form a hood somewhat cyst-like, long and narrow, four to five areolae long, higher than top of pronotum, but less high than median carina; paranota wide, three areolae wide, the areolae subquadrate and large, the inner row abruptly turned so as to form a ridge-like separation from the two outer rows, a transverse ridge opposite humeri separating an anterior part from a posterior part, both convex, outer margin raised and following lateral carina, but not reaching it.

Hemelytra a little wider than pronotum and constricted behind end of discoidal area; costal area regularly biseriate; subcostal area narrower than costal area, biseriate; discoidal area longer than half the hemelytra, six areolae wide at widest part; sutural area as large as discoidal area, five to six areolae wide at widest part.

Comments. It is close to T. malloti Drake & Poor because of the absence of spines on the body. However, it differs from it by the shorter and narrower hemelytra. The discoidal area of T. malloti is 7–8 areolae wide, while it is 6 areolae wide in T. maae. It differs from T. chinensis Drake by the longitudinally depressed paranota, and the costal area which is regularly biseriate and with larger areolae. Trachypeplus wapi Guilbert is also different from T. maae by the costal area and the presence of spines on the body.

Etymology. This species is named in honor to T. C. Maa who has collected and described many oriental species of Tingidae.