Malaxella tetracantha Qin & Zhang, 2009, n. sp.

Malaxella tetracantha n. sp.

(Figs. 13–22)

Description. Body length: macropterous male 2.10–2.23 mm (n=7); macropterous female 2.15–2.54 mm (n=8).

Colour. General color yellowish orange. Eyes and ocelli red brown. Antennae and abdomen reddish. Tegmina subhyaline, veins concolorous, macropterous forewings ornamented with fine, brownish hairs. Male pygofer with ventral processes, parameres and left laterodistal process of male anal segment blackish brown. Female ovipositor tawny to blackish brown.

Head. Including eyes narrower than pronotum (0.74: 1) (Fig. 13). Vertex longer medially than wide at base (0.84: 1), slightly narrower at apex than at base (0.86: 1) (Fig. 13). Frons in midline longer than maximum width (2.6: 1), widest at level of base of eyes and continuing nearly straight and slightly converging towards apex of frons (Fig. 14). Postclypeus and anteclypeus together approximately 0.88 of the length of frons (Fig. 14), in profile shallowly convex medially (Fig. 15). Postclypeus distinctly wider than frons at apex (Fig. 14). Antennae surpassing apex of anteclypeus, segment I about 2.5 times longer than apical width, shorter than segment II about 1: 3.1 (Fig. 14).

Thorax. Pronotum in midline slightly shorter than length of vertex (0.92: 1), posterior margin concave medially, lateral carinae slightly sinuate, diverging but not reaching posterior margin (Fig. 13), pronotum width 0.79–0.88 mm, length 0.18–0.20 mm. Mesonotum medially ca. 1.6 times longer than vertex and pronotum together, lateral carinae slightly diverging caudad, lateral and medial carinae obsolete apically (Fig. 13). Tegmina in macropterous form 3.53–3.75 mm long, surpassing tip of abdomen by one third of their total length, widest at apical fourth (Fig. 16). Legs with tibia quadrate in cross section, metatibia 0.90–0.93 mm long, metabasitarsus (0.30–0.31 mm) slightly shorter than tarsomere 2 (0.15–0.18 mm) + 3 (0.21–0.28 mm) combined, posttibial spur (0.25–0.28 mm) slightly shorter than metabasitarsus.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view slightly longer ventrally than dorsally, laterodorsal angles not produced (Fig. 18), in posterior view male pygofer with opening asymmetrical, bearing 4 spine-like processes on the mid and ventral margins (Fig. 17). Diaphragm membranous (Fig. 17). Parameres long, asymmetrical, contiguous at the base and apex curved, not reaching to the level of anal segment in posterior view (Fig. 17). Suspensorium fused with the the aedeagus near to its base (Figs 19, 21, 22). Aedeagus produced ventrally near the base, nearly straight in middle portion, apically curved and sharply narrowed to pointed tip (Figs 19, 22), in caudal view aedeagus sinuate and arising from right side of aedeagus-suspensorium complex, gonopore large, opening subapically on dorsal surface (Fig. 21). Male anal segment large, left laterodistal angle with a cluster of hair-like setae from which emerges a stout, ventrally directed process with a pointed apex (Figs 17– 20).

Type material. Holotype male (macropterous), China: Fujian Province, Wuping County, 1 Sept. 2008, 320 m, coll. Lei Zhang (NWAFU). Paratypes. China: 4 males 6 females, same data as holotype; 1 female, coll. Bin Xiao, other data as holotype; 1 male, Hainan Province, Bawangling, 15 May 2008, 126 m, coll. Qiulei Men, light trap; 1 female, Hainan Province, Bawangling, 17 May 2008, 176 m, coll. Qiulei Men, light trap; 1 male, Hainan Province, Liangyuan, 31 May 1983, coll. Yalin Zhang, light trap (NWAFU).

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin word “ tetracanthus ” (four processes) which refers to the male pygofer with 4 spine-like processes on ventral margin.

Distribution. Southern China (Fujian and Hainan Provinces).

Remarks. This species can be differentiated from Malaxella flava by the four spine-like process of the male pygofer (M. flava has 2 spine-like processes); the aedeagus in lateral aspect nearly straight medially (curved in M. flava), in caudal view the aedeagus sinuate and arising from the right side of the aedeagussuspensorium complex (in M. flava the aedeagus is slightly curved and arises from the middle of the aedeagus-suspensorium complex), the gonopore opening is subapical on dorsal surface (in M. flava the gonopore opening is subbasal).