Saigona Matsumura 1910

Genus Saigona Matsumura, 1910

Saigona Matsumura, 1910: 110; Melichar, 1912: 28, 50; Metcalf, 1946: 47; Nast, 1972: 84; Chou et al., 1985: 63; Anufriev & Emeljanov, 1988: 482; Emeljanov, 1993: 70; Liang, 2001: 235. Type species: Dictyophora [sic] ishidae Matsumura, 1905 [= Almana ussuriensis Lethierry, 1878], by subsequent designation of Melichar, 1912: 50.

Leprota Melichar, 1912: 91; Metcalf, 1946: 74. Type species: Dictyophora [sic] fulgoroides Walker, 1858, by original designation and monotypy. New Synonymy

Neoputala Distant, 1914: 412; Metcalf, 1946: 78. Type species: Neoputala lewisi Distant, 1906 [not Neoputala capitata Distant, 1914, as stated by Liang, 2001: 236]. [Synonymised by Liang, 2001: 236.]

Piela Lallemand, 1942: 72. Type species: Piela singularis Lallemand, 1942, by original designation and monotypy. New Synonymy

Redescription

General color ochraceous or fuscous. Vertex and most part of genae usually with numerous yellowish or pale brown speckles. Frons uniformly yellowish or yellowish brown. Pronotum and mesonotum ochraceous, suffused with blackish brown. Fore wings (Figs. 1–12) and hind wings hyaline, more or less fuliginous, veins fuscous; stigma fuscous, nearly opaque.

Head (Figs. 1–18, 26–28, 36–38, 46–48, 56–58, 66–68, 76–78) long and broad, distinctly produced into a cephalic process, this is longer or shorter than pronotum and mesonotum combined. Vertex (Figs. 13, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76) with lateral margins carinate, sinuate in front of eyes; with obsolete median longitudinal carina; posterior region clearly higher than pronotum. Frons (Figs. 15, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67, 77) broad and elongate, with distinct median longitudinal carina. Postclypeus and anteclypeus (Figs. 15, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67, 77) convex medially, with distinct median carina. Rostrum long, reaching between hind coxae.

Pronotum (Figs. 1–13, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76) distinctly shorter than mesonotum medially, narrow anteriorly and broad posteriorly; disc broad with anterior margin centrally strongly arched, posterior margin angularly concave; with distinct median longitudinal carina and two obscure lateral discal carinae (elevated only anteriorly). Mesonotum (Figs. 1–13, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76) tricarinate on disc, with median longitudinal carina obsolete or conspicuous but not reaching to apex, lateral carinae curving anteriorly towards median carina. Fore wings (Figs. 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82) with Sc+R, M and Cu branched apically, respectively; stigma distinct, with 2–4 cells; veins with numerous fuscous setae. Legs moderately long; fore and middle femora flattened and dilated; fore femur with short and blunt spine near apex; hind tibia with 5–6 lateral black-tipped spines, spinal formula 8-(9–12)-(9–12).

Male genitalia: pygofer (Figs. 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80) short and broad in lateral aspect, ventrally distinctly broader than dorsally, posterior margin excavated apically to accommodate anal tube. Anal tube (Figs. 19, 20, 29, 30, 39, 40, 49, 50, 59, 60, 69, 70, 79, 80) oval and large in dorsal view and short and broad in lateral view. Anal styles usually short and small (Figs. 39, 40, 59, 60, 69, 70, 79, 80) and sometimes relatively large and elongate (Figs. 19, 20, 29, 30). Parameres (Figs. 20–21, 30–31, 40–41, 50–51, 60–61, 70–71, 80–81) with apex rounded and protruded backward, upper margin with dorsally directed, black-tipped process near middle, with ventrally directed, hooklike process near sub-middle on outer upper edge. Aedeagus (Figs. 23–25, 33–35, 43–45, 53–55, 63–65, 73–75, 83–85) elongate and slender, with pair of slender, asymmetrical, phallobasal conjunctival processes apically, processes sclerotized and pigmented apically; phallobase sclerotized and pigmented, with two membranous lobes at apex: one dorsal above phallobase and other ventral below phallobase in lateral view; these lobes usually covered with numerous, pigmented, fine spines at apex.

Remarks

Species of Saigona can be distinguished from other dictyopharid planthoppers by the combination of the following diagnostic characters: (1) general color ochraceous or fuscous; (2) vertex and most of genae marked with numerous yellowish or pale brown speckles; (3) cephalic process relatively broad and long; (4) vertex with median longitudinal carina obsolete, posterior region obviously higher than pronotum; (5) legs moderately long, fore femur flattened and dilated with a short and blunt spine near apex; (6) aedeagus with a pair of phallobasal conjunctival processes apically and phallobase sclerotized and pigmented, with two membranous lobes apically.

Species of Saigona are externally similar to those of Dictyophara Germar, 1833, but can be distinguished from the latter by the diagnostic characters 1, 2, and 5 listed above. In addition, Dictyophara species are usually green or yellowish green (much paler in Saigona species) with vertex and most of genae lacking yellowish or pale brown speckles and fore femora not flattened and dilated, without a spine at apex.

Lallemand (1942) described the new genus Piela for a single species, P. singularis Lallemand, 1942 from Mt. Tianmu in Zhejiang Province in southeastern China. Since then, neither the genus nor the species was mentioned in the literature including Metcalf’s (1946) catalogue of the world Dictyopharidae. Our study shows that P. singularis Lallemand, 1942 is conspecific with S. fulgoroides (Walker, 1858) (see Remarks below under S. fulgoroides) and Piela Lallemand is then a new junior synonym of Saigona Matsumura, 1910.

Distribution

China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Taiwan, Jilin, Heilongjiang); Korea; Indochina; Japan; Russia (Far Eastern Region).