Empoascanara (Empoascanara) bisignatella Matsumura 1932, comb. nov.

Empoascanara (Empoascanara) bisignatella (Matsumura, 1932) comb. nov., new record

(Figs. 4, 26–34)

Zygina bisignatella Matsumura, 1932, Ins. Mats., 6 (2): 109 [Formosa (Heito)].

Empoascanara thankotensis Thapa, 1984, J. entomol. Res., 8: 50 [Nepal (Kathmandu)]. syn. nov. Kapsa thankotensis: Sohi & Mann 1992, Reichenbachia, 29: 138 [India (W. Bengal, Karnataka)].

Body pale brown to brown. Vertex ochreous, with two oblong infuscated spots anteriad rarely fused to each other; ventral angle of head ochreous, tinged with pale orange to pale brown centrally. Pronotum dirty white at posterior margin; scutellum ochreous; fore wing semitransparent; hind wing semitransparent with veins slightly darkened. Dorsum of abdomen brown to infuscated; venter ochreous to brown; pygofer brown; subgenital plate ochreous basally, brown to infuscated apically; ovipositor (3rd valvulae) infuscated to black apically.

Head slightly narrower than pronotum, 0.9 times as wide as pronotum; vertex 1.8 times as wide as dorsal median length, 0.7 times as long as pronotum; coronal suture distinct, reaching at middle of vertex. Pronotum twice as wide as median length, as long as mesonotum, with minute transverse striation. Male abdominal sternal apodemes small and slender, tapering apically. Female 7th abdominal sternite rectangular, with posterior margin slightly convex.

Body length (mean): ♂, 2.6–3.0 mm (2.9 mm); ♀, 2.9–3.2 mm (3.0 mm).

Male genitalia. Pygofer roundly rectangular caudad, with dorsal process small, curved and extending ventrally, tapering. Subgenital plate with angulate lateral margin, bearing four basal macrosetae along margin and distinct marginal subbasal setae forming contenuous row. Style truncate apically, with apophysis short. Connective U-shaped with central lobe small. Aedeagus arched, with pair of ventral processes; ventral process long and straight, weakly curved laterad at apical half, with hexagonal ridges in apical half; dorsal margin of shaft produced and compress apically, sinuate and furrowed in apical 1/3; gonopore subapical on caudal surface.

Specimens examined. Holotype: ♀, “ Formosa | Matsumura || 11/VII 1906 Akō”, “ Z. bisignatella Mats. ”, “ Type Matsumura” (red printed). (SEHU). [Yonaguni Is.] 1♀, Mt Donan-dake, 5. IV. 1992, M. Hayashi et al.; 3♂ 2♀, same data except 26. IX. 1995; 3♀, Tabaru-ue, 6. IV. 1992, M. Hayashi et al.; 1♂, Mt Urabu-dake, 27. VI. 1996, M. Hayashi et al.; 1♀, Arakawa, 6. IV. 1992, M. Hayashi et al.; 1♂ 2♀, same data except 17. IV. 2005; 6♂ 6♀, Mt Kubura-dake, 23. X. 1997, S. Kamitani leg. (ELKU).

Distribution. Japan * (Ryukyus: Yonaguni); Taiwan, Nepal *, India *.

Remarks. This leafhopper was described from southern Taiwan (Pingtung) based on the morphological characters of one female specimen. Male specimens are described here for the first time and, based on the characters observed, the species is here transferred to this genus. Furthermore based on the descriptions and illustrations of Thapa (1984) and Sohi & Mann (1992), E. thankotensis Thapa, 1984 is synonymized with this species. The species of the subgenus Empoascanara have been classified into eight species groups (Dworakowska 1992a). This species belongs to the E. limbata species-group, and it is similar to E. (E.) papuensis Dworakowska, 1992 described from Papua New Guinea. But it can be distinguished by the following features of male genitalia: pygofer rounded caudally; dorsal pygofer process slender; aedeagus with dorsal margin compress, sinuate and furrowed apically.