First record of the leafhopper genus Varicopsella Hamilton, 1980 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae) in China, with descriptions of a new subgenus and new species, a checklist, and a key to species

Abstract A new monobasic leafhopper subgenus, Varicopsella ( Multispinulosa ) Li, Dai, and Li, subgen. nov., of the subfamily Macropsinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Membracoidea: Cicadellidae) is proposed to accommodate Varicopsella ( Multispinulosa ) hamiltoni Li, Dai, and Li, sp. nov.from Guangxi province of China. The new subgenus and new species are described and illustrated. They can be distinguished mainly by characteristics of the fore wings with two anteapical cells; weak dorsoventrally flattened body; aedeagal shaft with paired apical processes on ventral margin; and the shape of the dorsal connective. An updated checklist and an illustrated key for identification of the species of Varicopsella along with geographical distributions of the species are given.


Introduction
The oriental leafhopper genus Varicopsella Hamilton, 1980 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Membracoidea: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae) was established by Hamilton (1980) for six species from the Oriental region (Philippines and Borneo), with Macropsis breakeyi Merino, 1936 as its type species by original designation. One year later, Viraktamath (1981), described a new species from India. Up to now, no other species was described in this genus. Considering the vast land and abundant resources, macropsine fauna are likely to be richer in southern China, including the genus Varicopsella.
Deposited in our collection from Guangxi Province of China (included in the Oriental Region), two specimens were found that bear the distinct generic characteristics of Varicopsella: the fused sclerites between lora and frons on face, and the independently evolved dorsal connectives and pygofer processes in males. These specimens have been identified as a new species of Varicopsella, and on the basis of the distinctive feature that the fore wings of the new species have two anteapical cells, we propose to place it in a new subgenus. The identification was verified by K. G. A. Hamilton, pers. comm. (Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).
In this paper, the genus Varicopsella is reported for the first time from China based on the new species. The new taxa (Varicopsella (Multispinulosa) hamiltoni Li, Dai, and Li, subgen. nov. and sp. nov. from Guangxi province (China) are described and illustrated. Photographs of imago and illustrations of the male genitalia are provided, and an illustrated key to the species of the genus based on the original descriptions and illustrations, with a map of distribution of the genus based on the primary, data are given.

Materials and Methods
Morphological terminology used in this work follows Hamilton (1980) and of the rows of setae on the legs follows Rakitov (1998). The type specimens examined here are deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China (GUGC).

Systematics
Subfamily Macropsinae Evans, 1938 Genus Varicopsella Hamilton, 1980 Subgenus Varicopsella (Varicopsella) Hamilton, 1980Varicopsella Hamilton, 1980 Type species: Macropsis breakeyi Merino, 1936. Remarks. The genus Varicopsella can be distinguished from other Macropsinae mostly by the following characteristics: fused sclerites between lora and frons on face, and the unique male dorsal connectives each formed by two articulating parts with ventral pair appressed or fused with each other and dorsal ones produced as variously-shaped projections among species. The unique distinctive feature of the nominate subgeneric Varicopsella (Varicopsella) is fore wings with three anteapical cells.

Remarks.
The new subgenus can be easily distinguished from the other Varicopsella subgenus by the fore wings with two anteapical cells; weakly flattened external form of the body; unique male aedeagal shaft with paired apical processes on ventral margin; and shape of the dorsal connective.
Etymology. The subgenus name is derived from the Latin words "multi-" and "spinulosus" because of the several spines on the ventral margin projections of the pygofer lobe. The gender of the subgenus is feminine.
Body color. Background color (Fig. 1-4) yellowish-green, striations on head, face, and pronotum with same tint as background except posterior margin of pronotum with brown markings. Head, face, and pronotum ( Fig. 1-4) yellowish-green. Eyes brown, with some-what slightly and occasionally red crown; ocelli brightly lucid; antennal fossa, scape, pedicel, and flagellum successively vary from yellowish green to brown; terminal anteclypeus, beak, and outer margins of both lora yellowish-brown to brown. Scutellum (Fig. 1) fully black except bilateral margins slightly yellowish-brown medially. Fore wings ( Fig.  1-3) dark brown, except terminal regions of veins 1A, distal claval suture and outer anteapical part with brown maculae successively enlarged in size, veins clearly spotted with white. Legs (Fig. 5-6) brown with black maculae.
Etymology. This species is named in honor of K. G. A. Hamilton for excellent contributions to the Auchenorrhyncha systematics and invaluable help to the first author.

Key to the Subgenera and Species of Male Varicopsella
The Varicopsella species are keyed based on the variations of male genitalia, therefore two species only known by the female, V. (V.) basilana (Merino, 1936) and V. (V.) davaoensis (Merino, 1936), are excluded from the key.