Neotapirissus reticularis: A new species of Planthopper from Hainan Island, China.

Planthoppers, Fulgoromorpha, are members of the True Bug order, Hemiptera, distinguished by their enlarged back legs, which enable them to leap in a similar way to Grasshoppers. Like many True Bugs they feed on plants by drilling into them with specialised mouth parts to drill into their host and drain their sap, and while few species are serious pests in themselves, they are often vectors for plant diseases. Planthoppers tend to be well camouflaged, with many species mimicking leaves or other plant-parts.

In a paper published in the journal Entomological Science on 22 July 2016, Rui Meng and Yinglun Wang of the Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management at the Entomological Museum of Northwest A&F University, describe a new species of Planthopper from Hainan Island in southern China.

The species is placed in a new genus, Neotapirissus, meaning 'new-Tapirissus', in reference to a previously described genus from Laos, and given the specific name reticularis, in reference to the venation of the modified forewings, which is reticulated (net-like). The species is described from three specimens, a male, 5.8 mm in length, and two females, 6.1 and 6.2 mm in length, all are black and brown in colour.

Neotapirissus reticularis, male, (1) dorsal view, (2) face, (3) lateral view. Scale bars, 1mm. Meng & Wang (2016).

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A new species of Planthopper from northern Vietnam.

Planthoppers, Fulgoromorpha,  are small members of the True Bug order Hemiptera, which also includes Aphids, Cicadas and Shield Bugs, amongst other Insects. The genus Paricanoides was erected in 2003 by Ai-Ping Liang of the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to describe two species of Planthoppers, one from southern Vietnam and one from northern Vietnam and Hainan Island (China).

In a paper published on the Belgian Journal of Entomology on 11 December 2014, Jérôme Constant of the Department of Entomology at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Hong Thai Pham of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, describe a new species of Paricanoides from the Tam Dao National Park in northern Vietnam.

The new species is named Paricanoides bresseeli in honour of Joachim Bresseel of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The species is described from a single male specimen 13.3 mm in length. It is yellow-brown with red makings, particularly a red ‘horseshoe’ shape on the front of the head. Its wings are clear, with black veins.

Paricanoides bresseeli, dorsal view. Constant & Pham (2014).

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