#ZooKeys

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025)
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519

Research Article

Extension of the leafhopper genus Multinervis (Hemiptera,
Cicadellidae, Megophthalminae, Agalliini) from Northern to
Central Vietnam, with the description of one new species

Linda Semeraro'™®, Jér6me Constant™®, Thai-Hong Pham?2®

1 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 0.D. Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Entomology, Vautier Street 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
2 Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research, Vietnam National Museum of Nature, VAST, 321 Huynh Thuc Khang, Hue, Vietnam

3 Graduate School of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam
Corresponding authors: Thai-Hong Pham (phamthai@vnmn. vast.vn); Linda Semeraro (macropsis03@gmail.com)

OPEN Qaccess

Academic editor: Ilia Gjonov
Received: 6 September 2024
Accepted: 11 January 2025
Published: 26 March 2025

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/
BCF14C2F-523B-4525-9C8F-
OBB73AF3929A

Citation: Semeraro L, Constant

J, Pham T-H (2025) Extension of
the leafhopper genus Multinervis
(Hemiptera, Cicadellidae,
Megophthalminae, Agalliini) from
Northern to Central Vietnam, with
the description of one new species.
Zookeys 1233: 1-14. https://doi.
org/10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519

Copyright: © Linda Semeraro et al.
This is an open access article distributed under
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution

License (Attribution 4.0 International - CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

A new species of the genus Multinervis Li & Li, 2013, Multinervis phongdienensis
sp. nov., is described from two locations in Central Vietnam, Thua Thien-Hue Province:
Bach Ma National Park and Phong Dien District. It represents a second species for
the genus and for the fauna of Vietnam, where the type species, M. guangxiensis Li
& Li, 2013, has also previously been recorded from Northern Vietnam. Illustrations, a
differential diagnosis to distinguish the two Multinervis species and a distribution map
are provided. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov. is characterized by the absence of
forewing crossveins in the claval region, the reduced subgenital plates being almost
entirely fused, the absence of a subgenital angular projection and the unusual lateral
flanges of the male connective.

Key words: Auchenorrhyncha, biodiversity, leafhopper, Membracoidea, plant pathogen,
plant virus, taxonomy

Introduction

The tribe Agalliini Kirkaldy, 1901 is one of four recognised in the subfamily
Megophthalminae Kirkaldy, 1906, along with Evansiolini Linnavuori & DeLong,
1977, Adelungiini Baker, 1915, and Megophthalmini Kirkaldy, 1906 (Dietrich
2005). This speciose tribe comprises 57 genera and more than 641 species
(Dmitriev et al. 2022 onwards) worldwide. Currently, only 4 species in 3 gen-
era of this tribe are known from Vietnam: Austroagallia nitobei (Matsumura,
1912), Multinervis guanxiensis Li & Li, 2013, Sangeeta fyanensis Viraktamath,
2011 and S. linnavuorii Viraktamath, 2011 (Viraktamath 2011; Dietrich et al.
2020). As a comparison, 48 species in 16 genera are recorded from this tribe
in China, mostly from the southern regions (Viraktamath 2012; Li and Li 2013;
Zhang 2014; Li et al. 2015). Species of this tribe feed mostly on grasses and
broad-leaved herbs and may also feed on leguminous crops (Viraktamath 2011;
Viraktamath et al. 2012; Li and Li 2013), with a number of species reported as
disease vectors of plant viruses, phytoplasmas and Rickettsia-like organisms

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

(RLO) (Nielson 1979; Viraktamath 2011; Viraktamath et al. 2012; Wilson and
Turner 2021). This includes species of Aceratagallia Kirkaldy, 1907 (A. curva-
ta Oman, 1933, A. longula van Duzee, 1894 and A. sanguinolenta (Provancher,
1872)) which transmit Potato yellow dwarf virus (PYD), Agallia constricta van
Duzee, 1894, which is a vector of PYD and phytoplasmas (Nielson 1968; Trivel-
lone 2019), Agalliopsis novella (Say, 1830) which is a vector of clover club leaf
RLO (Nielson 1968) and Austroagallia torrida Evans, 1935, known to be a vector
of rugose leaf curl virus (Grylls 1954; Nielson 1968; Fletcher et al. 2017).

The currently monotypic genus Multinervis Li & Li, 2013, is represented by the
species M. guangxiensis Li & Li, 2013, which was described from Guangxi, China
(Li and Li 2013). More recently the species was reported for the first time from
Vietnam, Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh Province by Dietrich et al. (2020).

Following a two-week field expedition to Central Vietnam to collect insects
in Bach Ma National Park and Phong Dien District in 2023, a second species of
this genus was discovered and is described and illustrated in this paper, with a
distribution map of the two known species.

Material and methods

The specimens were collected by sweeping the vegetation with an entomo-
logical net and aspirating into a jar. The specimens were euthanized with ethyl
acetate and later card-mounted for study. Following the methods outlined in
Fletcher (2009), the abdomen of the male specimens was removed to examine
the genitalia. The abdomens were first macerated in a 10% solution of potas-
sium hydroxide (KOH), soaked at room temperature overnight (for at least 12
hours) and then thoroughly rinsed in 70% ethanol before transferring to glycerol
in genitalia vials.

Specimens were examined and photographed under a Leica EZ4W stereo-
microscope with an integrated camera. The photographs were stacked with
CombineZP software and optimized with Adobe Photoshop CS3. Photographs
of the habitat were taken with an Olympus Tough TG-6 camera.

The distribution map was produced with SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010).

Terminology of the general leafhopper morphology, wing venation and leg
chaetotaxy follows Dietrich et al. (2022); for the male genitalia, it follows Diet-
rich et al. (2022) in part, and Blocker and Triplehorn (1985).

The following acronyms are used:

CCRR Centre for Conservation of Vietnam Natural Resources and Rescue of
Animals and Plants, Phong Dien, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam

GUGC Guizhou University, Guiyang Guizhou, China

RBINS _ Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium

VNMN _ Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Hanoi, Vietnam

Taxonomy

Class Insecta Linnaeus, 1758

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758
Suborder Auchenorrhyncha Dumeril, 1806
Infra-order Cicadomorpha Evans, 1946

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 2

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Superfamily Membracoidea Rafinesque, 1815
Family Cicadellidae Latreille, 1825

Subfamily Megophthalminae Kirkaldy, 1906
Tribe Agalliini Kirkaldy, 1901

Genus Multinervis Li & Li, 2013

Multinervis Li & Li, 2013: 296 [description of the new genus Multinervis based
on the type species, M. guangxiensis]; Dietrich et al. 2020: 265 [first record of
the genus and species for Vietnam].

Type species. Multinervis guangxiensis Li & Li, 2013.

Diagnosis. The genus is recognised by a combination of characters includ-
ing, a robust body; coloration generally brown; forewing, somewhat coriaceous,
brown with contrasting pale yellow veins; crown very narrowly visible in dorsal
view; face with striations along upper margin, dorsad of ocelli; ocelli in slight
depressions, almost equidistant from each other as to compound eyes; gran-
ulose texture of head, pronotum, mesonotum and forewings; pronotum only
weakly pitted, in lateral view slightly convex, anterior margin may be depressed,
concave in lateral view; forewing bearing numerous accessory crossveins
(veins appearing reticulated), with or without crossveins in claval region (be-
tween anal veins); forefemur with pale yellow and black/ dark brown bands;
hindfemur with macrosetal formula 2+1; hindtibia with 7 macrosetae on AD
margin. In male genitalia structures, the subgenital plates are fused at base;
in lateral view, style apophyses are distinctly spiralled. Connective elongate,
broader anteriorly than posteriorly (longer than broad), in ventral view, approxi-
mately racquet-shaped.

Differential diagnosis. According to Li and Li (2013), Multinervis is most sim-
ilar to three other genera of Agalliini - Dryodurgades Zachvatkin, 1946, Paula-
gallia Viraktamath, 2011 and Sangeeta Viraktamath, 2011. However, Multinervis
differs from Dryodurgades in having a shorter aedeagal shaft without apical
and subapical processes, an elongate connective, longer than wide and subge-
nital plates fused together in basal portion (in Dryodurgades, the aedeagal shaft
is longer with branched apical and often subapical processes, the connective is
broader than long and the subgenital plates are not fused basally). Multinervis
differs from Paulagallia in having pronotum only weakly pitted, pygofer dorsal
margin not deeply excavated, only slightly concave, without short stout setae
apically, subgenital plates with no macrosetae, aedeagus without lateral ridges
or apical processes, and with dorsal apodeme about half as long as aedeagal
shaft, and connective elongate (in Paulagallia, the pronotum is coarsely pitted,
the male pygofer has a deep, angular dorsal marginal excavation around mid-
length, apex of pygofer bears short stout setae, subgenital plates bear mac-
rosetae, the aedeagal shaft may have lateral ridges and small tooth-like pro-
cesses apically, the aedeagal dorsal apodeme is almost as long as the shaft
and the connective is about as long as wide). Based on Viraktamath (2011), a
further characteristic by which Multinervis can be distinguished from the two
above-mentioned genera includes the ocelli being approximately equally dis-
tant from each other as they are to the compound eyes (in Dryodurgades and
Paulagallia the ocelli are closer to compound eyes than to each other). Li and

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 3

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Li (2013) considered another genus, Sangeeta Viraktamath, 2011, to be close
to Multinervis based on the striations of the face, but the latter differs in that
it has multiple accessory forewing crossveins (while Sangeeta does not have
additional crossveins). In Multinervis the face width across the eyes is greater
than the face length (in Sangeeta the face is longer than wide), the number of
AD macrosetae on the hindtibia is 7 (Sangeeta has 6+1 macrosetae), the dorsal
margin of the pygofer is slightly concave (while in Sangeeta the pygofer has a
distinct almost right-angled excavation) and the pygofer apex and subgenital
plates are without macrosetae (in Sangeeta the pygofer apex has some stout
setae and subgenital plates have a row of macrosetae).
Distribution. (Fig. 6) China (southern) and Vietnam (Northern and Central).
Hosts. Unknown.
Species list. (type locality indicated by *):
Multinervis guangxiensis Li & Li, 2013 [CHINA, Guangxi Province* * VIETNAM,
Ninh Binh Province]. Holotype: GUGC.
Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov. [VIETNAM, Thua Thién-Hué Province*]. Ho-
lotype: VNMN.

Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov.
https://zoobank.org/8062B470-7E73-497C-ACOD-AA72EC3F0685
Figs 1-6

Type material. Holotype 3 (Figs 1, 3), VIETNAM * Thua Thién-Hué Province, Bach
Ma National Park; low altitude; 16°13'14"N, 107°53'10"E; 17 May 2023; alt. 100-
200m; J. Constant and L. Semeraro leg.; |.G. 34.640; VNMN. Paratypes, VIETNAM
* 19; same data as in holotype; RBINS * 12; same data as in holotype; VNMN =
14; Thua Thién-Hué Province, Phong Dien District; 16°30'27"N, 107°16'05"E; 23
May 2023; alt. 350-400m; J. Constant and L. Semeraro, leg.; 1.G. 34.640; RBINS.

Diagnosis. Body robust. Colouration chestnut brown contrasted with pale yel-
low veins and markings on face. Forewing with veins loosely reticulated mainly
on apical half, crossveins in claval area absent; anal vein A1 strongly curved
from base. Subgenital plates relatively short, only just reaching posterior mar-
gin of pygofer (see Fig. 3A), subgenital plates fused along almost entire length.
Aedeagal shaft, narrow in lateral view. Connective elongate, racquet-shaped,
broader anteriorly than posteriorly, and in caudal view, posterior shaft with lateral
membranous triangular flanges. Female seventh sternite much wider than long.

Differential diagnosis. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov. can be differen-
tiated from M. guangxiensis in body length, being slightly smaller (4.5 mm ver-
sus 4.8-5.2 mm in M. guangxiensis); the general body shape being more squat
(around 2.4x longer than wide at widest point versus 2.75x); the frontoclypeus
mostly patchy chestnut brown medially (face generally paler and with a large
pale yellow patch medially in M. guangxiensis); forewing venation is less retic-
ulated (fewer crossveins), crossveins between anal veins are absent and there
are fewer crossveins between discal and costal cells (versus crossveins pres-
ent between the anal veins and relatively densely reticulated venation between
discal and costal cells) anal vein A1 is strongly curved from near the base, not
parallel with anal vein Pcu (versus very slightly curved, more or less parallel
with Pcu); in the male genitalia, the subgenitial plates appear shorter and only

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 4

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Figure 1. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov., holotype 4 (VNMN) A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C face, perpendic-
ular view D lateral habitus.

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 5

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

just reaching posterior margin of the pygofer (Fig. 3A) (versus subgenital plates
exceeding the posterior margin of the pygofer); in lateral view, the subgenital
plate has a slightly rounded projection basodorsally, digitate projection absent
(versus distinct digitate projection near base); in ventral view, the subgenital
plates appear short and fused for most of their length (versus subgenital plates
more elongate, only fused along basal 1/3); the aedeagus is similar in shape to
M. guangxiensis but is narrower in lateral view; female seventh sternite posteri-
or margin mostly transverse to very weakly broadly concave (versus posterior
margin with a deep medial u-shaped notch).

Description. Measurements and ratios. Body length, ¢ holotype, 4.5 mm;
paratypes 4, 4.5 mm; 2 99, 4.5mm. Proportion of body length 2.4x the width
(measured across widest part of body). Head across eyes slightly wider than
pronotum. Pronotum 2.5x as broad as long. Scutellum 1.25x length of prono-
tum along midline.

General body colouration. Chestnut brown with contrasting pale-yellow mark-
ings and tegminal venation. Colouration of males and females mostly identical.

Head (Figs 1A—D, 2A—D) Head very short, visible in dorsal view, crown slight-
ly produced dorsad with upturned lip-like margin, slightly emarginate posteri-
or to compound eyes; crown, brown with diffuse paler brown patches; face,
striated across dorsal margin, slightly rugose around ocelli, each ocellus in
slight depression; colour of face mostly chestnut brown with distinctive pale
yellow pattern — brown and yellow bands across dorsal area of face, brown
band across ocelli, ventral to ocelli, pair of pale yellow bands tapered to a point
mesally; frontoclypeus and anteclypeus chestnut brown with patches of pale
yellow; lora pale yellow, brown along sutural margins of anteclypeus and lora;
genae brown with pale yellow longitudinal band medially.

Thorax (Figs 1A, 2A) Pronotum with fine, shallow pitting posteriorly, depressed
along anterior margin, posterior margin transverse or only weakly concave; pro-
notal colour generally brown — darker brown band across anterior margin, pair of
diffuse pale-yellow stripes posterior to depression, medial disc chestnut brown,
posterior margin bordered with very fine pale yellow outline. Proepisternum not
visible. Mesonotum with paired shallow oval depressions medially, scutellar su-
ture transverse, recurved laterally; mesonotum and scutellum brown anteriorly,
pale brown/ yellow medially, pale yellow apically, scutellar suture brown.

Forewings (Figs 1A, D, 2A, D) Generally opaque chestnut brown, surface
granular, apical margin outlined dark brown, from apex of claval suture to cos-
tal margin; veins pale yellow; basal half of costal cells with few crossveins,
clavus and brachial cells without complete crossveins, female specimens with
additional pale yellow flecks stemming from anal margin; anal vein A1 strongly
curved at base, not parallel with vein Pcu; apical half of forewing, with numer-
ous crossveins, appearing loosely reticulate.

Legs (Figs 1B-D, 2B-D) Pale brown/ yellow; tibiae pale brown/ pale yellow;
fore femora striped with black and pale yellow bands; mid femora mostly pale
yellow with black band preapically; hind femora pale yellow with longitudinal
black markings dorsally, black band apically. Hind femoral macrosetae 2+1;
number of macrosetae on hind tibia AD row = 7.

Abdomen |n males and females, tergites generally brownish, paler brown
medially, darker brown in patches, laterally pale yellowish; sternites pale brown
to pale yellowish.

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 6

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

4 L
|
AN
N
\
N
\
N
-

Figure 2. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov., paratype 2 (VNMN) A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C face, perpendic-
ular view D lateral habitus.

Terminalia 3 (Fig. 3) Pygofer, broad basally, dorsal margin weakly concave,
posterior margin subquadrate, ventral margin broadly convex; short fine setae on
posterior 1/8 of pygofer. Anal tube short, not reaching posterior margin of pygo-
fer. Subgenital plates, only just reaching posterior pygofer margin; in lateral view,
plates with laterobasal membranous lobe directed dorsad; in ventral view, plates
fused along almost entire length; plates tapering apically, produced as triangu-
lar points, or slightly rounded at apex, posterior margin medially forming distinct
v-shaped notch. Aedeagus symmetrical; more than half height of pygofer, posi-
tioned almost horizontally, apex directed anterodorsad, reaching near base of anal
tube; gonopore positioned apically on ventral margin; in lateral view, shaft narrow,

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 J

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Tree
eyo

ee:

oe ee i

Ce re ee ey

Figure 3. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov., holotype 3 (VNMN) A pygofer, subgenital plate and pregenital sternite, left lat-
eral view B pregenital sternite and subgenital plates, ventral view C anal tube, dorsal view D aedeagus, left lateral view E ae-
deagus, caudal view F connective, ventral view G connective, left lateral view H left style, dorsal view I left style, lateral view.

slightly sinuate along posterior margin; dorsal apodeme less than half length of
shaft; well-developed preatrium; in caudal view, aedeagus broad, lateral margins
slightly convex, narrowing slightly towards apex. Connective, elongate, longer than
wide, sclerotised portion wider anteriorly than posteriorly; posterior portion articu-
lated with preatrium of aedeagus; in lateral view, oriented obliquely within pygofer,
sinuous in profile; in ventral view, anterior portion, approximately racquet-shaped,
arms divergent and then convergent distally; sclerotised arms separated through-
out, medially membranous, anterior portion of arms enclosed by membranous
tissue; elongate posterior stem of connective with membranous lateral triangular
flanges. Style basal part elongate; apex of style, reaching near posterior pygofer
margin; apophyses spiraled, with fine preapical setae visible from dorsal aspect.
Terminalia 2° (Fig. 4) Seventh sternite pale brownish/ yellow, wider than long
(length medially around 1/5 its width); transverse, posterior margin straight to
broadly, weakly concave, lateral posterior angles slightly rounded. Pygofer pale

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 8

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

1mm D-F

Figure 4. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov., paratype 2 (VNMN) A abdominal tergites and pygofer, left lateral view
B abdominal tergites and pygofer, dorsal view C abdominal sternites, pygofer and ovipositor, ventral view D second valv-
ifer and third valvula, lateral view E first valvula, lateral view F second valvulae, lateral view.

yellow with some diffuse brown patches dorsally, surface slightly granulate;
ovipositor pale yellow; apex of ovipositor slightly but distinctly exceeding length
of pygofer; valvulae similar in form to generic description (Li and Li 2013); first
valvulae with reticulated area along dorsoapical portion of shaft; second valvu-
lae with small tooth-like process posterior to medial dorsal hyaline area, small
teeth along dorsoapical margin.

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 9

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

low altitude, 15 May 2023 B Phong Dien

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Figure 5. Multinervis phongdienensis sp. nov., habitat A Bach Ma National Park

District, 23 May 2023.

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2013 and M. phongdienensis sp. nov.

Distribution map of Multinervis guangxiensis Li & Li,

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ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the collection locality, Phong
Dien District which includes the site of CCRR, one of the two locations in Thua
Thién-Hué Province, in which this species was found.

Biology and habitat. (Fig. 5) The biology of this species is not known. Spec-
imens were collected in subtropical evergreen rainforest in a region bordering
the Northern and Southern Vietnam lowland rainforests and Southern Anna-
mites montane forests. In Bach Ma, specimens were only collected by sweep-
ing the vegetation at low altitude (100-200 m) along a track. No specimens
were collected at the higher cooler climate altitudes (towards the summit).
However, in Phong Dien one specimen was collected at 350-400 m.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. (Fig. 6) Vietnam * Thuia Thién-Hué Province, Bach Ma National
Park and Phong Dien District.

Comments. The holotype of the type species of Multinervis (M. guangxien-
sis) was not examined in this study, but specimens were compared to the de-
scription of the genus and species and the photographs and illustrations as
presented in Li and Li (2013: figs 1-24).

Discussion

Following the description of this new species, there are now five species of
Agalliini recorded from Vietnam and the total number of Multinervis species
has increased to two, with both species recorded from Vietnam.

Multinervis was recorded for the first time in Vietnam by Dietrich et al. (2020).
The specimen of M. guangxiensis photographed in Dietrich et al. (2020: fig. 21X)
appears to have more densely reticulated veins on the forewing compared to
the original description of this species in Li and Li (2013, figs 1-3). This may in-
dicate intraspecific crossvein variability within Multinervis. In M. phongdienensis
sp. nov., however, the crossvein pattern varies only slightly between specimens
and is generally consistent between all four specimens examined. The male
genitalia structures remain the most reliable feature for species determination.

The diagnostic characters of Multinervis are slightly redefined in this study to
capture the additional range of character states, as found in the new species. For
example, the striations on the face above the ocelli are described in Li and Li (2013)
as being conspicuous in this genus but are only faintly visible along the apical mar-
gin of the face of M. phongdienensis sp. nov. In the male genitalia, the subgenital
plates are originally described as being elongate and only fused in the basal 1/3,
while in the new species, the subgenital plates are relatively short and fused for
almost the entire length of the plate. The dorsally directed digitate process on the
basal half of the subgenital plate was described as a character of Multinervis, but
it is absent in the new species, possibly replaced by a membranous lobe.

Multinervis species have an elongate connective, which is approximately rac-
quet-shaped. While this elongate connective feature is shared with a few other
Agalliini genera, such as Brasa Oman, 1936 and Humpatagallia Linnavuori & Vi-
raktamath, 1973 (Linnavuori and Viraktamath 1973; Nielson and Freytag 1998),
it differs from many other genera in the tribe, which have a relatively wide and
short connective. The connective shape and the presence of tegminal crossveins
represent relatively rare features in the Old World Agalliini (Viraktamath 2011).

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 11

Linda Semeraro et al.: Anew species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Additionally, the connective of M. phongdienensis sp. nov. is particularly un-
usual in having membranous flanges on the lateral margins of the posterior
stem. The flanges do not appear to be present in M. guangxiensis based on
the descriptions and illustrations in Li and Li (2013). It is considered a peculiar
diagnostic feature of M. phongdienensis sp. nov.

The new species described in this study only represents one of many species
of Cicadellidae to be described from the 2023 expedition to Bach Ma National
Park and Phong Dien District (including the Phong Dien Nature Reserve Nature
Reserve and CCRR). It is complimentary to the work by Constant et al. (2023,
2024) and Constant and Pham (2024) in which one new genus and 11 new spe-
cies of planthoppers (Nogodinidae, Tropiduchidae and Issidae, respectively)
were described from specimens collected during the same expedition, indicating
a rich biodiversity of Auchenorrhyncha in the Thua Thien-Hue Province region.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Thanh Trung Vu and Thi Thu Hoai Nguyen (VNMN), Tran
Nam Hai (Hanoi National University of Education), Le Canh Viet Cuong (Mient-
rung Institute for Scientific Research, Hue, Vietnam), our guides in Bach Ma
National Park, Lam Ba VG Nguyén, and Quang Thanh Nguyén for all of their
involvement and kind assistance during the collecting trips; the authorities of
Bach Ma National Park and of the CCRR in Phong Dien; Frederik Hendrickx and
Thierry Backeljau (RBINS) for their support to our projects; and the two review-
ers whose thoughtful comments improved this work.

Additional information

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Ethical statement

No ethical statement was reported.

Funding

The present study was funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology
Development (NAFOSTED 106.05-2021.22).

Author contributions

Conceptualization, L.S. J.C. and T.-H.P.; Funding acquisition, T.-H.P; Investigation, L.S.
and J.C.; Methodology, L.S. J.C. and T.-H.P; Project administration, T.-H.P. and J.C.; Field
work, L.S., J.C. and T.-H.P; Field logistics, T.-H.P; Supervision, L.S., J.C. and T.-H.P; Vali-
dation, L.S. J.C. and T.-H.P; Photo images, J.C.; Illustrations, L.S.; Writing — original draft,
L.S.; Writing — review and editing, L.S., J.C. and T.-H.P. All authors have read and agreed
to the published version of the manuscript.

Author ORCIDs

Linda Semeraro © https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4057-4733
Jéré6me Constant © https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0254-0863
Thai-Hong Pham ® hittps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4763-3679

ZooKeys 1233: 1-14 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.136519 12

Linda Semeraro et al.: A new species of Multinervis leathopper from Central Vietnam

Data availability

All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.

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