The tribe Delphacini (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae) is one of the biggest groups in the family Delphacinae. Until now, 45 species belonging to 31 genera of the tribe Delphacini have been reported in South Korea (Park and Lee, 2021;Park and Jung, 2020, 2023).

The genus TagosodesAsche and Wilson, 1990 comprised 12 species in the world (Bourgoin, 2023). Most of species in this genus feed on plants belonging to the family Poaceae including a rice. Some species such as Tagosodes orizicolusMuir, 1926 and Tagosodes cubanusCrawford, 1914 are well known vectors of hoja blanca virus of rice in South and Central America where 50% of the yield may be lost to this disease (King and Saunders, 1984).

In this study, we report the genus Tagosodes for the first time from Korea with a newly recorded species, Tagosodes pusanusDistant, 1912, including photographs of male habitus and genitalia.

Materials and Methods

Images and measurements were taken by LEICA M205C (© Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, HESSE, Germany). Images were stacked using the software Delta Bio Combine. To examine male genitalia segment, the abdomen soaked in 10% KOH and boiled in a heating block (70°C) for 90 minutes. After that separated genitalia from abdomen and observed under microscope (LEICA M205C and TUCSEN Dhyana 400DC) with glycerin. A specimen was deposited Institute of Agriculture & Life Science, Gyeongsang National University.

Taxonomic Accounts

Family Delphacidae Leach, 1815

Subfamily Delphacinae Leach, 1815

Genus TagosodesAsche and Wilson, 1990

TagosodesAsche and Wilson, 1990, Systematic Entomology, 15: 32.

Generic diagnosis. The genus Tagosodes resemble the genus Sogatella in coloration and external appearance including vertex to mesonotum lined with a median longitudinal whitish band. Also, their post-tibial spur foliaceous with numerous minute teeth on its hind margin like Sogatella species. But diaphragm in Sogatella is U-shape while Tagosodes is T-shape or other convex shape with numerous minute teeth. In addition, the aedeagus is not only much less compressed but also, is not twisted shape compared to Sogatella. See Asche and Wilson, 1990 for original description.

Tagosodes pusanusDistant, 1912 초승달무늬멸구(신칭) (Figs. 1-2)

Sogata pusanaDistant, 1912: 191 [Type locality: India]

Kelisia fieberiMuir, 1917: 331 [Type locality: Philippines]

Unkana formosellaMatsumura, 1935: 72 [Type locality: Tawian]

Himeunka chibanaKuoh et al., 1981: 193 [Type locality: China]

Sogatodes assimilisYang, 1989: 178 [Type locality: Tawian]

Diagnosis. Body length 3.0 mm. Vertex pale yellow about 1.5 times as long as its basal width, lateral sides subparallel, carina yellow, outer areas from mediolateral carinae dark brown; frons and genae below eyes dark brown with pale yellow carinae; clypeus brown with pale yellow carinae; pronotum with light yellow carinae, similarly pale yellow medially with a pair of dark impressions, laterally dark brown but paler along posterior margin; mesonotum as long as combined length of vertex and pronotum, pale yellow medially, dark brown laterally; forewings pale brown and subhyaline, distinctly tinged at apex of clavus, middle to apex crescently brown pattern, four arch patterns markings in apex cells; apical veins dark brown; abdominal segments dark brown, pale yellow posteriorly (Fig. 1).

Male genitalia. Pygofer subcircular or oval, medioventral area slightly concave; parameres broad base, slender in middle and widens toward the apex, moderately concave at apex; diaphragm raised, T-shaped and many black spots; aedeagus basally wide and subglobose, slender and cylindrical at apical half, with two on each side at middle and eight spines apically; Anal segment with two slender processes (Fig. 2).

Measurements. Male macropterous form (n=1). Body length without tegmina: 2.0 mm; body length with tegmina: 3.0 mm; body width: 0.81 mm; head length: 0.23 mm; head width (including eyes): 0.54 mm; 1st antennal segment length: 0.11 mm; 2nd antennal segment length: 0.2 mm; vertex length: 0.11 mm; vertex width: 0.15 mm; frons length: 0.46 mm; frons width: 0.19 mm; pronotum length: 0.18 mm; pronotum width: 0.62 mm; mesonotum length: 0.54 mm; mesonotum width: 0.6 mm.

Specimens examined. 1♂, 832 Gwanmaedo-ri, Jodo-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea 14. ⅶ. 2022.

Host plant. Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn (Poaceae).

Distributions. Korea (new record), China, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Remark. This species resembles Sogatella furcifera but it is distinguished from that species by the pattern of the dark markings of the forewings (Fig. 1E) and by the male genitalia (Fig. 2A). The forewings have distinctly pattern, four arch patterns markings in apex cells. Diaphragm of male genitalia is T-shape and many black spots.