Varta rubrostriata (Horváth), Horvath

Viraktamath, C. A., 2004, A revision of the Varta­Stymphalus generic complex of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Old World, Zootaxa 713, pp. 1-47 : 13-14

Varta rubrostriata (Horváth)

Figs 34 , 51–57 .

Platymetopius rubrostriatus Horváth 1907: 317 . Type, CAUCASUS [not examined].

Purpuranus rubrostriatus (Horváth) , Zachvatkin 1933: 262.

Stymphalus rubrolineatus Stål, Dlabola 1958: 15 ( Cyprus) misidentification, new senior synonym of Plytemetopius rubrostriatus Horváth and Purpuranus rubrovittatus Matsumura error; Vilbaste 1975: 232, misidentification, new senior synonym of Deltocephalus rubrolineatus Motsculsky error; Anufriev 1978: 122, Figs 1413–1420, misidentification; Lee 1979: 518, Figs 473, 474 (after Anufriev 1978) Map 119 misidentification; Dlabola 1981: 272, Map 1, misidentification, new senior synonym of Varta rubrofasciata Distant error.

Varta rubrostriata (Horváth) , Viraktamath and Anantha Murthy, 1999: 54.

Vertex creamy white with a spot on either side of anterior angle of vertex black posteriorly suffused with red, a crescent behind each ocellus red, a longitudinal red stripe on either side of median line not reaching posterior margin. A broad band on upper part of face across eyes dark brown with chocolate brown dorsal margin, medially interrupted by transverse creamy white small areas; an oblique stripe across gena red with lateral extremity brown, a broad stripe immediately below eye on gena brownish, apical area on clypellus brown. Pronotum with a pair of median and a pair of lateral red stripes with anterior ends acute, not reaching anterior margin of pronotum, the median pair continued on scutellum and lateral pair on clavus. Front wing with red stripes as shown in Fig. 34 ; apical cells suffused with brown, outer apical cell with lateral margin chocolate brown; coxae and fore and middle femora with extensive chocolate brown areas, tibiae with bases of setae chocolate brown; hind femora with a series of chocolate brown spots near apices.

Vertex rather triangular, margin ridged with series of rugulae along margin, disc depressed, sulcus extends 0.66 length. Face without dorsal median ridge; clypeus wider apically than at base, distinct clypo­clypellar sulcus present. Vertex 1.84 times as long as breadth between eyes. Pronotum with a few minute punctures, flat. Front wing similar to that of rubrofasciata but inner apical cell triangular.

Male genitalia: Pygophore with ventral process stouter, overlapping with its counterpart at median line. Segment X longer than pygophore, ventrally armed with a pair of small but discernible teeth. Subgenital plate with cuado­lateral angle rounded, caudomesal angle acute angled, with numerous long setae in apical 0.66. Style broad proximally, body long, of uniform width, apophysis fingerlike slightly curved laterally. Connective with stem broad, rectangular, arms in caudal 0.5 in contact with each other. Aedeagus compressed, with well­developed semi­lunar dorsal apodeme, shaft sinuate, bladelike process on dorsal margin apically and a ventral acutely triangular process directed antero­ventrally with pointed apex.

Measurements: Male 5.4 mm long, 1.0 mm wide across hind margin of head, 1.3 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum.

Material examined: CYPRUS: 1ɗ, Akrotiri Bay Maxtan, 26.x.1956, G. Mavromoustakis, B.M. 1957­395 ( BMNH).

Remarks: V. rubrostriata closely resembles V. rubrofasciata but differs in having straight rather triangular, subapical ventral process to aedeagal shaft and the pygophore has ventral processes overlapping in median line. This species has a more westerly distribution in the Palaearctic region.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 40. Red or orange stripes on front wings of Varta­Stymphalus complex. 32. Stymphalus rubrolineatus (Stål); 33. Varta rubrofasciata Distant; 34. Varta rubrostriata (Horváth); 35. Varta longula sp. nov., from Australia; 36. Same from New Guinea; 37. Varta rubrovittata; 38. Varta bifida sp. nov.; 39. Vartalapa robusta sp. nov.; 40. Vartalapa malayana.

FIGURES 49 – 57. Species of Varta Distant. 49 – 50. Varta rubrofasciata Distant from Raichur, India: 49. Male genital capsule; 50. Aedeagus, lateral view. 51 – 57. Varta rubrostriata (Horváth): 51. Male genital capsule; 52. Same, dorsal view; 53. Valve and subgenital plates; 54. Style; 55. Connective; 56. Aedeagus, lateral view; 57. Same, caudo­ventral view.