Krisna Kirkaldy

Viraktamath, C. A., 2006, Revision of the leafhopper tribe Krisnini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae) of the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 1338, pp. 1-32 : 8-9

Krisna Kirkaldy

Krisna Kirkaldy 1900: 243 . Type species: Siva strigicollis Spinola by original designation. Siva Spinola 1852: 98 , 167 not Hodgson 1838. Type species: Siva strigicollis Spinola , by monotypy.

Large green or reddish brown leafhoppers.

Head much narrower than pronotum, crown short, of uniform length or a little longer medially than laterally, concave, anterior margin slightly upturned ( Figs 22, 24–26 ) or rimmed ( Figs 20, 21 ) (as in K. colorata , K. magna , and male K. strigicollis ), disc obliquely striated, coronal sulcus distinct. Face rather flat, rugose, upper margin transversely striated, lower part of face broadly parabolic in outline. Clypellus strongly broadened apicad, with faint median keel. Frontoclypeus moderately broadening upward, densely rugose. Lora small, slightly concave, wrinkled. Genae broad, wrinkled only very slightly insinuated near eyes. Ocellocular area narrow, transversely striate. Antennal ledges carinate, extending to frontoclypeus; antennal pits shallow. Ocelli in upper margin of face, near eyes placed either very close to adjacent eye or at a distance equal to 0.5–1.0 own diameter from eye. Pronotum large, lateral margins narrowly carinate, foliaceous, upcurved, diverging caudad, disc moderately convex, transversely striated. Scutellum as long as or longer than pronotum, with faint microsulpture in basal region, transversely striate in apical region. Forewing punctate; appendix broad, first apical cell long and very narrow, three closed subapical cells, venation of apical part reticulate owing to several extra cross veins. Spinulation of hind femora 2+2+1; hind tibial spinulation R1 26±2, R2 12±1, R3 14±1; four platellae on apical transverse row of hind basitarsus. Male with apodemes of second and third abdominal segments well developed. Male eighth sternite large, more widened in apical half, with setae.

Pygophore broad, cylindrical, narrowly incised near base dorsally, pygophore lobes with numerous macrosetae, ventral margin with long process. Anal tube long, strongly tapering distally, largely membranous, apically sclerotized. Subgenital plate long, narrow, lateral margin with long hair-like setae without macrosetae. Style very long, apophysis long, narrow, slightly curved dorsally near apex with a thickening not extending half width (of apophysis) near apex (type 1: Figs 44 , 67 , 106 ) or with an additional distal lobe (type 2: Fig. 62 , 85 ). Connective rather T-shaped with anterior margin medially produced. Aedeagus symmetrical, with well developed preatrium, poorly developed dorsal apodeme; shaft with ventral furrowlike depressed area in which gonopore opens subapically, devoid of any appendages, sculptured or spiculate.

Female seventh sternite large, about as long as sixth. First and second pair of gonapophysis as in Gessius .

Remarks: Krisna closely resembles Gessius but differs from it as discussed under that genus. The species of Krisna are more wide spread in the Afrotropical, Oriental and southern Palaearctic regions compared to Gessius , which so far occurs only in the Oriental region.

The species of Krisna from the Indian subcontinent are very uniform in external features making them difficult to identify without studying the male and female genitalia. Only K. strigicollis stands out with its rimlike anterior margin of head ( Fig. 21 ), although this is not so well developed as in the Malayan Krisna magna Baker ( Fig. 20 ); K. strigicollis also has a different type of style apex here named type 2, which it shares with K. kirbyi . All other known species of Krisna on the subcontinent possess a style of ‘ type 1’. The abdominal apodemes will also help in the identification of species of Krisna . They are poorly developed in K. megha sp. nov. but very well developed in K. strigicollis where the apodemes of the third sternite are directed anteriorly to reach the hind margin of the second sternite. A similar condition is found in some Malayan species of Krisna .

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 31. Species of Krisna. 20 – 26. Head and thorax, profile: 20. K. magna Baker, from Malaysia; 21. K. strigicollis (Spinola); 22. K. bakeri sp. nov.; 23. K. megha sp. nov. 24. K. raja sp. nov.; 25. K. varia sp. nov.; 26. K. walayari sp. nov.; 27 – 31. Female seventh sterna: 27. K. megha; 28. K. kirbyi (Kirkaldy); 29. K. strigicollis; 30. K. bakeri; 31. K. varia.

FIGURES 41 – 46. Male Krisna bakeri sp. nov. 41. Eighth sternite; 42. Ventral pygophore process. specimen from Nepal; 43. Same from Dehradun; 44. Apex of apophysis of style (type 1); 45. Aedeagus, lateral view, 46. Aedeagus, caudal view.

FIGURES 65 – 71. Male Krisna megha sp. nov. 65. Eighth sternite; 66. Ventral pygophore processes; 67. Apex of apophysis of style (type 1); 68. Aedeagus, lateral view; 69 – 71. Aedeagus, caudal view at arrow 1, 2, 3, respectively of fig. 68.

FIGURES 101 – 108. Male Krisna walayari sp. nov. 101 – 102. Tergal apodemes of the abdominal segments 2 and 3; 103. Subgenital plate; 104 – 105. Ventral pygophore processes, variation; 106. Apophysis of style (type 1); 107. Aedeagus, lateral view; 108. Same, caudal view.

FIGURES 60 – 64. Male Krisna kirbyi (Kirkaldy). 60. Genitalia, lateral view; 61. Ventral pygophore process; 62. Apex of apophysis of style (type 2); 63. Connective; 64. Aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 80 – 87. Male Krisna strigicollis (Spinola). 80 – 81. Apodemes of the abdominal segments 2 and 3; 82. Subgenital plate; 83 – 84. Ventral pygophore process; 85. Apex of apophysis of style (type 2); 86. Aedeagus, lateral view; 87. Apex of aedeagal shaft, caudal view.