Bambuphaga balajii, Ramaiah & Meshram & Dey, 2023

Ramaiah, Mogili, Meshram, Naresh M. & Dey, Debjani, 2023, Bambuphaga, a new bamboo feeding-leafhopper genus (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Punctulini) from India, Zootaxa 5346 (3), pp. 325-330 : 327-329

Bambuphaga balajii n. sp.

( Fig. 1., A–F, 2., A–H, 3., A–H)

Yellowish-brown species, with pale coloured veins on forewings. Crown yellowish brown with four dark brown spots on anterior margin and orange–yellow longitudinal band midway between midline and eye extending to posterior margin of pronotum ( Figs. 2A–B, 3A–B). Eyes black, fairly large. Ocelli pale yellow. Frontoclypeus mostly yellowish brown, genae with brown spot on both sides ( Figs. 2C–D, 3C–D). Forewings pale yellow with brown to dark brown markings in some cells, apical area fuscous. Other external features as in generic description ( Fig. 1A–F)

Male genitalia: Pygofer with a pair of ventral processes arising from posteroventral margin, mesally directed and hook-like ( Fig. 2F). Pygofer is slightly concave in the middle at posterior margin ( Fig. 2E). Valve triangular; Subgenital plates with numerous lateral macrosetae. Style tapered towards apex, apophysis with blunt tip; Connective anterior arms closely appressed anteriorly ( Figs. 2G–H). Aedeagus with single elongate sinuate shaft, dorsal margin convex, shaft apex beyond gonopore strongly curved dorsoanteriorly; with three pairs of preapical processes, proximal pair small, median pair long, apical pair very small; gonopore subapical ( Figs. 2H–I).

Female genitalia: Valvula I slightly concave with strigate sculpturing occupying slightly more than 0.5 length distally, strigae oblique ( Figs. 3E, G) Valvula II slightly concave, with rather effaced tooth, occupying distal 0.5 length, ach tooth prominent well separated from each other, basal teeth and hyaline area present ( Figs. 3F, H)

Measurements (mm): Male: 3.2 mm long, 0.9 mm wide across eyes, 0.6 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum; Female: 3.5 mm long, 0.9 mm wide across eyes, 0.7 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum.

Material examined: Holotype ♁, INDIA: Andhra Pradesh: Tirupati (13º62‘24”N 79º42’85” E) 147m, 20.i.2020, net sweep, Coll. Mogili Ramaiah ( NPC) . Paratype 1♁ INDIA: Uttarakhand: FRI, Dehradun (30.3438° N 77.9996° E) 430m, 21.i.2021, net sweep, Coll. Mogili Ramaiah ( NPC) , 1♀, data as for holotype .

Host plant: Bamboo

Etymology: The species is named after Lord Balaji (Sri Venkateswara Swamy) whose main temple, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is located near the type locality (foothills of Tirupati).