Ledrinae Fairmaire, 1855

Jones, Joshua R. & Deitz, Lewis L., 2009, Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 2186, Zootaxa 2186 (1), pp. 1-120 : 25-26

Subfamily Ledrinae Fairmaire

Type genus Ledra Fabricius, 1803 .

Primary Synonymy. Ledrides Fairmaire, 1855: 140 [treated as family]. Ledridae Kirshbaum, [1867] 1868: 14 [treated as subfamily]; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature Opinion 647 (1963). Ledrides Sahlberg 1871: 67 [treated as tribe]. Ledrinaria Distant 1907:185 [treated as division].

Description. Medium or large leafhoppers. Dorsum often coarsely pitted or knobbed. Head spatulate, anterior margin often lamellate. Crown often uneven with shallow ridges or knobs, median longitudinal carina more or less complete, marginal carina more or less complete. Ocelli located on disk of crown, generally closer to each other than to eyes. Face usually concave, especially near anterior and lateral margins. Frontoclypeus narrow, long (anterior portion reduced in some taxa), more or less distinct, not extending onto upper margin of head, maxillary sutures present or absent, genae narrow. Antennae very short, first two segments small and unadorned with auxiliary setae. Proepisternum entirely exposed and variously expressed. Pronotum generally with carinate dorsolateral margins (absent in Rubrini ) that are sometimes developed laterally into triangular, subtriangular, or ovoid flap-like extensions; dorsal surface with or without dorsal longitudinal rows of tubercles or carinae, these sometimes developed into crests, earlike flanges, or horns. Forewings coriaceous, punctate, sometimes flexed downward at second claval vein, claval area sometimes pigmented, veins slightly raised, claval veins not confluent, venation regular or reticulate in apical two-thirds of wing. Hind wings with R and M veins free and not confluent distally. Legs densely setose, pro- and mesothoracic legs without macrosetae. Metathoracic legs relatively short, metathoracic femur macrosetae formula 2 + 0 or 2 + 1, occasionally 2 + 1 + 1, with macrosetae grouped at apex of femur. Metathoracic tibia row II with some or all macrosetae cucullate, almost always less than 9 in number, with hairlike intercalary setae.

Male genitalia: Macrosetae lacking. Valve small, fused with pygofer. Genital plates generally narrow, more or less parallel-sided, usually as long or longer than pygofer. Styles often long and narrow, but sometimes short, often with apex flexed ventrad or recurved anterad, sometimes with additional processes. Connective band- or platelike, but generally not strongly sclerotized, often membranous and indistinct. Aedeagus variable in shape, with or without subapical and apical processes and auxiliary lobes. Segment X (anal tube) often with ventral lobe.

Female genitalia: Macrosetae lacking. Sternite VII posterior margin generally emarginated medially. Valvulae I bases acutely angled at articulation, generally not connected to one another by a sclerotized bridge. Valvulae II long and moderately to very slender, sometimes broader medially and curved ventrally, sclerotized or not, with two more or less sclerotized dorsal teeth, supernumerary teeth present in some species, subapical notch generally present.

Range. Worldwide, with principal extant radiations in the Afrotropical, Australian, and Indomalayan regions.

Ecology. Generally associated with trees and woody plants, but some Ledrinae are found in grasses. Nielson (1968) lists no Ledrinae as vectors of plant diseases.

Remarks. The subfamily Ledrinae is here designated to include the tribes Afrorubrini Jones (new tribe), Hespenedrini Jones (new tribe), Ledrini , Rubrini Jones (new tribe), and Xerophloeini .