Dusuna Distant, 1907

Jones, Joshua R. & Deitz, Lewis L., 2009, Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 2186, Zootaxa 2186 (1), pp. 1-120 : 38-39

Genus Dusuna Distant

(Pl. 1E–F, 7E, 11E)

Dusuna Distant, 1907: 188 .

Type species. D. mouhoti Distant 1907: 188 , by original designation.

Synonymy. None.

Description. From Cai and Yang (1997): "Medium-sized leafhoppers. Body broad and flat coarsely punctate. Coloration brownish. Crown small and short, triangular, about half as long as breadth between eyes. Ocelli placed behind the line of anterior margin of eyes, nearer to each other than to eyes. Face bent into two planes, along the line between antennae, frontoclypeus broad and large, antennal depressions rather deep. Pronotum transverse, gradually rising from anterior to posterior margin, much longer than crown, the lateral areas obtuse-angularly produced, anterior margin behind head excised, posterior margin sinuate. Scutellum shorter than pronotum, disk concave, the middle part of basal margin, basal angles and anterior half moundly prominent. Tegmina relatively short, anterior margin sinuate, apical margin roundly truncate, veins prominent and marginally punctate, on posterior half the disk divided into foveate cellular areas, clavus uneven, clava1 veins crestiformly prominent and the middle part of them coalescent. Legs moderately long and slender, hind tibiae not foliaceously dilated, spined on margin, apical half of outer margin with several dentate spines. Posterior margin of 7th sternite of female sinuate, that of 8th sternite of male nearly rectilinear. Apical half of pygofer with a process, convex, wooden dipper-shaped. Subgenital plate broad and short. Connective a thin piece, nearly cruciate. Style long and narrow, apical part bent as a long hook. Aedeagus curvate, shaft tubulose, ampliate subterminal with a pair of processes, phallotreme on the tip.”

Species. [5]: bimaculata Cai & Kuoh ; brunnea Cai & Yang ; dohertyi Distant ; mouhoti Distant ; nigrofasciata Cai & Kuoh.

Range. China (Hainan; Yunnan: Lancang: Menglang); Malaysia; Thailand.

Host plants. Unknown.

Material examined. Dusuna sp. 1 : 1 female, China, NMNS, JRJ _Led1_044; Dusuna sp. 2 : 1 male, China, NCSU, JRJ _Led1_045.

Remarks. Dusuna , with Hangklipia , Parapetalocephala , and Titella , has the pronotum intermediately declivous and is small in size (relative to other ledrines). In some phylogenetic analyses (not shown), this complex of species formed a monophyletic group, although the final trees did not show this. Like Thlasia in the Petalocephala genus group, Dusuna ’s lateral carinae are produced but not triangular, and Dusuna shows some affinities to both Thlasia and Tituria in overall body shape, in ventral flexion of the crown, in reduction of the distal portion (apical extension) of the frontoclypeus, and in the shape of the inner margin of the antennal pit. Its present placement adjacent to the Petalocephala genus group appears to be supported by these synapomorphies.

In the two specimens examined, the cells of the forewings were conspicuously depressed (a trait only seen elsewhere in Parapetalocephala testacea Cai & Kuoh ). A number of undescribed species from the Philippines and Malaysia (in the USNM and MNHN collections) that lack depressed wing cells may belong to or be closely associated with Dusuna .