Chatura Distant

Jones, Joshua R. & Deitz, Lewis L., 2009, Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 2186, Zootaxa 2186 (1), pp. 1-120 : 35

Genus Chatura Distant

(Pl. 1B)

Chatura Distant, 1908: 176 .

Type species. C. nigella Distant 1908:176 , fig. 116, by original designation.

Synonymy. None.

Description. Distant (1908): “Vertex about as long as breadth between eyes and almost as long as pronotum and scutellum united, not angulated in front of eyes, the lateral margins continuous from eyes to apex; face broad between the eyes, angularly narrowed anteriorly; pronotum short, considerably shorter than vertex, with four central ridges, the lateral margins sinuate, anterior and posterior margins nearly straight, the latter only slightly concavely sinuate; scutellum discally foveate; legs moderately short, posterior tibia not foliaceously dilated, outwardly somewhat strongly spinose; forewings short, more or less granulose, apices broadly rounded.”

Species. [1]: nigella Distant.

Range. Sri Lanka [ Ceylon] (Maskeliya).

Host plants. Unknown.

Material examined. None (see remarks below).

Remarks. Chatura , which is monobasic, resembles Ledra in general appearance, and is known only from the type specimens. It was photographed early in this study (Pl. 1B—along with the Eleazara , which is also resembles) but was not available for later examination. Distant’s distinguishing features for Chatura are the metathoracic tibiae being “not foliaceously dilated”, as opposed to Ledra ’s, which generally are, the crown being non-angulate in front of the eyes, and the pronotum being [relatively] short. The latter two characters are probably sex-specific (Distant described a single female) and may not apply to males. It is not known if all described members of Ledra have foliaceous metathoracic tibiae; at least some of those that do not could probably appropriately be moved to this genus.