Ledra Fabricius, 1803

Jones, Joshua R. & Deitz, Lewis L., 2009, Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 2186, Zootaxa 2186 (1), pp. 1-120 : 45-46

Genus Ledra Fabricius

(Pl. 2C–D, 7F, 12C, H, 14C, 16G, 18J)

Ledra Fabricius, 1803: 24 .

Type species. Cicada aurita Linnaeus 1758: 435 , by subsequent designation of Latreille, 1810: 434.

Synonymy. Ledraria Rafinesque 1815: 121.

Description. Distant (1908): “Head with vertex laminate, transverse, obtusely angulate anteriorly and obliquely angulate in front of eyes; pronotum hexagonal, more or less longitudinally ridged, sometimes with laminate processes, anterior margin nearly straight, wider than the posterior margin which is deeply sinuate; scutellum somewhat small; tegmina coriaceous or semicoriaceous, the veins prominent; head beneath foliaceous before the face; posterior tibiae laminately widened, outwardly remotely dentate and ciliate. The foliaceously or laminately widened posterior tibiae and the laterally angulate vertex in front of eyes are distinctive characters of this genus.”

Species. [48]: arcuatifrons Walker ; auditura Walker ; aurita (Linnaeus) ; bilobata Schumacher ; buschi Schmidt ; cingalensis Distant ; concolor Walker ; conicifrons Walker ; conifera Walker ; cordata Cai & Meng ; depravata Jacobi ; dilatata Walker ; dilatifrons Walker ; dorsalis Walker ; episcopalis Walker ; fumata Ge 1992 ; gibba Walker ; hyalina Kuoh & Cai ; imitatrix Jacobi ; intermedia Distant ; kosempoensis Schumacher ; laevis Walker ; lamella Kuoh & Cai ; lineata Walker ; longifrons Walker ; muda Distant ; mutica Fabricius ; nigra Ge 1992 ; nigrolineata Kuoh & Cai ; obtusifrons Walker ; orientalis Ôuchi ; pallida Kuoh & Cai ; planifrons Walker ; punctata Walker ; quadricarina Walker ; ranifrons Walker ; reclinata Distant ; rubiginosa Ge 1992 ; rubricans Ge 1992 ; rugosa Walker ; serrulata Fabricius ; solita (Walker) ; sternalis Jacobi ; sublata Distant ; truncatifrons Walker ; tuberculifrons Walker ; viridipennis Latreille.

Range. Bhutan; China (Nauking; Shanghai; Sichuan: Mt. Omei; S. Kwangtung; South Manchuria ; Sozhou; Tibet); Europe (widespread) ; Guinea (Seredou); India (Amatti; Assam; Bangalore; Chabus; Coimbatore; Goa; Kerala; Maharashta; Mysore; Punjab; S. Coorg) ; Indonesia: Borneo (Pontianak), Java (Tjiangsana: Mt. Djampang ), Sumatra (Brastagi) ; Japan (Fujiyama; Mt. Tanzawa ; Nagoya; Nikko; Shimabara; Takayama; Tokyo; Unzen) ; Malaysia (Perak) ; Philippines (Luzon: Butuan, Los Banos, Mt. Makiling , Nueva Viscaya; Mindanao: Cotobato, Surigao) ; South Korea (Gangwon; Jeonlanam; Keumsan; L'Ile de Quelpart [Jeju-do]); Russia (Maritime Territory) ; Sri Lanka; Taiwan (Hassenzan; Hualien; Kao Hsiung; Ilan: Fu Shan; Nantou; Taitung) ; Thailand (Bangkok; Chalbadan; Lampoon; Khorat; Sahanpur); Union of Myanmar [ Myanmar] (Myitkyina).

Host plants. Quercus spp. (Fagaceae) ; Pinaceae .

Material examined. L. aurita : 1 male, 1 female, Germany, NCSU, JRJ _ Led 1_076, 078 , 1 male, 1 female, France, USNM, JRJ _ Led 1_075, 077; L. auditura : 1 male, Japan, NCSU, JRJ _ Led 1_071 , 2 females, Japan, Russia, AMNH, JRJ _ Led 1_069–070; L. mutica : 1 male, India, BMNH, JRJ _ Led 1_074 , 2 females, India, USNM, JRJ _ Led 1_079–080; L. tuberculifrons : 1 female, Indonesia (Java), MZLU, JRJ _ Led 1_073 .

Remarks. Ledra is the oldest described and second largest genus in Ledrini (43 described species), and possibly the most widespread in distribution. It contains L. aurita , the only ledrine species found in Europe, where it is reportedly common. While one genus, Funkikonia , has been split from Ledra , as presently constituted its monophyly is not certain— L. tuberculifrons , for example, was placed separately from other Ledra in the present analysis. It is also certain that at least some of its described species are synonyms. Judging from the abundance of unidentified material made available by various collections for this study, additional species remain to be discovered and described. The genus merits revision.

As shown in the analysis above, the core group of species that constitute a monophyletic Ledra appears to be among the most derived groups within Ledrinae , and judging by its large number of species and wide distribution, it is also one of the most successful genera. This is of interest, because it would have begun to radiate later than other ledrine genera. Like many Ledrinae , Ledra is arboreal, and its close association with oaks and pines, common in the northern temperate regions of the Eurasian continent (and probably more so after the end of the most recent ice ages) may have facilitated its radiation there. The complete absence in Europe of Ledrinae besides L. aurita may be due to ice age glaciation events that wiped out other ancestral ledrine lineages less suited to colder temperatures.

The most conspicuous members of Ledra have ear-like projections off the pronotum, but not all do—most have either the outer (sublateral) or inner rows (submedial), or both, present on the pronotum (as do Chatura and Eleazara ). These rows may be highly developed into “ears,” or reduced to thin carinae or even a line of tubercles. All members of the genus appear to have dark brown coloration and a dorsal surface with some or many bumps, swellings, and projections reminiscent of bark, and all seem to have foliaceous tibia. This camouflage may also have aided Ledra in its successful radiation.