Penthimia Germar

Shobharani, M., Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2018, Review of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 4369 (1), pp. 1-45 : 3-4

Genus Penthimia Germar

Penthimia Germar 1821: 46 . Type species: Cercopis atra Germar (= P. nigra (Goeze) , by monotypy.

Ectopiocephalus Kirkaldy 1906: 463 . Type species: Ectopiocephalus vanduzeei Kirkaldy , by monotypy.

Usually shiny black species with or without yellow markings, sometimes brownish dorsally.

Body densely and finely pilose. Head declivous, anterior margin broadly rounded in profile, transversely striated anteriorly and adjacent eye, remainder smooth. Ocelli on vertex just basad of anterior transverse striations, closer to adjacent eye than to each other. Lateral frontal suture not reaching ocellus or ocellar vestiges. Clypeus slightly raised, broadening dorsally. Clypellus ridged medially, truncate at apex. Pronotum with lateral margins long, similar in length to width of eye, carinate, divergent posteriorly; smooth or indistinctly to distinctly transversely rugose or striate. Forewing with five apical and three ante-apical cells, claval veins joined by cross vein; hind wing with four apical cells. Fore femora ( Figs 60, 61 ) with anteroventral (AV) row of setae confined to basal half length, ventral setae stout and of variable length, setae of intercalary row stout, extended beyond midlength, usually in distinct row; AM1 well developed. Fore tibia slightly flattened dorsoventrally, dorsal surface flat with carinate lateral margins. Hind femoral macrosetae 2+2+1, hind tibia with one macroseta between 2–4 much smaller setae on posterodorsal row, anterodorsal row with small setae between macrosetae. Meta basitarsus with 3–4 (in the latter case the inner most shortest) platellae on apical pecten ( Figs 62, 63 ).

Male pygofer with rounded caudal margin, without processes, ventral area with stout setae. Valve and subgenital plate triangular. Style with well developed preapical lobe, apical apophysis either short or long. Connective Y-shaped with broad stem (in most species). Aedeagal shaft cylindrical, curved caudo-dorsally; gonopore apical or subapical.

Female pregenital sternite with posterior margin concave each side of produced medial lobe or with two concave areas on each side of medial lobe (type species). First valvula (Figs 56, 57) with dorsal sculpturing concatenate, position of dorsal sculpturing marginal; dorsal tooth on shaft of second valvulae (Figs 58, 59) large, prominent.

Remarks. The above description is based on the type species and species from the Indian subcontinent. From the region, these species resemble the genus Haranga Distant in having the anterior margin of the head rounded to face, rather than rim-like, with the entire anterior margin transversely striated and the lateral frontal sutures not reaching the ocelli. However, Haranga has a spine-like apex of the scutellum often reaching the apex of the clavus and the hind femoral chaetotaxy is 2+2+1+1 compared to 2+2+ 1 in Penthimia . The species of the genus Penthimia can be differentiated based mainly on the male genitalia although some species can be distinguished on colour and three Indian species ( fraterna , montana , quadrinotata ) have the head wider than in other species.

Twenty valid species are reported here under this genus from the Indian subcontinent including one species complex and seven new species (see checklist below).

Figures

FIGURES 60–70. Leg chaetotaxy and female seventh sternites of Penthimia. 60–61. Chaedeatotaxy of forefemur: 60. P. compacta Walker; 61. P. ereba Distant. 62–63. Metabasitarsus apex: 62. P. compacta Walker; 63. P. ereba Distant. 64–70. Female seventh sternite: 64. P. funebris Distant; 65. P. juno Distant; 66. P. montana Distant; 67. P. noctua Distant; 68. P. quadrinotataDistant; 69. P. scapularis Distant; 70. P.alba Zahniser, McKamey & Dmitriev.