Myittana (Myittana) bidentata, Ramaiah & Meshram, 2021

Ramaiah, Mogili & Meshram, Naresh M., 2021, A new species of bamboo-feeding leafhopper genus Myittana from India (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Zootaxa 4996 (1), pp. 189-193 : 190-192

Myittana (Myittana) bidentata sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–11 )

Pale yellow with reddish orange stripes on crown and pronotum. Two longitudinal stripes on crown, four stripes on pronotum. Mesonotum with dark brown color with yellow to black basal triangle.

Head including eyes as wide as pronotum; Crown anteriorly produced in front of eyes, rounded in front; ocelli placed before anterior margin of crown, closer to eyes than to each other. Pronotum 0.5x as long as width and 0.5x length of exposed part of mesonotum. Forewing with 3 subapical cells ( Figs. 1-5 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer elongate with macrosetae on posterior half and brown small spot on the mediolateral margin; ventral process strongly curved dorsoanteriorly and then recurved ventrally depicting a circle ( Fig. 6 ). Valve triangular. Subgenital plates, triangular, elongate, shorter than pygofer, with lateral submarginal row of macrosetae in the basal half crossing plate and extending along inner margin ( Fig. 7 ). Style broad at base tapered towards tip, without preapical lobe, apophysis distally pigmented with lateral fine hairs ( Fig. 10 ). Connective V-shaped with short stem ( Fig. 11 ). Aedeagus strongly compressed, broad basally, (dorsal margin) convex medially and apex acute and hooked; with a pair of anteriorly directed small processes laterad to proximal margin of large gonopore ( Figs. 8-9 ).

Measurements (mm). Male: 7.8 mm long, 1.7 mm wide across eyes, 1.4 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, INDIA: Uttarakhand: Pantnagar (29º02’60.00”N 79º30’59.99”E), 243.84m, 26.xi.2019, net sweep, Coll. Mogili Ramaiah ( NPC).

Host plant. Bamboo

Distribution. Presently know only from Uttarakhand, India.

Etymology. Species name “ bidentata ” alludes to pair of short processes on the shaft.

Remarks. This species is similar to the Myittana (Myittana) distincta , both having a similarly compressed aedeagal shaft, but can be distinguished by the aedeagal shaft in lateral view with an acute and hooked apex; shaft with a pair of short anteriorly directed processes laterad of proximal margin of gonopore, large gonopore and style linear with straight apophysis. This is also the largest species (measuring 7.8 mm) compared to the remaining two species known from India that measure less than 5 mm in length.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Myittana (Myittana) bidentata sp. nov., (Male) 1. Dorsal habitus; 2. Lateral habitus; 3. Pronotum; 4. Face; 5. Forewing.

FIGURES 6–11. Myittana (Myittana) bidentata sp. nov., (Male) 6. Genitalia capsule; 7. Subgenital plates and valve with aedeagal features; 8. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 9. Aedeagus, lateral view; 10. Style; 11. Connective.