Ruppeliana Young, 1977

Mejdalani, Gabriel, 2017, The Neotropical sharpshooter genus Ruppeliana Young (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): four new species, key to males, and new synonyms, Zootaxa 4329 (5), pp. 436-448 : 437

Genus Ruppeliana Young, 1977

Type species: Tettigonia signiceps Stål, 1862: 39 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Medium to large leafhoppers. Head with anterior margin broadly rounded in dorsal view, without carina at transition from crown to face, surface of crown without sculpturing or setae; frons convex, muscle impressions distinct. Thorax with pronotal width less than head transocular width, dorsopleural carinae complete, disk without sculpturing or pubescence. Forewing veins not elevated, with three closed anteapical cells. Hind wing vein R2+3 incomplete. Forelegs with femur, in dorsal view, with AD1 and PD1 distinct; in anterior view, AV row with about four small setae located close to apex, AM1 located at central portion, aligned with AV1, IC row conspicuous, elongate, with about 20 elongate setae with delicate apices, IC1 aligned and located close to AV4, basalmost IC seta at basal half of femur. Hind legs with femoral setal formula 2:1:1; length of first tarsomere slightly greater than combined length of two more distal tarsomeres, with two parallel rows of small setae on plantar surface. Male pygofer usually strongly produced posteriorly, with numerous macrosetae on apical half, without processes but ventral margin sometimes with projection internally. Subgenital plates subtriangular, gradually tapering toward apex. Style extending posteriorly beyond apex of connective. Aedeagus curved posteriorly or posteroventrally, atrium well developed as a ventral sheath-like portion bearing processes (absent in R. glaucomaculata ). Paraphyses absent. Female abdominal sternite VII with posterior margin usually concave medially; internal sternite VIII completely membranous or with sclerotized areas; pygofer strongly produced posteriorly with narrowly rounded to subacute apex.