Yelahanka punctata (Walker) Viraktamath & Webb & Yeshwanth, 2021

Viraktamath, C. A., Webb, M. D. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2021, Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 1. Description of Yelahanka gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with seven new species and new combinations, Zootaxa 4915 (4), pp. 451-480 : 457-458

Yelahanka punctata (Walker) , comb. nov.

Figs 4 A–J, 6 H–I, 7 F–H, 8 C, 9 I–L, 15 A–H.

Ledra punctata Walker 1851: 824

Petalocephala tabulata Distant 1908: 169 , fig. 112. Syn. nov.

In life olive green with grey on crown and anterior and lateral marginal borders of pronotum and clavus, preserved specimens yellowish green. Crown with or without reddish brown spots. Lateral margins of pronotum not margined by dark brown. Area laterad of outer claval vein on forewing pale brown, becoming a little darker and broader border along inner and apical forewing margin with irregular inner margin. Face, sternites and legs yellowish green.

Crown 0.6–0.7 as long medially as wide between eyes, with median longitudinal ridge extending to fore margin, surface coarsely rugose and punctate. Ocelli very prominent, closer to each other than to adjacent eye. Pronotum 1.8–2.0 times as wide as long medially, longer than crown and also mesonotum, lateral margins with curved angles making the lateral margin look slightly convex, anterior and lateral areas slightly depressed, disc slightly raised, surface finely punctate rugose. Hind tibia with 4 macrosetae on row PD. Distal transverse row of hind basitarsus with 4 or 5 platellae with one macroseta on either side.

Male genitalia. Pygofer about twice as long as height in lateral view, with rounded caudal region; ventral process short, not reaching dorsal region, knob-like, with longitudinal thickening in dorsal region in lateral view. Subgenital plate narrowed in distal region and pointed. Style slightly broad in middle region, narrowed distally, apex ventrally curved with a blade-like extension. Aedeagus with well-developed dorsal apodeme; shaft dorsally directed, of uniform width in lateral view with slightly widened apical region, apex bilobed with apical gonopore, shaft slightly widened in middle half section in caudal view. Segment X exceeding pygofer, with ventroposterior extension stout.

Measurements. Male 6.3–6.9 mm long, 1.9–2.0 mm wide across eyes and 2.3–2.5 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 7.4–8.4 mm long, 2.2–2.3 mm wide across eyes and 2.8–3.0 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. INDIA: HOLOTYPE, sex unknown (abdomen missing), Ledra punctata Walker , Western Ghats , “Malabar 49 86 [on reverse]” ( BMNH); SRI LANKA: LECTOTYPE ♀, Petalocphala tabulata Distant , (here designated)“Pundaloya Dec.[18]91, Green, [18]95-221” ( BMNH). Other material: INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh: Basar Dist. West Siang , 578m, 27 o 59’34” N, 94 o 42’15” E, 30.vi.2018, Tahseen, Stuti ( NPC); Karnataka: Uttara Kannada: 1 ♀, CCRI, Balehonnur, 5.vi.(20]07, Naveen Kumar, V., light trap ( NBAII); 2 ♂, Ganeshgudi , Badagunda, 570m, 15 o 16.668’ N, 74 o 33.059’ E, 17.x.2015, Yeshwanth, H.M., sweepnet; 1 ♂, Ankola, 2m, 14 o 39.609’ N, 74 o 16.953’ E, 6.xii.2011, Yeshwanth, light trap; 4 ♂, Belgaum: Castle Rock, 569m, 15 o 25.293’ N, 74 o 19.734’ E, 12–13.xi.2011, ARV, Kumar ( UASB); 10 ♂, CPCRI, Vittal, 27.vi.2016, Anooj, S.S. ( NPC); Maharashtra: 4 ♂, Kolhapur, Salvan Forest , 16 o 65.78’ N, 73 o 91.80’ E, 14.x.2015, Yeshwanth, H.M., at light ( UASB); 1 ♂, Lonavala (Pune), 27.vi.1986, V. V. Ramamurthy ( NPC) .

Remarks. Y. punctata was described from a single specimen (holotype) with the following data: “Malabar. Presented by T. Ward, Esq.”. The number “49 86” on the holotype in the BMNH register gives “2 Hemiptera Malabar Coast (Canara) presented by S. Ward Esq 1849”. Canara now spelt Kanara is situated in Malabar, south India. Y. tabulata was described from the female (syntypic) with following data: “ Ceylon; Pundaluoya (Green, Brit. Mus.)”. Distant (1908: 176), noted that he doubted the placement of the species ( Ledra punctata ) in Ledra .

Pertinent characters of forewings (the latter now missing in the holotype of Y. punctata ) from the original description of Y. punctata are as follows “fore-wings almost colourless, punctured from base to the tips, tinged with pale green, and along the borders with pale brown; tips darker brown”. As the type of Y. punctata has a short and broad head and white callosity of the fore and lateral margins of the pronotum that matches the type of Petalocepahala tabulata and many other associated specimens we synonymise the two species. The type of Y. punctata also lacks its abdomen but the specimen was probably male based on the slightly longer head in associated females.

Most specimens of this species examined also have a white callosity adjacent a downward flexure of the forewing clavus and usually a brown line that extends from the lateral margin of the pronotum, along the claval flexure and around the apex of the forewing submarginally.

In life this is a beautifully coloured bright green species with silver grey patches on the crown, border of the pronotum and forewing clavus marked with silver grey, the latter margined with brown. It can be distinguished from the similarly coloured Y. granulosa by the more rounded lateral margins of the pronotum in addition to having an aedeagal shaft lacking processes ( Y. granulosa has the aedeagal shaft with asymmetrical processes).

Figures

FIGURES 4 A–J. Yelahanka punctata (Walker) comb. nov.: A–B, holotype, dorsal view and label data; C–F, female Lectotype, Y. tuberculata (Distant) comb. nov. (junior synonym of Y. punctata), dorsal, lateral and ventral views and label data. G–J. male (G–H) and female (I–J) dorsal and lateral views.