Bitara, Stroiński & Szwedo, 2021

Stroiński, Adam & Szwedo, Jacek, 2021, Bitara gen. nov. of Tropiduchidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) east of Wallace line, Zootaxa 5057 (1), pp. 127-139 : 128-129

Bitara gen. nov.

Type species. Bitara augusta sp. nov.; by present designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis. Similar to Oechalinella Wang, 2017 in Wang et al. 2017, in general appearance. Differ in shape of the head, at lateral margin as long as wide, with anterior margin arcuate (nearly three times as long as wide, with anterior margin acutely angulate in Oechalinella ); pronotum with median carina not reaching anterior margin (median carina reaching anterior margin in Oechalinella ); male pygofer, medially fused gonostyli and aedeagus asymmetrical, male pygofer with posterodorsal elongate process on right side, left side without process (in Oechalinella male pygofer with posterior margin sinuate, with short lobate semicircular expansion on posterodorsal margin in right side, lobate subquadrate expansion in posterodorsal margin in left side); dorsal margin not excavate at level of anal tube base (dorsal margin distinctly excavate to accommodate base of anal tube in Oechalinella ); aedeagal complex straight caudad (aedeagal complex curved in Oechalinella ); endosome bulbous, spiniferous, with three distinct long spines (endosome small and smooth in Oechalinella ); genital styles tips of dorsal projections teeth-like, directed mediad (margin of dorsal projections smooth and not curved median in Oechalinella ); female pregnital sternite narrow, posterior margin medially deeply concave, with median sclerotised process; anal tube distinctly shorter than gonoplac, tubular; gonoplac unilobate, with row of distinct teeth on posterior margin; bases of gonapophyses VIII asymmetrical—left gonapophysis base with lobate, with hook-like process; right base of gonapophysis lobate, smooth.

Description. Head including compound eyes narrower than pronotum. Vertex chevron-like in dorsal view, with lateral margins as long as wide, anterior margin arcuate. Frons twice as long as broad in middle, roughly quadrate except abruptly narrowing in ventral forth; lateral margins of frons thickened, carinate, median carina simple. Frontoclypeal suture widely angulate. Clypeus with median longitudinal eminence. Pronotum with anterior margin produced anteriad between compound eyes, with median carina not reaching anterior margin, disc of pronotum not elevated. Mesonotum tricarinate, longer than broad, at same plane as vertex and pronotum, flat, with carinae connected at base, lateral carinae reaching posterior margin. Tegmen hyperpterous long and narrow, membranous, without granulation, with three defined lines formed by veins and veinlets: nodal, first and second postnodal lines. Male pygofer, medially fused gonostyli and aedeagus asymmetrical. Female pregenital sternite narrow, posterior margin medially deeply concave, with median sclerotised process.Anal tube distinctly shorter than gonoplac, tubular. Gonoplac unilobate, with row of distinct teeth on posterior margin. Bases of gonapophyses VIII asymmetrical.

Etymology. Generic name is derived from the name of the Sepik language Bitara (Berinomo) , spoken in East Sepik Province, Papua-New Guinea, in the area where the specimens were collected. Gender: feminine.