Carinata Li & Wang

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2018, Revision of the evacanthine leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) of the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4386 (1), pp. 1-78 : 12

Carinata Li & Wang

Carinata Li & Wang 1991: 65 . Type species: Carinata rufipenna Li & Wang , by original designation.

Orange or yellow leafhoppers with black stripes and spots.

Macropterous. Head anteriorly produced and conically pointed. Crown with prominent median and lateral carinae, space between them anteriorly longitudinally rugose, disc convex. Ocelli laterad of lateral carinae closer to eyes than to each other, dorsal in position. Frontoclypeus convex, with median carina, clypellus wide basally and narrowed anteriorly, lora elongate narrow, not reaching apices of genae, clypellus slightly exceeding genal curve. Pronotum with dorsum slightly convex, feebly wrinkled, posterior margin straight, sometimes with a median small notch, lateral margins carinate, wider than head and about as long or slightly longer than crown. Mesonotum as long as pronotum or longer, surface feebly wrinkled. Forefemur chaetotaxy with macrosetae row AV with basal two setae enlarged and elongate remaining short, intercalary row rather stout, AM1 well developed, more ventral row of setae lacking. Hind femur distal macrosetae 2+1+1; metatibia chaetotaxy with macrosetae on row AD 10– 11, AV 17–19, PD 22–24 and PV 29–30; metabasitarsus with three stout setae replacing platellae.

Male pygofer longer than height in lateral view, with well developed often distally ornately branched ventral process. Subgenital plate longer than pygofer with one row of macrosetae along inner submargin, Style with poorly developed lateral lobe, apophysis distally foot-shaped, heel well developed, toe often short. Connective Y-shaped, arms shorter than stem. Aedeagus with dorsal apodeme well developed, U-shaped, without dorsolateral lobes, shaft elongate, often with processes, gonopore subapical. Segment X long, cylindrical, pigmented, proximally slightly broader than distally, without processes.

Female first pair of valvulae slightly curved, with sculptured area occupying distal 0.33, strigate sculpture extending to dorsal margin, strigae slightly oblique. Second pair of valvulae rather straight, with denticular area convex, occupying distal 0.4, denticles distinctly separated from each other without secondary denticulation.

Remarks. The genus can be readily distinguished by the crown being slightly convex with moderately developed median carina with the disc on either side longitudinally rugose, and male pygofer with ventral process often forked or ornately branched. It is similar to Onukia but can be differentiated by the presence of a ventral pygofer process. Only one species was encountered. However, two females collected on bamboo may also belong to this species but exhibit some variation in coloration. The genus is here recorded for the first time from India.