Cyrta hornei (Distant) Distant, 2008

Wei, Cong & Zhang, Yalin, 2008, The identity of the oriental leafhopper genera Cyrta Melichar and Placidus Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Stegelytrinae), with description of a new genus, Zootaxa 1793, pp. 1-27 : 6

Cyrta hornei (Distant) comb. n. ( Figs 2–4 )

Placidus hornei Distant, 1908: 342 , Fig. 218; Zhang & Wei, 2002: 65, Fig. 1

Description. Body length: ɗ, 7.4mm; Ψ, 9.7–10.0mm. Head and thorax generally black, vertex with brown basally laterally, gena and anteclypeus generally brown, anteclypeus with pair of black spots apically. Pronotum brown laterally. Scutellum with some short tufts of setae laterally.

Male pygofer with distal margin broadly rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 3 A); subgenital plate slightly extending beyond apex of pygofer side, apex acute in ventral view ( Fig. 3 C). Aedeagal shaft bifurcate apically in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 E). Xth segment elongate ( Fig. 3 B).

Female genital capsule with apex acute, with dense short to long setae ( Fig. 4 A).

Material examined. INDIA: Holotype ɗ ( BMNH), N.W. Provinces of India; 1Ψ ( BMNH), H.P., Simla, 2133m, 14-X-1979, C.A. Viraktamath; 1Ψ ( BMNH), Punjab, Murree, Hills., Thobba, H. Roberts; NEPAL: 1Ψ ( BMNH), Nepal Dept. Ag.

Remarks. This species was erected as the type species of Placidus , but there has been some confusion regarding its identity (see Discussion below). In the present paper we take the identity of hornei (and that of genus Placidus ) from its unique type and recognize Placidus as a junior synonym of Cyrta . We also establish that the figures of P. hornei by Evans (1971) are of a different species which is similar to P. incurvatus Wei & Zhang. As Zhang & Wei (2002) figured only the aedeagus, style and connective of the holotype, and reproduced the figure of genital capsule by Evans (1971), we take the opportunity to figure the male genital capsule of the holotype for the first time in this paper ( Figs 3 A–C).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cyrta hirsuta A, head and thorax, dorsal view; B, face; C, connective and aedeagus, lateral view; D, male genital capsule, lateral view; E, style and connective, dorsal view; F, apex of aedeagus, ventral view; G, valve and style, ventral view; H, base of aedeagus and dorsal connective, anteroventral view; I, male genital capsule, dorsal view; J, aedeagus, ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Cyrta hornei A, fore femur, anterior surface; B, fore femur, dorsal surface; C, fore femur, ventral surface; D, fore tibia, anterior surface; E, fore tibia, dorsal surface; F, fore tibia, ventral surface. G, apex of hind femur, dorsal view; H, base of hind tibia, dorsal surface.

FIGURE 3. Cyrta hornei, E-F are after Zhang & Wei (2002). A, male genital capsule, lateral view; B, male genital capsule, dorsal view; C, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; D, connective and style, dorsal view; E, aedeagus, ventral view; F, style, connective and aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURE 4. Cyrta horne i A, female genital capsule, lateral view; B, first valvula and detail of sculptures of first valvula; C, apex of female abdomen, ventral view; D, second valvula and detail of sculptures of second valvula; E, third valvula.