Australnirvana gen. n.

(Figs 1–20)

Type species: Australnirvana adelaideae (Evans, 1938), n. comb.

Diagnosis. This genus differs from all other known genera of Nirvanini in having pale coloration, head anteriorly acutetriangularly produced, crown slightly convex, hindwing with four apical cells and the male subgenital plate expanded distally.

Description. Small leafhoppers (4.8–6.2 mm long) with dorsal coloration pale yellow, marked with black. Head (Figs 1–3, 10–12) anteriorly acute-triangularly produced in dorsal view, longer than pronotum and distance between eyes. Crown (Figs 1, 10) slightly convex, entire anterior and lateral margins separated from face by distinct carina extended from apex to dorsal end of lateral frontal suture; surface longitudinally rugulose medially with fine irregular striations sublaterally converging towards apex; coronal suture complete but only weakly carinate; ocelli well developed, submarginal, situated in slight depression anteromesad of eyes and dorsomesad of antennal ledge. Face (Figs 2–3, 11–12) strongly convex, without median depression, frontoclypeus in profile oblique, ca. 45o from horizontal, surface shagreen, with median longitudinal carina on dorsal half and dorsolateral oblique rugae weakly developed; antenna longer than combined length of crown and pronotum; antennal ledge well developed, digitiform; lateral frontal suture extended nearly to ocellus; anteclypeus convex, tapered in distal two thirds, apex rounded, extended slightly beyond gena; lorum small, narrow, well-separated from lateral margin of gena; gena with lateral margin evenly rounded below eye, almost completely concealing proepisternum. Pronotum (Figs 1, 10) slightly wider than head, anterior margin roundly produced, posterior margin slightly concave; lateral margin less than half as long as eye, carinate, carina even with posterior corner of eye. Exposed part of mesonotum and scutellum (Figs 1, 10) together shorter than pronotum, scutellar suture distinct, reaching lateral margin. Forewing with venation obscure in basal two-thirds; with four apical cells; appendix very narrow. Hindwing (Fig. 17) with venation complete, four apical cells present, submarginal vein well separated from margin near junction of costal and apical margins. Front femur with setae AM1 and AV1 enlarged; intercalary row with ca. 7 setae; row AV with one enlarged basal seta and ca. 6 shorter setae more distad; PV setae absent. Front tibia slender, cylindrical, with two dorsoapical setae, row AV with ca. 8 enlarged setae and ca. 8 short setae. Front trochanter with pair of enlarged setae on dorsal surface. Hind femur macrosetal formula 2+1+1; tibia with ca. 12, 19, 31, and 12 setae in rows AD, PD, PV, and AV, respectively; tarsus elongate, tarsomere I with pair of dorsoapical setae and two longitudinal rows of plantar setae, pecten of tarsomeres I and II each with 3 tapered setae and 2 platellae.

Male abdomen with 1S and 2S apodemes well developed (Fig. 4). Pygofer (Figs 5, 6) lateral lobe without process, with several posterodorsal macrosetae and smaller stout setae more ventrad. Anal tube (Figs 5, 6, 18) elongate, with paired well sclerotized basolateral processes. Subgenital plate (Fig. 5, 9) narrow and weakly subsegmented at base, expanded and compressed distally, with few dorsoapical macrosetae, longitudinal band of short, fine setae ventrally and few fine setae sparsely distributed over surface. Style (Figs 7, 8, 19) cheliform, preapical lobe digitiform, apophysis strongly arched dorsad of preapical lobe, apex curved ventrally and twisted laterad, with preapical tooth. Connective (Fig. 7, 19) Y-shaped, stem longer than arms and keeled posteriorly. Aedeagus (Figs 7, 8, 19, 20) without preatrium and dorsal apodeme, shaft almost straight, without basal processes, with paired and unpaired distal processes, gonopore subapical on ventral surface.

Female with sternite VII produced medially (Fig. 13); first valvula in lateral view (Figs 14, 15) slender and evenly curved in basal half, distal half nearly straight, width same through most of length, apical fifth tapered, with dorsal sculpturing oblique imbricate on distal third, ventral preapical sculpturing irregularly denticulate; second valvula (Fig. 16) curved, with toothed distal blade less than half total length, slightly broadened, with few large, somewhat irregular teeth, right and left blades asymmetrical.

Etymology. The genus name, was derived by combining Austral -, meaning Australia, with - nirvana, a common suffix for genus names in this tribe.

Distribution. Australia.