Swetarekha, C.A.Viraktamath, 2023

C. A. Viraktamath, 2023, Two new Scaphoideini leafhopper genera (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from India, Zootaxa 5382 (1), pp. 97-107 : 102-105

Swetarekha gen. nov.

Type species. Swetarekha multicolor sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis. Reddish brown with orange markings and stripes of white bordered on either side with dark brown on head, thorax and forewing. Antennal bases close to anterior margin of eyes, very close to dorsal margin of face. Male pygofer narrowed posteriorly, with spine-like process on posterodorsal angle. Subgenital plate with marginal and median row of macrosetae. Connective with long arms and very short stem appearing U-shaped. Aedeagus symmetrical, bulbous proximally, then narrowed, with proximal, median and apical pair of short processes, gonopore apical.

Description. Bright reddish brown with yellow patches and bright white stripe margined by brown on head, thorax and wing.

Head including eyes about as wide as pronotum. Crown produced and conically rounded across eyes, disc shagreen, more or less flat, lateral margins in line with outer margins of eyes, transition from crown to front angular, foremargin more or less rimmed, median length slightly shorter than interocular distance (0.9–0.95 as long as interocular distance). Ocelli on anterior margin placed at a distance equal to about two times own diameter from adjacent eye. Face including eyes slightly wider than long. Clypellus widened apically, transclypeal suture weak. Lora large, wider than clypellus, dorsal margin extended much dorsad of transclypeal suture. Labium short, extending to anterior margin of mesosternum. Antennae fairly long, reaching slightly beyond posterior margin of pronoutm, arising close to anterior margin of eye, close to dorsal margin of face. Pronotum longer than crown (1.3–1.4 times as long as crown), slightly convex in profile, lateral margins longer than eye width dorsally, carinate, about 1.7 times as wide as median length, anterior margin convex and posterior margin almost straight, disc transversely finely wrinkled. Exposed mesonotum about as long as or slightly shorter than pronotum, mesoscutum shagreen, mesoscutellum rough sculptured. Forewing with three subapical cells and four apical cells; vein R 3-branched, the outer subapical cell parallel-sided and crossvein s present, one reflexed vein arising from base of outer subapical cell, inner subapical cell open, claval veins separate, outer claval vein connected with the claval suture by a cross-vein. Fore femur with only couple of short conical peg-like setae in basal 2/3 length of AV row, IC row almost straight, with 12 slender setae, row AM represented by AM 1, situated slightly dorsad of IC row of setae. Metafemoral distal chaetotaxy 2+2+1, metabasitarsomere plantar surface with two rows of setae, about six setae in each row, outer row of setae pigmented and shorter, inner row less pigmented and longer, distal transverse row with three platellae flanked on either side by one seta. Female sternite VII almost 2/3 as long medially as wide ( Fig. 3F ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer anterior margin with dorsal apodemes well-developed, pygofer narrowed in proximal ¼, more abruptly in distal half, posterodorsal angle with a spine-like process; dorsal margin with a patch of macrosetae at middle 1/3 region. Valve dome-shaped, slightly shorter than wide. Subgenital plates triangular, with one lateral and another median row of macrosetae. Style with well-developed preapical lobe, apophysis curved and distally narrowed. Connective more or less U-shaped or Y-shaped with very short stem, articulated with aedeagus, arms wide apart. Aedeagus symmetrical, with dorsal apodeme well-developed, shaft bulbous in proximal region, with proximal, median and apical pair of short processes; gonopore apical. Segment X sclerotized dorsally without any processes.

Female genitalia. Valvula I curved with strigate sculpturing; sculptured area occupying 1/5 distal length, sculpturing reaching dorsal margin. Valvula II curved, toothed area occupying about distal 1/4 length, teeth well separated from each other and with secondary dentition.

Etymology. The genus is named “ Swetarekha ” (Sanskrit, Sweta meaning white and rekha meaning line), referring to the white stripes on the head, thorax and forewing clavus of the type species. Gender feminine.

Remarks. This is one among the beautifully colored Scaphoideini genera and differs from other genera of this tribe by the antennae arising very close to the dorsal margin of the face ( Figs 2C–D ).

Figures

FIGURES 2A–H. New genera and species of Scaphoideini, face (A–D), fore femur (E, G), and metabasitarsomere (F, H).A–B, E–F, Kengundia flavoscutellata gen. et sp. nov. C–D, G–H, Swetarekha multicolor gen et sp. nov.

FIGURES 3A–J. New genera and species of Scaphoideini, female sternite VII (A, F), valvula I (B–C, G–H), valvula II (D–E, I–J). A–E, Kengundia flavoscutellata gen. et sp. nov. F–J, Swetarekha multicolor gen et sp. nov.