Macropsis krishna, Viraktamath & Yeshwanth, 2021

Viraktamath, C. A. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2021, Three new leafhopper species of Macropsis Lewis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae Eurymelinae: Macropsini) with a key to species from the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4903 (3), pp. 353-372 : 362

Macropsis krishna sp. nov.

Figs 2 A–B, 4D, 6A–I, 7A–F, H, 12A–C.

Dark brown to black, shining. Margins of gena and clypellus brownish ochraceous. Eyes reddish brown, often with inner margin paler. Labium pale brown with apex dark brown. Pronotum and mesonotum black. Thoracic sternites and pleurites dark brown with paler markings. Forewing shining brownish black, anal margin, claval sutures, and some of the outer apical cell and subapical cells hyaline. Abdominal sternites brown to black with paler posterior margins. Legs dark brown to black.

Head obtusely angled medially, slightly narrower than pronotum. Crown elevated above the level of pronotum, medially much shorter than next to eyes. Face more or less flattish, obliquely depressed across bases of antennae, and on either side of clypellus; rugose punctate, including eyes broader than long. Lateral margins of clypellus well defined, broadened in distal 0.33. Pronotum about as long as or shorter than mesonotum, slightly convex, with oblique rugae converging on median line, posterior margin slightly concave. Mesonotum finely rugose punctate except shagreen basal triangles. Forewing polished, shiny with raised prominent venation, three anteapical cells, inner anteapical cell either closed or open; 2.4–2.6 × as long as wide. Tergal apodemes at base of abdomen more or less rectangular, in contact with each other medially ( Fig. 7H ); sternal apodemes (2S) longer than broad at base, apices narrowed distally to pointed apex ( Fig. 7H ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer dorsal margin more or less straight, posterior margin hyaline, rest dark pigmented; ventral pygofer process short, bluntly pointed apically, not reaching dorsal margin. Style reaching apex of subgenital plate, strongly curved dorsally near apex and abruptly narrowed, with series of setae subapically on dorsal margin. Aedeagus with well developed dorsal apodeme and preatrium, the former slightly longer than latter, shaft broad at base and narrowed to apex, distal half of shaft much thinner, gonopore on ventral margin surrounded by rim laterally and basally, rim unevenly crenulated; dorsal connective H-shaped, with the dorsal arms much longer than proximal arms.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII narrowed posteriorly, with median inverted V-shaped excavation, broader basally than median length ( Fig. 7A ). Valvula I straight blade-like, dorsal sculpture strigate, reaching dorsal margin and confined to distal 0.33 length ( Fig. 7 C–D). Valvula II straight with prominent five teeth in distal 0.33 length ( Fig. 7 E–F).

Measurements. Male 4.4–4.7 mm long, 1.4–1.5 mm wide across eyes and also across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 4.7–5.0 mm long, 1.4–1.6 mm wide across eyes and 1.4–1.7 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ³, INDIA: Karnataka: Bangalore: Hesaraghatta , 861m, 13’9 oN 72’29 oE, 29.v.2011, ex Acacia catechu, Yeshwanth, H.M. ( UASB) . PARATYPES: 6 ♀ same data as holotype; 6 ³ and 15 ♀ data s for holotype except collected on 31.v.2009 (1 ³); 2.v.2010 (8 ♀); 10.vi.2012 (4 ♀) and 20.vi.2017 (5 ³, 3 ♀) ( BMNH, NBAIR, NPC, UASB) . Other material: Andhra Pradesh: 1 ³, Chittoor: Nagalapuram , 13 o 40 oN 79’78 oE, 25.vi.2016, Yeshwanth, H.M. ( UASB) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ krishna ” (Sanskrit) means black, referring to the black coloration of the species in both the sexes; epithet to be treated as noun in apposition.

Biology. M. krishna breeds on Acacia catechu (L.) ( Fabaceae ). Its populations start building up with the onset of southwest monsoon in May and continue to breed till the end of August when the population disappears again to reappear in the next May. Eggs are probably laid in the tender shoots. Nymphs are dark brown, smooth rather depressed and along with adults feed on shoots ( Fig. 12 A–B) They are actively attended by the ant Camponotus sp. ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ). M. krishna is sympatric with M. nigrolineata and both the populations may be found on the same plant and attended by the same species of the ant ( Figs 11 F ). The plant A. catechu grows in the dry deciduous forests in and around Bengaluru ( Fig. 12C ).

Remarks. M. krishna sp. nov. has the crown well above level of pronotum as in M. karnatakana and M. hamiltoni . It differs from both of them in the black coloration and in the shape of the pygofer ventral process that does not reach dorsal margin and in having a rimmed gonopore laterally and basally. These characters also distinguish this species from all other species of Macropsis from the subcontinent.

Figures

FIGURES 2 A–R. Species of Macropsis, habitus, dorsal and lateral aspects. A–B, M. krishna sp. nov.; C–D, M. kundui Rao & Ramakrishnan; E–F, M. leucasasperae Viraktamath; G–H, M. linnavuorii Viraktamath; I–J, M. nepalica Viraktamath; K–L, M. nigrolineata Viraktamath; M–N, M. puttarudriahi sp. nov.; O–P, M. shrideviae Viraktamath; Q–R, M. smitae Viraktamath.

FIGURES 7 A–K. Species of Macropsis. A–F, Female Macropsis krishna sp. nov.: A, Sternites VI and VII, ventral view; B, ovipositor, lateral view; C–D, valvula I, lateral view; E–F, valvula II, lateral view. G–K, basal abdominal apodemes of male, anterior view: G, M. dalhousiensis sp. nov.; H, M. krisha sp. nov., I, M. puttarudriahi sp. nov.; J, M. delhiensis Rao & Ramakrishnan; K, M. nigrolineata Viraktamath.

FIGURES 11 A–G. Macropsis nigrolineata Viraktamath.A–E, variation in colour; F–G, adults and nymphs attended by the ant Camponotus sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the plant Acacia catechu, in Hesaraghatta near Bengaluru.

FIGURES 12 A–C. Macropsis krishna sp. nov., adults on the plant Acacia catechu attended by the ant Camponotus sp. (A–B) and ecological habitat of M. krishna and M. nigrolineata in Hesaraghatta near Bengaluru (C).