Maiestas maculata (Pruthi)

Zhang, Yalin & Duan, Yani, 2011, Review of the Deltocephalus group of leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) in China, Zootaxa 2870, pp. 1-47 : 37-39

Maiestas maculata (Pruthi)

( Figs 33–35 ; Plate IV: E; Plate V: P; Plate VI: P) Cicadula maculata Pruthi, 1930: 58 –59, Plate V, Fig. 2 ; Li & Wang, 1992: 216, Fig. 114. Thamnotettix prabha Pruthi, 1930: 62 –63, Plate V, Fig. 6 . Synonymised by Webb & Viraktamath, 2009: 41. Deltocephalus (Recilia) prabha, Dash & Viraktamath, 1998: 31 –32, Figs 252–259. Deltocephalus (Recilia) maculatus, Dash & Viraktamath, 1998: 32 –33, Figs 260–269. Maiestas maculata, Webb & Viraktamath, 2009: 22 .

Redescription. Length. Male: 3.2–3.5mm; female: macropterous 3.3–3.6mm, submacropterous 2.8–3.0mm.

Pale to chocolate brown. Vertex with variable black patches or patches absent ( Figs 33 A–F; Plate IV: E). Face stramineous to dark brown, with or without black patches near bases of antennae and with or without a few oblique piceous striae laterally. Pronotum sometimes with black patches near anterior margin. Scutellum sometimes with black spot near basal angles ( Figs 33 A–F; Plate IV: E). Legs with or without black patches.

Forewing macropterous or submacropterous; inner anteapical cell open basally, sometimes outer anteapical cell absent.

Male genitalia. Subgenital plate fairly short, subtriangular, lateral margin slightly convex ( Fig. 34 J); style preapical lobe short, apophysis digitate, long and slightly sinuate ( Fig. 34 K); connective as long as aedeagus, aedeagus, boat-shaped dorsally, in lateral view straight and narrow basally, wider in middle and thereafter gradually tapered to acute upturned apex ( Figs 34 L, 34M).

Female genitalia. Hind margin of seventh sternum as in Fig. 33 H, Plate V: P and Plate VI: P.

Material examined. China, Yunnan Prov.: 135ɗɗ, 65ΨΨ, Tengchong, 1930m, 14 August 2005, coll. Yang Meixia (1ɗ, 1Ψ, BMNH); 15ɗɗ, 8ΨΨ, Mt. Diancangshan, 2173m, 4, 5 August 2004 (1ɗ, BMNH); 3ɗɗ, 1Ψ, Mt. Zixishan, October 1999; 2ɗɗ, Tengchong, 1700m, 16 August 2005; 1ɗ, Yiliang, 1840m, 29 July 2005; 1ɗ, Kunming, 1700m, 14 October 1987, coll. Chai Yonghui. All collected by Li Meng and NWAFU, except where indicated.

Distribution. India; China (Anhui, Shanxi, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Yunnan).

Remarks. Based on the material from China we confirm the synonymy of prabha with maculata given by Webb & Viraktamath (2009). Previously, Dash & Viraktamath (1998) had considered maculata to be a separate but related species to prabha . Accepted differences between the two species at that time were: in prabha the apex of the vertex has a black patch with three yellow spots ( Fig. 33 E) instead of three black spots in maculata ( Fig. 33 D); the forewing more uniformly darker brown; the aedeagal shaft lacking a basal lateral projection ( Fig. 34 L) and its apex simple ( Fig. 35 T) compared to the curved and hook-like apex in maculata ( Fig. 35 W). From examining many specimens from Yunnan China, we found all intermediates in the above structures (see Figs 33 A–F, 35Q–W).

Figures

FIGURE 33. M. maculata (Pruthi). A – F: variation in the head and thorax, dorsal view; G: face; H: female pygofer, ventral view; I: forewing.

FIGURE 34. M. maculata (Pruthi). J: subgenital plate, ventral view; K: style, dorsal view; L & M: aedeagus and connective, dorsal and lateral view; N – P: variation in the sternal apodemes at base of abdomen.

FIGURE 35. M. maculata (Pruthi). Q – S: variation in the base of aedeagus, dorsal view; T – W: variation in the apex of aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. D. nigriventris Kuoh (after Kuoh, 1985). A: female seventh sternum, ventral view; B: aedeagus, lateral view; C: valve and subgenital plates, ventral view; D: aedeagus and connective, dorsal view; E: style, dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. M. dorsalis (Motschulsky) (after Li et al., 1979). A: habitus, dorsal view; B: forewing; C: hindwing.