Chandrapona, Lu & Dietrich & Webb & Zhang, 2019

Lu, Lin, Dietrich, Christopher H., Webb, M. D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2019, Two new genera of Pacific Paraboloponina leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Drabescini) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4604 (1), pp. 176-182 : 180

Chandrapona gen. nov.

Type species: Chandrapona vespertilis sp. nov.

Description. Body yellowish; head with narrow black band on fore margin flanked by red.

Crown acutely triangular with sides slightly concave, longer in middle than next to eyes, with fine oblique striations in middle and transverse striations on margin. Face longer than wide, slightly concave dorsally in profile; ocelli large, marginal, 3 times diameter from eyes; clypeus narrow, distally longitudinally carinate; lateral frontal sutures nearly parallel, extending to ocelli; clypellus expanded apically; lora broad; gena broad and emarginate below eyes; antennae longer than half body length; anennal pits situated near upper corners of eyes. Pronotum with lateral margin short, carinate, posterior two thirds with irregular transverse striations. Scutellum as long as pronotum, scutellar suture arcuate. Forewing with four apical and three subapical cells, inner subapical cell open basally; without crossvein between claval veins; appendix broad.

Male genitalia. Pygofer dorsal bridge long, with dorsoanterior apodemes present; lobe very long and strongly tapered to acutely rounded apex, without macrosetae, ventral margin with an articulated process. Xth segment moderately long. Valve broadly semicircular. Subgenital plate with lateral margin convex at base, thereafter abruptly tapered to an acutely rounded apex; macrosetae absent. Style short similar in length to connective with basal arms widely spaced. Connective Y-shaped with arms equal in length to stem. Aedeagus with shaft curved dorsally in lateral view, with pair of lateral flange-like expansions from ventral margin, gonopore large, apical on ventral surface; basal apodeme short; basal preatrium-like area present, laterally expanded with sides forming curved sclerotised rods, fused dorsally to distal part of basal apodeme and ventrally extended into a pair of elongate processes, directed caudally, central area weakly sclerotised. Without small accessory sclerite (paraphysis) between connective and aedeagus.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Malaysia (Sabah).

Remarks. This genus is distinguished by the incurved lateral margins of the vertex with apex acutely rounded and by its distinctive male genitalia. The pygofer lobe has a distinctive caudal appendage (which may be moveable) and the aedeagal shaft has lateral expansions. In addition, the new genus together with Malaysiapona can be distinguished by the unusual laterobasal development of a preatrium-like area on the aedeagus giving rise to two, or three ( M. filamenta ), caudally directed ventral processes (see descriptions).

Etymology. This genus is named for Prof. C.A. Viraktamath for his immense contribution to leafhopper systematics.