Pythochandra Wei & Webb

Wei, Cong, Webb, Michael D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2014, Identity of Baker’s species described in the Oriental leafhopper genus Pythamus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with description of a new genus, Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 289-300 : 290-291

Pythochandra Wei & Webb , gen. n.

Type species: Pythamus melichari Baker

Description. Head yellow, vertex with a somewhat ‘T’-shaped medial dark brown band; face with variable brown markings. Pronotum dark brown sometimes marked with yellow laterally. Scutellum dark brown with apical margins yellow. Forewing with variable hyaline area adjacent to costal margin. Abdomen dark brown dorsally with lateral margins of tergites yellow; ventrally yellow; abdominal terminalia dark brown.

Vertex ( Fig.1 A–G) sharply triangularly produced anteriorly, about as long as or slightly longer than pronotum, smooth with area adjacent to eye finely rugose; lateral margin adjacent to eye elevated with sharp edge; basal area swollen medially each side of longitudinal lamellate carina extending from base to apex of vertex; anterior margin with carina between and above ocelli (supraocellar carina) and another strongly oblique carina directed from apex of head to below antennae (subocellar carina); area between carina to eye transversly rugose to striate. Face ( Figs2 C, 4C, 6C) including eyes distinctly longer than wide, shagreen; frontoclypeus with distinct median longitudinal carina, shagreen below subocellar transverse carina; clypellus broad and swollen at base, narrowed apically, shagreen; lora and gena smooth. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 A–G) broad, wider than head; lateral margins carinate; punctate. Scutellum ( Fig. 1 A–G) about as long as pronotum, with transverse depression indistinct. Forewing ( Figs1 A–G, 2D) with two open subapical cells, appendix narrow; clavus and adjacent main wing veins punctate. Fore femur with anterior surface with nine intercalary setae preceded by two longer setae at mid-length of ventral margin, no stout basal AV setae. Hind femoral macrosetae ( Fig. 4 E) 2+1+1; hind tibia ( Fig. 4 F) with anterodorsal setal row comprising stout setae alternating with one or more very short setae; posterodorsal setae very long. Hind basitarsomere with apical transverse setal row with three tapered macrosetae in place of platellae.

Male pygofer ( Fig. 2 E) with weakly sclerotized dorsolateral fracture usually extending to near ventral margin, short in P. mindanaensis ; ventral process long, exceeding caudo-dorsal angle of pygofer, ventral margin serrate. Valve ( Fig. 2 E, I) quadrangular with anterior apodeme developed; membrane present between valve and subgenital plate. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 2 E, I) ligulate with rounded apex; with several macrosetae arranged in irregular submedial band, longer and stouter near mesal margin and at apex. Style ( Fig. 2 G, H) relatively short, with inner basal articulating arm very short, apophysis with apex footlike, with few very short setae subapically. Connective ( Fig. 2 G, H) Y-shaped with very elongate stem. Aedeagus ( Fig.2 F, G, H) with basal apodeme undeveloped; subbasally a strongly sclerotised dorsal lobe on each side, two-thirds length of shaft or half-length of shaft in P. singaporensis ( Fig. 6 D, E, G); shaft broad basally in lateral and ventral view, ventral margin triangularly produced keel-like, thereafter flattened dorsoventrally to apex, with or without processes, gonopore apical. Xth segment ( Fig. 2 E) long, dorsoventrally compressed. Dorsal connective present, articulated with base of dorsobasal aedeagal lobes and with base of Xth segment

Female with ovipositor ( Fig. 3 A) exceeding apex of pygofer. First valvulae ( Fig. 3 D) expanded subapically; with oblique strigate sculpture over distal half dorsally and apically, attaining dorsal margin. Second valvulae ( Fig. 3 C) with toothed blade-like area extending over distal half; dorsal sclerotised region subbasally; dorsal hyaline region absent. Third valvulae ( Fig. 3 B) with expanded distal region extending over distal half with several short ventroapical setae.

Etymology. The genus takes its name from the original placement of the included species Pythamus together with the first name of our good friend and teacher Chandra Viraktamath for his work on the Indian species. Distribution. Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore.

Remarks. The species included in this new genus were originally placed in Pythamus , both genera having the vertex with a swollen area each side of a medial lamellate carina, the face with subocellar carina present, the pronotum and scutellum punctate and the male pygofer with a long ventral process and a conspicuous dorsal connective of the aedeagus present (see also revision of Pythamus by Viraktamath & Webb, 2007). The new genus differs from Pythamus by its shorter head, more oblique subocellar carina on the face, male pygofer with dorsolateral fracture, style apex foot-like, longer connective stem and shape of the aedeagus with a pair of dorsobasal lobes. This form of aedeagus is also found in some other evacanthine genera, e.g., Onukia Matsumura, Bundara Distant and Carinata Li & Wang , but Pythochandra differs from these in other respects (e.g., see above characters shared with Pythamus ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Pythochandra species (types). A, P. bilobatus (female). B, P. borneensis (male). C, P. melichari (male). D, P. mindanaensis (male). E, P. singaporensis (female). F, P. decorates (female). G, P. productus (female). Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Pythochandra borneensis (Baker) (A-C from Baker, 1923). A, head and thorax, dorsal view. B, head and thorax, lateral view. C, face (markings omitted). D, forewing. E, male genital capsule and anal tube, lateral view. F, aedeagus and dorsal connective, viewed in direction of arrow in (G). G, style, connective, aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view. H, subgenital plate, style, connective, aedeagus and dorsal connective, ventral view. I, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view.

FIGURE 3. Pythochandra borneensis (Baker), female. A. female genital capsule, lateral view. B, third valve. C, second valva. D, first valvula and detail of sculptures of first valvula.

FIGURE 4. Pythochandra melichari (Baker) (A – D, G after Baker, 1915). A, head and thorax, dorsal view. B, head and thorax, lateral view. C, face (markings omitted). D, apical half of forewing. E, apex of hind femur, anterior surface. F, base of hind tibia, dorsal surface, posterior surface. G, female terminalia, ventral view. H, male genital capsule and anal tube, lateral view. I, style, connective, aedeagus, dorsal connective and anal tube, lateral view. J, aedeagus, dorsal connective and anal tube, viewed in direction of arrow in (I) (with anal tube displaced more dorsad). K, male genital capsule and anal tube, dorsal view. L, style, connective, aedeagus, and dorsal connective, ventral view. M, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view.

FIGURE 6. Pythochandra singaporensis (Baker) (A – C after Baker, 1923). A, head and thorax, dorsal view. B, head and thorax, lateral view. C, face (markings omitted). D, style, connective, aedeagus and dorsal connective, lateral view. E, style, connective, aedeagus and dorsal connective, ventral view. F, male genital capsule and anal tube, lateral view. G, aedeagus and dorsal connective, viewed in direction of arrow in (D). H, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view.