Taperus Li & Wang

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2018, Revision of the evacanthine leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) of the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4386 (1), pp. 1-78 : 31

Taperus Li & Wang

Taperus Li & Wang, 1994: 374 . Type species: Taperus fasciatus Li & Wang , by original designation.

Head, pronotum and mesonotum, brown to black, with ochraceous median longitudinal line on crown and at least in the basal part of pronotum. Face, thoracic and abdominal sterna and pleura, pale white to yellow; forewing dark brown, with large hyaline areas along costal margin.

Head triangularly produced anteriorly; crown shorter than pronotum and mesonotum together, but longer than pronotum, median longitudinal carina very weak, nearly indistinct; lateral margin carinate, discal area between median longitudinal carina and eyes nearly flat, longitudinally finely rugose. Ocelli located on lateral margin, closer to corresponding eye than to apex of vertex. Face including eyes longer than wide; frontoclypeus with weak median longitudinal carina except at basal region. Clypellus broad and swollen at base, narrowed apically. Lorum elongate, not reaching anterior genal margin; gena strongly declivous laterally. Pronotum wider than head, basal area with very weak transverse carina medially; lateral margins carinate and posteriorly divergent; hind margin slightly indented medially. Exposed mesonotum triangular, about as long as pronotum. Forewing in repose extending beyond apex of abdomen; venation distinct, with four apical cells, appendix very narrow. Forefemur with basal two AV row setae stouter, AM1 stout and long; intercalary row of setae slightly stouter and in curved row. Hind femur distal macrosetae 2+1+1. Hind tibial macrosetae AD 12±1, AV 15±2and PD 15±2. Metabasitarsus with three spine-like platellae on distal transverse row.

Male pygofer without ventral process, with dense rows or groups of stout macrosetae on posterodorsal and posterior margin. Subgenital plate long and narrow, apex rounded; inner margin with spine-like macrosetae submarginally and marginally, outer margin and apex with many long setae. Style short, basal articulating arm very short; apophysis well developed; foot-like apical process with several setae laterally and toe elongate. Connective Y-shaped, stem very long. Aedeagus well developed; shaft with dorsolateral lobes well developed but shorter compared to those in Evacanthus , dorsal apodeme well developed, plate-like, apex of aedeagus curved anterad in lateral view, ventral marginal with angular projection; gonopore apical.

Female slightly longer than male. Ovipositor exceeding apex of pygofer. First valvula with longitudinal striations extending over distal half. Second valvula with blade-like area extending over distal half; dorsal sclerotized and hyaline areas present; dorsal margin with prominent rounded teeth on distal half.

Remarks. The genus Taperus is most similar to Bundera Distant. It can be distinguished from the latter by the weak median longitudinal carina of crown, area between median carina and submarginal carina of vertex nearly flat rather than concave and longitudinally finely rugose and the male pygofer with rows or groups of stout spine-like macrosetae marginally. The genus is more speciose in China where it is represented by seven species (Zhang et al. 2010). One species has been recognised from the Indian subcontinent, in addition at least one new species which is not formally described, represented only by two females (Arunachal Pradesh: Myodia 2463 m, 11.ix.2014, ex Bamboo, Yeshwanth, H.M.) occurs in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.