Amritodus Anufriev, 1970

Khatri, Imran & Webb, M. D., 2014, Review of the idiocerine leafhoppers of Pakistan (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) with a description of a new species, Zootaxa 3860 (3), pp. 280-290 : 281-284

Amritodus Anufriev, 1970

Remarks. Viraktamath (1998) gave a key to species in his revision of the genus from the Indian subcontinent. Four species were recognised (all breeding on Mango), A. atkinsoni (Lethierry) , A. brevistylus Viraktamath , A. saeedi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed and A. brevis Viraktamath , of which the following two species occur in Pakistan.

Amritodus atkinsoni (Lethierry) ( Fig. 2 )

Idiocerus atkinsoni Lethierry, 1889: 252

Amritodus atkinsoni (Lethierry) ; Anufriev, 1970: 375, figs 1–7; Ahmed et al., 1980: 222, Pakistan; Viraktamath, 1983: 488 figs 35–37, India; Viraktamath, 1998: 116, figs 22–26, India.

Material examined. PAKISTAN, Tandojam, 10♂ 18♀, 18.i.2007, I. Khatri, Mango [IKC]; 1♂ 1♀, Lahore, 26.viii.88, on Mango ( BMNH). Several additional specimens (♂,♀) from throughout India and Sri Lanka ( BMNH).

Remarks. Anufriev (1970) examined this species from Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) and Punjab when erecting his new genus Amritodus . It is similar to Amritodus saeedi but differs in the characters given in the above key and in having the aedeagal shaft more strongly curved and the style apical process more elongate. Viraktamath (1987) gave good figures of both species from India in his revision of the genus.

Amritodus saeedi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed ( Fig. 3 )

Amritodus saeedi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed, 1980: 222 , fig. 1A–D, Pakistan; Viraktamath 1997: 113, figs 7–14, India.

Material examined. No material examined.

Remarks. Described from the holotype male and 13 paratypes from Pakistan, Karachi, 10.iv.1979, coll. Saeed, on Mango (ZMUK, not found). As the type material of this species could not be found and the original figures are rather poor there is some doubt about its identity. Viraktamath (1997) identified and figured the species but his material was from western India and the male genitalia do not exactly match the original figures of A. saeedi .

The species is similar to Amritodus atkinsoni but differs in the characters given in the above key and in having the aedeagal shaft more weakly curved. Also, the style apical process in the material from western India, figured by Viraktamath (1997, see above), is less elongate.

Idioscopus nitidulus (Walker) ( Fig.4 )

Iassus nitidulus Walker, 1870: 322 .

Idiocerus niveosparsus Lethierry 1889: 252 ; Maldonado Capriles, 1973: 180; Mahmood 1979: 96, Pakistan. Synonymised by Maldonado Capriles, 1973: 180.

Idiocerus basalis Melichar 1903: 147 . Synonymised by Distant 1908: 185 with I. niveosparsus .

Idiocerus maculatus Distant 1912: 605 , preoccupied by Idiocerus maculatus Melichar 1896 .

Idiocerus incertus Baker 1924: 367 , nom. nov. for I. maculatus Distant. Synonymised by Maldonado Capriles 1964: 93

Idioscopus nitidulus (Walker) , Maldonado Capriles 1973: 181

Idioscopus karachiensis Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed, 1980: 222 –24, figs 2A–H, Pakistan, syn. nov.

Idioscopus freytagi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed, 1980: 224 –225, figs 3A–H, Pakistan, syn. nov.

Material examined. PAKISTAN: Paratype ♂, Idioscopus karachiensis . Karachi, 10.iv.1979, Saeed, Mango ( ZMUK); Murree, 2♂, 5♀, 13.vi.1973, M. Razi, grass (all ZMUK). Several additional specimens (♂, ♀) from throughout the Oriental region ( BMNH).

Remarks. I. nitidulus (previously also extensively recorded as I. niveosparsus ) shows considerable variation in colour markings. Most specimens have the forewing appearing dark brown with a white marking at the base and on the veins across the wing from the apex of the clavus, while in some Indian material the forewing is pale brown with the scutellar and the facial markings darker. Based on the original descriptions, I. karachiensis and I. freytagi are here treated as synonyms of I. nitidulus ; only type material of the former could be found in the Zoological Museum, University of Karachi. This species can be readily recognized among the species of Idioscopus from the subcontinent, by the wing markings (see above) and presence of a small outer anteapical cell in the forewing ( Fig. 4 b).

Idioscopus clypealis (Lethierry) ( Fig. 5 )

Idiocerus clypealis Lethierry, 1889: 252 , India.

Idioscopus clypealis (Lethierry) ; Baker 1915: 339; Maldonado Capriles. 1964: 92 –93 fig.6–9; Ahmed et al., 1980: 222, figs 2A–H, 3A–H, Pakistan; Viraktamath, 1983: 488 fig. 40, India.

Idiocerus nigroclypeatus Melichar 1903: 148 . Synonymised by Distant, 1908: 187

Material examined. PAKISTAN, Faisalabad, 2♂, 6.xii.1970, M. Razi, grass ( ZMUK). Several additional specimens (♂,♀) from throughout the Oriental and Pacific region ( BMNH) (see table 1).

Region Idioscopus nagpurensis (Pruthi) ( Fig. 5 g)

Idiocerus nagpurensis Pruthi, 1930: 17 –18, text figs 21–22, plate II figs 4, 4a, new record. Idioscopus nagpuerensis (Pruthi) ; Gnaneswaran et al., 2007: 80 –81, fig. 1.

Material examined. PAKISTAN, 1♂, Lahore, Mar–Sept 1958, J. Maldonado; 3♂, Lahore, 6.viii.88, on Mango; 2♂, 3♀, Karachi, 2.x.78, on Mango, Saeed (all BMNH).

Remarks. This species was described from the holotype from India. Although stated as female the type is in fact a male (pers. com. C. Viraktamath). See also Remarks under previous species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Amritodus atkinsoni: a, head and thorax dorsal view; b, forewing; c, style, connective and aedeagus dorsal view; d, aedeagus dorsal view; e, aedeagus lateral view; f, male pygofer lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Amritodus saeedi (redrawn from original): a, head and thorax dorsal view; b, forewing; c, male pygofer lateral view; d, subgenital plate; e, style, connective and aedeagus.

FIGURE 4. Idioscopus nitidulus: a, head and thorax dorsal view; b, forewing; c, male pygofer lateral view; d, aedeagus lateral view; e, subgenital plate lateral view; f, style, connective and aedeagus dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Idioscopus clypealis: a, head and thorax dorsal view; b, forewing; c, male pygofer lateral view; d, style, connective and aedeagus dorsal view; e, aedeagus lateral view; f, subgenital plate lateral view; g, I. nagpurensis: aedeagus lateral view redrawn from Gnaneswaran et al, 2007.