Amritodus Anufriev

VIRAKTAMATH, C. A. & YESHWANTH, H. M., 2024, Arboreal eurymeline leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae) of the Indian subcontinent with description of new genera and eight new species, Zootaxa 5462 (1), pp. 1-125 : 21-22

Genus Amritodus Anufriev

Amritodus Anufriev 1970: 376 ; Viraktamath 1997: 112; Xue & Zhang 2020: 1445. Type species: Idiocerus atkinsoni Lethierry , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Resembles species of Idioscopus but differs in the structure of male genitalia. Aedeagus S-shaped, with well-developed, long preatrium either as long as or longer than shaft, dorsal apodeme short, plate-like, shaft curved, tapered distally in lateral view, without long apical processes sometimes with short basal processes; style apophysis with apex curved, with dorsal marginal stout or slender setae, ventral surface smooth; male pygofer with slender spine-like ventral processes directed anteriorly in distal 0.33.

Description. Ochraceous to brown with pair of black roundish spots on crown fore margin, anterior submargin of pronotum and basal triangles on mesonotum, forewing venation dark brown and ovipositor black.

Crown not produced in front of eyes, 3.5–4.3× as wide between eyes as long medially, slightly longer in middle than next to eyes, transversely finely striate, fore margin rounded to face, upper part of face dorsad of ocelli striate. Face including eyes wider than long. Ocelli closer to adjacent eye than to each other. Lorum slightly raised from general surface. Clypellus rather abruptly widened at distal 0.25 and depressed. Labium exceeding metacoxae, in male the distal segment expanded laterally. Pronotum 2.1–2.5× as wide as long, longer than crown but shorter than mesonotum, surface shagreen, posterior margin slightly medially concave. Mesonotum about as long as combined length of crown and pronotum, mesoscutellum rough sculptured. Forewing with two subapical and four apical cells. Meta femoral distal macrosetae 2+1. Meta tibial chaetotaxy in row AD 6, PD 18–20, AV 6–8 macrosetae, and metabasitarsomere with four platellae on distal transverse row flanked by only one stout seta on one side ( Fig. 8I ). Male abdomen with both tergal and sternal apodemes well-developed. Female sternite VII wider than long, posterior margin concave with lateral posterior angles produced posteriorly and lobe-like ( Figs 60 I–L ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer height greater than its length, anterior margin with well-developed dorsal apodemes, posterodorsal angle rounded, dorsal margin with basal fracture, each pygofer lobe with transverse unpigmednted stripe at about mid-height, with long slender spine-like ventral process bent at distal 0.33 and reaching or exceeding dorsal margin. Subgenital plates with basal short segment, about as long as or shorter than pygofer, more or less of uniform width, with marginal thin hair-like setae. Style elongate, with short anterior part, apophysis distally slightly narrowed, with apex curved with dorsal marginal short either stout or thin setae, apical part variously curved, ventral surface not serrate or corrugated. Connective T-shaped, with prominent dorsal median keel. Aedeagus somewhat S-shaped, preatrium about as long as or longer than shaft, dorsal apodeme plate-like and short, shaft curved and narrowed distally in lateral view, without apical processes, may be with short lamellate or triangular projection, or with short thin basal pair of processes on ventral surface (as in A. brevistylus ), gonopore subapical on ventral surface.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor exceeding pygofer by 0.33–0.5 length of pygofer in lateral view. Valvula I slightly curved, distally narrowed with pointed apex, dorsal surface with short vertical to oblique strigae occupying dorsal half width and distal 0.6–0.7 length ( Figs 63I,J ). Valvula II straight, with toothed area occupying distal 0.33 or less, teeth prominent, distinctly separated from each other and directed anteriorly ( Figs 63K,L ).

Remarks. Several unrelated taxa were placed in this genus by the Chinese workers ( Huang & Maldonado-Capriles 1992; Cai et al. 2001, Cai & Shen 1998, Zhang & Li 2010) but were removed based on morphological phylogenetic analysis by Xue et al. (2020), making the genus more homogenous and monophyletic. The genus is now restricted to the Indian subcontinent, parts of China and Thailand. The genus now includes only four species all of which occur in the Indian subcontinent and breed on mango, Mangifera indica L. ( Anacardiaceae ).

Key to species of Amritodus Anufriev

(Modified from Viraktamath 1997)

1. Subgenital plate half as long as pygofer in lateral view, devoid of long thin setae ( Fig. 9F ); aedeagus with subapical flanges on either side near shaft apex ( Fig. 9G ); female sternite VII posterior margin with median and lateral shallow concavity ( Fig. 60J )................................................................................ A. brevis Viraktamath

- Subgenital plate as long or longer than pygofer in lateral view and with marginal long thin setae ( Fig. 8J ); aedeagus with basal pair of short processes on shaft ( Fig. 11H ) or without processes ( Fig. 10J ); female sternite VII with posterior margin deeply concave ( Figs 60 IK,L)................................................................................. 2

2. Aedeagus with a pair of short process at base of shaft ( Fig. 11H ); female sternite VII with posterior margin concave in median region ( Fig. 60K )............................................................. A. quinquepunctatus (Melichar)

- Aedeagus without such processes ( Fig. 8L ); female sternite VII with posterior margin straighter in median region..........3

3. Style apex strongly curved dorsally, dorsal surface with stout setae ( Fig. 8K ); aedeagus strongly sinuate, including preatrium almost S-shaped ( Fig. 8L ); femlale sternite VII with posterior margin abruptly incurved laterally then straight ( Fig. 60I )...................................................................................... A. atkinsoni (Lethierry)

- Style apex not so strongly curved, dorsal surface with slender seta ( Fig. 10I ); aedeagus not S-shaped, but with preatrium nearly straight, shaft smoothly curved ( Fig. 10J ); female sternite VII with posterior margin concave with median region straight ( Fig. 60L ).................................................................. .. A. saeedi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed

Figures

FIGURES 8A–L. Amritodus atkinsoni (Lethierry). A–D, type male: A, dorsal view; B, lateral view; D. head, anterior view; D, label data. E–F, female, dorsal and lateral views; G–H, sexual dimorphism in shape of labium, female (G) and male (H); I, metabasitarsomere, ventral view; J, male genital capsule, lateral view; K, style, lateral view; L. style, connective and aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 9A–H. Amritodus brevis Viraktamath, holotype male: A–B, dorsal and lateral views; C, face; D, label data; E, metabasitarsomere, ventral view; F, male genital capsule, lateral view; G, style, connective and aedeagus, lateral view; H, styles, connective and aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURES 10A–J. Amritodus saeedi Ahmed, Naheed & Ahmed: A–B, male, dorsal and lateral views, C–D, female, dorsal and lateral views; E–F, face, male and female, respectively; G, metabasitarsomere, ventral view; H, male genital capsule, lateral view; I, styles, connective and aedeagus dorsal view; J, connective and aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 11A–H. Amritodus quinquepunctatus (Melichar). Paratype male, A. brevistylus Viraktamath, a junior synonym of A. quinquepunctatus (Melichar):A–B, dorsal and lateral views; C, face; D, label data; F, male genital capsule; E, metabasitarsomere, ventral view; G, styles, connective ad aedeagus, dorsal view; H, aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 60A–O. Idiocerini and Megipocerini of the Indian subcontinent, forewings (A–F) and female sternite VII (G– O). A, Matangia indica; B, Metidiocerus deodarae; C, Periacerus lalithae; D, Ulavius anasuyae; E, Busonia distanti; F, B. manipurensis; G, Balocha astuta; H, B. fuscolinea; I, Amritodus atkinsoni; J, A. brevis; K, A. quinquepunctatus; L, A. saeedi; M, Bellacerus bellus; N, Busoniomimus manjunathi; O, B. mudigerensis.

FIGURES 63A–P. Balocerini and Idiocerini of the Indian subcontinent, female valvula I, magnified view and valvula II, magnified view: A–D, Balocha astuta; E–H, B. fuscolinea; I–L, Amritodus atkinsoni; M–P, A. brevis.