Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant & Rey)

Meshram, Naresh M., Rai, Stuti, Rajgopal, N. N. & Ramya, N., 2018, Two new species of tribe Agalliini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Megophthalminae) with note on intraspecific variations, Zootaxa 4378 (3), pp. 442-450 : 446-447

Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant & Rey)

(Figs. 4,8,12,16,17–23,42–46)

Bythoscopus sinuatus Mulsant and Rey 1855: 222 .

Agallia quadrisignata Flor, 1861: 557 , synonymy by Fieber 1868: 462.

Agallia homeyeri Kirschbaum, 1868:32 , synonymy by Fieber 1872: 32.

Agallia fieberi Vismara, 1878: 41 , synonymy by Löw 1885: 346.

Austroagallia afganistanensis Kameswara Rao, Ramakrishnan and Ghai 1979: 655 –656. HOLOTYPE %, AFGHANISTAN [NPC, examined], synonymized by Viraktamath & Sohi 1980: 285.

Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant & Rey) : Viraktamath 2011: 34

Measurements. Male 3.6 mm long, 1.05 mm wide across eyes, 0.6 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum Material examined: INDIA, 9 ♀ & 12♀ Himachal Pradesh: Kinnaur District, Powari (31°31'42"N 78°16'19"E), 14.viii.2017, Sweep net Coll. Ramya, N. (NPC).

Notes on variation: This species can be identified based on the following characters 1. Base of anal collar hook slender; dorsal denticle short, slender 2. Aedeagus with well developed dorsal apodeme, lamellate process of aedeagus broad. Specimens studied in the present work agree well with A. sinuata except the aedeagus dorsal lamellate process ( Fig. 45 ) is lacking, the position of gonopore is different and the apex of the aedeagus is acute and produced.. These can be considered as extremes of intraspecific variation. The female seventh sternite ( Fig. 19 ) hind margin is concave medially. Valvulae I ( Figs. 20–21 ) have more than ½ of the dorsal sculptured area with elliptical scales. Valvulae II ( Figs. 22–23 ), in lateral view, have the dorsal margin concave in the middle and convex apically on the toothed areas, with many small blunt teeth.. Photographic illustrations of male and female genitalia and description provided here will broaden the species concept. The possibility that such extreme intraspecific variation represents an evolutionary trend needs further exploration.

Figures

FIGURES 42–46. Genitalia Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant & Rey) 42. Pygofer; 43.Aedeagus with style with connective; 44. Aedeagus lateral view; 45. Aedeagus ventral view; 46.Subgenital plate.

FIGURES 17–23. Female Austragallia sinuata (Mulsant & Rey). 17–18 habitus. 17. Dorsal habitus, 18. Lateral habitus; 19. Seventh sternite;20 &21.Valvulae I; 22&23.Valvulae II.