Kalasha Distant, 1908

Viraktamath, C. A. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2023, Leafhopper subfamily Hylicinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) in the Indian subcontinent with description of new species, Zootaxa 5319 (4), pp. 451-500 : 467-469

Genus Kalasha Distant

Type species. Kalasha nativa Distant , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Crown sub-triangularly produced in front, shorter than width of head including eyes, lateral margins carinate, disc concave. Pronotum lateral margins with keel-like carinae. Mesonotum longer than crown and also pronotum. Hind wing costal margin with 9 stout setae in proximal half ( Fig. 14E, F ). Metabasitarsomere plantar surface with 3 somewhat stouter setae with prominent alveoli in addition to a few hair-like setae, distal transverse row with 5 platellae flanked by one seta on either side ( Fig. 15E ). Male pygofer with ventral process forked. Subgenital plates broadest at basal 0.33. Female valvula I and II narrow at base, valvula II knife-like with dorsal margin slightly concave with numerous small teeth in distal half.

Description. Crown sub-triangularly produced in front of eyes with lateral carinate margins, shorter than width of head including eyes, disc depressed with median ridge extended to half-length then forming a furrow because of anterior raised tubercle-like structure near apex on either side of median line, lateral short oblique ridge behind each ocellus. Ocelli slightly in front and mesad of apical margin of eyes and, frontal carinae stop short of ocelli. Frontoclypeus apically roundly swollen at upper surface. Clypellus elongate but shorter than frontoclypeus, broad proximally, narrowed distally, exceeding genal margin. Lora narrow long, not extended beyond transverse clypeal suture dorsally. Gena not extending laterally, narrow, proepisternum exposed. Labium reaching mesocoxae. Pronotum longer than median length of crown but shorter than mesonotum, with disc slightly convex but depressed anteriorly on either side behind eyes, surface rugose often coarsely punctate, posterior margin concave medially, lateral margins divergent posteriorly, prominently carinate, carina keel-like. Mesonotum strongly narrowed and pointed posteriorly not spine-like, apical area moderately gibbous. Forewing with 3 closed subapical and 4 apical cells; median subapical cell and inner apical cells longest ( Fig. 14D ). Hind wing costal margin with 9 stout setae in proximal half (14E, F). Fore leg not dilated. Meta femora with distal macrosetae 2+1+1; meta tibia with macrosetal row PD 10–11, AD 9–10 and AV 14 with apical setae slightly thicker and darker. Metabasitarsomere plantar surface with 3 somewhat stouter setae with prominent alveoli in addition to a few hair-like setae, distal transverse row with 5 platellae flanked by one seta on either side ( Fig. 15E ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer elongate, 2× as long as height in lateral view, ventral process arising before basal fracture and at basal 0.33, distally bifurcate, more dorsal fork curved and directed mesally and dorsally, other fork more or less straight and directed posterodorsally, not exceeding half-length of pygofer, posterior margin of pygofer slightly sinuate. Subgenital plate with slightly curved lateral margins, apically conically rounded, widest at basal 0.25–0.33 length. Style as in Hatigoria . Connective articulated with aedeagus, plate-like, longer than broad at base. Aedeagus tubular with dorsal apodeme and atrium well-developed and without processes, dorsal surface of shaft wrinkled, gonopore apical on ventral surface.

Female genitalia. Valvula I narrow at base and narrowed apically, broadest in middle region, sculpturing strigate. Valvula II knife-like, narrow at base, broadest at basal 0.33 then narrowed, dorsal margin slightly concave in distal 0.66, with numerous small teeth on distal half, ventral margin convex, apex narrowly rounded ( Tang & Zhang (2019a).

Remarks. Genus Kalasha and Assiringia are very similar as far as the head is concerned. In Assiringia the lateral margins of the crown in front of the eye are strongly concave and vertically reflexed dorsally and in Kalasha they are almost straight, not reflexed vertically. In addition, Kalasha differs from Assiringia in having strongly keeled lateral margins of pronotum which are absent in the latter and the male pygofer ventral process is forked in Kalasha but not in Assiringia . Tang & Zhang (2019a) revised the genus, redescribed and illustrated the known species, described two new species and provided a key to all the then known species. Recently they ( Tang & Zhang 2023) described the sixth and brachypterous species from Vietnam. In the Indian subcontinent, apart from the type species, two new species have been discovered and they are described, illustrated and keyed here.

Figures

FIGURES 14A–O. Forewings (A, D, G, J, M), hind wings (B, E, H, K, N) and magnified view of costal margin (C, F, I, L, O) of Hylicinae. A–C, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang; D–F, Kalasha manikya sp. nov.; G–I, Nacolus tuberculatus (Walker); J–L, Sudra manipurensis sp. nov.; M–O, Traiguma verticalis Distant.

FIGURES 15A–K. Metabasitarsomere plantar surface (A–H) and female sternite VII (I–K) of Hylicinae. A, Balala mekongia Tang & Zhang; B, Hatigoria zhangi sp. nov.; C, Hemisudra indica sp. nov.; D, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang; E, Kalasha manikya sp. nov.; F, Nacolus tuberculatus (Walker); G, Sudra manipurensis sp. nov.; H, Traiguma verticalis Distant: I, Hylica paradoxa Stål; J, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang; K, Traiguma verticalis Distant.