Sounama (Sounama) acuta, Liang & Webb, 2002

Liang, A. - P. & Webb, M. D., 2002, New taxa and revisionary notes in Rhinaulacini spittlebugs from southern Asia (Homoptera: Cercopidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (6), pp. 729-756 : 745-746

S. (Sounama) acuta sp. nov.

(®gures 57±61, 101)

Length: 4.8±5.2 mm, 5.0±5.4 mm.

Yellowish brown with vertex between eyes, anterior area of pronotum and base of scutellum darker brown, variable; fore wings with a sub-basal brown costal patch and a brown medial costal patch between two pale patches (®gures 57, 101); abdomen dark brown with more distal sternites yellow; subgenital plates brown; female darker.

Vertex with medial longitudinal carina.

Male genitalia with subgenital plates (®gure 58) elongate, evenly tapered from base to acute apex; style (®gure 60) strongly constricted subapically with narrow anvil-shaped apical process; aedeagal shaft (®gure 61) broadly curved basally in lateral view, with subapical membranous projection on dorsal and ventral surface.

Remarks. This species diOEers from imprimis in the shape of its male genitalia as noted in the above key.

Etymology. This species is named for its apically acute subgenital plates.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, India (south): Tenmalai , Travancore, 500± 800 ft, 11±17 October [19]38 ( BMNH) . PARATYPES: India (south): 5, 12, same data as holotype; 2, Maddathoray, W. base of W. Ghats, Travancore , 17±18 November [19] 08 ( Annandale , Ind. Museum); 1, Parambikulam, Cochin State, 520±975 m [`1700 ±3200 feet’], 16± 24 September 1914 (F. H. Gravely) (all BMNH) ; 2, Madras State , Nilgiri Hills Devala, 675 m, October 1960 (P. S. Nathan), Brunson P. Bliven collection 1981 Accession ( CAS) ; 1, Kodaikanal, no date (P. S. Nathan) ( NCSU) .

Distribution. South India.