Yelahanka nepalica, Viraktamath & Webb & Yeshwanth, 2021

Viraktamath, C. A., Webb, M. D. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2021, Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 1. Description of Yelahanka gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with seven new species and new combinations, Zootaxa 4915 (4), pp. 451-480 : 457

Yelahanka nepalica sp. nov.

Figs 1 I–J, 6 G, 14 A–I.

Ochraceous with reddish tinge. Crown with median area yellowish white, lateral areas reddish brown. Face pale ochraceous, upper region including antennal cavities reddish brown, rest of pronotum yellowish brown with brownish shade along anterior margin, median area and also along posterior margin of darker shade. Mesonotum yellowish reddish brown, with basal triangles more brownish, lateral margins dark brown. Clavus of darker shade of reddish brown confined laterally by outer claval vein, rest ochraceous. Sternites and legs greenish yellow.

Anterior margin of crown more angular in middle, 0.6 times as long medially as wide between eyes. Pronotum with shallow foveae laterally, medially sulcate, anterior margin slightly convex, posterior margin concave medially, lateral margins diverging posteriorly, about 2.3 times as wide as long medially, longer than both crown and mesonotum. Hind tibia with 4 macrosetae on row PD.

Male genitalia. Pygofer anterior margin deeply bilobed, posterior margin slightly sinuate, in lateral view about 1.5 times as long as height, ventral process lobe-like with distal margin many branched, each branch short and denticulate, dorsal branch slightly exceeding dorsal margin. Subgenital plate widest in mid-region tapering both anteriorly and posteriorly, apex acutely angled. Style broad in middle region tapering anteriorly, apophysis curved ventrally with pointed apex. Aedeagus with well-developed dorsal apodeme; shaft broken near base (?) in only specimen available (see Remarks). Segment X with ventroposterior extension well developed.

Measurements. Male 8.3 mm long, 3.4 mm wide across eyes and 3.1 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂, NEPAL: Kathmandu , Nagarjuna, 26.vi.1978, V. K. Thapa ( UASB).

Etymology. The new species is named after the country from which it has been collected.

Remarks. Despite a damaged aedeagal shaft in the unique holotype of this species it is described as new because of the following peculiar features of the male genitalia: strongly bilobed anterior margin of pygofer, ventral pygofer process short and with multi-branched denticulate distal margin, differently shaped apophysis of style and almost spindle shaped subgenital plates. The crown also is more angularly produced in front of the eyes compared to the more roundly produced crown in other species of the genus. It appears to resemble Y. punctata (Walker) considering the lobe-like ventral pygofer process and more angularly pointed subgenital plate, even the remaining basal part of the aedeagus suggests a more elongate shaft as found in Y. punctata .

Figures

FIGURES 1 A–J. Species habitus of Yelahanka gen. nov. A–D, Y. canaraica sp. nov.: A–B, male, dorsal and lateral views; C–D, female, dorsal and lateral views. E–F, Y. kodaiensis sp. nov., male, dorsal and lateral views. G–H, Y. montana sp. nov., male, dorsal and lateral views. I–J, Y. nepalica sp. nov., male, dorsal and lateral views.