Mahellus distanti Nielson, 1982

Viraktamath, C. A. & Meshram, Naresh M., 2017, A review of the coelidiine leafhopper genus Mahellus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) with description of two new species from the Oriental region, Zootaxa 4258 (3), pp. 271-280 : 273

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4258.3.4

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:24932262-6253-42D3-B6FB-02E5394564F2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3500856

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/777B87B6-FFA0-7A02-FF48-FA89FEC5AA9C

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Mahellus distanti Nielson, 1982
status

 

Mahellus distanti Nielson, 1982 View in CoL

Figs 3–7, 11–16 View FIGURES 1 – 17 , 18–31 View FIGURES 18 – 24 View FIGURES 25 – 31 , 48–49, 51 View FIGURES 48 – 52 .

Mahellus distanti Nielson 1982: 86 View in CoL ; 2015: 35

Nielson (1982) adequately described and illustrated this species. The following additional features are noted. Male pygofer with dorsal marginal sclerotized process distally lobe-like with anterior margin of lobe crenulated ( Fig. 51 View FIGURES 48 – 52 ). Female similar to male with ovipositor projecting much beyond pygofer. Sternite VII and first and second pair of valvulae as described in generic description.

Material examined. INDIA: Maharashtra: 1♂, 4♀, Matheran, 915 M, 23.xi.1977, C. A. Viraktamath . Karnataka: 1♂, 22 Km, S. Bangalore, 22.v.1977, C. A. Viraktamath ; 2♂, Hunsur, 18.i.1978, C. A. Viraktamath; 2♂, Banerghatta, 22.v.1977,C. A. Viraktamath; 1♂, 1♀, Chickballapur, 01.x.2015, M. Shobharani; 1♀, 24 Km, W. Mudigree, 21.ix.1978, C. A. Viraktamath. Tamil Nadu: 1♀, 64 Km, E Kollegal, 9.viii.1977, C. A. Viraktamath ; 1♀, Shevroy Hills, 21.ix.1978, C. A. Viraktamath. Kerala: 1♂, 1♀, Maraiyur, 24.iii.1977, C. A. Viraktamath ( USAB).

Measurements. Male 6.3–6.5 mm long, 1.6–1.7 mm wide across eyes and 1.8–2.0 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 8.2–8.6 mm long, 2.0– 2.1 mm wide across eyes and 2.4–2.5 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Remarks. Identification of this species is based on the diagrams and description of the species given by Nielson (1982). It was earlier known only from Nilgiri Hills (Tamil Nadu) and has now been recorded from Shevroy Hills (Tamil Nadu), Bengaluru, Hunsur, Chikballapur, Mudigere (Karnataka) and Mariyur (Kerala). There is considerable colour variation in the specimens collected. Some paler specimens (teneral?) ( Figs 3, 4 View FIGURES 1 – 17 ) have a submarginal reddish stripe along the frontoclypeus ( Figs 14, 15 View FIGURES 1 – 17 ) compared to well sclerotized specimens which are often darker with sometimes basal triangles of the mesoscutum dark brown ( Figs 5, 6 View FIGURES 1 – 17 ). This species is quite different from the remaining three species of the genus in having a more robust aedeagal shaft and the processes adpressed to the shaft compared to more slender shaft in the remaining species with the processes oriented away from the shaft.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hemiptera

Family

Cicadellidae

SubFamily

Coelidiinae

Genus

Mahellus

Loc

Mahellus distanti Nielson, 1982

Viraktamath, C. A. & Meshram, Naresh M. 2017
2017
Loc

Mahellus distanti

Nielson 1982: 86
1982
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