Bambuphaga balajii, Ramaiah & Meshram & Dey, 2023

Ramaiah, Mogili, Meshram, Naresh M. & Dey, Debjani, 2023, Bambuphaga, a new bamboo feeding-leafhopper genus (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Punctulini) from India, Zootaxa 5346 (3), pp. 325-330 : 327-329

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.3.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F437982-16AC-4E59-81AF-A73B69201A0F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10563070
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8B05203D-FFB6-FFA2-FF2F-FD1FBD71E6BF
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Bambuphaga balajii
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Bambuphaga balajii View in CoL n. sp.

( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ., A–F, 2 View FIGURE 2 ., A–H, 3 View FIGURE 3 ., A–H)

Yellowish-brown species, with pale coloured veins on forewings. Crown yellowish brown with four dark brown spots on anterior margin and orange–yellow longitudinal band midway between midline and eye extending to posterior margin of pronotum ( Figs. 2A–B View FIGURE 2 , 3A–B View FIGURE 3 ). Eyes black, fairly large. Ocelli pale yellow. Frontoclypeus mostly yellowish brown, genae with brown spot on both sides ( Figs. 2C–D View FIGURE 2 , 3C–D View FIGURE 3 ). Forewings pale yellow with brown to dark brown markings in some cells, apical area fuscous. Other external features as in generic description ( Fig. 1A–F View FIGURE 1 )

Male genitalia: Pygofer with a pair of ventral processes arising from posteroventral margin, mesally directed and hook-like ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Pygofer is slightly concave in the middle at posterior margin ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Valve triangular; Subgenital plates with numerous lateral macrosetae. Style tapered towards apex, apophysis with blunt tip; Connective anterior arms closely appressed anteriorly ( Figs. 2G–H View FIGURE 2 ). Aedeagus with single elongate sinuate shaft, dorsal margin convex, shaft apex beyond gonopore strongly curved dorsoanteriorly; with three pairs of preapical processes, proximal pair small, median pair long, apical pair very small; gonopore subapical ( Figs. 2H–I View FIGURE 2 ).

Female genitalia: Valvula I slightly concave with strigate sculpturing occupying slightly more than 0.5 length distally, strigae oblique ( Figs. 3E, G View FIGURE 3 ) Valvula II slightly concave, with rather effaced tooth, occupying distal 0.5 length, ach tooth prominent well separated from each other, basal teeth and hyaline area present ( Figs. 3F, H View FIGURE 3 )

Measurements (mm): Male: 3.2 mm long, 0.9 mm wide across eyes, 0.6 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum; Female: 3.5 mm long, 0.9 mm wide across eyes, 0.7 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum.

Material examined: Holotype ♁, INDIA: Andhra Pradesh: Tirupati (13º62‘24”N 79º42’85” E) 147m, 20.i.2020, net sweep, Coll. Mogili Ramaiah ( NPC) . Paratype 1♁ INDIA: Uttarakhand: FRI, Dehradun (30.3438° N 77.9996° E) 430m, 21.i.2021, net sweep, Coll. Mogili Ramaiah ( NPC) GoogleMaps , 1♀, data as for holotype .

Host plant: Bamboo

Etymology: The species is named after Lord Balaji (Sri Venkateswara Swamy) whose main temple, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is located near the type locality (foothills of Tirupati).