Mukariella viraktamathi, Ramaiah & Meshram & Dey, 2023

Ramaiah, Mogili, Meshram, Naresh M. & Dey, Debjani, 2023, A new species of bamboo-feeding leafhopper genus Mukariella Viraktamath and Webb (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) along with its morphological variant from India, Zootaxa 5239 (2), pp. 289-295 : 290

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5239.2.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2888D2F3-34EA-4DB5-B087-5B9E7A3DB924
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7624393
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B9A21E-FFCE-7410-35AE-BA0B34D8E7CE
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Mukariella viraktamathi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Mukariella viraktamathi View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 ., A–J, 3 View FIGURE 3 ., A–I)

Glossy or shiny golden yellow ( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 ). Head narrower than pronotum. Median sulcus on crown less prominent, crown produced in front of eyes, conically rounded. Mesonotum about as long as pronotum ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Structure as in generic description ( Viraktamath & Webb 2019). Female sternite VII about 3x as wide as long medially, posteior margin concave with median abroad convex lobe, lateral angles conically rouded ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer with numerous macrosetae in posterior region, posterior end conically rounded, ventral margin with short ventral process ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2E–F View FIGURE 2 ). Valve triangular. Subgenital plates trapezoidal with an apical membranous appendage, with a few hair-like setae, more than 3x as long aas wide near base ( Fig.1 View FIGURE 1 , 2H View FIGURE 2 ). Style with well-developed lateral lobe, apophysis laterally curved, with subapical tooth, tapered distally ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2G View FIGURE 2 ). Connectives fused with aedeagus, arms broadly placed and more or less parallel to each other. Aedeagal shaft with two pairs of processes arising at base, ventral pair directed posteriorly and laterally curved near apex, about 0.66 as long as shaft; lateral pair appressed to aedeagal shaft, directed dorsally and slightly curved laterally near apex, about as long as shaft; shaft tubular with large gonopore, slightly curved anteriorly near apex, narrowed distally ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2I–J View FIGURE 2 ).

Female genitalia. Valvula I almost straight except near distal end, with strigate sculpturing in distal region ( Figs. 3F–G View FIGURE 3 ). Valvula II curved, tapered in distal half length, teeth prominent well separated from each other ( Figs. 3H–I View FIGURE 3 ).

Measurements. Male: 5.01 mm long, 1.39 mm wide across eyes and 1.45 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum; Female: 5.08 mm long, 1.42 mm wide across eyes and 1.5 mm wide across hind margin of pronotum.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE 1♁ INDIA: Assam:, Jakhalbandha (26º 57.08’N 93º 00.26’E) 76.89m, 9.iii.2020, net sweep, Coll. Ramaiah M GoogleMaps ; PARATYPEs: 5♁, 3♀, Jorhat (26.7247° N, 94.1936° E) 116m, 2.iii.2020, net sweep, Coll. Ramaiah M GoogleMaps ; 2♁, 3♀, Nagaland: Medziphema (25.7566° N, 93.8681° E) 295m, 16.iii.2020, net sweep, Coll. Ramaiah M GoogleMaps ; Uttarakhand: 9♁, 6♀, GBPAUT, Pantnagar (29.0229° N, 79.4879° E) 243.84m, 26.xi.2020, net sweep, Coll. Ramaiah M ( NPC) GoogleMaps .

Host plant. Bamboo

Distribution. India: Assam, Nagaland, Uttarakhand.

Etymology. The species is named after Prof. C. A. Viraktamath in recognition of his monumental contributions to leafhopper taxonomy.

Remarks. This species closely resembles Mukariella daii , both having a similar aedeagal shaft with two pairs of processes, but differs in the shape of the subgenital plate and aedeagal shaft in lateral view. in this new species the subgenital plate is comparatively longer than wide (more than 3x as long as wider near base) compared to M. daii (about 2x longer than wider near base) and the aedeagal shaft in the new species is tapered distally and curved slightly anteriorly near apex compared to the shaft very slightly narrowed distally and almost straight in M. daii .