Igerna violacea (Distant) C.A.Viraktamath, 2011

C. A. Viraktamath, 2011, Revision of the Oriental and Australian Agalliini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Megophthalminae) 2844, Zootaxa 2844, pp. 1-118 : 77-78

Igerna violacea (Distant) comb. nov.

Figs 15, 369–380.

Nehela violacea Distant 1916: 233 . LECTOTYPE ♂, INDIA: Kodaikanal (BMNH, examined).

Nehela bimaculicollis (Stål) : Distant 1916: 232 (misidentification).

Male (color). Face and vertex golden yellow to brown. Two round spots and median elongate spot (often coalesce to form transverse band) on vertex, inverted V across antennal pits, entire clypellus, adjoining areas of lora, frontoclypeus and antennal pits, black. Antennal bases ochraceous, flagellum fuscous. Pronotum golden yellow to ochraceous with two large round spots on posterior submargin and two anterior smaller spots situated close to each other, black. Area enclosed by these spots either brownish or coalesce to form discal broad black spot with notched lateral margins. Scutellum proximad of impressed line black to dark brown and in some specimens with median yellowish brown stripe, distal part yellowish brown. Head, pronotum and scutellum often dusted with waxy powder. Thoracic pleurites and abdominal segments dark brown, margins ochraceous. Subgenital plates ochraceous; fore tibiae and claws dark fuscous.

Female (color). Much paler than male. Head, pronotum and scutellum ochraceous to golden yellow. Two spots on vertex, antennal pits and either entire clypellus or only apex and lateral sutures, black. Fuscous inverted V across antennal ledges often present. Some females with fuscous dashes or faint markings on submargin of frontoclypeus. Pronotum with two black spots (smaller than in males) near posterior submargin, often absent making pronotum immaculate. Scutellum with two triangular spots at basal angles.

Morphology. Face as long as wide. Ocelli closer to eyes than to each other. Transclypeal suture absent.

Male genitalia. Pygofer simple. Styles elongate, with inner arm produced into narrow pointed process. Connective fused with aedeagus, posterior margin deply excavated. Aedeagal shaft very long, slender, with well developed dorsal apodeme, apex of shaft strongly anteriorly recurved and ending in pair of biramose or triramose processes. Anal collar with forked or simple dorsally curved appendage.

Female genitalia. Hind margin of seventh sternite almost straight.

Measurement. Male 4.25 (4.05–4.35) mm long and 1.25 (1.20–1.30) mm wide across eyes. Female 4.65 (4.35– 4.85) mm long and 1.4–1.5 mm wide acros eyes.

Material examined. INDIA: LECTOTYPE ♀, here designated, Kodaikanal, T.V. Campbell, Brit Mus. 1926- 171 ( BMNH) . PARALECTOTYPES: 6 ♂, 12 ♀, same data as lectotype ( BMNH) . Additonal material : 6 ♂, 11 ♀, Kodaikanal 7000ft (2123 m), 23.iii.1936 (6 ♂, 5 ♀), 31.iii.1936 (6 ♀), B.M.C.M. Expd. to south India , 1936 ; 2 ♀, Kodaikanal, Brit. Mus. , 1926-171, 66/4, Nehela bimaculicollis Stål (in Distant’s handwriting), [misidentification] ( BMNH) . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Kodaikanal ( NCSU) ; 14 ♂, 14 ♀, Kodaikanal , 30–31.x.1975, C.A. Viraktamath ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Kodaikanal , 17.viii.1979, I. Dworakowska , 15 ♂, 15 ♀, Kodaikanal , 18.viii.1979, S. Viraktamath on ( UASB) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Palny Hills , 3000–6000 ft (910–1820 m), 10–13.iv.1917, T.V. Campbell ( TNAU) ; 1 ♂, Nilgiri Hills, T.V. Campbell, E.A. Butler, 1945-60 ( BMNH) , 1 ♂, Ootacamund , 2350m, 4.vi.1977, C.A. Viraktamath ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, Sim’s Park, Coonoor ,11, viii.1979, S. Viraktamath ; 1 ♀, Coonoor , 12.viii.1979, I. Dworakowska ; 3 ♀, Silver caskade, Shambaganur 18.viii.1979, S. Viraktamath ; 6 ♀, Shambaganur , 30.x.1975, C.A.Viraktamath ; 5 ♂, 5 ♀, Shambaganur , 17–18. viii.1979, I. Dworakowska ; 6 ♂, 9 ♀, Naduvattam , 1829m, 6.vi.1979, S. & C.A. Viraktamath ; 1 ♂, Burliar , 860m, 5.vi.1977, S. Viraktamath ( UASB) ; 6 ♂, 2 ♀, Kerala: Pyakara and Munnar ( CAS) ; 4 ♂, 2 ♀, Manantoddy , 16.x.1975, C.A. Viraktamath ; 22 ♂, 11 ♀, Munnar , 1524m, 22.iii.1977, ex Ageratina adenoforum, C.A.Viraktamath & S. Viraktamath , 12 ♂, 10 ♀, 12 Km N Munnar , 2000m, 23.iii.1977, C.A. Viraktamath & S. Viraktamath ( UASB) . Karnataka: 10 ♂, 19 ♀, Mudigere 23.v.1976, C.A. Viraktamath , 1 ♂, Mudigere , at light, 29.v.2005, Shobharani, M .; 1 ♀, 2 nymphs, Kemmannagundi , 9.iv.1975, Viraktamath, C.A. ( UASB) .

Remarks. Distant (1916: 232) misidentified females of Igerna violacea from Kodaikanal and Nilgiri Hills as Nehela bimaculicollis (Stål) , a species that does not occur outside Africa. I. violacea shares the fused connective with I. quinlani and I. keyae . Coloration and branching of the aedeagal processes and anal collar process vary as shown in figures 369, 370, 372, 374, 377–379.