Mohunia manohari, Meshram, 2021

Meshram, Naresh M., 2021, A new bamboo-feeding species, Mohunia manohari sp. nov., (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and first record of the genus from India, Zootaxa 5061 (1), pp. 192-198 : 193-197

Mohunia manohari sp. nov.

( Figs. 2–25 )

Yellowish, creamy white, crown with one reddish orange stripe on either side of median line, interrupted on the anterior margin of the pronotum and then continued on pronotum. Pronotum with one more lateral small reddish orange spots broader than long, mesonotum with three white longitudinal stripes, the medium one confined to mesoscutellum. Face creamy white, ocelli transparent placed on anterior margin of crown ( Fig. 2–4 ). Forewing with black spots at base, along claval commisure and also at the end of reflexed veins on the costal margin ( Fig. 5 ).

Dorsoventrally depressed leafhoppers. Head including eyes 0.9x width of pronotum; vertex slightly produced in front, vertex length 0.84x width between lateral margin of eyes; ocelli placed before anterior margin of crown, closer to eyes than to each other ( Fig. 2 ). Anteclypeus apically exceeding outer genal margin ( Fig. 4 ). frontoclypeus bulged at dorsoapical 0.75 depressed posteriorly ( Figs. 3 ). Pronotum 0.6x as long as width and 0.3x length of mesonotum ( Fig. 2 ). Exposed mesonotum wider than long. Forewing with moderately developed appendix; and with a reflexed cross vein near outer anteapical cell ( Fig. 5 ), anteapical cells three, inner anteapical cell closed. Forefemur ( Figs. 6–7 ) with AV absent, IC with 12 setae in straight row. Fore tibia with AD 1 and PD 9 macrosetae. Hind femur dorsal setae 2+2+1 ( Fig. 8 )

Male genitalia: Pygofer elongate, 2.8X longer than wide, more or less of uniform width in basal 0.75 length, long macrosetae over posterior 0.66 ( Fig. 10 ). Valve trapezoidal, width at base as long as length ( Fig. 16 ). Subgenital plate triangular, separate from valve, 3.6X long as broad at base, with lateral row uniseriate 5 macrosetae in distal 0.33 ( Fig. 16 ). Style slender, elongate, apophysis slender, slightly sinuate, 0.33X as long as total length, preapical lobe with small hairlike setae ( Fig. 11 ). Connective with arms as long as stem; with long pair of processes articulated with stem dorsally, processes of connective slightly convergent in basal region then divergent distally, in apical, apex acute ( Figs. 12 & 14 ). Aedeagus compressed, connected membranously to the connective, J-shaped, without dorsal apodemes with membranous truncate apical shaft, with subapical spine like projection dorsally., gonopore subapical on dorsal margin ( Fig. 12–15 ).

Female genitalia: Seventh sternite hind margin convex and with notched medially ( Fig. 21 ). Valvulae I ( Figs. 22–23 ), in lateral view, with uniform oblique rectangular dorsal sculpturing extending from middle portion to apex of blade; ventral irregular sculptured area restricted to apical portion of blade. Valvulae II ( Figs. 24–25 ), in lateral view, with dorsal hyaline area, dorsal margin concave in the middle and convex apically on toothed areas with irregular scattered reticulation on distal 1/3rd, dorsal margin with 27 flat teeth.

Measurements (mm): Male 5.1 long, 1.2 wide across eyes, 1.6 wide across hind margin of pronotum. Female 5.2 long, 1.2 wide across eyes, 1.7 wide across hind margin of

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♂, India: Arunachal Pradesh: Basar , 661m, 27º58’39”N 94º41’31”E, 30.vi.2018, sweep net, Stuti & Tahseen R. Hashmi ( NPC) . PARATYPES 2♂, 1♀, same data as holotype .

Distribution: The species is known only from Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Etymology: This species is named after the Late Mr. Manohar Meshram (Father of the Author) for his continuous support and encouragement to the author to pursue his passion in leafhopper taxonomy.

Remarks: Mohunia manohari sp. nov. resembles M. splendens in external morphology and coloration but differs in having the aedeagus compressed, connected membranously to the connective, inverted J-shaped, without dorsal apodemes, with a membranous truncate shaft apex, with a subapical spine like projection dorsally; in ventral view filamentous apically, toothed laterally, without ventral spines. M. splendens has the aedeagus with a pair of ventral processes attached to the preatrium, the shaft poorly sclerotized in the basal half, the distal half with lateral flanges without teeth, and the ventral surface with a series of short spines.

The male genitalia of M. manohari sp. nov. are similar to those of the type species of the genus in having a pair of processes associated with the base of the aedeagus but, unlike the type species, M. manohari has the processes dissociated from the base of the aedeagus and connected only by a thin membrane. In this respect, the male genitalia of M. manohari resemble those of the widespread but unrelated genus Scaphoideus Uhler (Scaphoideini) . M. manohari also resembles some Scaphoideus species in having the style apex slender and elongate. Other aspects of the morphology of M. manohari , including the depressed body form with horizontal face and ocelli distant from the eyes, resemble those of other species of Mohunia but the forewing differs in having three closed anteapical cells and the outer anteapical cell not extended to the costal margin ( Fig. 5 ). These differences suggest that the new species may not belong to Mohunia as previously defined. Another pair of bamboo associated genera, Paralampridius and Lampridius , are externally similar but with completely different male genitalia, suggesting that convergent evolution has occurred in the morphology of some groups of bamboo-feeding leafhoppers. Such cases challenge our understanding of generic concepts and will require detailed phylogenetic study to resolve. Considering the forewing venation (especially the three branches of vein R) M. manohari can be retained in the Mukariini and tentatively placed in the genus Mohunia , pending further study.

One parasitized male of M. manohari studied, exhibits variation in the male genitalia, including underdevelopment of the aedeagus and style and asymmetry and mutilation of the subgenital plate ( Figs. 16–18 ).

Figures

FIGURES 2–8. Mohunia manohari sp. nov. Male 2. Dorsal habitus; 3. Lateral habitus; 4. Face, 5. Forewing, 6. Prothoracic femur, 7. Prothoracic tibia, 8. Metathoracic leg.

FIGURES 9–18. Mohunia manohari sp. nov. male genitalia 9. Genitalia capsule; 10. Pygofer lateral; 11. Style; 12.Aedeagus & processes of connective; 13. Aedeagus lateral; 14. Aedeagus & processes of connective, ventral view; 15. Aedeagus dorsal; 16. Subgenital plate with valve; 17. Mutilated subgenital plate; 18. Mutilated male genitalia capsule.

FIGURES 19–25. Mohunia manohari sp. nov. female 19. Dorsal habitus; 20. Lateral habitus; 21. Seventh sternite; 22–23. Valvulae I; 24–25. Valvulae II.