Hemisudra Schmidt, 1911

Viraktamath, C. A. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2023, Leafhopper subfamily Hylicinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) in the Indian subcontinent with description of new species, Zootaxa 5319 (4), pp. 451-500 : 461-465

Genus Hemisudra Schmidt

Type species: Hemisudra borneensis Schmidt , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Crown shorter than interocular width, anteriorly produced in front of eyes and obtusely angularly curved. Ocelli placed before anterior margins of eyes. Pronotum with lateral margins diverging with feeble carina present only in anterior and posterior region, disc gibbous. Mesoscutellum humped with median prominent carina, distal half flat. Forewings hyaline. Hind wing costal margin with 3 stout setae in proximal half ( Fig. 13H, I ). Meta femoral distal macrosetae 2+1+1; metabasitarsomere with three stout short macrosetae with prominent alveoli in an oblique row, distal transverse row with 7 platellae flanked by one stout seta on either side ( Fig. 15C ). Male pygofer lobe 2× as long as height in lateral view, with simple or bifurcate ventral process. Subgenital plates triangular, short, not reaching half-length of pygofer. Style apophysis almost reaching posterior margin of plate-like connective. Aedeagus with atrium longer than dorsal apodeme, shaft dorsal surface marginally wrinkled, gonopore apical.

Description. Brown with vestiture of black and white hair-like setae, face marked with dark brown areas, forewing hyaline and venation brownish. Abdominal pleurite III and tergite IV entirely and a spot on either side of median line on tergites V with bright yellow spots ( Fig. 12B ).

Medium sized leafhoppers measuring about 10–12.5 mm in length. Crown anterior margin obtusely rounded between eyes, smoothly rounded to face, callosities on posterior margin small, basal half of disc depressed, anterior half raised ridge-like, median length slightly shorter than interocular width, surface of disc finely shagreen, median sulcus obsolete. Ocelli on tubercles directed laterally, placed before anterior margin of each eye about half their own diameter away from adjacent eye. Face slightly longer than wide including eyes. Frontoclypeus slightly longer than clypellus, parallel sided. Clypellus broad basally and narrowed distally, before apex slightly abruptly expanded, truncate apically. Lora narrow and long reaching clypoclypellar sulcus dorsally, but ventral margin not reaching genal margin. Gena expanded laterally and covering proepisternum. Labium short reaching midcoxae. Antennal ledges not prominent. Eyes prominent slightly bulged both laterally and dorsally. Pronotum with lateral margins feebly carinate, carina evanescent medially and diverging posteriorly, anterior and lateral marginal areas not gibbous, but disc gibbous, surface finely transversely rugose-punctate, posterior margin concave in middle. Mesonotum with basal triangles slightly raised, median and posterior region depressed; mesoscutum longer than combined length of crown and pronotum, anterior half raised like a hump with median strong carina extending slightly beyond hump posteriorly, posterior surface of hump flattish and sloping, posterior half of mesoscutellum flat, strongly narrowed posteriorly. Forewing extending to abdominal tergite VII, membranous, with three closed subapical and 4 apical cells, median subapical cell lonest. Hind wing costal margin with 3 stout setae in proximal half ( Fig. 13H, I ). Fore tibia slightly expanded. Metafemur with apical macrosetae 2+1+1; meta tibial spinulation row AD 12, PD 11, AV 20 with distal five setae stouter and slightly longer; metabasitarsomere plantar surface with 3 stout setae with prominent alveoli in oblique row, distal transverse row with 7 platellae flanked by one seta on either side ( Fig. 15C ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer 2× as long as height, with 3–4 short macrosetae on dorsoposterior area, ventral process either simple or forked. Subgenital plates short, not attaining half length of pygofer in lateral view, triangular with convex lateral margin apically narrowed and acutely rounded, setae scattered on ventral surface. Style with apophysis lobe-like, with distal thin long setae, almost attaining posterior margin of connective, anterior part more than 2× as long as apophysis. Connective plate-like posterior margin slightly wider than anterior margin. Aedeagus with atrium longer than dorsal apodeme, shaft with transversely wrinkled on dorsal margin laterally, gonopore apical.

Remarks. Hemisudra and Balala are very similar externally in having a much shorter crown compared to the interocular distance and the species of both genera have more or less hyaline forewings covered with dark brown, black and gray setae. These genera also have the ocelli before the anterior margins of eyes. Balala differs from Hemisudra in having the ocelli close to posterior margin of the crown, the body more robust, the meta femora with distal macrosetae 2+1+1+1 and the plantar surface of metabasitarsomere with 6 stout setae in an oblique row. Hemisudra and some species of Balala (for example B. curvata Shen & Zhang , B. hainana Tang and Zhang and B. karenia Tang & Zhang ) have a humped anterior half of the mesoscutellum with median longitudinal ridge compared to the more or less depressed mesoscutellum in other species of Balala ; the pygofer lobes in Hemisudra are slightly more than 2× longer than height in lateral view compared to about 1.5× wider in Balala (except B. nigrifrons Kuoh ).

Figures

FIGURES 12A–L. Species of Hylicinae, male and female abdomen dorsal view. A, Hatigoria zhangi sp. nov.; B, Hemisudra indica sp. nov.; C–D, Hylica paradoxa Stål, male (C) and female (D); E, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang, male; F, Kalasha confusa sp. nov.; G, Nacolus tuberculatus (Walker); H, Sudra manipurensis sp. nov.; I, Sudra notanda Distant, male; J, Traiguma nasuta Distant, male; K, Traiguma nielsoni Viraktamath & Webb, male; L, Traiguma verticalis Distant, male.

FIGURES 13A–L. Forewings (A, D, G, J), hind wings (B, E, H, K) and magnified view of costal margin (C, F, I, L) of Hylicinae. A–C, Balala mekongia Tang & Zhang from Thailand; D–F, Hatigoria zhangi sp. nov.; G–I, Hemisudra indica sp. nov.; J–L, Hylica paradoxa Stål.

FIGURES 15A–K. Metabasitarsomere plantar surface (A–H) and female sternite VII (I–K) of Hylicinae. A, Balala mekongia Tang & Zhang; B, Hatigoria zhangi sp. nov.; C, Hemisudra indica sp. nov.; D, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang; E, Kalasha manikya sp. nov.; F, Nacolus tuberculatus (Walker); G, Sudra manipurensis sp. nov.; H, Traiguma verticalis Distant: I, Hylica paradoxa Stål; J, Hylica scutealba Tang & Zhang; K, Traiguma verticalis Distant.