Litura triangula, Viraktamath, C. A. & Anantha Murthy, H. V., 2014

Viraktamath, C. A. & Anantha Murthy, H. V., 2014, Review of the genera Hishimonus Ishihara and Litura Knight (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of new species, Zootaxa 3785 (2), pp. 101-138 : 118

Litura triangula sp. nov.

Figs 38 , 224–231 .

Head and pronotum greenish yellow, posterior margin of crown with median and lateral spot on either side of median line, one lateral spot on anterior region of pronotum more widely placed than that on crown, dark brown; posterior and lateral margins of pronotum whitish with brown markings especially on lateral margins. Scutum and scutellum brownish yellow marked with dark brown and scutum with apex and one spot on each lateral margin ivory. Forewing ivory white with dark brown mottling, much rich on apical and subapical cells; median spot pale brown, semicircular, its anterior margin and larger lateral elongate oval spot, dark brown.

Head polished, as wide as pronotum. Crown about half as long medially as pronotum, rather triangular . Pronotum as long as combined length of scutum and scutellum, transversely wrinkled and polished.

Male genitalia. Male pygofer posteriorly conically rounded with macrosetae confined to posterior 0.33 region. Valve triangular , twice as broad at base as long medially, posteriorly narrowed with rounded apex, lateral margins sinuate. Subgenital plate with well developed membranous apical process 0.46 times as long as total length. Style with well developed lateral subapical lobe, apophysis straight, transversely rugose. Connective with stem shorter than arms. Aedeagus with shafts elongate, simple, diverging in ventral view and curved dorsally in lateral view, with small triangular lobe at midlength along inner margin, gonopore apical on ventral margin; ventral process in lateral view with straight ventral margin, 1.9 times as long as shaft, triangularly expanded in distal third, then narrowed and thinly produced apically.

Female genitalia. Seventh sternite approximately twice as broad anteriorly as long medially; posterior margin rather concave laterally, medially produced into lobe with median short V-shaped excavation.

Measurements: Male 3.7–3.8 mm long, 1.25–1.30 mm wide across eyes. Female 4.0 mm long, 1.20 mm wide across eyes.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ INDIA: Karnataka: Sirsi: Nilkunda, 16.iii.2005, at light, Radhamani, T.R. ( UASB). PARATYPE 2 ♂, 1 ♀, data as in holotype but collected on 21.iii.2005 (1 ♂), 28.iii.2005 (1 ♀) and 17.i.2006 (1♂) ( NPC, UASB).

Remarks. This species externally resembles Litura unda but can be distinguished by the shape of the atrial process which is comparatively shorter and is strongly triangularly expanded before the apex in lateral view compared to that of L. unda .

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 38. Species of Hishimonus and Litura. 25 & 26. H. phycitis (Distant) dark color morph; 27 & 28. H. spicans sp. nov.; 29 & 30. H. thapai sp. nov.; 31 – 33. H. viraktamathi Knight, color variation; 34 & 35. H. zeylanicus sp. nov.; 36 & 37. Litura unda Knight; 38. Litura triangula sp. nov. Figs 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 36, 38. Dorsal view; Figs 26, 28, 30, 33, 35, 37. Dorsolateral view.

FIGURES 224 – 231. Litura triangula sp. nov. 224. Profemur, anterior view; 225. Male pygofer, lateral view; 226. Style, dorsal view; 227. Male valve and subgenital plate, ventral view; 228. Connective, dorsal view; 229. Aedeagus, lateral view; 230. Aedeagus, ventral view; 231. Female seventh sternite, ventral view.