Maiestas pruthii (Metcalf)

Shah, Bismillah, Naveed, Hassan, Webb, Michael D. & Duan, Yani, 2021, Taxonomic review of the grassland leafhopper genus Maiestas Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Deltocephalini) from Pakistan with description of a new species and two new records, Zootaxa 5060 (3), pp. 401-416 : 406

Maiestas pruthii (Metcalf)

( Fig. 4F–L )

Deltocephlaus notatus Singh-Pruthi, 1936: 128–129 , fig. 139, plate IX, fig. 10 (Prim.hom.: Deltocephalus notatus Melichar, 1896).

Deltocephalus pruthii Metcalf, 1967: 1173 (nom. nov. pro Deltocephalus notatus Singh-Pruthi, 1936 ).

Deltocephalus (Recilia) pruthii, Dash & Viraktamath, 1998: 22–23 , figs 150–158.

Maiestas pruthii, Webb & Viraktamath, 2009: 20 , comb. nov.; Khatri & Webb, 2010: 11, plate 2a, fig. 13, misidentification? (see Remarks); Naveed et al., 2019: 286, figs 2A–C (incorrectly cited as M. subviridis , pers. com. Naveed), Fig. 3i , misidentification? (see Remarks).

Material examined. No material examined.

Distribution. Pakistan, India. (see Remarks)

Remarks. The identity of this species is somewhat uncertain. It was described from the holotype male and allotype female from Pakistan, Layallpur [Faisalabad], but the male genitalia slide of the holotype (ZSI) is now missing (pers. com. Chandra Viraktamath). Although the types were examined by Dash & Viraktamath (1998) their figures are from Indian (Dehli) specimens (pers. com. Chandra Viraktamath) and although showing a very slight difference in the style apex to that of Singh-Pruthi’s original they show a similar relatively long apical extension of the aedeagus and rounded shaft apex ( Figs 4J–L ). Therefore, Dash & Viraktamath’s material is tentatively considered correctly identified but, to be certain, topotypical material of M. pruthii , i.e., from Faisalabad, should be obtained and examined. The Pakistan material identified as this species by Khatri & Webb (2010) with their figures reproduced by Naveed et al. (2019) show a more tapered aedeagus apex and shorter apical process and vertex with a small dot either side of the coronal suture apex, are here considered to be a different species (see Maiestas sp. 2 below). Despite the shortcomings of Singh-Pruthi’s original genitalia figures, his habitus figure of this species is very good and shows a species with a relatively long acute head with a pair of inverted U-shaped markings basally and forewings with extra cross veins. The extra forewing cross veins are also present in M. indica (described from the same type locality as M. pruthii ) and Maiestas sp. 1 and 2 (see Remarks under these species). In conclusion, until the type genitalia or topotypical specimens can be found, the identity of this species is based on the figures of Dash & Viraktamath (1998) together with the images given here from the same specimen ( Figs 4F–L ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Maiestas sinuata Shah & Duan sp. n. A: habitus, dorsal view; B: habitus, lateral view; C: head and thorax, dorsal view; D: face; E: male genital capsule, lateral view; F: subgenital plates, valve and styles, dorsal view; G–H: connective and aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view respectively.

FIGURE 4. Maiestas species. A–E, M. subviridis (Metcalf) (after Khatri & Webb, 2010) A–B: habitus (macropterus and subbrachypterus respectively), dorsal view; C: subgenital plate, ventral view; D: aedeagus, lateral view; E: aedeagus, dorsal view; F–L, M. pruthii (Metcalf) (after Dash & Viraktamath, 1998) F: habitus, dorsal view; G: habitus, lateral view; H: face; I: style, dorsal view; J: connective and aedeagus, ventral view; K; apex of aedeagus, lateral view; L: connective and aedeagus, lateral view.