Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995

Song, Zhi-Shun, Khatri, Imran & Liang, Ai-Ping, 2019, Redescription and redefinition of the genus Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995 (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Dictyopharidae, Dictyopharini), with description of a new species from Pakistan, ZooKeys 838, pp. 9-20 : 9

Genus Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995

Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq, 1984: 158, nomen nudum of Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995.

Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq, 1994: 2 (in key), 30 (in catalogue), nomen nudum of Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995.

Chiltana Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995: 374. Type species: Chiltana baluchi Shakila-Mushtaq & Akbar, 1995; by original designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Chiltana may be distinguished from other genera in the Dictyopharini by the following combination of characters: cephalic process absent due to anterior margin of vertex not reaching beyond anterior margin of eyes; vertex with lateral carinae weakly ridged and subparallel, anterior and posterior margins nearly straight, without median carina; frons without median and intermediate carinae; pronotum with anterior and posterior margins nearly straight and subparallel anteroposteriorly, lateral marginal areas distinctly convex, median carina complete but weak, without intermediate carinae; mesonotum distinctly arched, carina absent; fore and middle femora flattened and dilated, with several various sized spines on ventral margin; hind tibiae with eight apical teeth; phallobase with inflated membranous paired lobes, with numerous small superficial spines on apex of lobes.

Redescription.

Head very short, cephalic process absent due to anterior margin of vertex not reaching beyond anterior margin of eyes, so anterior part of dorsal surface of head occupied by basal extension of frons in dorsal view (Fig. 2A). Vertex (Fig. 2A) moderately broad, basal width slightly wider than transverse diameter of eyes; anterior margin not reaching beyond anterior margin of eyes, just approaching apical fourth of eyes; posterior plane elevated above pronotum; lateral carinae weakly ridged and subparallel; anterior and posterior margins weakly ridged and nearly straight; median carina absent, with a lateral large pit on each side. Frons (Fig. 2C) with lateral carinae weakly ridged, nearly parallel; median and intermediate carinae absent; basal margin of frons projecting anteriad to apex of vertex, distinctly visible in dorsal view (Fig. 2A). Postclypeus and anteclypeus (Fig. 2C) convex medially, with distinct median carina. Rostrum moderately long, reaching base of hind femora; basal segment slightly longer than distal one. Compound eyes large and globose. Ocelli relatively large, reddish. Antennae with very small scape; pedicel large and subglobular, with more than 50 distinct sensory plaque organs distributed over entire surface; flagellum long, setuliform.

Pronotum (Fig. 2A) distinctly shorter than mesonotum at midline, anterior and posterior margins nearly straight and subparallel anteroposteriorly; lateral marginal areas distinctly convex and sloping down with two longitudinal carinae on each side; intermediate carinae absent; median carina complete but weak, with a lateral pit on each side. Mesonotum (Fig. 2A) distinctly arched, carina absent. Forewings (Fig. 2D) hyaline, venation with sparse transverse veins; MP bifurcating MP1+2 and MP3+4 near middle and beyond CuA; number of apical cells between R and CuA equal to 13; Pcu and A1 veins fused into a long Pcu+A1 vein at apical 1/4 in clavus; pterostigmal area clear, with 4 or 5 cells. Legs (Fig. 3 A–D) moderately long; fore femora strongly flattened and dilated, with about 10 various sized spines on ventral margin; middle femora flattened and dilated, with about six various sized spines on ventral margin; fore and middle tarsomeres I and II with several acutellae; hind tibiae with four lateral spines and eight apical teeth; hind tarsomeres I and II with about 14 apical teeth, respectively.

Male genitalia. Pygofer (Fig. 4A, B, D) in lateral view wider ventrally than dorsally, dorsal margin slightly excavated to accommodate segment X, dorsoposterior margins angular, produced into a distinct lobe which is short and broad. Gonostyles (Fig. 4 B–E) symmetrical, with narrow base, expanded toward apex, broadest at apical fourth; dorsal margin with a claw-like process directed dorsad, outer dorsal edge with a spiny hook-like process near middle directed ventrad. Aedeagus (Fig. 5 A–F) with one pair of elongate endosomal processes extended from phallobase membranous, acute and sclerotised apically; phallobase sclerotised and pigmented basally, membranous and inflated apically, with paired lobes. Segment X (Fig. 4A, B) large, in dorsal view, with apex deeply excavated to accommodate anal style; anal style elongate and large.

Female genitalia. Gonapophyses VIII with anterior connective lamina large and sclerotized, with teeth of varying sizes and shapes. Gonoplacs with two lobes homologous; lateral lobe sclerotized, large and elongate, with a distinct sensory appendage on apex, a bunch of long setae on sensory appendage; the posterior lobe membranous, containing long sclerotized plate. Segment X large and broad, apex deeply excavated to accommodate anal style; anal style large and elongate.

Diversity and distribution.

This genus contains two species restricted to Chiltan, Balochistan, Pakistan.

Remarks.

In the original descriptions and illustrations of Chiltana , the frons and mesonotum were described as “tricarinate” ( Shakila-Mushtaq and Akbar 1995). Actually, the carinae on the frons and mesonotum of Chiltana species are absent based on examination of the type specimens of C. baluchi and new species, although these corresponding positions show the different colored patterns, like some other dictyopharid species. In addition, the legs, female genitalia and other characters of Chiltana were not mentioned in the original paper. The original generic diagnosis of Chiltana is short and incomplete. Thus, Chiltana is here redescribed and redefined based on examination of the type specimens of C. baluchi and new species and a critical review of the literature.

Chiltana is similar to the genera Afronersia Fennah, 1958 and Gilgitia Shakita-Mushtaq, 1991 in various characters of head, venation and genitalia ( Shakila-Mushtaq and Akbar 1995). In the tribe Dictyopharini , Chiltana has several diagnostic characters that serve to differentiate it from other genera. The smaller dimensions of the head, absence of carinae on the frons and mesonotum, and flattened and dilated fore and middle femora with variously sized spines on the ventral margin may easily distinguish Chiltana from remaining genera in the Dictyopharini .