Stirellus tolla (Pruthi)

Shah, Bismillah, Naveed, Hassan & Duan, Yani, 2020, Taxonomic review of the leafhopper genus Stirellus Osborn & Ball (Hemiptera Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Stenometopiini) from Pakistan with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4763 (2), pp. 189-202 : 196-197

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4763.2.3
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C85B6BFB-ED9D-4EE7-AFA7-CD37B0FED688
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3806462
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DD8799-FF96-3B26-FF78-F89CFBB88CE7
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Stirellus tolla (Pruthi)
status

Treatment

Stirellus tolla (Pruthi) View in CoL n. rec.

( Figs 6–8 View FIG View FIG View FIG )

Aconura tolla Pruthi, 1930: 39 View in CoL .

Measurement. Male: 3.00– 3.50mm.

Coloration and Morphology. General color yellowish green ( Fig. 6 View FIG A–C). Crown with yellow hues. Eye dark greyish, surrounded with orange band ( Figs 6 View FIG A–C, 8A, 8C). Pronotum posterior region blackish with minute dots. Mesonotum with basal triangles orange ( Fig. 6A, 6C View FIG ). Scutellum yellowish. Forewing pale with white venation ( Fig. 6 View FIG A–B). Crown narrower than pronotum, almost as long as distance between eyes, anteriorly slightly angulate ( Figs 6A, 6C View FIG , 8A, 8D View FIG ). Eye relatively large. Ocellus next to eye slightly below anterior margin of crown. Face as long as broad, with transverse markings near eyes ( Fig. 6D View FIG ). Pronotum median length nearly as long as median length of crown ( Figs 6A, 6C View FIG , 8A, 8D View FIG ). Mesonotum and scutellum shorter than pronotum ( Fig. 6A, 6C View FIG ). Forewing macropterous ( Figs 6 View FIG A–B, 8A, 8G).

Male genitalia. Pygofer elongated, without macrosetae, apex as in Figs 7A View FIG , 8H View FIG . Subgenital plate slightly concave laterally, apically rounded, macrosetae uniseriate laterally ( Fig. 7C View FIG ). Style narrow, apophysis digitate, curved laterally ( Figs 7C View FIG , 8K View FIG ). Connective with stem slightly shorter than arms ( Figs 7D View FIG , 8L View FIG ). Aedeagal shaft long, strongly curved basally, almost parallel to aedeagal base, with preapical anterior expansion visible in lateral and posterior views, apex pointed and slightly curved anterad ( Figs 7 View FIG E–F, 8M).

Material examined. 1♂, Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Khairabad Kund, 33°54′15.1596 N, 72°13′37.8264 E, Sweeping hand net, 20 August 2018, coll. Bismillah Shah.

Remarks. This species was not placed in the previous checklist because of unconfirmed identity. Present studies have confirmed its identity and existence in Pakistan. This species differs from most other species of the genus in the shape and size of the crown, which is shorter and bluntly angulate at the anterior margin, by the eyes surrounded with an orange band and the pronotum posterior region blackish with minute dots. This species is somewhat similar to Stirellus daii Duan, Webb & Zhang in genital characters but differs in external appearance. Its male genitalia also show similarity with Stirellus rubrolineatus Distant but differ in subgenital plates.