Yelahanka granulosa (Distant) Viraktamath & Webb & Yeshwanth, 2021

Viraktamath, C. A., Webb, M. D. & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2021, Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 1. Description of Yelahanka gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with seven new species and new combinations, Zootaxa 4915 (4), pp. 451-480 : 455

Yelahanka granulosa (Distant) , comb. nov.

Figs 2 A–J, 3 A–J, 6 C–D, 7 A–E, 8 D–K, 11 A–G, 19 A–D.

Petalocephala granulosa Distant 1910: 196 ; 1916: 219–220.

Petalocephala bainbriggei Distant 1916: 220 . Syn. nov.

In life, uniformly green with lateral margins of pronotum dark brown to black extending on to lateral margins of outer claval vein. Sometimes anterior and lateral margins of pronotum and clavus with grey border as in Y. punctata (see below) and some males and females lacking lateral marginal dark brown coloration replaced by pale green or greenish yellow either on claval margin or both pronotal and claval margin.

Crown in male 0.6–0.7 times and in female 0.5 times width between eyes. Pronotum about 1.3–1.7 times as long in male and 1.2 times as long as crown in female. Pronotum slightly longer than mesonotum. Hind tibia with 2 macrosetae on row PD.

Male genitalia. Pygofer about 1.5 times as long as height in lateral view; with a short spine-like ventral process with basal short ventral projection, arising close to dorsal angle and not reaching dorsal margin. Style apophysis slender smoothly curved ventrally with pointed apex. Aedeagus with well-developed dorsal apodeme; shaft directed posteriorly at base then dorsally and in apical 0.33 curved anteriorly with a pair of unequal processes arising on dorsal margin apically, longer process 3x as long as shorter process and slightly wider distally, shorter process more or less of uniform width, shaft slightly indented at apex on ventral margin, gonopore apical. Segment X posteroventral extension well developed exceeding pygofer.

Nymphs. Flat, scale-like, translucent with greenish tinge, with segmental incisions on lateral margin s of abdomen; with or without black spot on wing pad and mesonotum; surface punctate ( Figs 19 A–D).

Measurements. Male 5.6–6.6 mm long, 1.9–2.1 mm wide across eyes and 2.0– 2.2 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 7.3–7.4 mm long, 2.2–2.3 mm wide across eyes and 2.4–2.6 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. INDIA: Bihar: LECTOTYPE ♂ (wings closed), Petalocephala granulosa Distant (here designated), “Pusa Coll.”, “Distant Coll. 1911-383” ( BMNH); PARALECTOTYPES, 1♂ (wings spread), 3♀, same data as lectotype except one female also with red type disc and Distant’s handwritten label “ Petalocephala granulosa Dist. , type” ( Figs. 2 D–F) ( BMNH); LECTOTYPE ♀, Petalocepahala bainbriggei Distant (here designated), “South India, Coimbatore, 5.iii.[19]13, Fletcher Coll” “Pusa Coll., 1913-AGR” “ Petalocephala bainbriggei , type, Dist.” ( BMNH). Other material. Several males and females collected from Andhra Pradesh (Guntur), Karnataka (Badami, Bengaluru, Castle Rock, Chattalli, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Doddaballpura, Galibidu, Haveri, H.D. Kote, Hiriyur, Hoskote, Mangalore, Masthi, Mudigere, Siddleghatta, Wadi), Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore, Dindigal, Mettupalyam) during January to July and September to December ( UASB). INDIA [as MAYNMAR], 1♀, Mishmi Hills, Lohit River, 17.iii.1935, M. Steele (new country record); TANZANIA: 2♂, 3♀ Tabora, xi.1964 (new country record); KENYA, 2♂, 2♀, Rabai, iv.1928, van Someren (new country record); MALAYA: 1♀, Penang, 16.i.1959, H. T. Pagden, at light (new country record) (all BMNH).

Remarks. Y. granulosa was described from more than one specimen (syntype) with the following collection data: “Bengal: Pusa (Lefroy)” and biological data: “Mr. Maxwell-Lefroy, in forwarding me specimens of this species, says:—“We have reared this from nymphs which are fixed to mango-leaf, very tightly pressed down on to it so as to be very difficult to see; they are more or less transparent, and sit motionless very much as a scaleinsect does. They are not common.”. Y. bainbriggei was described from an unspecified number of specimens (syntypic) from “South India; Coimbatore (T. Bainbrigge Fletcher)”. Synonymy of Y. bainbriggei ( Figs 2 H–J) is based on male and female specimens collected from Coimbatore and on the female seventh sternite. Y. granulosa is a very variable species both in terms of coloration and size. This is the most common species of the genus in south India. The species breeds on mango (Mangifer indica L.), Polyalthia longifolia Sonn. , maize ( Zea mays L.) and Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq. A dryinid parasitoid, Anteon viraktamathi Olmi parasitizes the nymphs of this species in Bengaluru ( Olmi 1987). The occurrence of the species on mango may be the cause of its wide spread distribution from Africa to Malaya.

Figures

FIGURES 2 A–K. Yelahanka granulosa (Distant) comb. nov.. A–C, lectotype male, Y. granulosa: dorsal, lateral views and label data; D–G, paralectotype female, Y. granulosa: dorsal, lateral and face, and label data. H–K, lectotype female Y. bainbreggei (Distant) comb. nov. (junior synonym of Y. granulosa): dorsal, lateral, ventral views and label data.

FIGURES 19 A–E. Nymphs, adults and habitat of Yelahanka granulosa (Distant):A, nymph on maize; B, nymph on Dodonaea viscosa; C–D, adults on Dodonaea viscosa leaf; E, ecological habitat of Y. granulosa and Dodonaea viscosa, near Bengaluru.