Onukindia, Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2018

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2018, Revision of the evacanthine leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) of the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4386 (1), pp. 1-78 : 24-25

Onukindia gen. nov.

Type species: Platyretus connexus Distant.

Black or chocolate brown to bright yellow, orange, at least costal margin pale yellow or cream colored.

Head conically produced in front of eyes, narrower than and either as long or longer than pronotum. Crown flat or convex, with median, lateral and subocular carinae converging anteriorly to a point, disc longitudinally rugose. Face longer than broad, frontoclypeus with prominent median carina, lateral marginal ridges. Clypellus broad basally narrowed apically, exceeding curvature of gena. Lora long and narrow not reaching lower margin of gena. Pronotum convex, disc transversely rugose, sometimes rugose-punctate, about as long as mesonotum and twice as wide as long. Mesonotum transversely rugose in anterior half, basal triangles, shagreen, scutellum rough sculptured. Forefemur with 2 enlarged basal setae in row AV followed by thinner hair-like setae, AM1 well developed and stout, row IC with 10 hair-like setae and in curved row. Hind femur distal macrosetae 2+1+1. Hind tibia macrosetae AD 12–13, AV 14–15, PD 20–22. Metabasitarsus with three stout spines replacing platellae in apical transverse row.

Male pygofer with or without basal fracture, lacking ventral process. Subgenital plate longer than pygofer in lateral view, more or less of uniform width, macrosetae uniseriate along inner submargin. Style with lateral lobe and apex of apophysis foot-shaped, toe often prolonged, preapical tooth present. Connective Y-shaped with arms shorter than stem. Aedeagus with well developed, bifid dorsal apodeme, without ventral process, without dorsolateral lobes, aedeagal shaft with thin basal or apical processes. Female with first pair of valvulae curved dorsally, with strigate dorsal sculpturing confined to distal half. Second pair of valvulae slightly straighter, with denticular area confined to distal 0.33 with distinct well separated denticles without secondary dentition.

Remarks. This genus closely resembles Onukiades Ishihara in having thin processes on the aedeagal shaft but can be differentiated by the following set of characters (Onukiades character states in parentheses): a) either uniformly cinnamon brown or pale yellow without black markings on the crown (pale yellow with black spots on the crown); b) crown as long as or slightly longer than pronotum (distinctly shorter than the pronotum) c) disc of the crown flat or convex (disc of the crown slightly concave); d) style apophysis with a preapical tooth (without a prepacial tooth); e) dorsal apodeme of aedeagus bilobed (with a single lobe). Phylogenetic analysis of Wang et al. (2017) also showed Platyretus connexus (as Onukia connexia ) did not belong Onukia or any of the other evacanthine genera included in the analysis.