Cofana spectra (Distant)

Krishnankutty, Hu. M. & Viraktamath, Ra. A., 2008, Notes on the leafhopper genus Cofana Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) from India with description of two new species, Zootaxa 1874 (1), pp. 35-49 : 42-44

Cofana spectra (Distant) ( Figs. 5 , 35–43 )

Tettigoniella spectra Distant, 1908: 211

Cofana spectra, Young, 1979: 7

Length: male, 7.0–7.3 mm; female, 8.3 mm. Pale ochraceous. Crown with anterior margin broadly rounded, median apical black spot and two medium sized round spots each near lateral clypeal sutures that extend to ocelli, disk of crown with central rhomboid large black spot. Pronotum with pale brown central longitudinal discontinuous line not extending to scutellum, anterior portion with one or two brown patches arranged transversely and posterior margin with two brown elongate spots on either side of central line ( Fig. 27 ). Clypellus with central pale brown longitudinal line. Genae with brown markings. Forewing creamy white ( Fig. 5 ).

Male genitalia. Pygofer moderately produced with rounded caudo-dorsal margin and obliquely truncate caudal margin ( Fig. 38 ). Style in dorsal view with apex acutely pointed, in lateral view truncate, with angle at ventral margin before apex ( Figs. 41, 42 ). Aedeagal shaft in lateral view, narrowly V-shaped with dorsal apodeme shorter than shaft, shaft slightly curved anterad, with even dorsal and ventral margin ( Fig. 36 ); in caudal view broad at base, slightly narrowed distally with broadly rounded apex ( Fig. 37 ). Abdominal apodemes long, slender reaching mid length of fourth segment ( Fig. 40 ).

Female genitalia. Hind margin of female seventh sternite broadly convex ( Fig. 43 ).

Material examined. 2 males, 2 females, India: Karnataka, Bangalore , 8.iv.1976 (B. Mallik) ; 1 female, 19.x. 1977, 916 m (A. R. V. Kumar) ; 1 female, 11.i.1979 (K.D. Ghorpade); Nandi hills, 19.xii.1974 (C.A. Viraktamath) ; 3 females, 16.vi.1982, (Ananthamurthy); 1 female, Hebbal , 5.v.1982 , 1 male, 3 females, 17.v.1982 (Ananthamurthy); 1 male, Nandi hills, ex. grasses, 8.ix.1991 (P. C. Dash) ; 2 males, 7 females, ex. rice, 8.ix.1991; 3 males, 10 females (P. C. Dash); 2 females, Hebbal , 11.x. 1991 (P.C. Dash) ; 1 female, India: Karnataka, Mudigere , 22.v. 1976, 700m (K.D. Ghorpade) ; 2 males, 2 females, India: Karnataka, Chikballapur , 3.vi.1978 (S. Viraktamath) ; 1 female, (B. Ananthamurthy); 1 female, India: Karnataka, Halebid–Belur , 11.xi.1978 (C.A. Viraktamath) ; 1 male, India: Karnataka, Raichur , 15.x.1982 (Shashidhar) ; 2 males, India: Karnataka, Hebbal , 3.xii.2002 (M.K. Sindhu) ; 4 males, India: Karnataka, Dharwar , ex. wheat, 25.ix.1977 (C.A. Viraktamath) ; 1 female, India: Karnataka, Jog falls , 16.xi.1976 (K.D. Ghorpade) ; 4 females, 24.xi. 1982, 534 m (Ananthamurthy); 1 female, India: Karnataka, Mysore , ix.1967 (H.M. Harris) ; 1 female, India: Kerala: Thekkady , 26.iii.1977 (C.A. Viraktamath) [UAS, INHS].

Distribution. Australia, New Guinea, Oriental region, Tropical Africa ( Young, 1979), Madagascar.

Remarks. This is a large sized white species with broadly rounded anterior margin of the crown. It can be separated from the otherwise similar C. subvirescens by its smaller size, whitish coloration and differences in the male genitalia as noted in the key. Females also resemble those of C. bidentata in the shape of the seventh sternite, but can be differentiated by the pronotum which has a median longitudinal fuscous line not extending to scutellum.

This common species was reported on rice, barley, wheat, sugarcane, sorghum, mulberry and grasses ( Young, 1979). This species is reported as a minor pest of rice ( Wilson & Claridge, 1991).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. 1–2, Cofana bidentata n.sp., male & female; 3, Cofana lineata (Distant); 4, Cofana nigrilinea (Stål); 5, Cofana spectra (Distant); 6, Cofana spiculata sp. nov.; 7, Cofana subvirescens (Stål); 8, Cofana unimaculata (Signoret).

FIGURES 35–43. Cofana spectra (Distant)., 35, head; 36, lateral view of aedeagus; 37, caudal view of aedeagus; 38, dorsal view of pygofer; 39, ventral view of subgenital plate; 40, male abdominal apodeme; 41, dorsal view of style; 42, lateral view of apex of style; 43, female seventh sternite.

FIGURES 27–34. Cofana nigrilinea (Stål)., 27, head; 28, lateral view of aedeagus; 29, caudal view of aedeagus; 30, dorsal view of pygofer; 31, ventral view of subgenital plate; 32, lateral view of style; 33, male abdominal apodeme; 34, female seventh sternite.