Pythamus dealbatus Melichar

Viraktamath, C. A. & Webb, M. D., 2007, Review of the leafhopper genus Pythamus Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) in the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 1546 (1), pp. 51-61 : 53

Pythamus dealbatus Melichar

Figs 1–9 , 16 .

Pythamus dealbatus Melichar 1903: 161 , pl V, figs 6, 6a. Holotype ♂, Sri Lanka; Distant 1908 263, figs 170 [ZMB, examined].

Dussana quarendea Distant 1908: 322–323 , fig. 26. Holotype ♂, Sri Lanka [BMNH, examined]. Syn. nov.

Black. A spot on median carina on vertex continued posteriorly along carina and enlarged at base, caudal apex of scutellum yellow. Forewing dark chocolate brown with large area on apex of outer claval vein and triangular spot on median area of coastal margin as in Fig. 16 hyaline.

External featuers as in the generic diagnosis.

Male genitalia: Caudal margin of pygophore slightly concave with both caudo-ventral and caudo-dorsal angles roundly produced, ventral process rather straight, slender. Anal collar elongate, dark pigmented with its antero-ventral angle produced into bilobed short rounded process. Subgenital plate longer than pygophore, basally segmented, with single row of spines. Style as in Fig. 7 . Aedeagus with short preatrium, shaft tubular, with lateral marginal ridges, without processes, slightly curved, caudo-dorsally, apex attenuated, not constricted at base, gonopore subapical.

Material examined: Holotype ♂, SRI LANKA: “Type H.T”, “ Dussana quaerenda ”, “Ex Coll. J.P.”, “Ceylon, Green”, “Distant 1911-383” ( BMNH). Type ♂, SRI LANKA: “Typus” (red label), “6/32” “Ceylon nietner” “ Pythamus ” “ dealbatus det. Melichar ” ( ZMB).

Remarks: P. dealbatus differs from Indian species of Pythamus in lacking lateral processes to the aedeagal shaft. Externally it resembles both P. bispinosus and P. montanus but has a larger yellow spot at the base of the median keel on the vertex. It shares the straighter ventral pygophore process with P. biramosus . This is the only species known from Sri Lanka. The synonymy of P. dealbatus and D. quaerenda is based on the examination of the types of these two species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Pythamus dealbatus Melichar, holotype male. 1. Head and thorax; 2. Same, profile; 3. Apex of hind basitarsomere; 4. Male genital capsule, lateral view; 5. Ventral pygophore process; 6. Connective; 7. Style; 8. Aedeagus and part of connective, lateral view; 9. Aedeagus, caudal view.

FIGURES 10–16. Species of Pythamus. heads (10–12) and forewings (13–16). 10, 13. Pythamus biramosus sp. nov.; 11, 14. P. bispinosus sp. nov.; 12, 15. P. montanus sp. nov.; 16. P. dealbatus Melichar.