Hishimonus bengalensis (Distant)

Viraktamath, C. A. & Anantha Murthy, H. V., 2014, Review of the genera Hishimonus Ishihara and Litura Knight (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of new species, Zootaxa 3785 (2), pp. 101-138 : 108

Hishimonus bengalensis (Distant)

Eutettix bengalensis Distant 1918: 60 –61, fig. 32.

Hishimonus bengalensis (Distant) : Knight 1970: 138.

Distant (1918) described the species as follows: “Head, pronotum and scutellum ochraceous; vertex with two small dark spots on disk near eyes; pronotum with some darker suffusion on basal area; scutellum with two small dark spots on anterior margin, a series of still smaller spots on lateral margins, and a slender cruciform dark mark on disk; body beneath and legs ochraceous, posterior tibiae with small blackish spots; tegmina dull greyish, with very small sub-obsolete darker spots, more developed on costal margin, a large dark ochraceous spot or patch on each side of claval suture, interiorly (at the suture itself) marked with greyish-white, the apical lateral marginal areas brownish-ochraceous with small white spots; vertex of bead a little more than half as long as width between eyes, the anterior margin a little conically produced; scutellum almost as long as pronotum.”

Remarks. H. bengalensis was described from an unstated number of specimens (syntypes) from “Calcutta”. Knight (1970) briefly redescribed the species, based on the type series (BMNH) comprising one male (with genitalia lost) and one female, and designated the male specimen as the lectotype. He also mentioned that this species is similar to H. apricus Knight (not Melichar), H. angulatus Knight and H. eminens Knight , in having dark brown border on the median spot of the forewings. A similar coloration is also found in Hishimonus distinctus sp. nov. from south India and Sri Lanka. Its correct identity can be established only after the examination of the genitalia of an associated male.