Cofana bidentata, Krishnankutty & Viraktamath, 2008

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 : 36-40

Cofana bidentata sp. nov. ( Figs. 1, 2 , 9–17 )

Length: male, 6.6–6.8 mm; female, 7.0–7.3 mm. Ochraceous. Crown with median apical black spot, two small spots near each lateral clypeal suture, disk of crown with large cordate black spot. Pronotum with distinct longitudinal line extending onto scutellum but without spots on anterior region, with depressions along middle portion of disk separating paler anterior portion from remaining portions ( Fig. 9 ). Clypellus with pale brown longitudinal marking at base. Genae with brown markings. Forewing white.

Male genitalia. Pygofer trapezoidal, with rounded caudo-dorsal margin and obliquely truncate caudal margin ( Fig. 12 ). Style with apex slender, smoothly curved laterally in dorsal view ( Fig. 15 ), in lateral view bifid ( Fig. 16 ). Aedeagus with pair of short anteapical processes, in lateral view dorsal apodeme 0.75X as long as shaft ( Fig. 10 ); in caudal view shaft broad, abruptly narrowed subapically with round apex ( Fig. 11 ). Abdominal apodemes slender, extending to mid length of fourth segment ( Fig. 14 ).

Female genitalia. Hind margin of female seventh sternite broadly convex ( Fig. 17 ).

Etymology: The species epithet, bidentata , refers to the dentate processes on the aedeagal shaft.

Material examined. Holotype male, India: Karnataka: 35 km W Jog Falls , 17. xi. 1976 (C.A. Viraktamath) [ UAS] . Paratypes: 1 female, same data as for holotype ; 1 male, 2 females, India: Karnataka, Mudigere , 7.iv. 1975, 700 m (K.D. Ghorpade) ; 4 females, India: Karnataka, Mudigere , 21.v.1976 (B. Mallik) ; 1 male, India: Karnataka, Hassan , 6.iv.1975 (C.A. Viraktamath) ; 1 male, India: Kerala: Meppadi , 18.x. 1975, 690m (C.A. Viraktamath) [ BMNH, INHS, IARI, UAS, ZSI] .

Distribution. India (Karnataka, Kerala).

Remarks. C. bidentata resembles C. yasumatsui Young , but differs in the position of the dentate processes on the aedeagal shaft; C. yasumatsui has the processes apically whereas in C. bidentata they are anteapical. Females of this species resemble C. spectra in the shape of the seventh sternite, but can be differentiated by both the external markings on the crown and the more narrowly rounded anterior margin.

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 9–17. Cofana bidentata n.sp., 9, head; 10, lateral view of aedeagus; 11, caudal view of aedeagus; 12, dorsal view of pygofer; 13, ventral view of subgenital plate; 14, male abdominal apodeme; 15, dorsal view of style and connective; 16, lateral view of apex of style; 17, female seventh sternite.