Platyretus gangeticus Viraktamath & Webb

Dai, Wu & Zhang, Yalin, 2008, A review of the Oriental grassland leafhopper genus Platyretus Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), Zootaxa 1696, pp. 37-47 : 39

Platyretus gangeticus Viraktamath & Webb , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–12 )

Color and external characters as in generic description.

Male genitalia: Subgenital plates similar to P. m a rg i n a t u s ( Fig. 13 ). Apophysis of style expanded distally, thereafter tapered to acute apex with prominent stout setae along ventral margin. Aedeagal shaft with unpigmented dorsal ridge, apically rather truncate in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ), gonopore large.

Female genitalia: Median lobe of seventh sternite with or without strong median concavity.

Measurements: Male 6.4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide across eyes. Female 6.6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide across eyes.

Material examined: INDIA: Holotype ɗ, W. Bengal: Teesta, 214 m, 28.x.1981, C.A. Viraktamath ( BMNH). Paratypes: INDIA: W. Bengal: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Calcutta, 7.vii.1907 (ɗ, no collector’s name), 1 ɗ, 6 Ψ, 17.iv.1975; 15 ɗ, 12 Ψ, 11.xi.1981; 2 ɗ, 2 Ψ, 1.xi.1981, C.A. Viraktamath; 5 ɗ, 5 Ψ, 12 Km N Kalyani, 5.vi.2005, C.A. Viraktamath; 1 ɗ, Teesta, 216m, 28. x.1981, C.A. Viraktamath. Sikkim: 1 ɗ, Singtam, 30.x.1981, C.A. Viraktamath ( BMNH, UASB). BANGLA DESH: 1 ɗ, Dacca, 10.viii.1945. D. Leston ( BMNH). Other material: India: 1 ɗ, Gujarat: Waghai, 18.i.1981; 2 Ψ, Sasan Gir, 1.ii.1981, S. Viraktamath; Mizoram: 1 Ψ, Lunglei, 22.xi.1981, C.S. Wesley ( UASB). CHINA: 1ɗ, Yunnan Prov., Mengla, Yaoqu, 5 May 1991, Wang Yinglun and Tian Rungang; 1Ψ, Yunnan Prov., Mengla, Yaoqu, 600m, 7 May 1991, Liu Guangchun and Cai Wanzhi; 1ɗ, Yunnan, Mengla, 16 May 1991, Wang Yinglun and Tian Rungang; 2ɗ, 3Ψ, Yunnan Prov., Menglun, 19 May 1991, Wang Yinglun and Tian Rungang; 1ɗ,1Ψ, Yunnan Prov., Mengyang, 800m, 7 June 1991, Wang Yinglun and Tian Rungang; 2Ψ Yunnan Prov., Mengyang, 800m, 9 June 1991, Wang Yinglun and Tian Rungang; 3ɗ,1Ψ, Yunnan Prov. Menglun, 24 June 1982, Zhou Jingruo and Wang Sumei (all above in NWAFU); 1ɗ, Guangxi Prov., Pingxiang, 420m, 12 June 2000, Li Wenzhu ( IZCAS); 1Ψ, Yunnan Prov., Simao, 1300m, 23 April 1982, Jin Gentao (SEM);1ɗ,Yunnan Prov., Jiangcheng, 1100m, 26 April 1982, Jin Gentao (SEM).

Remarks: This species appears to be widely distributed in India along the Indo-Gangetic plain and in China. It can be differentiated from the Chinese, P. brevipenis by the structure of the apical apophysis of the style (see key to species). The color may vary from reddish brown to very dark brown. Although the Chinese population has a very similar apophysis of style to that in the Indian population, the median lobe of the female seventh sternite is not deeply concave as in the Indian population. However, we feel that this is within the variation expected in a widely distributed species. The species identified by Ishihara (1961) as Platyretus marginatus may also belong to this species as it has a similar median lobe of the female seventh sternite as in the specimens from China. Datta (1973:436, Plate 6) illustrated the forewing and male genitalia of a species which he misidentified as P. marginatus , but this most likely belongs to P. gangeticus judging by the shape of the style apophysis. However, the figures are too poor to identify the species with certainty.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Platyretus gangeticus Viraktamath and Webb, sp. nov. 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Forewing; 3. Pygophore, lateral view; 4. Pygophore, dorsal view; 5. Aedeagus, lateral view; 6. Aedeagus, caudal view; 7. Male style, dorsal view; 8 – 9. Apex of male style, lateral view; 10 – 12. Median lobe of female seventh sternite. Figures 1, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 12 are of the specimens from China and rest from India.

FIGURES 13 – 19. Platyretus marginatus Melichar 13. Subgenital plate and valve, ventral view; 14. Male style, dorsal view; 15. Apex of male style, lateral view; 16. Aedeagus, lateral view; 17. Aedeagus, caudal view; 18 – 19. Median lobe of female seventh sternite.