Signoretiinae Baker, 1915, 1859

Takiya, Daniela M., Dietrich, Christopher H. & Viraktamath, Chandra A., 2013, The unusual Afrotropical and Oriental leafhopper subfamily Signoretiinae (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae): taxonomic notes, new distributional records, and description of two new Signoretia species, ZooKeys 319, pp. 303-323 : 304-306

Signoretiinae Baker, 1915 Figs 1 -42

Phlogisinae = Linnavuori, 1979

Description.

Medium-sized, cylindrical leafhoppers ( Figs 2-14 ). Head ( Figs 2-14 ) broader than pronotum; ocelli visible in dorsal aspect; frontoclypeus expanded with prominent transverse muscle scars; lateral frontal sutures extended ventromesad of ocelli; antennal ledges well developed; antennae subequal to or longer than width of head; anteclypeus convex and tapered from base to apex; lorum short, narrow, well separated from genal margin, partly bordering frontoclypeus; gena slightly emarginate below eyes, exposing proepisternum; rostrum tapered, surpassing front trochanters.

Pronotum ( Figs 2-5, 7-11, 13, 14 ) greatly enlarged, strongly convex, distinctly punctate, weakly produced anterad, extended posterad to scutellar suture. Forewings ( Figs 15, 17, 19 ) macropterous with venation distinct and opaque sclerotization, if present, limited to basal third; vein R with two (R1 not visible as separate vein) or three branches; crossvein s present (outer anteapical cell closed); inner apical cell elongate, parallel-sided, extended to wing apex. Hind wings ( Figs 16, 18, 20 ) with venation complete; submarginal vein well separated from wing margin. Forelegs with femur with AM1 weakly developed or absent, intercalary row and distal half of AV well differentiated, each with several setae arranged in single row; tibia cylindrical, AD and PD undifferentiated. Hind legs with femur with macrosetal formula 2+0; tibia with macrosetae of dorsal rows reduced in size and number; tarsomere I without dorsoapical pair of macrosetae; pecten with 2 platellae.

Male genital capsule ( Figs 21-24 , 29 - 42 ) with valve articulated or fused laterally to pygofer; pygofer without distinct membranous clefts near base; segment X very large, well sclerotized, with or without processes; subgenital plates digitiform, broadest at base, usually with numerous fine setae dorsally but only rarely with well differentiated macrosetae; connective Y-shaped; style sigmoid; with or without sclerotized dorsal connective or other sclerotized processes between anal tube and aedeagus usually present.

Female ovipositor ( Figs 26, 27 ) elongate, variable in shape and dentition.

Distribution.

Afrotropical and Oriental.

Notes.

With the exception of the proconiine sharpshooter genus Tretogonia Melichar, 1926 and the recently described dikraneurine ( Typhlocybinae ) genus Sweta Viraktamath & Dietrich 2011, Signoretiinae are the only leafhoppers with fully developed wings that have the pronotum extended to the scutellar suture. Viraktamath and Dietrich (2011) discussed several characters supporting the placement of Sweta in Typhlocybinae rather than Signoretiinae . Interestingly all these leafhoppers have the long pronotum distinctly punctate.

Nothing is known about the ecology or feeding behavior of Signoretiinae , although the strongly convex or inflated face suggests that they preferably feed on xylem sap.

Key to tribes and genera of Signoretiinae

1	Dorsal coloration black ( Figs 2-7 ); crown and frontoclypeus without carinae ( Figs 2-7 ); ocelli on crown, each equidistant to adjacent anterior eye angle and other ocellus ( Figs 2, 4 ); forewing with 3 closed anteapical cells ( Fig. 15 ); hind wing submarginal vein not extended onto jugum ( Fig. 16 ); hind tibia with macrosetae in row PD; male pygofer without posteroventral process ( Fig. 21 ); valve fused laterally to pygofer ( Fig. 21 )	Phlogisini , 2
1'	Dorsal coloration usually white or yellow ( Fig. 8-14 ); crown with transverse basal carina between ocelli ( Figs 8, 10, 13 ); ocelli on crown-face transition, distinctly closer to adjacent eye angle than to median line of crown ( Figs 8, 10, 13 ); frontoclypeus with complete median longitudinal carina ( Figs 9, 12, 14 ); forewing with only outer anteapical cell closed, inner and median anteapical cells open at base ( Figs 17, 19 ); hind wing submarginal vein extended onto jugum ( Fig. 18, 20 ); hind tibia without macrosetae in row PD; male pygofer with posteroventral process ( Figs 31, 34 , 37 ); valve not fused laterally to pygofer, articulated by membranous connection ( Fig. 31 )	Signoretiini , 3
2	Head in profile with lower part of clypeus distinctly produced and angulate, forming shelf over anteclypeus ( Fig. 3 ); frontoclypeus with transverse carina ventrally and median longitudinal carina dorsally ( Fig. 3 ); gena with conspicuous long, pale setae ( Fig. 3 )	Chouious
2'	Head in profile evenly rounded, with lower part of frontoclypeus continuing contour of anteclypeus ( Figs 6, 7 ); face without carinae ( Fig. 6 ); gena without conspicuous long, pale setae ( Figs 5, 6 )	Phlogis
3	Pronotum with complete paired longitudinal carinae ( Fig. 8 ); forewings with claval veins fused for one-third of their distance ( Fig. 17 )	Preta
3'	Pronotum with or without incomplete paired longitudinal carinae at basal third ( Figs 10, 13 ); forewings with claval veins separate ( Fig. 19 )	Signoretia

Figures

Figure 1. Current distribution of signoretiine genera, Chouious, Phlogis, Preta, and Signoretia. Countries marked with a lighter shade are new records given herein.

Figure 37 - 42. Male genitalia of Signoretia. 37 - 39 Signoretia malaya. 37 genital capsule, lateral view 38 connective, styles, and aedeagus, dorsal view 39 connective, styles, and aedeagus, lateral view 40 - 42 Signoretia yangli 40 connective and styles, dorsal view 41 style, lateral view 42 aedeagus, lateral view.

Figures 2 - 14. Habitus photographs. 2, 3 Chouious tianzeus, dorsal and lateral 4 - 6 Phlogis sp. from Malaysia, dorsal and details of head lateral and face 7 Phlogis sp. from Thailand, lateral 8, 9 Preta gratiosa, dorsal and lateral 10 - 12 Signoretia delicata sp. n., detail of head, dorsal, lateral, and frontal 13, 14 Signoretia kintendela sp. n., dorsal and lateral.

Figures 15 - 20. Fore- and hindwing. 15, 16 Phlogis sp. from Thailand. 17, 18 Preta gratiosa. 19, 20 Signoretia aureola.

Figures 21 - 30. Terminalia of Chouious, Phlogis and Preta. 21 - 24 Chouious tianzeus, male genitalia 21 genital capsule (without anal tube), lateral view 22 dorsal connective, caudal view 23 connective, styles, aedeagus, dorsal connective, and anal tube, lateral view 24 aedeagus caudal view. 25 - 27 female terminalia of Phlogis sp. from Malaysia 25 sternite VII, ventral view 26 first valvula of ovipositor, lateral view 27 second valvifers, second valvulae and gonoplacs of ovipositor, lateral view 28 Phlogis sp. from Thailand, sternite VII, ventral view 29, 30 Preta gratiosa 29 pygofer and segment X of anal tube, lateral view 30 subgenital plates, connective, styles, and aedeagus, lateral view.

Figures 31 - 36. Male genitalia of new species of Signoretia. 31 - 33 Signoretia delicata sp. n. 31 genital capsule, lateral view 32 connective, styles, and aedeagus, dorsal view 33 connective, styles, and aedeagus, lateral view 34 - 36 Signoretia kintendela sp. n. 34 genital capsule, lateral view 35 connective, style, and aedeagus, dorsal view 36 aedeagus, ventrolateral view.