Selenocephalina Fieber, 1872

Zahniser, James N. & Dietrich, Chris H., 2013, A review of the tribes of Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 45, pp. 1-211 : 163-166

Selenocephalina Fieber, 1872

Fig. 52

Type genus: Selenocephalus Germar, 1833 .

Diagnosis

Selenocephalina are medium sized to large, robust often brownish, yellowish, ochraceous, grey, brown, or reddish leafhoppers, sometimes with dark irroration. They can be identified by the carinae on the anterior margin of the head, ocelli on the anterior margin of the head and close to the eyes, broad face, male pygofer usually with few or no macrosetae, segment X broad and strongly sclerotized dorsally, and lacking the features defining other subtribes of Selenocephalini .

Description

HEAD. Head subequal to or wider than pronotum. Discal portion of crown glabrous with radial or longitudinal striae.Anterior margin of head with 2 or 3 parallel carinae or with numerous irregular carinae or striations. Face very broad. Frontoclypeus not tumid; texture shagreen. Clypellus widening apically; apex following or slightly surpassing normal curve of gena; often with more or less distinct median keel. Lorum subequal to or wider than clypellus near base. Antennal bases near middle or posteroventral (lower) corners of eyes. Antennae short, less than 1.5 x width of head. Gena obtusely incised laterally, with fine erect seta beside laterofrontal suture. Antennal ledges weakly developed (carinate or weakly carinate). Ocelli present; close to eyes; on anterior margin of head.

THORAX. Pronotum lateral margin carinate; lateral margin shorter than basal width of eye.

WINGS. Forewing macropterous; appendix restricted to anal margin or large, extending around wing apex; with 3 anteapical cells; veins not raised; without reflexed costal veins; A1-A2 crossvein present; apical venation not highly reticulate.

LEGS. Profemur with AM1 seta only or with AM1 and with one or more additional proximal setae; intercalary row with one row of five or more fine setae; row AV with short, stout setae or with relatively long macrosetae. Protibia dorsal surface rounded, convex. Metafemur apex macrosetae 2+2+1. Metatarsomere I not expanded apically; plantar setae simple, tapered.

MALE GENITALIA. Valve articulated with pygofer; lateral margin short, articulating with pygofer at a point. Pygofer basolateral membranous cleft present; macrosetae usually absent or reduced (≤ two rows). Subgenital plates free from each other; articulated with valve; without macrosetae or macrosetae scattered, irregularly arranged, uniseriate laterally, with two lateral rows of macrosetae, or with irregularly arranged macrosetae near lateral margin. Style broadly bilobed basally, median anterior lobe pronounced. Basal processes of the aedeagus/connective absent or reduced or present, connected or articulated to connective or near base of aedeagus. Aedeagus with single shaft and gonopore. Connective anterior arms somewhat divergent, Y - or U -shaped; articulated with aedeagus. Segment X broad; sclerotized dorsally at least at apex; sometimes with processes.

FEMALE GENITALIA. Pygofer with numerous macrosetae. Ovipositor protruding or not protruding far beyond pygofer apex. First valvula convex; dorsal sculpturing pattern strigate; sculpturing reaching dorsal margin; without distinctly delimited ventroapical sculpturing. Second valvula abruptly broadened medially or subapically or broad, gradually tapered; often with or sometimes without dorsal median tooth; teeth on apical 1/3 or more; teeth large, regularly shaped or teeth small, regularly or irregularly shaped.

Geography and ecology

Distribution: Palearctic, Afrotropical and Oriental. Selenocephalina are most diverse in the Afrotropical forested ecosystems and are often collected at lights.

Remarks

Selenocephalina contains 15 genera and 129 species. Selenocephalus was included in the phylogenetic analyses and found to be closely related to other Selenocephalini and sister to Citorus (included in phylogenetic analyses here for the first time), which is transferred from Penthimiini and included in Selenocephalina here. Citorus has a squat, robust body form, large forewing with the appendix extending around the wing apex, and protibiae flattened dorsally and carinate, which account for its previous placement in Penthimiini, but it shares other characters (ocelli on anterior margin of head and close to eyes; antennal ledges not very strong) with Selenocephalina. Very strong branch support was recovered for a clade including Dwightla , Citorus and Selenocephalus .

Included genera

Angolaia Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Bumka McKamey, 2003

Citorus Stål, 1866 placement nov. (transferred from Penthimiini)

Distantia Signoret, 1879

Foso Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Gannia Theron, 1979 placement nov. (previously unplaced in Deltocephalinae )

Hecaloidella Osborn, 1934

Ifeia Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Loka Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Maichewia Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Malendea Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Moluccazhangia McKamey, 2003

Omanellinus Zhang, 1999

Sapoba Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983

Selenocephalus Germar, 1833

Figures

Fig. 52. Selenocephalini (Selenocephalina). A–B, D–K. Gannia viraktamathi sp. nov. C. Selenocephalus planus (Turton, 1802). A–I. Standard views (see Material & Methods). G. Connective and style shown with aedeagus and processes of aedeagus. H–I. Aedeagus shown with processes of aedeagus. J. Broad view of style. K. ♀ sternite VII.