Papuakutara, Lu & Webb & Zhang, 2018

Lu, Lin, Webb, M. D. & Zhang, Yalin, 2018, A new leafhopper genus of subtribe Paraboloponina (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini), with description of two new species from Papua New Guinea, Zootaxa 4521 (2), pp. 281-286 : 282-283

Papuakutara gen. nov.

Type species: Papuakutara ficus sp. nov.

Description. Head yellow; vertex with subapical fine transverse dark brown band centrally. Pronotum yellowish brown with broad transverse dark brown band in middle. Forewings brownish hyaline; claval veins yellow, remaining veins brown.

Head as broad as pronotum, anterior margin with pair of interocular carina, laterally above and below ocelli with some fine striations between carina; vertex transversely sulcate subapically, elevated posteriorly, fore and hind margin subparallel; ocelli located on anterior margin distant from eye; antennae approximately half as long as body, arising at mid height of eye in facial view; antennal pit not encroaching onto clypeus; anteclypeus with sides concave. Pronotum similar in length to scutellum, lateral margin very short, carinate. Forewing with four apical and three subapical cells, inner subapical cell open; claval veins without cross vein, cross vein present between inner claval vein and inner claval margin; appendix narrow. Fore femur with single long seta AV1 and 2–3 very short, widely spaced AV setae in basal half, intercalary row with about 12 setae, AM1 large and near ventral margin. Fore tibia with 2+4 to 6+4 dorsal macrosetae. Hind femur dorsoapical macrosetae 2+2+1.

Male pygofer long, rectangular in lateral view, deeply incised dorsally, with group of macrosetae dorsoposteriorly. Subgenital plate elongate, incurved subbasally thereafter tapered to digitate apex, without macrosetae, with some fine lateral setae. Style short to moderately long, anterior margin between arms transverse or oblique; lateral lobe weak to well developed; apophysis foot-like or beak-like. Connective very long and slender, stem about three times length of arms, articulated with aedeagus. Aedeagus with shaft moderately long, strongly curved dorsally with ventrobasal process curved to one side, gonopore apical or subapical on dorsal surface; basal apodeme very short, articulated to sclerotized area in phragma (dorsal connective).

Female with second valvulae blade-shaped with a subbasal dorsal prominence and another dorsal prominence basad of dorsal hyaline area, several robust unaligned teeth over distal third of dorsal margin ( Fig. 1G ).

Distribution. Papua ( Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea.

Remarks. In the key to genera of Paraboloponina ( Zhang & Webb, 1996: 10) the new genus runs to Kutara Distant based on its posteriorly elevated vertex, dorsal 2+4 foretibia macrosetae and stem of connective not greatly expanded laterally. However, it differs from that genus both in geographical distribution and morphology. Kutara is distributed throughout mainland East and South Asia to Western Indonesia while the new genus is found in New Guinea. Externally Papuakutara differs in lacking a cross vein between the claval veins of the forewing and in the male genitalia by the connective not angled at midlength and aedeagal shaft not usually produced beyond the gonopore and with a basal process.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Papuakutara species. A–G, Papuakutara ficus sp. nov. A, habitus dorsal view; B–C, male pygofer, lateral and dorsal view; D, aedeagus, lateral view; E, aedeagus, style, connective and subgenital; plates, lateral and ventral view. F–G, female first and second valvulae, lateral view; H, P. lucidicosta, lectotype habitus, dorsal view and labels.