Stirellus lahorensis (Distant)

Khatri, Imran & Webb, Michael D., 2010, The Deltocephalinae leafhoppers of Pakistan (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), Zootaxa 2365, pp. 1-47 : 17

Stirellus lahorensis (Distant) (Plate 2, j; Fig. 24 ).

Stirellus peshawarensis Mahmood, Sultana & Waheed. Syn. nov.

Paternus jhokensis Ahmed & Aziz. Syn. nov.

Material examined. Pakistan: syntype Ƥ of Stirellus lahorensis , Punjab [no further data] ( BMNH); holotype 3 and 13, 1Ƥ paratypes of Stirellus peshawarensis, Peshawar , 12.vi.1970; holotype 3 and 8 paratypes of P. jhokensis, Jhok , 2.i.1987, Aziz, grass; 123, 25Ƥ, Sindh Prov., Tando Jam, 22.vii.07, from paddy. India: several specimens (3, Ƥ), from various localities ( BMNH).

Remarks. Described from an unspecified number of specimens from Punjab. Of the junior synonyms, S. peshawarensis was described from the holotype male, allotype female and 35 paratypes from: Peshawar, 12.v.1970, Waheed, grass (ZMUK) and 15 paratypes, same data (NMNH) and P. jhokensis was described from the holotype male and several paratypes from: Jhok, Sind, grass, 2.i.1987, Aziz (ZMUK). There is some variation in this species in the length of the vertex and in the curvature of its lateral margins, differences that are reflected to some extent in the original descriptions of the species listed above as well as in the material examined. For example, the lateral margins of the vertex are slightly incurved in the type of S. lahorensis and the head length is shown slightly longer in the original figure of S. jhokensis than that shown for S. peshawarensis . There is also evidently some variation in the length of the aedeagal shaft as the aedeagus of the paratype of S. peshawarensis examined matches more closely the original figures for S. jhokensis than figures from its own species description. From what we know of the variability in other species of the genus it is considered that the above differences fall within the range of variability in S. lahorensis resulting in the above synonymy.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Stirellus lahorensis (Distant), a, head and thorax dorsal view; b, face; c, forewing; d, hindwing; e – f, male genital capsule, lateral and dorsal view respectively; g, valve, subgenital plate, style and connective, dorsal view; h – i, aedeagus lateral view and dorsal view respectively; j, first valvulae; k, second valvulae and detail of apex.