Proranus Spinola, 1850

Jones, Joshua R. & Deitz, Lewis L., 2009, Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 2186, Zootaxa 2186 (1), pp. 1-120 : 61-62

Genus Proranus Spinola

(Pl. 4J–K, 6C, 15B, I, 16I, 17F)

Proranus Spinola 1850: 122 .

Type species. P. ghilianii Spinola 1850: 124 , by original designation.

Synonymy: None.

Description: Kramer’s (1966) description: “Moderate sized (9–12.5 mm.) robust, strongly convex leafhoppers whose outlines often approach a diamond shape; head always clearly produced beyond eyes with anterior margin acute to rounded, ocelli small on crown mesad of anterior edges of eyes, in lateral view with head strongly declivent toward apex, face horizontal, clypeus and clypellus clearly visible, suture between them concave, in facial view clypellus with margins usually bowed and narrowest apically, clypeus narrow with lateral sutures terminating slightly beyond antennal bases located just below margin of head away from eyes, both clypellus and clypeus convex, genae and lora comparatively narrow; pronotum always broadest posteriorly at humeral angles, in lateral view convex, declivent cephalad with lateral margin carinate; scutellum of moderate breadth and length; forewings long, broad, and punctate, punctures most numerous in opaque clavi, each puncture usually with a minute scale-like seta at center, often with extra veinlets distally, appendix well developed, and running from claval apex around distal margin to area of outer apical cell, forewings at rest excluding clavi held vertically; legs moderately stout with spines of metathoracic tibia less numerous than in usual leafhopper type; spinulation of metathoracic femur 2–1–0. Male genitalia: genital capsule partly withdrawn into abdomen with valve hidden by preceding abdominal sternum; pygofer shorter than plates, always with a cluster of stout setae on distal portion, mainly membranous dorsally; anal tube gross with first segment entirely sclerotized and large; plates elongate oval with hairs on dorsal portion; valve distinct; connective stout and elongate, styles flat, moderately long, with one apical lobe, lobe with a single small tooth on inner edge near apex; aedeagus stout, transverse, shaft narrowed, extreme base produced for attachment with connective, base produced dorsally as a wide, high, slightly anteriorly curved portion. Female genitalia: pregenital sternum long, longer than preceding two abdominal sterna, divided on median line to base and appearing as two lobes; ovipositors about as long as pygofer.”

Species. [4]: adspersipennis Stål ; ambitus Kramer ; ghilianii Spinola ; infractus Kramer.

Range: Bolivia; Brazil (“ Para ”); Colombia; Guatemala; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Venezuela.

Host plants. Unknown.

Material examined. P. adspersipennis : 1 male, 2 females, Bolivia, Brazil, USNM, Led1_148–149, 156 , 1 male, Panama, NCSU, JRJ _Led1_150; P. ghilianii : 1 male, Brazil, OSUC, JRJ _Led1_146 , 1 male, 1 female, Columbia , Panama, JRJ _Led1_153–154 , 1 female, Venezuela, USNM, JRJ _Led1_152 , 1 male, 1 female, Paraguay, Peru, AMNH, JRJ _Led1_151, 155 .

Remarks. See comments under “Remarks” for the genus Tituria in the tribe Ledrini , above. Oman (1949) appears to have been the first to place Proranus (= Epiclines ) in Xerophloeini .

Members of this genus are very robust and treehopper-like, and specimens are sometimes found with unsorted Membracidae in collections.