Revision of the leafhopper tribe Krisnini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae) of the Indian subcontinent

Abstract

Two genera of the leafhopper tribe Krisnini, Gessius Distant & Krisna Kirkaldy, that occur in the Indian subcontinent, are redefined and a key to separate them is provided. Gessius verticalis Distant is redescribed. Eleven species of Krisna, including eight new species [namely: K. bakeri sp. nov. (Nepal: Katmandu, India: Uttaranchal), K. burmanica (Myanmar), K. delta sp. nov. (Nepal), K. megha sp. nov. (India: Assam, Meghalaya), K. raja sp. nov. (India: Kerala), K. varia sp. nov. (India: Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu), K. veni (India: West Bengal), and K. walayari sp. nov. (India: Kerala)] are described and illustrated. A key to identify these species is also provided.

Genus Carvaka Distant in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Selenocephalinae)

“…These groups were defined by the structures of the male genitalia with the picturata group having a well‐defined sclerite between the connective and the base of the aedeagus, the clava group lacking this sclerite and having the preatrium extended ventrocaudally and the pruthii group lacking both the sclerite and the ventrocaudal extension of the preatrium. Viraktamath (1998) regarded C. contempta as fitting within his picturata group and this is supported here.…”

“…This study has revealed that Exitianellus elegantula Evans (1966), the only described species of that genus, fits within Viraktamath's (1998) clava group of the genus Carvaka thereby creating a synonymy between Exitianellus and Carvaka . This also requires the transfer of E. elegantula from the Deltocephalinae: Athysanini to the Selenocephalinae: Paraboloponini.…”

“…The tribe Paraboloponini has previously been represented in Australia by four species in three genera, Carvaka contempta (Kirkaldy), Dryadomorpha pallida Kirkaldy, Dryadomorpha metrosideri (Osborn) and Nirvanguina placida (Evans). Viraktamath (1998), in reviewing the Indian Paraboloponini, added several new Indian species to Carvaka Distant and divided the fauna of this genus into three species groups. These groups were defined by the structures of the male genitalia with the picturata group having a well‐defined sclerite between the connective and the base of the aedeagus, the clava group lacking this sclerite and having the preatrium extended ventrocaudally and the pruthii group lacking both the sclerite and the ventrocaudal extension of the preatrium.…”

“…This also requires the transfer of E. elegantula from the Deltocephalinae: Athysanini to the Selenocephalinae: Paraboloponini. An additional three Australian species of Carvaka are described below as new and are here placed within Viraktamath's (1998) pruthii group.…”

Nymphs of Some Species of the Tribes Drabescini and Paraboloponini with a Proposed Synonymy of Paraboloponini with Drabescini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae)

“…Some authors (Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy, 1983;Zhang & Webb, 1996;Viraktamath, 1998) treat these two groups as tribes of Selenocephalinae. Although previous authors considered Selenocephalini as a tribe of Deltocephalinae, Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy (1983) created a separate subfamily Selenocephalinae with 7 tribes, including Selenocephalini Fieber, 1872 (formerly placed in Deltocephalinae), Drabescini Ishihara, 1953 (described as a separate family), Paraboloponini Ishihara, 1953 (described as a separate family) (= Bhatiini Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy, 1983), Ianeirini Linnavuori, 1978 (formerly placed in Drabescinae), and 3 newly described tribes: Adamiini Linnavuori & AI-Ne'amy, 1983, Dwightiini Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy, 1983, and Hypacostemmini Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy, 1983 The main characters they used to define Selenocephalinae were: fore margin of head with transverse carinae, presence of antennalledges, specific shape of tentorial arms, and strigate microsculpture of first valvulae of female ovipositor.…”