Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5623 No. 1: 23 Apr. 2025
Type: Monograph
Published: 2025-04-23
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5623.1.1
Page range: 1-71
Abstract views: 12
PDF downloaded: 1

Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 2. Genera Digitata Wang, Li & Dai, Latycephala McKamey, Petalocephala Stål and Thlasia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with description of six new species

Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, India.
Department of Collections (Insects), The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom. (retired)
Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, India.
Hemiptera Destinoides Auchenorrhyncha morphology systematics

Abstract

Leafhopper species of the ledrine genera Digitata Wang, Li & Dai, Latycephala McKamey, Petalocephala Stål and Thlasia Germar are revised from the Indian subcontinent; these genera are diagnosed and/or redescribed. Six new species, Digitata brevicephala sp. nov. (India: Meghalaya); Petalocephala balehonnurensis sp. nov. (India: Karnataka); P. nauniensis sp. nov. (India: Himachal Pradesh), P. sahyadrica sp. nov. (India: Kerala), Thlasia girijae sp. nov. (India: Tamil Nadu) and Thlasia truncata sp. nov. (India: Arunachal Pradesh) are described and illustrated. Genus Destinoides Cai & He 2000 is considered as a junior synonym of Petalocephala Stål 1854 based on the similarity of external morphology and male genitalia (syn. nov.). Similarly, based on the similarity in the male genitalia, Ledropsis walkeri Melichar 1903 is treated as a junior synonym of Ledropsis kirbyi Melichar 1903 (syn. nov.) and Petalocephala hornei Distant 1908 is treated as a junior synonym of P. chlorocephala (Walker 1851) (syn. nov.). Genera Digitata, Latycephala and Thlasia, and the species Latyceohala viridula Kuoh and Petalocephala fuscomarginata Cai & Kuoh are new records for the Indian subcontinent. All taxa dealt with are illustrated and described wherever necessary. Keys to genera of the Ledrini from the Indian subcontinent and to species of Petalocephala and Thlasia are also given.

References

  1. Atkinson, E.T. (1885) Notes on Indian Rhynchota, No. 3. Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, 54 (2), 76–117.
  2. Cai, P. (1992) A new genus and species of Ledridae (Homoptera: Cicadelloidea). Entomotaxonomia, 14, 265–268.
  3. Cai, P. & He, J.H. (2000) A new record and a new allied genera of Ledrinae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) from China. In: Zhang, Y.L. (Ed.), Systematic and faunistic research on Chinese insects. Proceedings of the 5th National Congress of Insect Taxonomy. China Agriculture Press, Beijing, pp. 56–60.
  4. Cai, P. & Ge, Z. L. (1992). Three new species of the genus Petalocephala from China (Homoptera: Cicadelloidea: Ledridae). Zoological Research, 13 (2), 117–121.
  5. Chatterjee, N.C. (1934) Entomological investigations on the spike disease of sandal. (19). On the life-history and morphology of Petalocephala nigrilinea Walk. (Jassidae, Homopt.) Indian Forest Records, Entomological Series, 19 (9), 1–30.
  6. Chen, X., Yuan, Z., Li, C., Dietrich, C.H. & Song, Y. (2021) Structural features and phylogenetic implications of Cicadellidae subfamily and two new mitogenomes leafhoppers. PLoS One, 16 (5), e0251207. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251207
  7. China, W.E. (1926) L.—Eogypona, Kirkaldy: an interesting case of synonymy in the Jassoidea (Homoptera) , Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 9, 17 (99), 348–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222932608633423
  8. Dietrich, C.H., Allen, J.M., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M., Takiya, D.M. Evangelista, O., Kimberly K.O. Walden, O, Patrick G.S., Grady,1 & Johnson, K.P. (2017) Anchored hybrid enrichment–based phylogenomics of leafhoppers and treehoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Membracoidea). Insect Systematics and Diversity, 1, 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixx003
  9. Distant, W.L. (1908) Rhynchota-Homoptera. In: Bingham, C.T. (Eds.), The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, 4, pp. i–xv + 1–501.
  10. Distant, W.L. (1907) Contributions to a knowledge of the Ledrinae. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 51, 185–197.
  11. Distant, W.L. (1910) Description of three new species of Indian Rhynchota. Entomologist, 43, 195–196.
  12. Distant, W.L. (1912) Descriptions of some new Homoptera. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, Series 8, 10 (58), 438–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931208693257
  13. Distant, W.L. (1916) Rhynchota- Homoptera: Appendix. In: Shipley, A.E. & Marshall, G.A.K. (Eds.), The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, 6, pp. i–viii + 1–248.
  14. Huang, W. & Zhang, Y. (2019). Two new species in the genus Destinoides (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Ledrinae) from China, with DNA barcoding. Zootaxa, 4711 (3), 571–578. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4711.3.8
  15. Huang, W. & Zhang, Y. (2020) Characterization of two complete mitochondrial genomes of Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and Phylogenetic Analysis. Insects, 11, 609. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11090609
  16. Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. (2009) Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa, 2186 (1), 1–120. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2186.1.1
  17. Kirby, W.F. (1891) Catalogue of the described Hemiptera Heteroptera and Homoptera of Ceylon, based on the collection formed (chiefly at Pundaloya) by Mr. E. Ernest Green. The Journal of the Linnean Society, Zoology, 24, 72–176, pp. 161–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1891.tb02479.x
  18. Kirkaldy, G.W. (1901) Further notes on Sinhalese Rhynchota. Entomologist, 34, 38–40.
  19. Knight, W.J. (2010) Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) of the Pacific. An annotated systematic checklist of the leafhoppers recorded in the Pacific region during the period 1758–2000. Available from: http://www.tymbal.org/publicat/KnightCatalogue.pdf (accessed 11 March 2025)
  20. Kuoh, C.L. (1984) Six new species of the genus Petalocephala (Homoptera: Ledridae). Entomotaxonomia, 6 (4), 271–278.
  21. Kuoh, C.L., (1992). Homoptera: Cicadelloidea. In: Chen, S. (Ed.), Insects of the Hengduan Mountains Region. Vol. 1. The Comprehensive Scientific Expedition to the Qianghai-Xizang Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Science Press, Beijing, pp. 243–316
  22. Linnavuori, R. (1972) Revisional studies on African leafhoppers (Homoptera Cicadelloidea). Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaines, 86, 196–252.
  23. McKamey, S.H. (2005) Further new genus-group names in the Cicadellidae (Hemiptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 108, 502–510.
  24. Melichar, L. (1903) Homopteren-Fauna von Ceylon. Verlag von Felix L. Dames. Berlin, iv + 248 pp.
  25. Metcalf, Z.P. (1962) General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicle VI. Cicadelloidea. Part 4. Ledridae. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington, D.C., 147 pp.
  26. Nast, J. (1952) Notes on some Ledrinae (Homoptera: Jassidae). Annales Musei Zoologici Polonici, 15, 33–42.
  27. Pruthi, H.S. (1934) Entomological investigations on the spike disease of sandal (14). Jassidae (Homopt.). Indian Forest Records, Entomology Series, 19 (4), 1–30.
  28. Pruthi, H.S. (1936) Studies on Indian Jassidae (Homoptera). Part III. Descriptions of some new genera and species, with first records of some known species from India. Memoires of the Indian Museum, 11, 101–131.
  29. Rakitov, R.A. (1998) On differentiation of cicadellid leg chaetotaxy (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Membracoidea). Russian Entomological Journal, 6, 7–27.
  30. Schumacher, F. (1912) Zur Kentnis der Africanischen Ledrinen (Hem. Hom. Ledr.). Wiener Entomogische Zeitung, 31, 245–249.
  31. Shobharani, M., Viraktamath, C.A. & Webb, M.D. (2018) Review of the leafhopper genus Penthimia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of seven new species. Zootaxa, 4369 (1), 1–45. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4369.1.1
  32. Stål, C. (1854) Nya genera bland Hemiptera. Öfversigt af Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps–Akadamiens Förhandlingar, 10, 231–255.
  33. Stål, C. (1858) Hemipterologiska bidrag. Öfversigt af Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm, 15, 433–454.
  34. Stål, C. (1862) Synonymiska och systematiska anteckningar öfver Hemiptera. Öfversigt af Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar, Stockholm, 19, 479–504.
  35. Stål, C. (1866) Hemiptera. Homoptera Latr. Hemiptera Africana, 4, 1–276.
  36. Sun, J., Webb, M.D. & Zhang, Y. (2014) Revision of the Oriental leafhopper genus Destinoides Cai & He (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ledrinae), with a new synonym and two new combinations. Zootaxa, 3786 (1), 79–84. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3786.1.6
  37. Viraktamath, C.A., Webb, M.D. & Yeshwanth, H.M. (2021) Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 1. Description of Yelahanka gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with seven new species and new combinations. Zootaxa, 4915 (4), 451–480. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4915.4.1
  38. Walker, F. (1851) List of the specimens of homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. British Museum, London, Part III (4), 637–907.
  39. Walker, F. (1857) Catalogue of the homopterous insects collected at Singapore and Malacca by Mr. A.R. Wallace, with descriptions of new species. Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, London, 1, 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1856.tb00958.x
  40. Walker, F. (1858) List of the specimens of homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Supplement. Order of Trustees, London, 307 pp.
  41. Wang, X.‐Y., Li, D.‐F., Li, H., Wang, J.‐J., Li, Y.‐J. & Dai, R.‐H. (2022) Comparison of mitogenomes of three Petalocephala species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ledrinae) and their phylogenetic analysis. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, 11 (1), e21902. https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.21902
  42. Wang, X., Li, D., Wang, J., Yang, M., Li, Y., Li, Z., Dietrich, C.H. & Dai, R. (2024) Molecular phylogeny of the leafhopper tribe Ledrini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with a reclassification and key to genera. Insect Systematics and Diversity, 8 (4), 1–922. https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixae014

How to Cite

Viraktamath, C., Webb, M. & Yeshwanth, H. (2025) Leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae of the Indian subcontinent: 2. Genera Digitata Wang, Li & Dai, Latycephala McKamey, Petalocephala Stål and Thlasia Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with description of six new species. Zootaxa, 5623 (1), 1–71. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5623.1.1