C. A. Viraktamath

Systematics and biogeography of the dobsonfly genus Nevromus Rambur (Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Corydalinae) from the Oriental realm

The Asian endemic dobsonfly genus Nevromus Rambur is revised. Six species of Nevromus are described or re‐described, and illustrated. Nevromus aspoeck Liu, Hayashi & Yang sp.n., Nevromus austroindicus Liu & Viraktamath sp.n. and Nevromus gloriosoi Liu, Hayashi & Yang sp.n. are described from southernmost Yunnan of China and northern Thailand, southern India, and Borneo, respectively. A new combination Nevromus intimus (McLachlan) comb.n. is also identified. An interspecific phylogeny of Nevromus is reconstructed based on the adult morphological data, resulting in identification/recognition of two main clades, i.e. the mainland clade and the insular clade. Combining this phylogeny and the updated geographical distribution, an Indian origin and a historically widespread distribution in southern Eurasia is proposed for Nevromus. The deep divergence between the mainland and insular clades within Nevromus might have happened during the separation of Sundaland from Eurasia. The Tertiary orogenic events after the collision between the Indian subcontinent and Eurasia probably affected the speciation within the mainland clade of Nevromus, whereas the island formation of Borneo, Java and Sumatra shaped the fauna within the insular clade of this genus. The biogeographical pattern of Nevromus revealed in this study appears to have more general significance for understanding the faunal origin and diversification of the habitat‐specific or poorly dispersing insects from the Oriental realm.

A review of the leafhopper genus Scaphotettix Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), with description of a new genus.

The leafhopper genus Scaphotettix Matsumura is redescribed, and three new species are described and illustrated: S. striatus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov. from Java (on bamboo) and China; S. bispinosus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov from China; and S. pectinatus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov. from Vietnam. Most other species of Scaphotettix were re-examined and found to belong to a new genus also described herein, Scaphomonus Viraktamath, gen. nov.. The new genus is compared with the superficially similar Melanetettix Knight and Fletcher, Scaphodhara Viraktamath and Mohan, and Scaphoideus Uhler and a new species, Scaphomonus vateriae Viraktamath, sp. nov. from India, is described and illustrated. In addition, the following new combinations are proposed (all previously placed in Scaphotettix): Scaphomonus agumbensis (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. arcuatus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. freytagi (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. indicus (Distant) comb. nov.; S. longistylus (Li and Wang) comb. nov.; S. malnadicus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. quadrifidus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. redundans (Distant) comb. nov.; and S. splinterus (Li and Wang) comb. nov. Three species, Scaphotettix fanjingensis Li and Wang, Scaphotettix redstripeus Li and Wang, and Scaphotettix slenderus Li and Wang, do not belong to the genus Scaphotettix and are not treated further. Keys are provided for species of both Scaphotettix and Scaphomonus.

Mediporus, a new genus of the leafhopper subfamily Evacanthinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), with a key to genera of the Evacanthini.

Mediporus splendens gen. n. and sp. n. is described and illustrated based on specimens from Thailand. In addition, a key to genera of the Evacanthini is provided.

Review of Madagascaran Agalliini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Megophthalminae) with descriptions of a new genus and six new species.

Studies on the Agalliini leafhoppers collected from the Terrestrial Arthropods of Madagascar inventory project of the California Academy of Sciences, resulted in the discovery of one new genus Agallidwipa gen. nov. (type-species: A. biramosa sp. nov.) with three new species, A. biramosa sp. nov., A. bispinosa sp. nov. and A. webbi sp. nov. and three new species of the genus Igerna Kirkaldy, I. delta sp. nov., I. flavocosta sp. nov. and I. malagasica sp. nov. Two new combinations proposed are Agallidwipa pauliana (Evans) comb. nov. (from genus Agalliana Oman) and Igerna neosa (Webb) comb. nov. (from genus Stonasla White), a species previously recorded from Aldabra Islands. A previous record of Igerna bimaculicollis (Stål) from Madagascar is shown most likely to be a case of misidentification. All the taxa are described and illustrated. Keys to species of Agalliini from Madagascar are included along with notes on the distinction between Agalliana and Agallidwipa.

Punctulini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), a new leafhopper tribe from the Oriental region and Pacific Islands

A new tribe of the leafhopper subfamily Deltocephalinae, Punctulini tribe nov., from China, India, Thailand, and Fiji is described and includes three new genera and five new species: Punctulus gen. nov. includes P. tumidifrons sp. nov. from China, P. manipurensis from India, and P. lobatus sp. nov. from Thailand; Hirsutula gen. nov. includes H. rubrifrons sp. nov. from Thailand; and Taveunius gen. nov. includes T. megapunctatus sp. nov., from Fiji. A key to the genera of Punctulini is provided. Observations on the shared morphological characters of Punctulini with the superficially similar tribe Magnentiini, and with Vartini to which it is found to be related based on phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data including newly available sequences and analyses, are made and discussed. Afrovarta Zahniser 2013 is removed from Vartini and placed in Athysanini, placement nov.

Genera of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea) from south India—an illustrated key to genera and checklist of species

Family Pentatomidae is represented by four subfamilies (Asopinae, Pentatominae, Phyllocephalinae and Podopinae) and 86 genera in south India. Pentatominae are the dominant group represented by 29 tribes and 72 genera. An illustrated key including the habitus of majority of genera as well as illustrations of important diagnostic features are given for the subfamilies, tribes and genera occurring in south India. In addition, a key to families of Pentatomoidea and a checklist of species of Pentatomidae occurring in south India are also included.

Review of the genera Hishimonus Ishihara and Litura Knight (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of new species

This paper deals with 21 species of Hishimonus Ishihara and two species of Litura Knight from the Indian subcontinent. The following new species are described: Hishimonus acuminatus sp. nov. (India: Mizoram), H. distinctus sp. nov. (India: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. Sri Lanka), H. dwipae sp. nov. (Sri Lanka), H. longisetosus sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), H. spicans sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), H. thapai sp. nov. (Nepal), H. zeylanicus sp. nov. (Sri Lanka), and Litura triangula sp. nov. (India: Karnataka). Hishimonus versicolor Subba Rao & Ramakrishnan is removed from the genus Hishimonus and two new combinations namely, Hishimonus apricus (Melichar) comb. nov. (formerly in the genus Eutettix) and Litura tripunctatus (Li) comb. nov. (formerly in the genus Hishimonus) and a new name Hishimonus knightiella nom. nov. for Hishimonus apricus Knight 1970a, not Distant 1908 is proposed. H. gillespiei Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, H. pallidus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, H. dividens Knight, H. aberrans Knight, H. concavus Knight, H. arcuatus Knight and Litura unda Knight are new records for India. All the taxa are described and new taxa are illustrated. Keys to identification of the species of Hishimonus and Litura found in the Indian subcontinent are also provided along with list of known host plants.

Ulopsina, a Remarkable new Ulopine Leafhopper Genus from China

Abstract An unusual new cicadellid genus, Ulopsina gen. nov. and two new species, U. sinica sp. nov. and U. szwedoi sp. nov. from China are described, illustrated, and placed in the subfamily Ulopinae. The genus has characters of both the tribes Mesargini and Coloborrhinini, suggesting that the delimitation of these tribes may not be natural. The tribal placement of Ulopsina is uncertain. A checklist of the subfamily Ulopinae from China is also provided, and nine Chinese species designated under the genus Moonia are herein transferred to Mesargus, namely Mesargus albomaculata (Li) comb. nov., M. brevita (Cai et Shen) comb. nov., M. castanea (Kuoh) comb. nov., M. hei (Cai et Shen) comb. nov., M. hirsuta (Li) comb. nov., M. hyboma (Cai et Kuoh) comb. nov., M. maculigena (Kuoh) comb. nov., M. serrata (Li and Zhang) comb. nov., and M. spinapenis (Li and Zhang) comb. nov.

A Review of the Leafhopper GenusScaphotettixMatsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), with Description of a New Genus

The leafhopper genus Scaphotettix Matsumura is redescribed, and three new species are described and illustrated: S. striatus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov. from Java (on bamboo) and China; S. bispinosus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov from China; and S. pectinatus Dai and Zhang, sp. nov. from Vietnam. Most other species of Scaphotettix were re-examined and found to belong to a new genus also described herein, Scaphomonus Viraktamath, gen. nov.. The new genus is compared with the superficially similar Melanetettix Knight and Fletcher, Scaphodhara Viraktamath and Mohan, and Scaphoideus Uhler and a new species, Scaphomonus vateriae Viraktamath, sp. nov. from India, is described and illustrated. In addition, the following new combinations are proposed (all previously placed in Scaphotettix): Scaphomonus agumbensis (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. arcuatus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. freytagi (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. indicus (Distant) comb. nov.; S. longistylus (Li and Wang) comb. nov.; S. malnadicus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. quadrifidus (Viraktamath and Mohan) comb. nov.; S. redundans (Distant) comb. nov.; and S. splinterus (Li and Wang) comb. nov. Three species, Scaphotettix fanjingensis Li and Wang, Scaphotettix redstripeus Li and Wang, and Scaphotettix slenderus Li and Wang, do not belong to the genus Scaphotettix and are not treated further. Keys are provided for species of both Scaphotettix and Scaphomonus.

New species of the leafhopper genera Sophonia and Stenotortor (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) from the Oriental region

Three new species, Sophonia picta sp. nov., Sophonia similis sp. nov. (both from Indonesia: Kalimantan Tengah) and Stenotortor acuta sp. nov. (from India: Karnataka), are described and illustrated. S. picta closely resembles S. malayana (Baker) externally but differs in having a round carmine red spot on the crown and a black round spot on the apical third of the forewing. Though the aedeagus of S. malayana and S. picta are similar, S. picta has a ventral pair of aedeagal processes with subequal branches compared to a lateral pair with unequal branches in S. malayana. S. similis closely resembles S. sandakanensis (Baker) externally but differs in having a round black spot on the apical third of the forewing and a short apical process on the aedeagal shaft. Sophonia sandakanenesis Baker is redescribed. A revised key to the species of Sophonia from Singapore, Borneo and the Philippines is also provided. Stenotortor acuta sp. nov. resembles both S. inocarpi Baker and S. subhimalya Viraktamath Wesley but differs in a having more acutely pointed head. Illustrations of the three earlier known species of Stenotortor and also the new species are provided along with a key for their identification.