Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs Volume 12 Research in the Auchenorrhyncha, Article 13 Homoptera: A Tribute to Paul W. Oman 10-1-1988 Revision of the Nirvaninae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) of the Indian subcontinent C. A. Viraktamath Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore 560 065, India C. S. Wesley Department of Ecology and Evolution, S.U.N.Y., Stony Brook, New York 11794 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm Recommended Citation Viraktamath, C. A. and Wesley, C. S. (1988) "Revision of the Nirvaninae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) of the Indian subcontinent," Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs: Vol. 12 , Article 13. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm/vol12/iss1/13 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. REVISION OF THE NIRVANINAE (HOMOPTERA: CICADELLIDAE) OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT C. A. Viraktamath' andC. S. Wesley^ Abstract —^Three tribes of Nirvaninae, namely, Balbillini (two genera and three species), Nirvanini (five genera and 26 species), and Occinirvanini (one genus and one species), occur on the Indian subcontinent. The tribes, genera, and species are redescribed, illustrated, and keyed. New ta.xa recognized are BalbiUus indicus n. sp. (India; Kerala), Stenotortor stibhimalaya n. sp. (India: West Bengal), Kana bispinosa n. sp. (India: Tamil Nadu), K. nigropicta n. sp. (India: Kerala), Sophonia bakeri n. sp. (India: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh; Nepal), S. bifida n. sp. (India: West Bengal), S. complexa n. sp. (India; Meghalaya), S. compUcata n. sp. (India: Mizoram, Meghalaya), S. keralica n. sp. (India; Kerala), Nirvana peculiarisn. sp. (India: Mizoram, Meghalaya), and N. striata n. sp. (India; West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh). The genus Qitercinirvana Ahmed & Mahmood (type species; Q. longi- cephala Ahmed & Mahmood) is treated as a junior synonym oi Sophonia Walker. Kana signata Distant and Nirvana greeni Distant are suppressed as junior synonyms of K. illuminata and N. Hnealis , respectively, and are transferred to Sophonia . Three other species transferred to Sophonia are Kana modesta Distant, Quercinirvana longicephala Ahmed & Mahood, and Nirvana insignis Distant. The relationships among various genera are discussed briefly. The genera Crispina Distant and Mohiinia Distant are excluded from Nirvaninae. The Nirvaninae, one of the smaller sub- (1923a) found Stenotortor inocarpi Baker on families of the leafhopper family Cicadellidae, Otaheite chestnut, Inocarpus edulis, in Sin- include a predominantly tropical group of gapore. In Australia, Nirvaninae feed on /. leafhoppers. They are fragile, often brightly edulis, casuarina, and croton (Evans 19411). colored, depressed leaflioppers and common Teco7naria capensis is recorded as the host of on lush green vegetation. They are often mis- Narecho tecomariae Theron in South Africa taken for Typhlocybinae, but the structure of (Theron 1970). Quercinirvana longicephala the head and the more depressed form and Ahmed & Mahmood feeds on Aesculus indica, truncate basitarsus of the hind leg distinguish Quercus dilatata, and Vihurmmi nervosum Nirvaninae. The subfamily includes 111 spe- (Ahmed and Mahmood 1970). Chudania cies (excluding Mukariinae and other non- delecta Distant breeds on Ficus carica Nirvaninae genera, which were traditionally (Ahmed and Mallik 1972). In South America, included in the Nirvaninae) distributed in the Tahura fowleri Kramer is found on Passiflora Oriental (56), Afrotropical (24), Neotropical (Kramer 1964). Kuoh and Kuoh (1983) (7), Palearctic (7), Australian (11), and Pacific recorded Camellia sinensis. Acacia confusa. island (6) regions. The fauna of Afrotropical Citrus reticulata, Pterocarpus indicus, Orijza (Linnavuori 1979), Australian (Evans 1966), sativa, Psidium guajava, and Chimonanthus Papua New Guinea (Evans 1973), Neotropical praecox as host plants of species oi Pseudonir- (Kramer 1964), and Palearctic (Kuoh and vana Baker { = Sophonia Walker) in China. Kuoh 1983) regions have recently been re- Nirvana pallida and N. greeni Distant breed vised. The tribe Mukariini earlier included in on black gram, green gram, cowpea, field the subfamily by Distant (1908g) and Metcalf bean, pigeon pea, and soybean in India (Ra- (1963) is now considered a subfamily distinct makrishna 1980). from Nirvaninae (Linnavuori 1979). The Nirvaninae of the Indian subcontinent Information on host plants of Nirvaninae is consist of eight genera and 30 species grouped very meagre. Nirvana pallida Melichar and in three tribes, namely, Balbillini, Nirvanini, N. suturalis Melichar are destructive to sugar- and Occinirvanini. The genera Mohunia Dis- cane and grasses in Taiwan (Schumacher tant and Crispina Distant are excluded from 1915a). They also feed on rice, mulberry, and the study, as they probably belong to the sub- camphor tree (Esaki and Ito 1954a). Baker family Deltocephalinae. Department of Entomology, University of Agricultnral Sciences. CKVK Campus, Bangalore 560 065, India. ^Department of Ecology and Evolution, S.U.N.Y., Stony Brook, New York 11794, US.\. 182 1988 VlRAKTAMATII, WESLEY: REVISION OF INDIAN NiKVANINAE 183 Material and Abbreviations sinuate ventrally. Anterior tentorial branches L-shaped. Lateral margins of pronotum cari- This study was based mainly on specimens nate (except in Omaranus Distant), moder- collected over the years and deposited in the ately long. Forewing venation reduced, with- insect collection of the Department of Ento- out cross-veins at base (except Balbillini), mology, University of Agricultural Sciences longitudinal veins represented by a series of by the senior author and his students. Addi- tional specimens were borrowed from various paired pits basally, appendix either narrow institutions for the study. Abbreviations used (Nirvanini) or broad (BcdhiUus Distant). Hind- for these institutions and for the depositories wing with three or lour apical cells, veins lA of the types of new taxa are as follows: and 2A fused basally. Fore and middle tibiae cylindrical or flattened (Balbillini), hind BMNH - British Museum (Natural History), London. femoral spinulation 2+1 + 1 (Nirvanini), lARI -Indian Agricultural Re.search Institute, New Delhi. 2+1 + (Balbillini and Occinirvanini), or IRSNB - Institute Royal des Sciences, Naturelles de Bel- 2+0+0 (Balbilhni). gique, Bru.xelles. Male pygofer either cylindrical or de- JU - Department of Biosciences, Jammu Univer- pressed, with or without anal collar process, sity, Jammu. heav- PAU - Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. but may be armed with ventral process, UAS - University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. ily macrosetose. Valve small, fused with USNM -U.S. National Museum (Natural History), pygofer laterally. Plates usually parallel- Washington, D.C. sided. Style variable. Connective Y-shaped ZMHU -Museum fiir Naturkunde der Humboldt, Urii- (Nirvanini) or platelike (Balbillini). Aedeagus versitat zu Berlin, Berlin. ZSI -Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. with single shaft and often provided with pro- cesses. Distant (1908g, 1918b) did not mention the Linnavuori (1979) suggested that the sub- number of specimens (syntypes) of each new family Nirvaninae is a derivative of the Aphro- species he described, except when a single dinae-Cicadellinae stock and that Nirvanini is specimen was involved, viz., Chundania de- the most advanced tribe. lecta Distant (1908g; 268) In this study lecto- type designations were made even though a Key to Tribes single specimen of the type series (syntypes?) 1. Fore and middle tibiae flattened; head notched was present in the BMNH collection. Unless in front of eyes so that the scape is visible in otherwise stated they were considered as part dorsal aspect Balbillini of the syntype series. — Fore and middle tibiae rounded; scape not visi- ble from above 2 The terminology used for describing hind Ocelli nearer to apex of head than to eyes; leg spinulation follows Davis (1975). 2(1). forewing appendix wide and extending around apical wing margin; lora large; vertex about half Description of Taxa as long as wide, obliquely produced in front of eyes, with hind femoral spinulation 2+1 + 0; Nirvaninae hind basitarsus with six platellae . Occinirvanini Delicate, fragile, depressed, small to mod- — Ocelli nearer to eyes than to apex of head; forewing appendix narrow and does not extend erately large (4.0-9.0 mm) leafhoppers. Usu- around apex of wing; lora small; vertex as long as ally yellow or white, often marked with red, wide or longer, not obliquely produced in front black, orange, or brown fascia. Head as wide of eyes; hind femoral spinulation 2+1 + 1; hind as or wider than pronotum. Vertex usually basitarsus with two or three platellae . Nirvanini flattened, strongly produced, and with rugae Tribe Balbillini or sculpturing on lateral and anterior regions. Ocelli on crown along lateral margin in front of This tribe has been well characterized by eyes. Frontoclypeus and clypellus either flat Linnavuori (1979). The following additional or tumid, in the latter case often provided characters are noted. Forewing with supernu- with a median keel. Lora often small, extreme merary cross-veins along costal margin and anterior margin of genae bluntly