Monobazus nilgalaensis, VIRAKTAMATH & WEBB & YESHWANTH, 2025

VIRAKTAMATH, C. A., WEBB, M. D. & YESHWANTH, H. M., 2025, Review of the Monobazus-group leafhopper genera (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of five new genera and twenty-eight new species, Zootaxa 5567 (1), pp. 1-105 : 32-33

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5567.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AF6254F6-CE26-41FE-BB85-A3FFD16FAA39
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14705151
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B75F43-F056-FFBC-FF48-72F0349B217E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Monobazus nilgalaensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Monobazus nilgalaensis sp. nov.

Figs 11H View FIGURES 11 , 13I–L View FIGURES 13 , 39A–M View FIGURES 39 .

Diagnosis. Externally similar to M. bilineatus in coloration but differs in the structure of male genitalia. Male pygofer in M. nilgalaensis has ventral process arising basiventrally with hooked apex directed mesally (in M. bilineatus pygofer process is short, not hooked and arising on ventral margin subapically). Male genitalia very similar to those in M. paulus sp. nov. (see below) however, aedeagal shaft comparatively less strongly curved anteriorly near apex and the ventral process of aedeagus longer than shaft compared to that in M. paulus sp. nov.

Description. External coloration and structure similar to those in M. bilineatus . Female sternite VII broad, strap-like, with posterior half slightly narrower than anterior half, posterior margin almost straight, about half as long as broad ( Fig. 11H View FIGURES 11 )

Male genitalia. Pygofer narrowed posteriorly, with posterior region conically rounded, ventral process arising basiventrally, exceeding pygofer margin posteriorly, mesally curved and hooked. Style apophysis more or less straight, narrowed distally with pointed apex. Aedeagus with preatrium about 0.33 as long as shaft and dorsal apodeme shorter and thinner than preatrium in lateral view; aedeagal shaft slightly curved with ventral pair of processes arising proximally slightly distad of base and exceeding aedeagal shaft.

Female genitalia. Slightly curved dorsally, broad at base and tapering apically; sculpturing strigate, extending to dorsal margin and occupying distal 0.6 length ( Figs 13 View FIGURES 13 IJ). Valvula II slightly curved dorsally and tapering distally; with small hyaline area before toothed area, teeth well-developed spaced approximately a distance equal to their basal width, each tooth with secondary dentition, interspace serrate ( Figs 13 View FIGURES 13 KL).

Measurements. Male 3.7 mm long, 0.9 mm wide across eyes. Female 4.1 mm long and 1.0 mm wide across eyes.

Material examined. SRI LANKA: HOLOTYPE ♂, CEYLON: Province of Uva, Egodapitiya, Nilgala, 1– 13.vii.1968, P.B. Karunaratne, T.F. Halstead Coll., Cal Acad. Sci. Acc, ( CAS) . Paratype ♀, same data as for holotype ( CAS) .

Etymology. The specific epithet (nilgalaensis, -ense) refers to the type locality where the holotype was collected.

Remarks. See Remarks under M. deccanensis .