Petalocephala uniformis Distant, 1908

Petalocephala uniformis Distant View in CoL

Figs 11A–G View FIGURES 11 , 12A–H View FIGURES 12 , 13A–D View FIGURES 13 , 19C–H View FIGURES 19 , 20 View FIGURES 20 MN, 22E–L, 33A–H, 34A–E, 41A–E.

Petalocephala uniformis Distant 1908: 165 View in CoL .

Petalocephala bombayensis View in CoL 1912: 441; 1918: 219, synonymized by Pruthi 1934: 3, pl 1, figs 1–2.

Petalocephala conspicua Jones & Deitz 2009: 117 View in CoL , Pl. 16H, not Distant 1907, misidentification.

Diagnosis. Sexually dimorphic in both coloration and shape of the head. Males externally resembling male P. latifrons in coloration and head shape; forewing variously marked with reddish bronzy brown, either entirely or partially, sometimes confined to clavus and inner margins of corium. Female uniformly green, some specimens with coloration similar to that in male but with reduced markings on forewing. Male pygofer without ventral process. Aedeagus with well-developed dorsal apodeme; shaft curved dorsally proximally, widened distally slightly beyond midlength then narrowed, with lateral lamellate processes one on each side distally broad and rather truncate, dorsal surface near apex sclerotized and apex angularly pointed, flanked by two membranous lobes, gonopore apical.

Description. Sexually dimorphic in both coloration and shape of head. Males externally resembling male P. latifrons in coloration and head shape. Forewing variously marked with reddish bronzy brown, either entirely or partially, sometimes confined to clavus and inner margins of corium. Female uniformly green, some specimens with coloration similar to that in male but with reduced markings on forewing. Some females with entire dorsal surface speckled with yellow spots. Male crown, lateral margins of pronotum margined with dark brown to reddish brown, in healthy males and uniformly green with or without yellow speckles in parasitized (stylopized) males. Specimens from west coast and from Jog Falls more contrastingly colored with broader dark brown markings and posterior half of crown whitish.

Healthy males with shape of the crown as in P. latifrons but parasitized males with crown as in females. In healthy males, crown produced anterad of eyes and parallel sided for about proximal 0.6 distance then curved mesad and apex obtusely angled. In female lateral margins of crown gradually narrowed anteriorly and apex conically rounded. Ocelli usually closer to adjacent eyes than to each other in females and in most males and in some females closer to each other than to adjacent eye or equidistant. Crown about as long as or subequal to median length of pronotum, 0.6–0.8× as long as interocular distance, with prominent medina carina. Pronotum about as long as mesonotum or slightly shorter, about 1.1× as wide across posterolateral angles as at anterolateral angles, anterior margins lightly convex and posterior margin medially. Forewing with numerous cross veins in distal area. Female sternite VII anterior margin straight, about 0.33 as wide proximally as long medially, lateral margins straight, posterior margin oblique laterally almost straight and medially slightly concave, lateral angles prominent ( Figs 19 View FIGURES 19 MN).

Male genitalia. Pygofer almost 1.9–2.0× as long as height in lateral view, dorsal margin straight, posterodorsally angularly rounded, without ventral process. Subgenital plate almost 4×as long as wide, more strongly narrowed in posterior 0.33. Style anterior apodeme about 0.33 as long as total length, widest at midlength, distally narrowed, apex dorsally upturned with sculptured surface. Aedeagus with well-developed dorsal apodeme, about 0.33 as long as shaft; in lateral view aedeagal shaft narrow in proximal region, curved dorsally and widened distally till distal 0.66 than narrowed, with one lamellate lateral process widest apically and truncate arising at about midlength, distal 0.33 membranous with dorsal margin sclerotized with shaft arrow-like apex, ventrally with pair of lateral membranous lobes; gonopore apical.

Female genitalia. Valvula I slightly curved dorsally, more or less of uniform width, sculptured area occupying about distal 0.33 length, obliquely strigate, strigae short basally occupy about half width in distal half of sculptured area ( Figs 22 View FIGURES 22 EF, IJ). Valvula II slightly dorsally curved, but much less than valvula I, toothed area occupying 0.33 length, teeth small close together but the proximal tooth more prominent ( Figs 22 View FIGURES 22 GH, KL).

Measurements. Male 9.3–11.3 mm long, 3.1–3.2 mm wide across eyes and 3.3 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum. Female 11.6–13.1 mm long, 5.0 mm wide across eyes and 5.1–5.4 mm wide across posterolateral angles of pronotum.

Material examined. INDIA: SYNTYPES ( P. uniformis ), 1♀, “Bombay, 60.7”, “ Petalocephala uniformis , type, Dist.”, “ Type ”, “ Syntype ”, “NHMUK 010592238”; 1♀, “ Utakamand ”, “Brit. Mus. 1926-171”, “ Syntype ” (both BMNH) ; SYNTYPE ( P. bombayensis ), 1♂, “ Bombay ”, “ Petalocephala bombayensis Dist. type”, “ Syntype ”, “Distant Coll. 1911-383” ( BMNH) . Other material. INDIA: 71 ♂, 74 ♀ collected from Karnataka (Bangalore, Sulikere, Bannerghatta , Jog Falls , Ganeshagudi , Dharmasthala , Mudigere , Kottigehara , Kodyamale , Karwar , Kollur , Hebri , Sandur , Yellapur , Sirsi , Raichur , Hoskote , Dandeli , Devanahalli , Chikkaballapura, Makuta, Hassan, Melkote, Nandi Hills ). Maharashtra ( Pune , Khandala , Matheran , Tamil Nadu ( Aiyr , Javalagiri , Denkana kota, Madurai , Kallar , Thandigudi ). Kerala ( Ponmudi , Trivendrum , Thekkady , Palode , Kollam , Nilambur , Myladumpara ). Gujarat ( Waghai ) ( BMNH, NBAIR, NPC, UASB) .

Remarks. This species was described from an unknown number of specimens (syntypic) with data: “ Bombay. Utakamand (Brit. Mus.)“. It is the most common species of Petalocephala in Peninsular India. This species was collected throughout the year except during February. Its host plants include Santalum album L. ( Santalaceae ), Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels ( Myrtaceae ), Vateria indica L. ( Dipterocarpaceae ), Vitis vinifera L. ( Vitaceae ), Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. ( Lythraceae ), Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq. ( Sapindaceae ), Oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. ( Arecaceae ). In addition to plants mentioned in the introduction ( Chatterjee 1934), it breeds on sandal and grape vine plant.

Pruthi (1934) figured the male genitalia of this species and synonymised P. bombayensis Distant as a junior synonym of P. uniformis Distant. Chatterjee (1934) erroneously synonymized this species with P. nigrilinea and studied its biology under the latter name. Jones & Deitz (2009) misidentified this species as P. conspicua Distant. This is the only species in the Oriental region that has the aedeagus with a sclerotized subapical processes and the dorsal surface with a sclerotized plate flanked on either side by membranous lobes.

Genus Thlasia Germar

Thlasia Germar1836:71 View in CoL ; Linnavuori 1972: 232. Type species: T. brunipenis Germar , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Crown shorter than interocular distance. Pronotum lateral margins prominent and rounded, posterior margin concave. Forewing claval veins separate, forewing flexed downwards at outer claval vein. Male pygofer with a short (species from Indian subcontinent) or long (in African and Chinese species) ventral process. Aedeagus without processes (except in T. girijae sp. nov. from India).

Remarks. Linnavuori (1972) and Jones & Deitz (2009) considered Thlasia similar to Tituria Stål differing in the rounded prominent lateral margins of pronotum compared to the angularly projecting lateral lobes in Tituria . Jones & Deitz (2009) also mentioned that the forewings are flexed downwards at the second claval vein, a character they also found in other Ledrinae genera namely, Proranus Spinola , Hespenedra Kramer , and some species of Petalocephala . Even the genus Yelahanka Viraktamath, Webb & Yeshwanth has this character but the claval veins are fused near their midlength and then separated. Four species including two new species are included in this genus from the Indian subcontinent. Eogypona kirbyi (Melichar) is transferred to the genus Thlasia and Petalocephala walkeri (Melichar) is considered a junior synonym of T. kirbyi (Melichar) as they have similar male genitalia.

Key to species of Thlasia Germar View in CoL from the Indian subcontinent (mainly males)

1. Forewing clavus mesad of outer claval vein bright yellowish green, rest of clavus and corium fuscous ( Figs 13 View FIGURES 13 EF); aedeagal shaft with one pair of ventral lamellate processes ( Figs 35E–G View FIGURES 35 ); style apex strongly bent ventrally almost at right angle ( Figs 35 View FIGURES 35 CD)................................................................................. T. girijae sp. nov.

- Forewing without such color combination; aedeagus without processes ( Fig. 37G View FIGURES 37 ); style apex not ventrally bent at right angle ( Figs 36C View FIGURES 36 , 37F View FIGURES 37 )....................................................................................... 2

2. Crown and face with median dark brown stripe ( Figs 16 View FIGURES 16 AD, 19J); style distal half sinuate ( Fig. 36C View FIGURES 36 )..... T. signata (Distant)

- Crown and face without such a stripe ( Figs 14C View FIGURES 14 , 15H View FIGURES 15 ); style distal half curved smoothly ( Fig. 37F View FIGURES 37 ), if slightly sinuate, mid region of style greatly enlarged ( Fig. 37A View FIGURES 37 )................................................................. 3

3. Style greatly enlarged in mid region in lateral view ( Fig. 37A View FIGURES 37 ).................................. T. kirbyi (Melichar) View in CoL

- Style not so enlarged in mid region ( Figs 36C View FIGURES 36 , 37F View FIGURES 37 )........................................... T. truncata sp. nov.