Petalocephala cultellifera (Walker)

Petalocephala cultellifera (Walker) View in CoL

Figs 5A–D View FIGURES 5 , 17L View FIGURES 17 .

Ledra cultellifera Walker 1857: 98 View in CoL .

Ledra punctifera Walker 1858: 249 View in CoL . Synonymized by Distant 1908: 164.

Petalocephala cultellifera (Walker) View in CoL : Distant 1908: 164, fig. 109.

Diagnosis. Female. Largest species of the genus Petalocephala in the subcontinent measuring more than 18 mm long. Crown medially prominently carinate. Ocelli closer to each other than to adjacent eye. Pronotum with median impressed line; posterolateral margins slightly concave. Female sternite VII posterior margin straight with median 0.25 region deeply concave ( Fig. 5C View FIGURES 5 ).

Description. Distant (1908) adequately described and illustrated the external features of this species which measures more than 18 mm long. Additional features are as follows. Greenish ochraceous. Crown with prominent median carina; lateral margins in front of eyes straight for a short distance then convergent, apex conically rounded; 0.73× as long as interocular distance, 1.17× longer than median length of pronotum. Pronotum with lateral margins slightly divergent posteriorly, distance between posterolateral angles 1.08× longer than that of anterolateral angles, 0.89× as long as mesonotum, posterolateral margins adjacent to mesonotum slightly concave. Female sternite VII posterior margin straight with median 0.25 margin deeply concave ( Fig. 5C View FIGURES 5 ).

Material examined. INDIA (West Bengal): HOLOTYPE ♀ (type of Ledra punctifera ), “ Dhargeeling 56 161 (on reverse)”BMNH register entry for1856 161:“India, (Dhargeeling)N., Purchased from Stevens ”, “ Type ”, “ Holotype ”, “NHMUK 013590078” ; SINGAPORE: SYNTYPE ♀ (type of Ledra cultellifera ), “ Sing ”, “58.60” BMNH register entry for 1858 60: “various localities such as.. N. India, sale of the Entomological Society ”, “ Wallace ”, “ Type ”, “ Syntype ”, “NHMUK 010592226” . Other material. INDIA 1♀, Margherita , Doherty; 3♀, Sikkim (all BMNH); 3♀ , Singapore, N.H. Ridley; MALAYSIA: 1♀, Perak ; CHINA: 1♀ Hainan, You Boi , 5.vi.1904 (all BMNH) .

Remarks. Walker (1857) described this species based on an unspecified number of specimens (syntypic) with data: “ Singapore ”. Distant (1908) adequately redescribed and illustrated the external features of this species, in addition to recording it from India: West Bengal (Darjeeling, Mangpoo) and also from Malay Peninsula (Perak). He also synonymized Ledra punctifera from India with this species and the present diagnosis, description and, illustrations are based on the type of L. punctifera . The material examined (from all areas) appears to be the same species based on a similar shaped pregenital sternite in the female, there being, as yet, no associated males.