A review of the genus Alebroides Matsumura, with description of Shumka, gen. nov. (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae)

Abstract

The paper deals with 79 species of Auchenorrhyncha: Typhlocybinae (75 Alebroides Mats., three Shumka, gen. nov. and Alebroides boninensis Mats, which is transferred to Empoasca Walsh). Except for 6 species from China, and one from Micronesia, the species dealt with are originally described and illustrated. The new taxa are 32 species of Alebroides, viz., barbatus, emarginatus, flexus, ghorecola, globosus, haculus, incisus, indicus, involutus, jacobii, joannae, kowali, magnus, medius, nepalensis, obliteratus, obtusus, pusillus, quartus, raciborskii, rayi, simlensis, umari, ursulae, vicarius, waimingi, wushensis, yaksemasi, xanthus, xiphenax, zenkae, ziutae, and Shumka, gen. nov. with two new species: versicolor and wareeae. Alebroides dinghuensis Chou & Zhang is a junior synonym of A. flavifrons Mats., Typhlocyba perstrigata Jac. is synonymized with Empoasca nigroscutellata Dist., and the validity of the name Empoasca ghulami Ahmed, Samad & Naheed, with reference to A. nigroscutellatus (Dist.) is discussed. Comparative morphology of basal abdominal apodemes of male indicates that the largest ones are derivatives of sternal antecosta and pleuron of the segment 3 and not segment 2. Fusion between segments 8 and 9 in the sternal region in female, the structure necessary for strengthening base of ovipositor, is examined. In male, subcoxa has been identified in segments 9 and 10 along with most of the components of segment 10 and interpretation of construction of penis as the product of fusion of trochanteral endites of abdominal legs of segment 9 is proposed.