Ramya Rajgopal, 2025

Rajgopal, Nernakallu Narayanaswamy, Dey, Debjani & Meshram, Naresh Manohar, 2025, A new leafhopper genus with description of two new species of Scaphoideini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from India, European Journal of Taxonomy 1007, pp. 163-175 : 165-166

Genus Ramya Rajgopal gen. nov.

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Type species

Ramya longiprocessus gen. et sp. nov., by present designation.

Differential diagnosis

Ramya gen. nov., shares similar external morphology with the Chinese leafhopper genus Longicornus Li & Song, 2008 like a brownish body with markings on the head, thorax and forewings. Whereas Ramya gen. nov. is small to medium-sized ( 3.67–4.6 mm), forewing costal area with two or three extra veins from the outer ante-apical cell close to R1, outer ante-apical cells with accessory cross veins, pygofer with the ventral process, subgenital plate pointed and without bifid apex, aedeagus without processes; Longicornus is large-sized (> 5 mm), forewing costal area without extra veins from the outer ante-apical cell, outer ante-apical cells without accessory cross veins, pygofer ventral process absent, subgenital plate pointed with bifid apex, aedeagus with processes.

Etymology

This genus name is given in honour of the first author’s late sister Ramya in remembrance; the gender is feminine.

Description

Body brown. Crown with median sulcus brown, one large irregular spot on either side of median line ( Fig. 1C ), and one short outwardly curved stripe on either side of the median line (may be broken into spots). Face shagreen, sutures on face, area surrounding antennal base, series of lateral transverse lines on frontoclypeus, brown, frontoclypeus medially brownish yellow; clypellus pale brown ( Fig. 1D ). Pronotum stippled with brown, few spots coalesce to form larger spots. Exposed mesonotum with basal triangles, few longitudinal patches on scutellum, brown ( Fig. 1C ). Forewing venation brown, apices of claval veins, clavus, with dark brown spots, apical and anteapical cells, few cells with brown patches ( Fig. 1A–B ). Legs ochreous.

Head including eyes as wide as pronotum, slightly produced in front of eyes, anterior margin rounded to face. Ocelli placed close to inner margin of eye. Crown 1.7–1.9 × as broad as long medially and about ½× as long as median length of the pronotum. Face including eyes as wide as or slightly wider than long, outer margin of gena slightly incurved beneath eyes. Clypellus slightly wider near apex than at base, exceeding apical margin of gena. Pronotum slightly convex dorsally and finely and sparsely punctate, with lateral margins carinate, shorter than dorsal length of eye, about 2 × as wide as long medially, posterior margin almost straight. Mesonotum slightly longer than pronotum ( Fig. 1A–C ). Forewing rounded apically, apices overlapping on appendix and part of inner apical cell, with three ante-apical and four apical cells, inner ante-apical cell open or with accessory cross veins, costal area with two or three extra-costal veins arising from outer ante-apical cell close to R1, with darkly coloured and sometimes fused, one cross vein present between Pcu-claval suture, claval veins free throughout ( Fig. 1A–B ). The row AV on profemur with short, stout macrosetae (14–15) in the basal half and AV1 slender and long near the apex distal margin of IC row, with one long, stout AM1 seta placed on the ventral margin, IC setae (up to 12) hair-like. Protibial macrosetae 1+4. Metafemur with 2+2+1 distal macrosetae. Metabasitarsomere with 3 platellae on apical transverse row flanked by one seta on either side ( Fig. 3A–E ).

MALE GENITALIA. Pygofer in lateral view longer than broad, group of long macrosetae distributed in distal half, ventral process present ( Fig. 1E–F ). Valve triangular. Subgenital plate triangular, longer than wide, with uniserate submarginal macrosetae initiating from base; few long fine setae present laterally and dorsally, apex pointed, often thin membranous ( Fig. 1G ). Style broadly bilobed basally, with pre-apical lobe well developed, apophysis short, smoothly curved laterad, inner margin often rugose ( Fig. 1I–J ). Connective Y-shaped, stem longer than anterior arms ( Fig. 1H ). Aedeagal shaft simple, with or without flanges, curved dorsad ( Fig. 1K ). Dorsal apodeme well developed. Atrium large with ventral surface prolonged. Gonopore subapical to apical on ventral surface.

FEMALE GENITALIA. Sternite VII broader than long ( Fig. 2E ). First valvula curved dorsally with sculptured area confined to posterior one third, sculpturing pattern concatenated to strigate, reaching dorsal margin ( Fig. 2F–G ). Second valvula slightly curved dorsally, denticular area confined to posterior half, teeth prominent ( Fig. 2H–I ).

Distribution

India: Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.

Key to the species of Ramya Rajgopal gen. nov.

1. Pygofer ventral process straight ( Fig. 1E ); aedeagal shaft with lateral and dorsal flanges; atrium not enlarged, about ½ × as long as shaft in lateral view ( Fig. 1K ) ............................................................ ....................................................................................................... R. longiprocessus gen. et sp. nov.

– Pygofer ventral process curved dorsally and recurved ventrally ( Fig. 4E ); aedeagal shaft lateral and dorsal flanges absent; atrium greatly enlarged, about as long as shaft in lateral view ( Fig. 4I ) ................................................................................................ R. megatrium gen. et sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. Ramya longiprocessus Rajgopal gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NPC), habitus and genitalia. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Pronotum. D. Face. E–F. Genital capsule, lateral and ventral views. G. Subgenital plate with valve. H. Conective. I–J. Style and style apophysis. K–N. Aedeagus, lateral, dorsal, ventral and caudal views, respectively.

Fig. 3. Leg chaetotaxy. A–E. Ramya longiprocessus Rajgopal gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NPC). F–J. Ramya megatrium Rajgopal gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NPC). A, F. Foreleg. B, G. Midleg. C, H. Hindleg. D, I. Profemur. E, J. Metabasitaromere, ventral view.

Fig. 2. Ramya longiprocessus Rajgopal gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NPC), habitus and genitalia. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Pronotum. D. Face. E. Female sternite VII. F–G. Valvula I. H–I. Valvula II.

Fig. 4. Ramya megatrium Rajgopal gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NPC), habitus and genitalia. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Pronotum. D. Face. E. Pygofer, lateral view. F. Pygofer process. G. Subgenital plate with valve. H. Style. I–L. Aedeagus, lateral, dorsal, ventral and caudal views, respecctively.