Balocha astuta
Creators: name: VIRAKTAMATH, C. A.
name: YESHWANTH, H. M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadellidae
Balocha
Balocha astuta

description: Balocha astuta (Melichar)
Figs 1A–H, 2A–M, 3A–L, 4A–E, 5A–L, 59A, 60G, 63A–D.
Idiocerus astutus Melichar 1903: 150.
Balocha astuta (Melichar): Maldonado-Capriles1964: figs 1–2; Viraktamath 1976: 24, figs 32–38.
Balocha anufrievi Rao & Ramakrishnan 1979a: 344, figs 13–23. Syn. nov.
Balocha bifurcata Kamswara Rao, Ramakrishanan & Ghai 1979: 295, figs 1–12. Syn. nov.
Balocha maldonadoi Kamswara Rao & Ramakrishan 1979:342, figs 1–12. Syn. nov.
Diagnosis. Uniformly green with lateral margins of eye with one black spot, and third apical cell with dark brown to black round spot, preserved specimens pale green with reddish tinge or reddish orange. Posterior process (Fig. 4 Aa) about 0.62–0.67× as long as anterior lobe (Fig. 4 Ab) in lateral view, anterior process slightly curved. Female sternite VII about twice as broad as long medially with posterior margins convex (Fig. 60G).
Female genitalia. Valvula I slightly curved dorsally, distal 0.33 strongly tapered acutely pointed apex, sculpture strigate, occupying slightly more than distal half, strigae oblique (Figs 63 AB). Valvula II stout, straight, toothed area slightly raised, occupying slightly more than half distal length, teeth about twice as broad as their height (Figs 63 CD).
Material examined. INDIA: Karnataka: 1 ♀, Arasikere, 4.viii. 1977, C.A. Viraktamath; Mudigere, 3 ♀, 5–6. ii.2003, M.K. Sindhu; Bangalore, 1 ♂, 12.v.2011, ex Syzygium cumini, Yeshwanth; 1 ♀, 31.v.2012, at light, Sudha, R.; 1 ♀, 22.v.2012, Sudha R.; 1 ♀, 18 km N. Karwar, 17.xii.1983, S. Viraktamath; 1 ♀, Kemmannagundi, 11.iv. 1975, C.A. Viraktamath; 1 ♀, 18 km N. Mudigere, 7.iv.1980, C.A. Viraktamath; 1 ♂, GVK, Bangalore, 9.iv. 2011, Yeshwanth; 1 ♀, Jog Falls, 18.xi.1976, C.A. Viraktamath. INDIA: Punjab: Ludhiana, 1♂, 2 ♀, 6.iii.1985, A.S. Sohi; 3 ♀, 30.iv.1985, J.S. Mann; 5 ♂, 1 ♀, PAU, Ludhiana, 1.iv.1985, A.S. Sohi; 1 ♀, Pinoure gardens, A.S. Sohi; 1♂, 2 ♀, Pinjour, 29.xi.1975, A.S. Sohi. INDIA: 1 ♀, Chandigarh, 16.v. 1986, M. Shenhmar. INDIA: Tripura: Agartala: 1 ♀, 2.ii.2010, C.A. Viraktamath. INDIA: Gujarat: 1 ♀, Pavagarh, 22.i.1981, S. Viraktamath; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Junagadh, 28.i.1981, C.A. Viraktamath; 1 ♂, Sasan Gir, 31.i.1981, C.A. Viraktamath. INDIA: Delhi: 3 ♂, 6 ♀, New Delhi, JNU Campus, 8.vii. 1992, ex Syzygium cumini, C.A. Viraktamath (UASB).
Remarks. The aedeagus of B. anufrievi, B. bifurcata and B. maldonadoi are very similar to that in B. astuta in proportions of the anterior and posterior lobes, anterior and posterior processes and hence the synonymy. The illustration of the aedeagus of B. bifurcata provided by Kamswara Rao et al. (1979: fig. 6) is erroneous; the aedeagus is placed on a permanent slide, oriented ventrally and pressed by a cover slip thus appearing different. This species breeds on Syzygium cumini (L.) (Myrtaceae). The posterior margin of the aedeagal shaft in specimens from Pinjore and New Delhi (from JNU campus) and also the holotype of B. anufrievi have one ((Fig. 4B, New Delhi specimens) or two (Fig. 2K) short conical projections.
description: Published as part of VIRAKTAMATH, C. A. & YESHWANTH, H. M., 2024, Arboreal eurymeline leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae) of the Indian subcontinent with description of new genera and eight new species, pp. 1-125 in Zootaxa 5462 (1) on pages 12-18, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5462.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11610410