Genus Varta Distant, 1908

Museums

Regional Maps

• Varta Distant, W.L. 1908. Rhynchota. — Vol. IV. Homoptera and Appendix. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma 4: 1-501 [320].

  Type species:

   Varta rubrofasciata Distant, 1908 by original designation.
• Purpuranus Zachvatkin, A.A. 1933. Sur quelques Homoptères intéressants de la faune Italienne. Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana 12: 262-272 [262].

  Type species:

   Platymetopius rubrostriatus Horváth, 1907 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Viraktamath, C.A. & Anantha Murthy, H.V. 1999. A revision of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini from India and Nepal (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 79(1): 39-55 [51] (synonymy of Purpuranus)

Introduction

Viraktamath (2004) recognised seven species in this genus, distributed primarily in the Oriental region but extending into the Palaearctic and with one species reaching New Guinea and the wet tropics of North Queensland. The species are all bluish green with distinctive red longitudinal stripes.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Medium-sized leafhoppers, 5.00–7.00 mm long. Bluish-green with linear red stripes. Vertex subangularly produced in front, medially depressed, 1.4–1.7 times as long as inter-ocular distance, as long as or shorter (0.85–1.0) than pronotum, lateral margins rounded, with longitudinal rugae. Ocelli large, on anterior margin. Frontoclypeus very narrow, more than three times as long as wide, sides subparallel, with a short ridge dorsally. Clypellus widened apically, 0.3–0.45 times as long as frontoclypeus. Pronotum flat, wider than head, 2.3 2.5 times as wide as long, lateral margins carinate divergent caudally. Front wings truncate apically, about 4 times longer than wide, anteapical cells elongate. Arrangement of spines on hind tibia R1 20±1, R2 10±1, R3 21±1. Hind basitarsus with five platellae (Viraktamath 2004).

Viraktamath (2004) also described and figured the male genitalia of all species and provided a key for their separation.

ID Keys

Viraktamath & Anantha Murthy 1999: 40

Diagnosis References

Viraktamath, C.A. 2004. A revision of the Varta-Stymphalus generic complex of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini (Hemiptera Cicadellidae) from the Old World. Zootaxa 713: 1-47 [11]

Viraktamath, C.A. & Anantha Murthy, H.V. 1999. A revision of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini from India and Nepal (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 79(1): 39-55 [40]

History of changes