Redescription of Rawania petasata (Melichar) (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae) with a key to genera of Empoascini related to genus Rawania Ghauri of Oriental region

Abstract

Rawania petasata (Melichar, 1903), breeding on leaves of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre is redescribed and illustrated. Male specimens collected from Karnataka and Sri Lanka exhibited a pair of short, tooth-like processes at the base of the aedeagal shaft, a feature previously overlooked in the original description. Besides Pongamia, this species was also found on mango, Mangifera indica Linnaeus and cashew, Anacardium occidentale Linnaeus in Karnataka. These leafhoppers were collected from newly emerged leaves of these plants during March 2024 and 2025. A key to distinguish the genus Rawania Ghauri from Empoascini genera of Oriental region with a similar forewing venation namely, forewing with all the three apical veins arising independently from forewing cell m [apical veins Radial Posterior (RP) and Median Posterior (MP) not confluent at base] is also provided.