Bretega,a new leafhopper genus from South Africa with 15 new species (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Bonaspeiini).

Abstract

A new leafhopper genus, Bretega gen.n., (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is described from South Africa with 15 included species, all described as new: B. claviverpa sp.n., B. declispiverpa sp.n., B. delifurcaverpa sp.n., B. ensiverpa sp.n., B. furciverpa sp.n., B. juxtaspiverpa sp.n., B. Linnavuorii sp.n., B. orbiverpa sp.n., B. planuverpa sp.n., B. prospiverpa sp.n., B. quattuspiverpa sp.n., B. quinispiverpa sp.n., B. serraverpa sp.n., B. sexspiverpa sp.n. and B. truncuverpa sp.n. The new species are small leafhoppers with short forewings, non-functional hind wings and often with characteristic black markings on the head. They have been collected mainly on five species of shrubs in Asteraceae and possibly on two species in Malvaceae and Rutaceae. These plants were found in two arid habitats in the western parts of South Africa with a winter rainfall pattern and in a number of Karoo biomes in the central parts of South Africa with bimodal rainfall pattern. This new genus is placed in the Bonaspeiini of Deltocephalinae.