A Systematic Study on the Genus Cyrta Melichar (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Ten species of the genus Cyrta Melichar have been found in the world up to now, of which 8 new species are described and illustrated from China, Thailand and Nepal in this paper. A key to all the 10 species of the genus is proposed. The examined holotype of C. blattina Jacobi is deposited in Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn, Germany but labeled as Staatliches Museum fur Tierkunde, Dresden; the type specimens of C. recusetosa, sp. nov. are deposited in Nankai University of China (NKU); the holotype of C. setosa, sp. nov. in Northwest Science and Technology of Agriculture and Forestry University (NWSUAF), and paratype in Tianjin Natural History Museum(TJNHM); the type specimens of C. banna, sp. nov., C. dentata, sp. nov. and C. parafrons, sp. nov. in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (IZAS); the holotype of C. bicolor, sp. nov. in the Institute of Entomology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai (SHIE); the holotype and one paratype of C. longiloba, sp. nov. in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (IZAS), and one paratype in Tianjin Natural History Museum(TJNHM); the holotype and two paratypes of C. bimaculata, sp. nov. in Tianjin Natural History Museum(TJNHM) , and one paratype in Comm. Inst. Ent. in London(CIE). Key to species of the genus Cyrta Melichar 1. Vertex generally yellowish-brown but apical part black and with griscent hairs; pronotum with dense incanus hairsC. hirsuta Melichar Vertex generally concolorous, without hairs; pronotum without hairs2 2. Frontoclypeus generally dark ochre, with convex median part yellowish and spreading laterallyC. parafrons, sp. nov. Frontoclypeus generally concolorous; otherwise frontoclypeus generally brown with alutaceous transverse maculae3 3. Dorsal side of body generally yellowish-ochre with center and posterior margin of each abdominal segment blackish-ochre; 3 rd abdominal sternum with a pair of round brown spots C. bimaculata, sp. nov. Dorsal side of body not yellowish-ochre, or at least dorsal side of abdomen generally not yellowish-ochre; 3 rd abdominal sternum without paired brown spots4 4. Coronal suture about as long as 3/4 length of vertex, not up to anterior margin of vertex; dorsal side of abdomen generally blackish-ochre with lateral area of 2 nd-5 th abdominal nota as well as most part of 7 th and genital dorsum yellowC. blattina Jacobi Coronal suture reaching to anterior margin of vertex, otherwise posterior margin of vertex with a pair of round yellowish spots; dorsal side of abdomen not as above5 5. Inner margin of paramere without process connecting with connective6 Inner margin of paramere with a large process connecting with connective8 6. Subgenital plate with a row of recusetae near inner margin; shaft of connective with membrane sides patent as palpiC. recusetosa,sp. nov. Subgenital plate without recusetae; membrane sides of connective well-shaped7 7. Basal half of paramere with setae; aedeagus with short and blunt divergent apex, not hooked ......... C. setosa, sp. nov. Basal half of paramere without setae; aedeagus with long and hooked divergent apexC. bicolor, sp. nov. 8. Basal half narrowed near middle of paramere, inner margin of paramere with a large tooth-shaped process jointed with connectiveC. dentata, sp. nov. Basal half not narrowed near middle of paramere, process jointed to connective not tooth-shaped ... 9 9. Paramere process jointed to connective long lobe-shaped; aedeagus deeply concave subapically on inner margin formed a process pointing to apex C. longiloba, sp. nov Paramere process jointed to connective round and short, lobe-shaped; aedeagus not concave subapically and without processC. banna, sp. nov. 1. Cyrta hirsuta Melichar Cyrta hirsuta Melichar, 1902: 136 (61). Distribution: South and Central China. 2. Cyrta blattina Jacobi (Fig. 1) Length (incl. Teg.): ♀9.6 mm～11.0 mm. Specimen examined:1♀(holotype, Jacobi incorrectly described as ♂in 19