Beniledra Linnavuori 1972

(Pl. 1A, 7G, 10H, 12B, 14A, 17E)

Beniledra Linnavuori, 1972: 213.

Type species. B. peculiaris Linnavuori, 1972: 214, fig. 5b, 8a–b, by original designation.

Synonymy. None.

Description. Linnavuori (1972): “Large brown leafhoppers. Body elongate, tapering caudad. Crown foliaceous, pentagonal, with lateral margins strongly diverging apicad in front of eyes, disk conspicuously elevated medially, flat laterally, irregularly microsculptured with longitudinal furrows and obsolete punctures, ocelli closer to each other than to eyes. Face strongly concave in upper part, lower portions flat, anteclypeus parallel-sided. Pronotum long, lateral margins long, parallel and carinate, anterior margin straight, basal margin strongly insinuated medially, disk densely punctate, swollen basally and medially, sloping apicad and laterad, lateral and apical margins flat. Elytra long, vertical, broadening apicad, apex truncate, apical margin shallowly concave, cells coriaceous and densely punctate, clavus and apical two-thirds of corium with numerous extra cross veins. Legs as in Petalocephala. Male genitalia: Pygophore dorsally incised to base, side lobes triangular, without appendages. Anal tubes tapering apicad, dorsal surface with a deep inverted Vshaped median notch. Genital plates sharply triangular. Stylus elongate, apophysis with a hook-shaped apex. Connective a small plate. Penis with long tubulous stem, gonopore subapical on the dorsal surface. Posterior margin of 7 th sternite [of female] undulate.”

Species. [1]: peculiaris Linnavuori.

Range. Angola (Singombe); Cameroon (Region du N’ten); Central African Republic [Republic of Central Africa] (Boukoko, La Maboke); Congo (Dimonika, Kivu); Democratic Republic of the Congo [Zaire] (Beni forest, Buma).

Host plants. Nanniophytum africanum (Euphorbiaceae).

Material examined. B. peculiaris: 1 male, 1 female, Congo, AMNH, JRJ _Led1_015, 20; 3 males, 3 females, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, MNHN, Led1_016–021.

Remarks. Beniledra is monobasic. The type specimen is unknown, but nearly a dozen unidentified specimens were found in the MNHN, and two of the paratypes from Linnavuori’s personal collection were made available by the AMNH.

Beniledra has many affinities to Confucius, including the metathoracic tarsomere being short and the tibia not being especially foliaceous. The large size, long broadly triangular wings that meet to form a peak over the hind part of the abdomen, highly reticulate venation, and the large, flat, pentagonally-shaped crown make Beniledra readily distinguishable from all other Ledrini.