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H. S Al- Asady and H. B.D.  Al- Ghailany 

Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 
(2003) 10 (1): 1-5 

 
EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LEAFHOPPER 

NEOALITARUS FENESTRATUS HERRICH-SCHAEFFER 
1964(HOMOPTERA: CICADELLIDAE) FROM IRAQ 

 
H. S. Al-Asady and H. B. D. Al-Gailany 

Department of Biology, College of Education/Ibn Al-Haitham, Baghdad, 
Iraq 

 
ABSTRACT 

    The present work introduces, external morphological study of the leafhopper Neoalitarus 
fenestratus Herrich-Schäeffer (Deltocephalinae:Oposiini), particularly the male genitalia 
which were dissected and illustrated. 
 

INTRODUCTION 
    The genus Neoalitarus belongs to the subfamily Deltocephalinae.This is a large subfamily, 
worldwide distribution. Its largest number of species in the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. 
The majority of species feed on grasses, clovers and other low plants thus they transmit viral 
diseases to them, although few found on trees and bushes (Le Quesne, 1969). 
    Members of this genus are characterized by a pair of ocelli on the transition between frons 
and vertex; green to red brown color; posterior tibia and apex of femur with strongly 
developed spines; forewing without punctuation or with it only at base; veins of corium 
forked or linked by cross veins (Ribaut, 1952; Emel’yanove, 1962 and Le Quesne, 1969). 
    The species Neoalitarus fenestratus Herrich-Schäeffer 1964 was firstly recorded in Iraq by 
(Dlabola, 1946) although Derwesh (1965) included the species in his list of some identified 
insects and arachnids in Iraq. 
 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 
    Specimens were collected using light trap. They were mounted and preserved in insect box. 
They were put in a beaker with suitable amount of water, care was taken in that the specimens 
should be not in touch with water. They were left for 48 hours to wet and soften body parts. 
Forewing, hindwing, head, pronotum and mesonotum were isolated and mounted separately 
on suitable sized rectangular hard paper for examining and drawing. Abdomen and genital 
capsule  were separated and dissected each alone using 70% alcohol and watch glass to isolate 
the abdominal apodemes and genital parts, which were preserved in glycerin after drawing. 
Dissecting microscope, insect micropins and squared eyepiece with ocular micrometer were 
used for dissection and illustrations. 

 
RESULTS 

Neoalitarus fenestratus Herrich- Schäeffer 1964 
(=Circulifer fenestratus Herrich- Schäeffer 1834) 

    Body small, slender; general coloration deep brown with red tinge; total length of males 
and females 3.9 to 4.5 mm. 
    Vertex (Fig. 1) Deep brown with reddish tinge; arch like; anterior margin rounded and 
slightly protruded medially; lateral posterior angles narrow and slightly pointed; posterior  

 



 

 

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Morphology of Neoalitarus fenestratus 

margin strongly concave medially; permanent white spots mostly regular in shape and size 
occupy the area between compound eyes. 
    Face (Fig. 2) Deep brown with reddish tinge; a pair of light yellowish brown ocelli situated 
at the tip of frontal suture close to the transition area between frons and vertex ; frons with 
permanent white spots mostly regular in shape and size much densely toward vertex ; lorae 
deep brown oval and distinctly elevated.  
    Pronotum (Fig. 3) Deep brown; anterior margin obtuse; lateral posterior margin obliquely 
truncate; posterior margin  narrow in respect to anterior one; concave interiorly; spotting 
pattern as explained in vertex and face. 
    Mesonotum (Fig. 4) Mostly light brown; apex rounded and slightly protruded interiorly; 
lateral median margins distinctly pointed; parapsidal sutures distinct, their posterior ends 
close together; prescutum rounded and interiorly protruded; scutellum deep brown. 
    Forewing (Fig. 5) Mostly deep brown; appendix distinct running close and round apex; the 
latter rouded; apical third with irregularly shaped and sized whitish patches; veins of distal 
third forked and linked by cross veins. 
    Hindwing (Fig. 6) White with silver ting so as the veins; base narrow; apex wide and 
obliquely truncate; peripheral vein distinct goes around apex ending at the joinment between 
C and Sc1; anal folds are clearly indicated by two notches. 
    Male genitalia: Aedeagus (Fig. 13) oval, narrowing at both ends; its apex biforked; the 
connective at the base of aedeagus biforked posteriorly. Genital plate (Fig. 12) triangular; its 
outer lateral margin with a row of mostly identical spines. Genital style (Fig. 11) elongated, 
its apex pointed and directed externally; lateral flange at the distal third of the outer lateral 
margin; the socle small and wide, strongly sclerotized situated opposite to the flange; first and 
second abdominal apodemes, male and female abdominal sterna are shown in figures 7, 8,9 
and 10 respectively. 
 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
    We would like to thank Dr. M. S. Abdul-Rassoul (Iraq Natural History Museum) for his 
kindly help in lending specimens of leafhoppers. Also we are grateful to Mr. M. H. Shukri for 
his effort in collection of leafhoppers. Finally we are indebted to Dr. M. R. Wilson (National 
Museum of Wales, U. K.) for his help and support in the confirmation of species. 
 

LITERATURE CITED 
Derwesh, A. I. 1965 A preliminary list of identified insects and some arachnids of Iraq. 

Minist. Agric. Bull., 121:1-123. 
 
Dlabola, J. 1946 N’ar. Museum, Praha. Popisyz Novy’ch Druhu KRISU R Cech. Agine’ VY 

ZancNe NAIeZY Zu’Zemi CSR; (Homopt. Auchenorrhyncha). Description 
De Deux Nouvelles espoces et Plusierurs Remar Ques Sur Les espoces Peu 
Connues D’Europe. Central’(Homopt. Auchenorrh). Vol. XXIV: 28-37. 

 
Emel’yahove, A. f. 1962. New tribes of leafhoppers of the Subfamily 

Euscelinae.(Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae). Ent. Obozr.,41: 388-397. 
 
 

LeQuesne, W. J. 1969. Hemiptera. Cicadomorpha. (Deltocephalinae). In Handbooks for the 
identification of British Insects. Vol. II Part (2b). 148pp. 

 
Ribaut, H. 1952 Fauna de France, 57. Homopt’res Auch’e’norrhynques. Vol. II (Jassidae). 

Paris. 



  

 

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H. S Al- Asady and H. B.D.  Al- Ghailany 

Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus 
(2003) 10 (1): 1-5 
 

ورق ز ال ج  لقفا ر خا ه  ال ظ ة الم س -Neoalitarus fenestratus Herrich درا
Schäeffer   

ق ع ا ن ال   م
  

ك الني ي وهد ر ال س  ال سن ا  ح
 

ة ص   الخال
ق  ور ز  لــ ا ق ــ جي ل ر خلـ ا ر ا ظ ــ ة امل درا ــ ث  ا ال حــ ذ م  ــ د  Neoalitarus fenestratusيقــ

Herrich-Schäeffer  حية ضي ل الت  ش ا أل ت با ح ث ع ز ك ية  ذ س ءة ال صة ال خا   .و
  
  
  



 

 

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Morphology of Neoalitarus fenestratus 

  
  
  
  



  

 

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H. S Al- Asady and H. B.D.  Al- Ghailany