2.1. PROCESSING OF MATERIAL FOR STUDY
Selection of leafhoppers was done based on the hind tibial character
(two rows spines on the hind tibia). The specimens were mounted (Plate
2b) on a triangular thick white paper mounts on the right side of the
mesothorax using the glue. This facilitates the clear examination of
head, wings, legs, and abdomen from all desired angles and also useful
for easy detaching of the abdomen for the study of male genitalia.
Labels (Plate 3a & b) were transfixed to each specimen having
information about locality, date of collection, name of the collector
and altitude. The photographs of collected specimens were taken with
Leica DFC 425C digital camera on the Leica 19205FA stereo zoom
automontage microscope and processed using Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Plate
4). From each collected leafhoppers species at least two extra specimens
were also preserved indefinitely in 100% ethanol to facilitate later
extraction of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) for further use in
phylogenetic and population studies.