Chandrashekaraswami Adiveyya Viraktamath (in publications as C. A. Viraktamath or as Chandra A. Viraktamath) (born 31 January 1944) is an Indian entomologist who specializes in the systematics of leaf-hoppers, Cicadellidae. He served as a professor of entomology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.
Viraktamath was born in Byadagi to Adiveyya and Neelambika and grew up across Karnataka as his father was posted at various places as a revenue officer. He went to the College of Agriculture, Dharwad and obtained a BSc in agriculture winning an ASPEE Gold Medal in plant pathology. He joined the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore for his MSc and received training from the Indian entomologist G. P. Channabasavanna as well as the American entomologists H. M. Harris and J. H. Lilly who were visiting professors in insect systematics and physiology respectively. He was involved in studying ragi ( Eleusine coracana ) mosaic and streak diseases which were spread by leafhopper vectors and was recommended for further studies at the Oregon State University as a Ford Foundation scholar. He went to work on leafhopper systematics under Paul W. Oman, working on the Old World Agallinae. He returned to India after receiving his PhD and worked at the College of Agriculture, Dharwad. After a few years of teaching he moved in 1974 to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. From 1995 he taught graduate students. He was involved in the development of the synoptic insect collections at the university which under his curatorship grew to 350,000 specimens with the oldest being a weevil collected by Leslie C. Coleman in October 1908. All the type specimens of species that he described (56 genera and 452 species) are included in the collection. He mentored numerous students in systematics particularly of insects of agricultural importance. He retired in 2004 but continued to work as an emeritus professor. A festschrift in his honour was released on his 75th birthday. A number of insects have been named in his honour. [1]
He married Lalitha (née Shashikala Koranmath) in 1973 and they have two daughters.
Major publications, especially taxonomic revisions include:
A number of taxa are named in honour of Viraktamath including:
Maiestas is a genus of insects in the family Cicadellidae, the vast majority of which were formerly placed in the genus Recilia.
Deltocephalinae is a subfamily of leafhoppers. Deltocephalinae is the largest subfamily in the family Cicadellidae and is divided into 40 tribes, comprising over 925 genera, and over 6,700 described species.
Maiestas canga is a species of insect from the Cicadellidae family that can be found in Liberia and Congo. Originally placed in Recilia, it was later placed within Maiestas when Recilia was revised down to only contain two species in 2009.
Kutara is a leafhopper genus belonging to the subfamily Deltocephalinae. It was previously assigned to the Selenocephalinae subfamily.
Penthimia is a genus of leafhoppers belonging to the family Cicadellidae subfamily Deltocephalinae.
Macrostelini is a tribe in the Deltocephalinae subfamily of leafhoppers. Macrostelini contains 37 genera and over 300 species. The tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution. Some species in the genus Cicadulina are agricultural pests and transmit maize streak virus in Sub-saharan Africa.
Japananus hyalinus, the Japanese maple leafhopper, is a species of leafhopper of the subfamily Deltocephalinae and tribe Opsiini. Believed to be native to eastern Asia, it has been carried with the trade in cultivated maples and is now widely found in Europe, North America and Australia.
Scaphytopiini is an insect tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. The scope of the tribe was restricted by Zahniser & Dietrich (2013) to include only 3 genera.
Athysanini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. The type genus of the tribe is Athysanus. The tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution. It is the largest tribe in the subfamily Deltocephalinae and has 228 genera and at least 1120 species.
Hecalini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae. There are about 24 genera and over 180 described species divided into two subtribes in Hecalini.
Scaphoideini is a tribe of leafhoppers. There are 64 genera and over 600 described species in Scaphoideini.
Mukariini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae.
Acostemmini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. Acostemmini contains 12 genera and around 30 species. The tribe is found throughout tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent and New Guinea. The highest diversity is found in Madagascar including an endemic genus, Ikelibeloha.
Drabescini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. There are currently 38 genera and almost 200 species in Drabescini divided into two subtribes: Drabescina and Paraboloponina.
Goniagnathini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. Goniagnathini contains 4 genera and around 60 species. Of these, one new species, Goniagnathuscornutus was recently verified in China.
Magnentiini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. There are currently 2 genera and 4 species in the tribe. It was formerly placed in the subfamily Nioniinae, but was moved to Deltocephalinae based on anatomical similarities. Members of Magnentiini are superficially similar to members of Punctulini and Vartini.
Penthimiini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. Penthimiini contains 46 genera and over 200 species.
Vartini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. It currently contains 7 genera and over 20 species. Phylogenetic studies have shown that Vartini is closely related to Punctulini.
Stegelytrini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. There are 30 genera and over 80 species in Stegelytrini. Some authors consider Stegelytrini to be its own subfamily, but Zahniser & Dietrich (2013) consider it to be the earliest divergent lineage of Deltocephalinae.
Punctulini is a tribe of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. Punctulini currently contains 3 genera and 5 species. It is most closely related to Vartini and Magnentiini within Deltocephalinae.
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