Cephisus siccifolia (Walker)

Hamilton, Andrew, 2012, Revision of Neotropical aphrophorine spittlebugs, part 1: Ptyelini (Hemiptera, Cercopoidea), Zootaxa 3497, pp. 41-59 : 51-52

Cephisus siccifolia (Walker) , redefined

( Figs 1 B, 2B, 13A–C, 21)

Aphrophora siccifolia Walker, 1851: 698 . Cephisus siccifolius [sic]: Stål, 1866: 384. Sphodroscarta siccifolia: Stål, 1869: 18 .

Type locality. Unknown. A syntype from “western Africa” is probably mislabelled.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from C. variolosus by its robust form, from C. magnificus by its smaller size and rather low pronotal declivity, and from both by the thecal processes that are broad almost to the tip, as in C. xanthocephala . Head 0.75× as wide as pronotum, in male often as much as 0.80× as wide (lateral margins of pronotum thus much longer than 3/4 length of eye); rather robust; crown weakly sloping, not coplanar with front part of pronotum. Tan, heavily overlaid with brown, darker on midline of crown and transverse rugae of pronotum; clypellus and lower fifth of frons often blackish brown; paler areas of tegmina (when present) forming 3 crescentshaped oblique bands across middle, sometimes confluent. Style with low apical process and weakly curved, tapered dorsal process on inner edge ( Fig. 13 C); theca shaft robust, strongly recurved, armed with a pair of short, weakly curved, tapered lateral processes, and a pair of ventroapical processes slightly longer than lateral pair, extending nearly to base of shaft ( Fig. 13 A–B). Length: male 10.6–11.7 mm, female 13.4–17.6 mm. Width across head: male 3.3–3.4 mm, female 3.7–4.0 mm; across pronotum: male 4.5–4.9 mm, female 4.6–5.3 mm.

Types. Lectotype female of siccifolia , here designated: 44/38 [locality unknown]; in BMNH.

Additional material. BRAZIL: 6 males, 8 females from Caviuna, Corupa, Do Rio, Pelotas, Teffe; PANAMA: 1 male, 2 females from Barro Colorado I; PARAGUAY: 15 males, 8 females from Itapua — 17 km W Enacranacion, 17 km N Hohenau; Parana — 6 km W Pto. Pres. Stroessner; PERU: 4 male, 6 females from Hu. —Pto. Inca Llullapichis 800 m [ASL], Tingo Maria; Ju. — 1–3 km SW Mina Pichita 2100 m [ASL]; Lo. —Yarinacocha 150 m [ASL]; Md.—Z.R. Tambopata; URUGUAY: 1 male from Calonia —Estanzuela; 18 Jan.– 4 Feb., 23 March, 8 April, 24 May, 21 June, 9–17 July, 23 Aug., 10–25 Oct., 9, 22 Nov., 7, 26–31 Dec.; in AMNH, CNCI, FMC, UFRJ and USNM.

Unassociated: 22 females from BRAZIL: Angra-Jussaral, Boraceia Salesopolis, Cauna, M[atto] Grosso, Mirapinima, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Vermelho, Santa Cruz, Serra dos Orgaos N. Pk., Uypiranga, Venda Nova Teresopolis, Vila Vera; GUYANA: Kuyuwini R.; PANAMA: Barro Colorado Is.; PARAGUAY: Cordillera —Caacupé; Italia —Colonia Nueva; URUGUAY: 15 km S Paysandu; 25 March, 23–27 April, in AMNH, CNCI, FMC and UFRJ.

Distribution. Widely distributed in the lowlands of South America, from Uruguay to Panama, where its range abuts that of C. variolosus . This species is probably correctly recorded from Argentina ( Berg 1879). No records from Central America to the southern USA could be verified. These records refer to the next species, C. variolosus .

Biology. Nymphs of this species ( Figs 21 A–D) resemble those of Aphrophora Germar but have a white abdomen ( Ribeiro et al. 2005). The same authors report an average of 22 nymphs per colony on Eucalyptus in Brazil and note that they “prefer to attack arboreal plants and it has been observed on Acacia melanoxylon , Erythrina galli, Robinia hispida, Robinia pseudacacia, Schnus molle, Wistevia sinensis and Prosopis algarrobila ... In Brazil, C. siccifolius was reported in arboreal plants such as Acacia sp., Cassia sp., Cassia javanica , Caesalpinia ferrea and Phytolacea dioica ... and they were also found on Caesalpinia peltophoroides (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioidae) in Cotia, State of São Paulo, with their young stages and [molting?] adults wrapped by a white foam on branches”.

Remarks. The syntype of siccifolia from "western Africa" could not be located. The lectotype has dusky wing tips and is probably Walker ’s "var. β".

The trivial name siccifolia (“dry leaves”) probably refers to the appearance of the spread wings of Walker’s specimens, not to the damage caused by their feeding. The name is a noun in apposition and does not change its termination in a masculine genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Cephisus spp. A. C. laticeps; B-E. B. C. siccifolia; C. C. xanthocephala; D. C. sanguisuga from Amazonian basin; E – H. C. variolosus complex (E. “ typical ” variolosus, specimen # CNCHB 1904 – 11, from Oaxaca; F. specimen near C. brevipennis from Guerrero; G. specimen # CNCHB 1906 – 11 from Veracruz; H. specimen # CNCHB 1905 – 11 from Chiapas).

FIGURE 21. Live specimens of Cephisus, nymphs (A – D) and adult (E). A. spittle mass; B. three nymphs of various stadia exposed when froth is partially removed; C, nymph producing bubbles by extending tip of abdomen outside spittle mass to siphon air into channel under abdomen; D, exposed third instar nymph; E, adult. Photos A – D taken at Argentina, Buenos Aires, La Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur, 13 November 2011 by Ted MacRae, used by permission; E. photo by Pier Cacciali.

FIGURES 5 – 15. Male genitalia of Ptyelini in lateral aspect (A), caudal aspect of theca (B) and widest aspect of style (C). 5. genital capsule of Ptyelus; 6. same, of Cephisus; 7. syntype male of C. sanguisuga; 8. C. diminutus, holotype; 9. C. laticeps, holotype; 10. C. xanthocephala; 11. C. magnificus, holotype; 12. C. variolosus; 13. C. siccifolia; 14. C. jacobii; 15. C. brevipennis, holotype.