Scolopsomorpha Melichar

Constant, Jerome, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Scolopsomorpha Melichar (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae), Zootaxa 2219, pp. 38-48 : 39-41

Genus Scolopsomorpha Melichar

Figs. 1 D–F .

Scolopsomorpha Melichar, 1912: 170

Type-species: Scolopsomorpha africana Melichar, 1912 by original designation.

Etymology. The name refers to the resemblance to the species of the genus Scolops Schaum, 1850 ( Hemiptera : Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae ).

Description. General coloration: yellow-brown to grey-brown, with red and black markings; hind wings uniformly brown to brown-black with veins often suffused with red.

Head: much narrower than thorax; cephalic process narrow and elongate, curved dorsad, at least 2.5 times longer than breadth of head including eyes; vertex tricarinate with median carina only on disc or extending to apex of process; disc of frons smooth; process tricarinate ventrally, sometimes with external carinae slightly folded internally; clypeus smooth or with slight median carina; labium extending to median coxae, with apical segment longer than broad, much shorter than penultimate; antennae short, with scape very short and pedicel subcylindrical, bearing plate organs, micro- and macrosetae only on apical half.

Thorax: disc of pronotum tricarinate; median carina reaching anterior margin and lateral carinae roundly fused anteriorly ( Fig. 1 E ); carina on side of prothorax and incomplete smooth carina posteriorly before tegula; mesonotum with disc tricarinate; lateral carinae roundly fused anteriorly and median not reaching anterior margin and limited to posterior transverse groove.

Tegmina: convex, elongate, roundly pointed apically; costal margin emarginate at anterior 1/3; totally and densely covered with small smooth tubercles; apical black dot; veins sometimes visible only as lines of tubercles; clavus closed.

Venation: C not visible; Sc+R with short common stem; M forked well beyond Sc-R separation; Cu forked before apex of clavus; claval veins A1 and A2 fused before apex of clavus; A2 carinate along sutural margin; Sc, R, M1, M2, Cu1 and Cu2 simple; very few cross veinlets, near apex ( Fig. 1 D ).

Hind wings: well developed; broad with remigium, vannus and anal lobe well developed; apex bisinuate; nearly reaching apex of tegmen at rest.

Legs: fore and median femur and tibia slender and elongate; process of coxa III spinose; tibia III elongate, with 3 lateral and 6 apical spines ( Fig. 1 F ); first hind tarsomere elongate, about as long as 2 last tarsomeres together, with apical row of 6 spines ventrally; second hind tarsomere with posterior spine at each side ( Fig. 1 F ).

Genitalia 3: pygofer short, curved in lateral view; anal tube dorso-ventrally flattened, more or less oval; gonostyli asymmetric, largely fused basally, with lateral margins strongly sinuate, and digitiform process dorsally; right gonostylus with hook-shaped process directed dorso-posterad; phallic complex elongate, showing lateral spiniform processes, directed ventrad and curved to right side.

Genitalia Ƥ: [based on S. debakkeri ] pygofer short in lateral view; anal tube dorso-ventrally flattened, elongate and more or less oval; gonoplacs elongate, triangular, gonapophysis viii strongly denticulate dorsally; bursa copulatrix large and membranous.

Size: 9–14 mm.

Distribution: Afrotropical region.

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of the species of the group, except that they seem to live in forests and that, due to the number of specimens collected by canopy fogging (8 out of 12), they could be canopy species.

Figures

FIGURE 1 A – F. A, Scolops sulcipes (Say, 1825) (Dictyopharidae), dorsal view. B, S. sulcipes, thorax, dorsal view. C, S. sulcipes, hind tarsus, ventral view. D, Scolopsomorpha debakkeri, venation of right tegmen, dorso-lateral view. E, Scolopsomorpha debakkeri, thorax, dorsal view. F, Scolopsomorpha debakkeri, hind tarsus, ventral view.