Salvina Melichar, 1926

Gonçalves, Clayton Corrêa, Domahovski, Alexandre Cruz & Paladini, Andressa, 2025, A synopsis of the genus Salvina Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Neocoelidiinae) with two new combinations, key to males, and list of host plants for the subfamily, Zootaxa 5588 (2), pp. 339-350 : 340-341

Salvina Melichar, 1926

Salvina Melichar, 1926: 344 ; China, 1938: 184 (citation); Metcalf, 1964: 113 (catalogue); Kramer, 1964: 261, 270–271, 283 (key, description, illustrations); Oman et al., 1990: 249, 355 (catalogue); Freytag & Sharkey, 2002: 255 (citation, number of species); Dietrich, 2003: 701 (distribution); Marques-Costa & Cavichioli, 2012: 10, 13, 15, 20 (illustrations, phylogenetic relationship).

Type-species: Tettigonia dorsisignata Fowler, 1900 , subsequent designation by China, 1938: 184.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized leafhoppers (5.9–9.0 mm). Crown ( Figs 1A–G , 2A, C ) flat, moderately produced anteriorly; anterior margin rounded; lateral margins, adjacent to the eyes, elevated and not carinate; coronal suture indistinct. Ocelli on crown, close to anterior margin. Frontogenal sutures ( Fig. 2B ) not reaching ocelli. Gena ( Fig. 2B ) incompletely covering episternum. Crown-face transition ( Figs 1C, E, G , 2C ) with a weak transverse carina. Pronotum ( Figs 1A, B, D, F , 2A ) with posterior margin excavated. Forewings ( Figs 1A, B, D, F ) at rest with a large dark brown and red X-shaped transcommissural macula; with three anteapical and four apical cells; venation obscure, except apically; apex fuscous. Hind wing with R 4+5 and M 1+2 veins converging pre-apically, fused at the apex, forming a single vein. Male pygofer ( Fig. 2E, F ) with or without dorsal process; ventral margin with dentiform process; macrosetae absent. Anal tube ( Fig 2E ) without process. Subgenital plates ( Fig. 2G ) fused together, except on apical third. Connective ( Fig. 2I ) Y-shaped, with arms longer than stem. Style ( Fig. 2I, J ) with apical third narrow and dorsally curved; preapical lobe indistinct. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2K, L ) simple; dorsal apodeme undeveloped; preatrium long; shaft without processes.

Remarks. In the phylogenetic analysis of Neocoelidiinae based on morphological data by Marques-Costa & Cavichioli (2012), Salvina dorsisignata and Coelidiana rubrolineata were recovered in distinct clades. Salvina dorsisignata was found to be more closely related to genera such as Biza Walker, 1858 , Megacoelidia Kramer & Linnavuori, 1959 , and Aglaenita Spinola, 1850 . In contrast Coelidiana rubrolineata was recovered in a large clade alongside other genera of the subfamily. However, this analysis did not include C. distinctissima and C. undata . In a preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on morphological and molecular data (Gonçalves et al., in prep.) S. dorsisignata was recovered with high support as a sister group to S. undata , with both being related to Acocoelidia DeLong, 1953 and in a separate clade from C. rubrolineata .

Furthermore, Coelidiana distictissima and C. undata are similar to Salvina dorsisignata in color pattern, external morphology and male genitalia. Coelidiana distictissima and C. undata differ from the type-species of Coelidiana , C. rubrolineata Baker, 1898 and other species of the genus due to the following characteristics: 1) absence of the orange E-shaped macula on the crown commonly present in Coelidiana species; 2) ocelli located on the crown, close to anterior margin (in Coelidiana the ocelli are located at the crown-face transition and are not visible in dorsal view); 3) anterior margin of crown rounded (in Coelidiana the anterior margin is subacute); 4) frontogenal suture not reaching the ocelli (reaching ocelli in Coelidiana ); 5) forewing with large black and red X-shaped macula (absent in Coelidiana ); 6) subgenital plate not fused in apical third (in Coelidiana the subgenital plate is generally completely fused, or free only at the apex); 7) style with apical third thin and dorsally curved, without preapical lobe (in Coelidiana the style is commonly expanded apically, not dorsally curved and with a preapical lobe distinct); 8) aedeagus with undeveloped dorsal apodeme (developed in Coelidiana ); and 9) second valvula apical portion with dorsal margin of bearing small teeth of approximately equal size and branched ducts (in Coelidiana the dorsal teeth are irregular in size and the ducts are reticulated). However, the female genitalia of only Salvina undata comb. nov. and Coelidiana aroeira Gonçalves, da Silva, Domahovski, Alasmar & Paladini, 2024 are known and described in detail, and these differences may not be present in all species of these genera.

We transfer Coelidiana distictissima and C. undata to Salvina based on these morphological differences and phylogenetic evidence.

Species of Salvina

S. distictissima ( Linnavuori, 1965) : 145 comb. nov. ( Coelidiana ). Brazil (São Paulo).

S. dorsisignata (Fowler, 1900) : 282 [ Tettigonia ]. Panama (Chiriquí).

S. undata ( Linnavuori, 1956) : 8 comb. nov. ( Chinaia ). Brazil (Paraná [new record] and Santa Catarina).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Salvina species. A, female holotype of Salvina distictissima (Linnavuori, 1965) comb. nov., dorsal view (MZM). B, C, Male lectotype of Salvina dorsisignata (Fowler, 1900), dorsal (left) and lateral (right) views (NHM). D–G, specimens of Salvina undata (Linnavuori, 1956) comb. nov. (DZUP). D, male, dorsal view. B, male, lateral view. C, female, dorsal view. D, female, lateral view. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURE 2. Salvina undata (Linnavuori, 1956) comb. nov., male. A, head and thorax, dorsal view. B, head, frontal view. C, head and thorax, lateral view. D, forewing. E, genital capsule, lateral view. F, pygofer and anal tube, lateral view. G, valve and subgenital plates, ventral view. H, valve and subgenital plate, lateral view. I, style and connective, dorsal view. J, style, lateral view. K, aedeagus, lateral view. L, aedeagus, ventral view. Scale bars in mm.