Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940

Montemayor, Sara I. & Dellapé, Pablo M., 2010, On the identity of Gargaphia subpilosa Berg, 1879, G. bergi Monte, 1940 and G. penningtoni Drake, 1928 (Insecta, Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae), with the description of immatures of G. bergi, Zoosystema 32 (1), pp. 155-162 : 158-161

Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940

( Figs 1A ; 2 ; 3 )

Gargaphia subpilosa – Drake 1931: 512; 1948: 432. — Drake & Poor 1938: 109 [lectotype designation, misidentification]. — Torres 1950: 28, 29 [photograph of habitus].

Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940a: 306 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Argentina. Buenos Aires: Baradero, Lynch, 1 ơ, 1 ♀, Gargaphia subpilosa , holotype and allotype ( MLP). — Chacabuco, F. Lynch, 1 sex not det., Gargaphia subpilosa , paratype ( MLP). — Capital Federal, 3.II.(19)50, 2 ♀♀ ( MLP). — San Justo, 1933, Daguerre & De Carlo, 1 ơ ( MLP). — Tigre, 5.VIII.1957, J. Viana, 2 ơơ ( MACN). — San Miguel, 5.XII.(19)75, P. Rivière, S. J., 1 ơ, 2 ♀♀ ( MACN). — Lobos, 25.I.1932, 2 ơơ, 1 ♀, 1 sex not det. ( MACN). — Tigre, 3.XII.1949, N. Kormilev, 1 sex not det. ( MLP). — Tigre, 20.II.1948, N. Kormilev, 2 ♀♀ ( MLP). —Tigre, 18.I.1948, N. Kormilev, 1 ơ ( MLP). — Rosas-F.C. Sud, Juan B. Daguerre, 2 sex not det. ( MLP). — La Grande, Gargaphia subpilosa det C. J. D., 1 ♀ ( MLP).

Catamarca, La Ciénaga (Belém), C. Bruch coll., 2 ơơ, 1 ♀, 1 sex not det., Weiser Wolters leg., G. subpilosa det. Drake ( MACN).

Córdoba, Calamuchita, El Sauce, 1939, Viana, 2 ♀♀ ( MLP).

Corrientes, Manantiales, II-1945, Biraben coll., 1 ♀ ( MLP). — San Roque, II.1920, Bosq col, E. E. Blanchard coll., 3 ơơ, 1 ♀, 1 sex not det. ( MACN). — Same data, 1 ơ, 1 sex not det., Gargaphia subpilosa (MACN) .

Entre Ríos, Concordia, 1938, Honward coll., 2 ơơ, 4 ♀♀, Gargaphia sp. M. V. A. Toledo det. ( MLP).

La Pampa, Gral Acha, 12.III.2008, Dellapé, 10 ơơ, 13 ♀♀ ( MLP). — Same data, 10 ơơ, 10 ♀♀ ( MNHN).

Mendoza, I.1934, Koehler leg., 2 ơơ, 2 ♀♀ ( MACN). — Potrerillos, 4000 ft, 16-20.III.1920, Cornel Univ. Exp. 44387, 1 ♀, Gargaphia subpilosa det. Drake ( MACN). — Same data, R. C. Harris col., 1 ơ ( MACN).

Santa Fe, Baner y Sigel, III.(19)69, Williner S.J, 1 ơ ( MLP).

Bolivia. La Paz, Nigrillani Nor-Yungas, I.(19)50, Williner, 2 sex not det. ( MLP).

IMMATURE STAGES

Bizarre Tingidae morphology has been hypothesized to be adaptive because it becomes progressively more exaggerated, from basal to terminal species ( Guilbert 2001). The same tendency has been observed in immature stages during the development of the life cycle. Guilbert (2005) suggests peramorphosis, a phenomenom that leads to a descendant with “overdeveloped” character states compared to its immediate ancestor, as a heterochronic phenomenon to explain that nymphs become more complex during development. This is also suggested to explain that adults as well as immature become complex during the evolution of the family. The study of immature stages can be very useful to detect heterochronic events as processes leading to reversion and homoplasies ( Guilbert 2004; Guilbert et al. 2008), and to provide information of great value to perform phylogenetic analyses.

COMMENTS ON THE LIFE CYCLE

OF GARGAPHIA BERGI

The second author collected both adults and immatures on Helianthus petiolaris Nutt. (Asteraceae) in General Acha, La Pampa, Argentina. Some plants were heavily infested whereas others lacked specimens. The nymphs were found aggregated in large numbers on both sides of the leaves ( Fig. 2 ) interspersed with a few adults near them. Scattered nymphs and adults were also observed on flowers and branches as shown in Figure 2B.

SECOND INSTAR ( FIG. 3A )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Argentina. La Pampa, Gral. Acha, 12.III.2008, Dellapé, 3 nymphs ( MLP).

Description

Body slender, yellowish brown. Body length: 0.94; width: 0.37. Antennal segment I approximately the same length as II but stouter, III longer than other segments, IV stout and fusiform, with a few long, scattered setae. Antennal segment measurements: I: 0.04; II: 0.04; III: 0.19; IV: 0.14. Head length: 0.25, width: 0.30. Head armed with five short spines, a frontal pair, a single median and an occipital pair. Frontal pair of spines divergent; occipital pair subparallel.

Pro-, meso- and metathorax short and moderately wide. Pro- and mesothorax armed with a median pair of short tubercles, lateral margins armed with one simple tubercle.

Lateral margins of abdominal tergite with a simple tubercle. Segment I medially armed with one pair of divergent short tubercles directed backward. Segments V, VI and VIII with a short tubercle medially.

THIRD INSTAR ( FIG. 3B ) MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Argentina. La Pampa, Gral. Acha, 12.III.2008, Dellapé, 16 nymphs ( MLP) ; 10 nymphs ( MNHN).

Description

Body broad. Antennae, head and thorax brown; abdomen yellowish brown. Body length: 1.00; width: 0.45. Antennal segment I slightly longer than II, III longer than other segments, IV stout and fusiform, with a few long, scattered setae. Antennal segment measurements: I: 0.06; II: 0.04; III: 0.35; IV: 0.21. Head length: 0.25, width: 0.31. Cephalic spines with same characteristics as previous instar. Occipital pair divergent.

Pro- and mesothorax medially armed with one pair of tubercles. Pro- and mesothorax lateral margins armed with one simple tubercle directed backward, anterior margins of prothorax with an additional small tubercle on each side of the head. Metathorax medially armed with one pair of very short tubercles. Length of wing pads: 0.12.

Abdominal segments with same characteristics as previous instar. Segment II armed with one pair of divergent very short tubercles directed backward.

FOURTH INSTAR ( FIG. 3C ) MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Argentina. La Pampa, Gral. Acha, 12.III.2008, Dellapé, 19 nymphs ( MLP) ; 10 nymphs ( MNHN).

Description

Body broad;general color yellowish brown; antennae, head, thorax, lateral tubercles, unpaired median abdominal tubercles and median abdominal spot on segments IV and V brown; cephalic spines, median paired tubercles, lateral margins of pronotum yellowish. Body length: 1.4; width: 0.7. Antennal segment measurements: I: 0.11; II: 0.07; III: 0.57; IV: 0.27. Head length: 0.25, width: 0.4. Cephalic tubercles with the same characteristics as previous instar.

Thorax with same characteristics as previous instar. Pro- and mesothorax may have one or two additional small spines anteriorly on lateral margins. Length of wing pads: 0.30.

Abdominal segments with same characteristics as previous instar, tubercles longer than in previous instar.

FIFTH INSTAR ( FIG. 3D )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Argentina. La Pampa, Gral. Acha, 12.III.2008, Dellapé, 21 nymphs ( MLP) ; 10 nymphs ( MNHN).

Description

Body broad; general colour yellowish brown; antennal segments I, II and IV, head, thorax, lateral tubercles, unpaired median abdominal tubercles and median abdominal spot on segments IV and V brown; antennal segment III, cephalic spines, median paired tubercles, lateral margins of pronotum and carinal and hood initial outlines yellowish. Wing pads with a median dark spot and posteriorly dark brown. Last abdominal segments dark brown. Body length: 2.12; width: 0.97. Antennal segments with a few long, scattered setae. Antennal segment measurements: I: 1.75; II: 1; III: 0.74; IV: 0.37. Head length: 0.30, width: 0.42. Cephalic spines with the same characteristics as previous instar. Occipital pair convergent.

Prothorax dorsally with lateral carinae and a median carina the latter of which is swollen and projected forward into a hood, posteriorly it develops the posterior process, all other characteristics same as previous instar. Anterior margin of prothorax serrated. Meso- and metathorax with same characteristics as previous instar. Length of wing pads: 0.85. Lateral margins of wing pads with minute spines.

Abdominal segments with same characteristics as previous instar. Without second pair of median abdominal tubercles.

A

C

B

Figures

FIG. 1. — A, Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940, habitus; B, G. subpilosa Berg, 1879, habitus. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 2. — Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940: A, nymphs and adults on leaves of Helianthus petiolaris (Asteraceae); B, nymphs and adults on underside of leaf.

FIG. 3. — Gargaphia bergi Monte, 1940: A, second instar; B, third instar; C, fourth instar; D, fifth instar. Scale bars: 1 mm.