Problematode robertoi, Flórez-V, 2019

Flórez-V, Camilo, 2019, Two amazing new species of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) from Colombia: Calloconophora estellae sp. nov. and Problematode robertoi sp. nov., Zootaxa 4590 (5), pp. 561-576 : 570-575

Problematode robertoi Flórez-V sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–8 )

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Diagnosis. Problematode robertoi sp. nov. is similar to Problematode inerme Gaiani and other genera with a dorso-ventrally flattened body and pronotum lacking a posterior process as Antillotolania Ramos , Euwalkeria Goding , Smergotomia Dietrich , and Togotolania Cryan and Deitz , but it can be distinguished by: pronotum with dorsal surface simple, lacking projections at each side of medial carina; forewing with venation reticulate at apical half, veins rounded, some supranumerary crossveins not reaching other veins, thus irregular cells appearing of different sizes; membrane sclerotized and punctate in basal third, before division of M and Cu, and after division of R and M+Cu, and nearly all basal half of clavus; pro- and mesofemora without medial spine on ventral margin.

Description. Holotype male. Body dorso-ventrally flattened ( Fig. 6 D–E). Color: overall integument brown. Head reddish brown, eyes reddish dark brown, ocelli yellow, dorsal projections of head dark brown. Pronotum with supraocular callosities and dorso-medial carina dark brown ( Fig. 6C ); one transverse dark brown band over supraocular callosities, followed by lighter area on metopidium and another dark brown region ( Fig. 6A, 6 C–E); posterior margin of pronotum light brown ( Fig. 6C ). Scutellum brown, darker from midlength to distal fourth, apical fourth greenish ( Fig. 6C ). Forewing dark brown on base of sclerotized area, then brown; veins brown (some areas with a darker brown area around veins; Fig. 6A, 6C ). Coxae and tarsi dark brown; protrochanter and profemur brown; protibia dark brown with apex darker; meso- and metatrochanter light brown; meso- and metafemora light brown with apical third dark brown; meso- and metatibia light brown with base and subapex dark brown ( Fig. 6 A–B). Abdomen reddish brown ( Fig. 6B ).

Surface: Head, pronotum, ventral surface of thorax, legs and sclerotized area of forewings and veins covered with silvery pubescence ( Fig. 6 A–E).

Head: Slightly wider than humeral angles ( Fig. 6 C–D); vertex concave between dorsal projections and ocelli, from occipital margin to frontoclypeal suture ( Fig. 6 B–C); supraantenal ledges rounded and folded posteriorly, weakly pronounced ( Fig. 6E ), margin continuous with one transverse carina of frontoclypeus ( Fig. 6B ); frontoclypeus ovoid, flattened ( Fig. 6B ); eyes stalked; dorsal projections conical ( Fig. 6 B–C).

Thorax: Pronotum with dorso-median carina weakly produced ( Fig. 6 D–E), supraocullar callosity forming five glabrous spots ( Fig. 6C ); post-ocular lobes developed and directed ventrolaterally ( Fig. 6A, 6 D–E). Base of scutellum weakly swollen, apex slightly directed upward ( Fig. 6A ). Forewing with veins thickened, apical half with venation reticulate differing somewhat on left and right wing; veins forming filigree-like pattern of rounded lines; some supranumerary crossveins incomplete, thus some irregular cells appear bigger than others ( Fig. 6A, 6C ). Pro-, meso- and metacoxae separated medially by 1.5 coxae length ( Fig. 6B ). Pro- and mesofemora simple, lacking medial spine on ventral margin ( Fig. 6B, 6 D–E).

Abdomen: Male terminalia small compared to other abdominal segments, in ventral view width 0.5X VIII segment width ( Fig. 8A ). Genitalia. Lateral plate with postero-dorsal finger-like process ( Fig. 8C ). Subgenital plate narrow, length 2.5X width, fused until half-length ( Fig. 8B ); lobes with long setae throughout (setae longer than lobes width) ( Fig. 8 B–C). Style in ventral view stout throughout, apex finger shaped, directed laterally ( Fig. 8B ); in lateral view broader at middle, apex rounded and more or less hook-shaped ( Fig. 8C ). Aedeagus in lateral view Ushaped ( Fig. 8C ), posterior arm wider at apical third, tapering apically, with denticles on anterior face of apical third ( Fig. 8 C–D); gonopore ovoid, located on apical third of posterior arm ( Fig. 8 C–D).

Late-instar nymph exuviae ( Fig. 7 A–E): Overall body shape: Body dorso-ventrally flattened; in anterior view arched, excavated ventrally. Surface: Tegument covered with short chalazae, densely covered by debris from plant, moss and lichen. Head, thorax and abdomen: Head with small subtriangular frontal processes [as in adults] joined with lateral lobes extended in front eyes and surpassing them in dorsal view, with large chalazae on anterior margin ( Fig. 7 C–D); ventral margin carinate in anterior view; frontoclypeus ovoid, anteclypeus oval ( Fig. 7C ). Thoracic nota lacking scoli; pronotal lateral lobes ventro-laterally extended with emarginate edge that receives mesothoracic leg in repose ( Fig. 7D ); ventral margin of mesothorax forewing pad emarginate anteriorly receiving metathoracic leg in repose ( Fig. 7B ) and ventrolaterally extended and straight posteriorly. Pro- and mesotibiae flattened, subfoliaceous, with marginal chalazae, longer at anterior margin; metatibiae less flattened than other tibiae ( Fig. 7B ). Abdominal terga IV–VII with large lateral lamellae (all, Fig. 7C ) directed posterolaterally, smallest on tergum IV and increasing in size posteriorly, with chalazae with needle-like setae and tuberculate base on margins ( Figs. 7 C–D); terga III–VIII each with 1 pair of enlarged chalazae near mid line; tergum IX triangular in dorsal view, slightly longer than wider at base, length smaller than combined lengths of segments VI–VIII ( Fig. 7C ).

Measurements. Holotype male (mm): body length: 9.00; pronotal length: 2.29; maximum height of pronotum: 0.83; length of forewing: 7.86; pronotal width: 2.74; head width: 2.84.

Examined material. Holotype male in CBUCES from COLOMBIA: Caldas: Villamaría : “ COLOMBIA. Caldas, Villamaría, vereda Montaño, \ cerca de finca Arboloco, \ 4.980243°N, 75.434655 \~2500 msnm, manual, en Solanum (Solanaceae) \ Mar. 27/2018 \ leg. A. Flórez, C. Flórez-V, J.J. Flórez, N. Flórez, R. \ Flórez, A. Ospina, L.E. Valencia \ CBUCES-F 2250” (CBUCES).

Specimen in 75% ethanol, in good state of preservation, abdomen dissected and placed in vials with glycerin together with left metatibia and metatarsomeres, pinned aside of the specimen.

Distribution. COLOMBIA. Caldas: Villamaría (Vereda Montaño, Finca Arboloco, 4.980243°N, 75.434655°W, 2500 masl). This is the first record of the genus in Colombia ( Fig. 9 ).

Biology. One teneral was found on a plant of the genus Solanum L. ( Solanaceae ) in a small patch of cloud forest ( Fig. 7F ). The exuviae were found under a leaf near to the branch apex ( Fig. 7E ). Although, several explorations in the area were made, just one specimen was collected.

Etymology. Named in honor of Roberto Flórez, the author’s father, an extraordinary man, very peaceful and wise; owner of the “Finca Arboloco”, close to where the type locality.

Remarks. This is the first record of the genus in Colombia, which had been recorded for the Coastal Montane Forests of Venezuela ( Gaiani 2017). This species is assigned to Problematode based on the dorsoventrally flattened body, apical half of forewing with reticulate veins, pronotum lacking posterior process, mesotrochanter fused with mesocoxa, aedeagus U-shaped lacking lateral processes as was described by Gaiani (2017).

The nymphs of Problematode robertoi sp. nov. exhibit characters of cryptic nymphs belonging to membracid subfamilies Stegaspidinae and Darninae : flattened body, large abdominal lamellae and emarginate forewing pads notched to receive mesotibiae at rest to increase crypsis ( McKamey and Brodbeck 2013). Some other characters shared with Stegaspidinae nymphs are the foliaceous ventrolateral lobes of the head, foliaceous tibiae with chalazae on antero-dorsal and postero-dorsal margins, abdominal lamellae directed posterolaterad with needle-like setae. These attributes have been reported for nymphs of Antillotolania , Bocydium , Deiroderes , Flexocentrus, Lycoderides , Microcentrus , Smerdalea , Stegaspis and Stylocentrus (Cryan and Deitz 1999a, 1999b, 2000; McKamey and Brodbeck 2013, Flórez-V and Evangelista 2017, Flórez-V unpublished data). Previously, Dietrich et al. (2001) suggested the foliaceous ventrolateral lobes on the head of nymphs as a synapomorphy of Stegaspidinae , although some stegaspidines as Bocydium exhibit smaller lobes (see Flórez-V and Evangelista 2017). The known Darninae nymphs do not present foliaceous ventrolateral lobes neither enlarged chalazae on margins of abdominal lamellae and have chalazae solely in the antero-dorsal margin of tibiae. Therefore, because the combination of features observed on the nymph of P. robertoi sp. nov., Problematode should be placed as incertae sedis within Stegaspidinae . However, proper taxonomic placement of the genus should be based on a family level phylogenetic study.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Holotype male of Problematode robertoi sp. nov. A) Lateral view, B) Ventral view, C) Dorsal view, D) Frontal view, E) Frontolateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Exuviae of late instar nymph of Problematode robertoi. A) Frontal view, B) Lateral view, C) Ventral view, D) Dorsal view, E) Aspect on the field. F) Adult on Solanaceae. all: abdominal lateral lamellae; hll: head lateral lobes.

FIGURE 8. Holotype male genitalia of Problematode robertoi. A) Abdomen in ventral view. Genitalia: B) ventral view, C) lateral view. D) Aedeagus and styles in frontolateral view. E) Abdominal spiracle. ae: aedeagus; lp fp: lateral plate finger–like process; sgp: subgenital plate; sp: spiracles; st: style.

FIGURE 9. Known distribution of Calloconophora estellae sp. nov. and Problematode robertoi sp. nov.