taxonID	type	description	language	source
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	description	(Figs. 1 – 3)	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Moderately large (9.0 – 9.5 mm) green leafhoppers, dorsoventrally flattened (Fig. 4). Vertex broadly rounded anteriorly, well produced, wider than long; anterior margin white. Pronotum with eight inconspicuous yellowish-green longitudinal stripes; lateral margins white. Scutellum with four inconspicuous yellowish-green longitudinal stripes. Forewings milky-hyaline; veins conspicuous, dull-green; venation relatively simple (without dense reticulation apically); costal margin white. Abdominal sternites often white in ventral view. Male subgenital plates elongate and sub-triangular, tapering to a rounded apex; posterior dorsal angles of the pygofer sclerotized and sometimes sub-acute. Styles weakly spatulate from base to distal ⅔ before constricting subapically at rounded margin; subapical region of style slightly expanded distally in shape of a foot about half as long as proximal shaft portion of the style, lateral margins of shaft portion serrate, with the last serration becoming the “ heel ” of the foot; apex “ toe ” portion of the foot narrowly rounded. Aedeagus (Fig. 2) with apical processes straight, directed basally, half-length of aedeagal shaft, orientation relative to shaft variable due to flexible basal articulation. Female pregenital sternite slightly narrowed distally, with broadly rounded concavity at posterior; lateral margins acutely rounded. Molecular diagnosis. GenBank BLAST searches of 28 S and 18 S sequences from G. germari were unique in the database. The highest matches by percent identity were to an unidentified species of Cicadellidae (99.19 % to 18 S accession KJ 461311) and Prairiana kansana (Ball) (97.89 % to 28 S accession AF 304610). These G. germari ribosomal data indicate that they may be useful for identifying the species until sequences from relatively fasterevolving genes can be sequenced. Protocols for COI barcode sequencing failed across several primer sets and specimens. PCRs yielded strong amplicons, though most sequencing runs yielded low-quality results (mixed chromatogram peaks). Some highquality COI chromatograms were generated. However, the resulting sequence assemblies displayed internal stop codons while also having the highest overall similarity to cicadellid sequences. These results suggest the presence of mitochondrial pseudogenes in Florida G. germari.	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Belize (country record), Costa Rica, El Salvador (country record), Guatemala, Honduras (country record), Mexico, USA (Hawaii, Florida)	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	biology_ecology	Plant associations. Coffea arabica [Rubiaceae] (LeMay et al. 2022), Euphorbia sp. [Euphorbiaceae] (Nagamine 1981), Mangifera indica [Anacardiaceae] (Halbert 2024 a), Urochloa mutica [Poaceae] (reported here).	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The male holotype of G. germari (deposited at the NHRS; Fig. 3) was examined and found to match the Florida material studied in habitus. Specimens of G. germari at USNM, including those from Hawaii, were compared to Florida specimens and determined to be conspecific. Thus, comparing male terminalia of the species studied and illustrations made by DeLong & Freytag (1964), the Florida specimens were identified as G. germari. The male terminalia of Florida G. germari (Fig. 2) are quite close to those of the Neotropical G. fructa DeLong & Freytag, another species lacking the densely reticulate forewing venation found in most Nearctic members of the genus (DeLong & Freytag 1964). The Florida specimens possess a pygofer more elongate than what is illustrated for G. germari in DeLong & Freytag (1964) and are more like their illustration of G. fructa. However, the aedeagus and styles closely match G. germari and are dissimilar to the figures of G. fructa. Despite these discrepancies, we think that the Florida specimens are G. germari, not G. fructa. Gyponana germari bears external resemblance to several native Gyponana species in Florida (Table 1) that lack the apically reticulate forewing venation often seen in the genus, but it appears to be distinctive. These externally similar species include G. gibbera DeLong (Fig. 5 C), G. tenella DeLong (Fig. 5 H), and G. toxotes Hamilton (Fig. 5 I). Gyponana brevita DeLong (Fig. 4 B) may also be mistaken for one of these species but differs in bearing inconspicuous reticulate venation in the apical portion of the forewings. Gyponana germari previously has been mistaken for G. tenella on community science sites; this is reflected in Bahder et al. (2025), where an image labeled “ Cyponana [sic] tenella ” likely represents a specimen of G. germari. Gyponana gibbera, G. tenella, and G. toxotes all have a notably broad vertex (proportional to the thorax) compared to G. germari. This said, the usefulness of wing vein reticulation and head shape for species diagnosis in Gyponana requires further study. For example, paratypes of some taxa (viz. G. cubita DeLong, G. fastiga DeLong, G. pingua DeLong, and G. praelonga DeLong) exhibit morphological variation in forewing venation and head shape. This may indicate either a mixed paratype series or a much higher degree of variation within these taxa than reported in their initial descriptions. Further studies are needed to understand this variation with respect to the male genital morphology. Further examination of the genus beyond determining the identity of Florida material is beyond the scope of this project. The pest status of G. germari is unknown. Its wide distribution with no known negative consequences would suggest it has little potential as an economic pest. The oldest available specimen from Florida was collected in 1998 and the first BugGuide sighting was in 2004. For many years, DPI has received fruit fly trapping samples (sticky boards and Multi-Lure trap samples) with unidentifiable green female gyponine leafhopper specimens. Recently, these samples have included males, which are nearly all G. germari. The reasons for the observed sex bias and relatively sudden occurrence of G. germari males in these traps is unknown. Unconfirmed reports on iNaturalist (viz. observations 15407780, 171002692), suggest that the species may exhibit trophobiotic interactions with ants. Many true hopper (Auchenorrhyncha) species are known to exhibit such interactions (e. g., Bourgoin 1997, Delabie 2001, Bourgoin et al. 2023), where ants obtain the “ honeydew ” excreted by the hoppers and may offer protection in return. Such interactions between leafhoppers and ants, however, rarely are reported from the Americas (e. g., Dietrich & McKamey 1990), and very few records are known from the United States (i. e., Lavigne 1966). We have discovered only one other purported instance of trophobiosis between ants and a gyponine in the Brazilian leafhopper Polana (Striapona) desela DeLong (e. g., iNaturalist observations 142225448, 144395693). A review of Gyponana records from Hawaii and Mesoamerica on iNaturalist did not reveal additional instances of potential symbioses.	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
7F1A887BFFD1AF0C998F400E1463F876.taxon	materials_examined	Material Examined. Holotype male: “ Vera Cruz // Sallé // Typus // germari / Stål // [textless red label] // [???] // NHRS-GULI / 000109266 ” (NHRS). Other material examined: USA: Florida, Broward Co. “ USA: Florida Broward Co / Fort Lauderdale 26.06128, / - 80.19390 7 - XI- 2023 Mark / Zenoble sweeping Urochloa / mutica LIST # 11082023 - 11610 ” (1 male), “ USA: FLORIDA Broward Co / Fort Lauderdale airport / 26.07156, - 80.16250 // 31 - VII- 2024 Mark Zenoble / sweeping roadside / LIST # 08012024 - 07780 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male, 1 female; FSCA), “ USA: Florida Broward Co / Fort Lauderdale 2212 SW 16 / Terr. 26.07156, - 80.16255 / 28 - XI- 2023 Mark Zenoble / sweeping roadside / LIST # 11302023 - 12204 // Cicadellidae / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert, / Solomon Hendrix 2024 ” (8 males, 18 females; FSCA), Collier Co. “ USA: FLORIDA Collier Co / Immokalee SW FL R & E Ctr / 18 - XII- 2023 - 2 - 1 - 2024 Monica / Triana short suction trap ‘ open / field’ LIST # 01222024 - 00460 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male; FSCA), Miami-Dade Co. “ Florida Dade Co. / Miami, Florida / Turnpike / June 19, 1998 / Vince Golia / ‘ sweeping’ // Gyponana / germari / Male / Stål ” (1 male; FSCA), Palm Beach Co. “ USA: FLORIDA Palm Beach / Co Loxahatchee 14511 Col- / ecting Canal Rd 25 - I- 2024 / Daniel Wilwerding Jackson ME / trap LIST # 01252024 - 00628 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male; FSCA), “ USA: FLORIDA Palm Beach / Co. Lake Worth 3705 Bellvue / Ave 11 - IV- 2024 Amy Oved // Jackson TML trap in Cupaniopsis anacardioides / LIST # 04112024 - 03584 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male; FSCA), “ USA: FLORIDA Palm Beach Co / Mill Lot [rice paddy] 26.59307, - 80.77258 / 15 - IX- 2023 Yavonne Williams, / De-fen Mou rice (just harvested) / Site 1 sweep B // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male; FSCA), St. Lucie Co. “ USA: FLORIDA St. Lucie Co / Port St. Lucie 27.28434, / - 80.41695 15 - II- 2024 Teresa / Ortelli Jackson Cue lure trap / LIST # 02162024 - 01402 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male), “ USA: FLORIDA St. Lucie Co Port / St Lucie 27.23380, - 80.30950 / 15 - VII- 2024 Teresa Ortelli / Jackson TML trap in Eugenia / uniflora LIST # 08162024 - 08272 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male, 1 female; FSCA), “ USA: FLORIDA St. Lucie Co / Port St. Lucie 27.15195, - 80.40343 17 / VI- 2024 Jeanie // Frechette, Teresa Ortelli / Jackson TML trap in Mangifera / indica LIST # 06202024 - 06556 // CICADELLIDAE / Gyponana germari (Stål) / det. Susan E. Halbert 2024 ” (1 male; FSCA); Hawaii “ HAWAII: Oahu: Manoa Valley, 0 - 100 m, May 1986, N. L. H. Krauss // Gyponana / germari / (Stal) / Det. JN Zahniser 2023 // USNMENT / 015130032 ” (1 male; USNM); 2 males and 1 female, same data (USNMENT 01513901 to 01513903). GUATEMALA: “ El Naranjo Chic. / Guat VII- 12 - 44 / EJ Hambleton / On Cinchona 13 // Gyponana / (Gyponana) / germari / (Stal) / Det. DeL. & Frey. 1964 // USNMENT 01513029 ” (1 male; USNM). BELIZE: “ Br. HONDURAS / Punta Gorda / 1936 // Gyponana / (Gyponana) / germari / (Stal) / Det. DeL. & Frey. 1964 // USNMENT / 01513099 ” (1 male; USNM). MEXICO: “ Tacubaya, Mex // OW Barrett / Collector // Gyponana / (Gyponana) / germari / (Stal) / Det. DeL. & Frey. 1964 // USNMENT / 01513012 ” (1 male; USNM). 24 additional males and females determined by DeLong & Freytag are present at USNM from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras (USNMENT 01513904 to 01513927).	en	Hendrix, Solomon V., Halbert, Susan E., Willmott, Meredith J., Moore, Matthew R., Zenoble, Mark D., Bartlett, Charles R. (2026): Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa 5828 (2): 347-360, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
