Arytinnis proboscidea (Loginova) Percy Csiro, 2003

Percy Csiro, Diana M., 2003, Legume-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Canary Islands and Madeira, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 397-461 : 414-415

Arytinnis proboscidea (Loginova) comb. n.

(figure 17D)

Arytainilla proboscidea Loginova, 1976: 18 ; Hodkinson and Hollis, 1987: 42.

Adult

Colour. Generally bright green to mid-green though more mature males and females, but particularly females, develop brown to black coloration on the legs, abdomen and thorax. The darkest specimens were collected from the subalpine zone on La Palma. Head and genal cones with darkly pigmented setae. Forewing cells with faint brown patches, veins with long dark and short light bands.

Description. Loginova (1976).

Nymph

Colour. First to third instars cream and orange, 4th–5th instars bright green and orange, with or without black tergites.

Fifth instar structure. Antennal segments nine.

Fifth instar measurements. (Specimens 8) BL: 1.55–1.88; BW: 0.98–1.15; WL: 0.56–0.62; CPL: 0.5–0.54; CPW: 0.66–0.73; RW: 0.17–0.19; HW: 0.68–0.75; AL: 1.01–1.1.

Fifth instar chaetotaxy. Head setae simple; ocular seta simple, inconspicuous; primary and secondary post-ocular setae simple. Dorsal thoracic setae long simple. Forewing and hindwing pads with simple setae, each pad with two macrosetae (occasionally slightly capitate), marginal (one apical, one proximal); hindwing pad apical seta paired with small simple seta; simple microsetae scattered on the wing pad surfaces. Dorsal abdominal pre-caudal macrosetae present on anterior tergites, long simple, caudal plate plate macrosetae, six simple or narrowly capitate; sectasetae three pairs; marginal abdominal setae (other than sectasetae) three pairs, simple or narrowly capitate; pleurite setae paired simple. Legs with simple setae only.

Host plant. Adenocarpus viscosus , A. foliolosus .

Distribution. Canary Islands: Tenerife and La Palma.

Notes. Occurs on the two high islands, Tenerife and La Palma. On Tenerife it is restricted to the host plant Adenocarpus viscosus and also occurs on hybrids between Adenocarpus viscosus and Adenocarpus foliolosus . However, on La Palma it is the only species found on both Adenocarpus hosts, as the closely related A. nigralineata is absent from this island. It is extremely abundant in the high subalpine zone on La Palma where adults can often be collected from sympatric plants, both leguminous and non-leguminous. This abundance on La Palma is correlated with a population explosion in the host plant after the preferential grazing of goats on other native plants reduced several species typical of this zone to near extinction (Palomares Martínez 1997).

Biology. Eggs were observed in developing inflorescences in small clusters on the inner surface of bracts and calices and on the corolla, as well as on the inner surface of petioles in developing leaf buds. From 35 to more than 300 (on La Palma) eggs were found in a single inflorescence, the majority of these were laid on the calyx (more than 60 eggs were found on a single calyx and more than 40 eggs on a single corolla). Nymphs (1st–5th instars) were found in the same locations. Some nymphs migrate to the base of the flower or the pedicel, while others congregate on unopened inflorescences or at the base of the stylar tube inside mature flowers.

Comment. This study did not survey the eastern Canary Islands (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote), where there are no recorded host plants in the Genisteae , yet one male was recorded from Fuerteventura by Loginova (1976). Neither did this study corroborate Loginova’s distributions for La Gomera (one W recorded) or Gran Canaria (one X recorded). Loginova (1976) grouped this and the previous species ( A. nigralineata ) together with A. dividens and A. modica based on the extremely large, elongate female genitalia. However, in other respects the adult and nymphal forms in these two groups are distinct. A. proboscidea and A. nigralineata are the only Adenocarpus -feeding species in the Canary Islands and they share several unique features such as banded forewing veins, long distal proboscis segment and 5th instars nymphs with nine antennal segments.

Material examined. (Ex Adenocarpus viscosus unless otherwise stated) Canary Islands, Tenerife: 20 WX, Teide, Rte C823, 10 May 1987, D. Hollis (BMNH). 50 W, 50 X, 5 nymphs, Miradores de la Cumbre, 28°23∞30◊N, 16°26∞W, 1800 m, 22 June 1997 (DP 5). 36 W, 14 X, 17 nymphs, ca 14 km S of Aguamansa, 28°19∞N, 16°33∞30◊W, 1200 m, 29 June 1997 (DP 24). 5 W, rd La Laguna to El Teide, ca 20 m NE of turning to Arafo, 28°23∞30◊ N 16°26 ∞30◊W, 1650 m, ex Adenocarpus hybrids, viscosus x foliolosus , 9 July 1997 (DP 52). 14 W, 16 X, 12 nymphs, above Roques Imoque and Brezo, nr Trevejos, 28°29∞15◊N, 16°39∞15◊W, ca 1300 m, 10 May 1998 (DP 187). La Palma: 4 W, 6 X, 1 nymph, SE rd Santa Cruz to La Caldera 28°43∞N, 17°46∞W, 950 m, ex Adenocarpus foliolosus , 15 July 1997 (DP 72). 17 W, 7 X, 108 nymphs, Fuente de Olén, 28°43∞30◊N, 17°48∞W, 1730 m, 15 July 1997 (DP 76). 4 W, 5 X, 5 nymphs, nr Gallegos, 28°48∞N, 17°52∞W, ca 600 m, ex Adenocarpus viscosus and hybrids with A. foliolosus , 19 May 1998 (DP 199).