Melanastera cacantis, Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt, 2025

Serbina, Liliya Š., Malenovský, Igor, Queiroz, Dalva L. & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2025, Jumping plant-lice of the tribe Paurocephalini (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5585 (1), pp. 1-164 : 59-60

18 Melanastera cacantis sp. nov.

( Figs 9H , 16A , 25G–M )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: Vazante, Fazenda Bocaina , S17.8930, W46.9111, 660 m, 28‒31.viii.2019, Annona cacans (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #348(1) ( UFPR; dry).

Paratypes. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 1 ♂, 5 ♀, 9 immatures, Vazante, Fazenda Bocaina , S17.8930, W46.9111, 660 m, 28‒31.viii.2019, Annona cacans (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #348(1) ( NHMB; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007800, NMB-PSYLL0007923, NMB-PSYLL0007983, NMB-PSYLL0007814, NMB-PSYLL0007815, NMB-PSYLL0007816 [LSMelcac-117], NMB-PSYLL0007817 [LSMelcac-117], NMB-PSYLL0007818) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Similar to M. amazonica sp. nov. but with denser dark brown dots on forewing.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 16A ) ovoid, broadest in apical third, broadly, unevenly rounded apically, with wing apex cell r 2 close to apex of M 1+2; C+Sc curved in distal third; pterostigma slightly wider in the apical third than r 1 cell, strongly convex; Rs strongly convex apart from median third which is relatively straight; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4; Cu 1a unevenly curved, ending at M fork; cell cu 1 wide; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, spinules densely spaced, not forming distinct hexagons, sparse at base of cell c+sc. Hindwing with 4–5 + 3–4 grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 7–9 grouped apical spurs, arranged as 3–4 + 4–5, anteriorly separated by 3–4 bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 25G–M ). Male. Proctiger evenly produced posteriorly; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate irregularly ovoid; dorsal margin weakly sinuate, posterior margin weakly convex; with dense, long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, lamellar, irregularly tapering to apex, posterior margin bearing a lobe in basal half; paramere apex, in lateral view, subacute, directed anteriad, in dorsal view, apex subacute, directed inwards, slightly upwards and slightly anteriad, with a small sclerotised tooth; outer and inner faces with dense, moderately long setae; posterior margin with long setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part moderately subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus almost straight in basal half, with weakly sinuate dorsal margin; ventral process situated slightly distal of the middle of the segment, shovel-like, in lateral view, relatively short and broad, with a sclerotised base ventrally and with claw-like apex directed dorsad; in dorsal view, ventral process about as wide as apical dilation, subrectangular, constricted medially and subapically, apex broad, truncate, with a distinct sclerotised bar; apical dilation, in lateral view, narrow, with subparallel margins, rounded apically, in dorsal view, apical dilation oblong-oval, with subparallel lateral margins, apex rounded; sclerotised end tube short, weakly sinuate.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, straight, apex subacute, in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, distinctly cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, gradually narrowing to apex in apical half, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Pale yellow; cephalothoracic sclerite, antenna, wing pads, legs and caudal plate pale brown.

Structure. Eye with one short, simple ocular seta dorsally. Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(1), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with five marginal pointed sectasetae; hindwing pad with two marginal pointed sectasetae; both wing pads lacking sectasetae or large lanceolate setae dorsally. Metatibiotarsus long; tarsal arolium broadly fan-shaped apically, 1.5 times as long as claws. Abdomen with 3–4 lateral pointed sectasetae on either side anterior to caudal plate. Caudal plate with anterior margin relatively close to anterior margin of extra pore fields; with 2+3 pointed sectasetae on either side laterally, and three pointed sectasetae subapically, on either side of circumanal ring dorsally. Extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of relatively small oval and rounded patches; outer band long medially, end pointing outwards. Circumanal ring small.

Host plant. Annona cacans Warm. ( Annonaceae ).

Distribution. Brazil (MG).

Derivation of name. Named after its host, A. cacans Warm. ( Annonaceae ).

Comments. Melanastera cacantis sp. nov. resembles M. francisi sp. nov., M. olgae sp. nov., M. roraima sp. nov., M. tubuligera sp. nov. and M. xylopiae sp. nov. in the posteriorly lobed paramere and the claw-like ventral process of the distal aedeagal segment but differs in the short sclerotised end tube of the ductus ejaculatorius and details of the the paramere and the distal segment of the aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. parva sp. nov.; B, M. guatteriae sp. nov.; C, M. macaireae sp. nov.; D, M. tijuca sp. nov.; E, M. falcata sp. nov.; F, M. spinosa sp. nov.; G, M. amazonica sp. nov.; H, M. cacantis sp. nov.; I, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; J, M. francisi sp. nov.

FIGURE 16. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. cacantis sp. nov.; B, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; C, M. francisi sp. nov.; D, M. roraima sp. nov.; E, M. tubuligera sp. nov.; F, M. umbripennis sp. nov., ♂; G, M. umbripennis sp. nov., ♀; H, M. nasuta sp. nov.; I, M. australis sp. nov.; J, M. obscura sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 25. Melanastera amazonica sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; E, paramere, dorsal view; F, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. cacantis sp. nov. G, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; H, paramere, inner face, lateral view; I, paramere, dorsal view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; K–L, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; M, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. xylopiae sp. nov. N, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; O, paramere, inner face, lateral view; P, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; Q, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; R, paramere, dorsal view; S, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. francisi sp. nov. T, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; U, paramere, inner face, lateral view; V, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; W, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; X, paramere, dorsal view; Y, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.