Centromeriana Melichar, 1912

Song, Zhi-Shun, Malenovský, Igor & Liang, Ai-Ping, 2017, Revision of the Afrotropical planthopper genus Centromeriana Melichar, 1912 (Hemiptera, Dictyopharidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 278, pp. 1-21 : 3-7

Genus Centromeriana Melichar, 1912

Figs 1–8

Centromeriana Melichar, 1912: 45 .

Centromeriana – Schmidt 1915: 349 (in list of material). — Metcalf 1946: 39 (in catalogue). — Fennah 1958a: 52 (in key).

Type species

Dictyophara jocosa Gerstaecker, 1895 (original designation).

Emended diagnosis

The genus can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: cephalic process moderately long and slender, conical and strongly curved upward; vertex with lateral carinae abruptly constricted and strongly upturned in front of eyes, then gradually convergent anteriad and acuminate at apex; frons with median carina robust and strongly convex, intermediate carinae distinctly expanded outward in apical third, their apical portion being distinctly visible in posterodorsal view; genae with a longitudinal carina above eyes; pronotum with median carina sharp and high, intermediate carinae absent; forewings with sparse transverse veins, stigmal area small and quadrangular, with two or three cells; legs elongate and slender, fore femur not flattened and dilated, without spine; hind tibia with eight apical teeth; apical spines of tarsomeres with long setae; female abdominal sternite VII with a pair of large horn-shaped spines strongly produced ventrad near anterior margin and a pair of blunt triangular lobes on posterior margin; gonocoxae VIII with a pair of small triangular sclerotized plates on posterolateral margin of endogonocoxal lobes.

Redescription

HEAD ( Figs 4 A–C, 6A–C, 7A–C, 8A–C). Produced into a moderately long and slender cephalic process. Cephalic process ( Figs 4B , 6B , 7B , 8B ) conical, strongly curved upward, and gradually narrowed toward apex. Vertex ( Figs 4A , 6A , 7A , 8A ) broadest at base, basal width narrower than transverse diameter of eyes, posterior plane elevated above pronotum; lateral carinae strongly ridged, foliaceous, and sub-parallel in basal third, abruptly constricted and strongly upturned in front of eyes, then gradually convergent anteriad, and acuminate at apex; posterior margin of vertex ridged and angularly concave at about 90–100°; median carina distinct on a bulge between eyes. Frons ( Figs 4C , 6C , 7C , 8C ) with lateral carinae ridged, nearly parallel, slightly expanded outward below antennae; intermediate carinae slightly converging posteriorly and nearly approaching to frontoclypeal suture, but only sharp and distinct in apical third where they are distinctly expanded outward in ventral view and curved anterodorsad in lateral view, so their apical portion is distinctly visible in posterodorsal view; median carina robust and strongly convex in lateral view. Postclypeus and anteclypeus ( Figs 4C , 6C , 7C , 8C ) convex medially, with distinct median carina. Rostrum very long, surpassing middle of hind femora; basal segment distinctly longer than distal one. Genae ( Figs 4B , 6B , 7B , 8B ) with a longitudinal carina above eyes, appearing as bifurcated from lateral carinae of vertex in dorsal view ( Figs 4A , 6A , 7A , 8A ). Compound eyes ( Figs 4 A–C, 6A–C, 7A–C, 8A–C) large and globose. Ocelli ( Figs 4B , 6B , 7B , 8B ) relatively large, reddish. Antenna ( Figs 4B , 6B , 7B , 8B ) with very small scape; pedicel large and subglobose, with more than 50 distinct sensory plaque organs distributed over entire surface; flagellum long, setuliform.

THOARAX. Pronotum ( Figs 4A , 6A , 7A , 8A ) distinctly shorter than mesonotum medially, narrow anteriorly, broad posteriorly; anterior margin pointed medially, forming a sharp angle, lateral marginal areas straight and sloping with two long longitudinal carinae on each side between eyes and tegulae, lower lateral carinae expanded and visible in dorsal view; posterior margin angularly concave at about 100–110°; median carina sharp and high, with a lateral pit on each side, intermediate carinae absent. Mesonotum ( Figs 4A , 6A , 7A , 8A ) tricarinate, lateral carinae incurved anteriorly toward median carina. Forewings ( Fig. 3 A–D) hyaline, much longer than abdomen, with ratio of length to width about 3:1; veins with short setae on ventral side; venation with sparse transverse veins; MP bifurcating MP 1+2 and MP 3+4 near middle and beyond CuA; number of apical cells between R and CuA equal to 14; stigmal area small and quadrangular, with two or three cells. Legs elongate and slender, fore and middle femora distinctly elongate, fore femur not flattened and dilated, without spine near apex; hind tibia with 5–7 lateral spines and eight apical teeth; hind tarsomeres I and II each with 7–8 apical spines; apical spines of tarsomeres with long setae instead of platellae.

ABDOMEN. With pregenital segments elongate and broad, without distinct median and intermediate carinae dorsally. Female abdominal sternite VII with a pair of large horn-shaped spines directed ventrad near anterior margin and a pair of blunt triangular lobes on posterior margin ( Fig. 5A ).

MALE GENITALIA. Pygofer ( Figs 4 D–F, 6D–F, 8D–F) in lateral view distinctly wider ventrally than dorsally, dorsal margin slightly excavated to accommodate segment X, dorsoposterior margins angular. Gonostyles ( Figs 4E , 6G , 8G ) symmetrical, base narrow, expanded toward apex, broadest subapically; dorsal margin with a claw-like, sclerotised process at apex directed dorsad, outer dorsal edge with a hook-like sclerotised process near middle directed ventrad. Aedeagus ( Figs 4 G–I, 6H–J, 8H–J) with one pair of long endosomal processes extended from phallotheca or lacking such processes; phallobase sclerotised basally and membranous and inflated apically, with paired lobes covered with numerous minute superficial spines ( Figs 4 G–I, 6H–J) or without spines ( Fig. 8 H–J). Segment X ( Figs 4D , 6D , 8D ) large, in dorsal view with apex deeply excavated to accommodate anal style; anal style elongate and large.

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 A–G). Gonocoxae VIII ( Fig. 5E ) with two membranous and flattened endogonocoxal processes (Gxp) on endogonocoxal lobe: Gxp1 large and elongate, with a long sclerotized plate in it; Gxp2 smaller and shorter. A pair of small triangular sclerotized plates on posterolateral margin of endogonocoxal lobes ( Fig. 5A ). Gonapophyses VIII ( Fig. 5E ) with anterior connective lamina large and sclerotized, with seven teeth of varying sizes and shapes. Gonapophyses IX ( Fig. 5F ) with posterior connective lamina triangular, symmetrical, fused with the intergonocoxal plate at base; intergonocoxal plate extended cephalad into genital cavity, forming wall of gonospiculum. Gonoplacs ( Fig. 5G ) with two lobes homologous; lateral lobe large and moderately sclerotized, with long setae at apex; the posterior lobe membranous, containing long sclerotized plate. Segment X ( Fig. 5D ) large and broad in dorsal view, apex deeply excavated to accommodate anal style; anal style large and elongate. Female ectodermal genital ducts ditrysian. Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 5B ) superficially membranous, regularly gridded, without sclerotized ornamentations. A pair of large digitiform glands ( Fig. 5B ) branched at anterior extremity of the anterior vagina on each side of the spermatheca. Spermatheca ( Fig. 5B ) divided clearly into five parts: orificium receptaculi, ductus receptaculi, diverticulum ductus, pars intermedialis, and glandula apicalis.

Diversity and distribution

Centromeriana is comprised of four species being endemic to the Congolian region of the western tropical Africa as defined by Linder et al. (2012) and closely matching to the Guineo-Congolian region of White (1979, 1983) including the ‘ Dahomey gap’.

Ecology and economic importance

Unknown. Heinrichs & Barrion (2004) listed Centromeriana sp. among insects occurring on rice in Gambia. However, based on morphological characters they specify in their identification key (p. 155) and a schematical drawing of the head and thorax (fig. 355: 157), this is a misidentification; the record probably refers to some other dictyopharid genus. Oke et al. (2015) reported adult Centromeriana spp. as minor pests of leaves of Amaranthus spp. in Nigeria but the identification is uncertain.

Key to species of Centromeriana

1. Forewing membrane with a fuscous macula apically ( Fig. 3 A–B) .................................................. 2

– Forewing membrane with apex clear ( Fig. 3 C–D) ........................................................................... 3

2. Phallobase with ventral lobes robust and thumb-like, broad apically, confluent medially ( Fig. 4 H–I). Male segment X, in dorsal view, narrow, ratio of length to width near middle about 2.2:1 ( Fig. 4D ); in lateral view, with narrow and sharp, hook-like apical lobes, strongly projecting ventrad ( Fig. 4E ) ............................................................................................... C. jocosa ( Gerstaecker, 1895)

– Phallobase with ventral lobes more slender, convergent and tapering apically, but divergent medially ( Fig. 6I, J ). Male segment X, in dorsal view, broad, ratio of length to width near middle about 1.3:1 ( Fig. 6D ); in lateral view, with broad and blunt apical lobes, weakly projecting ventrad ( Fig. 6E ) ........................................................................................................... C. lindbergae sp. nov.

3. Abdomen dorsally and ventrally dark brown and black, with a longitudinal row of yellowishochraceous spots on each side ( Fig. 2A ). Cephalic process relatively short, curved upward and slightly backward in more than 90° ( Fig. 7B ) ................................................. C. rhinoceros sp. nov.

– Abdomen dorsally and ventrally greenish-ochraceous ( Fig. 2B ). Cephalic process relatively long, curved upward in nearly 90° ( Fig. 8B ). Male genitalia as in Fig. 8 D–J ... C. simplex Melichar, 1912

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Centromeriana species. A. C. jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895), ♀, dorsal view. B. C. lindbergae sp. nov., holotype, ♂, dorsal view. C. C. jocosa, ♂, dorsal view.

Fig. 2. Habitus of Centromeriana species. A. C. rhinoceros sp. nov., holotype, ♀, dorsal view. B. C. simplex Melichar, 1912, lectotype, ♂, dorsal view. C. C. jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895), ♂, lateral view. D. C. rhinoceros sp. nov., holotype, ♀, lateral view. E. C. simplex, lectotype, ♂, lateral view.

Fig. 3. Forewing of Centromeriana species. A. C. jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895). B. C. lindbergae sp. nov. C. C. rhinoceros sp. nov. D. C. simplex Melichar, 1912.

Fig. 4. Centromeriana jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895). A. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view. B. Head and pronotum, lateral view. C. Head and pronotum, ventral view. D. Male segment X and pygofer, dorsal view. E. Male pygofer, gonostyles, and segment X, lateral view. F. Male pygofer and gonostyles, ventral view. G. Aedeagus, dorsal view. H. Aedeagus, lateral view. I. Aedeagus, ventral view.

Fig. 5. Centromeriana jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895). A. Female terminalia with sternite VII with a pair of large horn-shaped spines near anterior margin (arrow 1) and a pair of short and blunt lobes on posterior margin (arrow 2), and gonocoxae VIII with a pair of small triangular sclerotized plates on posterolateral margin of endogonocoxal lobes (arrow 3), ventral view. B. Female terminalia and ectodermal genital ducts, right lateral view. C. Female terminalia showing the horn-shaped spines on abdominal sternite VII, left lateral view. D. Female segment X, dorsal view. E. gonapophysis VIII, dorsolateral view. F. Gonapophysis IX, ventral view. G. Gonoplacs, lateral view.

Fig. 6. Centromeriana lindbergae sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (head), and paratype, ♂ (male genitalia). A. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view. B. Head and pronotum, lateral view. C. Head and pronotum, ventral view. D. Male segment X and pygofer, dorsal view. E. Male pygofer, gonostyles, and segment X, lateral view. F. Male pygofer and gonostyles, ventral view. G. Left gonostyle, outer maximum view. H. Aedeagus, dorsal view. I. Aedeagus, lateral view. J. Aedeagus, ventral view.

Fig. 7. Centromeriana rhinoceros sp. nov., holotype, ♀. A. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view. B. Head and pronotum, lateral view. C. Head and pronotum, ventral view.

Fig. 8. Centromeriana simplex Melichar, 1912, lectotype, ♂. A. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view. B. Head and pronotum, lateral view. C. Head and pronotum, ventral view. D. Male segment X and pygofer, dorsal view. E. Male pygofer, gonostyles, and segment X, lateral view. F. Male pygofer and gonostyles, ventral view. G. Left gonostyle, outer maximum view. H. Aedeagus, dorsal view. I. Aedeagus, lateral view. J. Aedeagus, ventral view.