Nivcentia Holzinger, 2004

Hendrix, Solomon V. & Bartlett, Charles R., 2024, Redescription and revised genus placement of Oliarus pinicolus Osborn, 1926, with notes on Antillean Pentastirini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae), Zootaxa 5405 (2), pp. 209-226 : 211-213

Genus Nivcentia Holzinger, 2004

= Vincentia Uhler, 1895 (non Laporte de Castelnau, 1872), replaced by Nivcentia Holzinger by Holzinger (2004: 952).

Amended description (modified from Fennah 1945a). Small pentastirine cixiids (body length ~4.0– 5.5 mm), light brown to dark brown in coloration.

Vertex relatively narrow and much longer than wide (length at midline approximately 1.5× width at posterior margin), lateral margins subparallel (diverging slightly caudad); anterior margin approximately transverse or weakly convex (apex carinae), posterior margin triangularly excavate, subapical transverse carina arising laterally in apical third, joining subapically, a small quadrangular areolet at apex between apical and subapical transverse carina; vertex disc distinctly concave, median longitudinal carina absent. Frons plus clypeus (in frontal view) collectively rhomboid (slightly curved in profile), lateral margins expanded laterally to just below level of median ocellus, median carina forked dorsal (forming an areolet contiguous with the areolet of the vertex). Median ocellus present, but indistinct. Frontoclypeal suture in shape of broad, inverse “V”. Clypeus broadly rhomboid bearing a distinct median carina.

Forewings transparent with few markings, veins bearing conspicuous tubercles on wing veins (setal bases), tubercles present on CuP; stem of composite vein ScP+R very long between basal cell and fork of RP from RA+ScP. Forewing branching pattern RA 2-branched, RP 2-branched, MP 5-branched. Hind tibia bearing a variable number of lateral spines, spinulation 6(5+1)-7-7, platellae absent.

Male terminalia with narrow periandrium bearing a series of processes, usually four elongate and slender processes including a sinistral and dextral process (sensu Mead and Kramer, 1982), a medioventral process, and a mediodorsal process. Endophallus basally broad, strongly bent left (in ventral view), with apex acuminately elongated, strongly narrowed, and bent cephalad, with approximately two subapical processes and one apical process. Pygofer with lateral angles subacute to rounded, medioventral process higher than wide, apex narrowed to obtuse or elongate apex (lateral margins serrate). Gonostyli broad at base, narrowed at middle, expanded apically in a subovate lobe, with a flange of varying shape on inner face. Male anal segment broadly ovate in dorsal view, widest distad of middle, bilaterally symmetrical or nearly so, apical margin slightly reflexed (apical ventral spine absent).

Plant associations. Nivcentia christopheri : Acacia sp. ( Fabaceae ), Coccoloba uvifera (L.) ( Polygonaceae ); Nivcentia grenadana : Miconia sp. ( Melastomataceae ), Inga sp. ( Fabaceae ), “low bushes;” Nivcentia hewanorrae : “shrubs” ( Fennah, 1945a); Nivcentia pinicolus : Pinus cubensis Griseb. , Pinus tropicalis Morelet ( Pinaceae ).

Distribution. Antillean (recorded Cuba, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent)

Remarks. In the broad sense, Nivcentia Holzinger, 2004 , is comprised of small Antillean Pentastirini that are not Melanoliarus Fennah, 1945 sensu stricto ( Myrie et al., 2023). Unfortunately, many small pentastirines in mainland regions fit that general description, and it is possible that Nivcentia is not confined to the Antillean region. Here we more fully define Nivcentia , but the more complete definition offered here may not fully diagnose Nivcentia from the heterogeneous mainland Melanoliarus s.l. However, in our investigation of mainland Pentastirini (as yet incomplete) we have not yet found any mainland taxa that appear to belong in Nivcentia .

Based on illustrations in Fennah (1945a), Nivcentia sensu stricto appears to consist of N. interrupta (the type species) and N. christopheri (Fennah, 1945) , with N. grenadana (Fennah, 1945) and N. hewanorrae (Fennah, 1945) differing in form of the terminalia from the other two species. However, Fennah illustrated the aedeagal complex of the former two species from ventral view and the latter two from dorsal view, likely obscuring important features in the illustrations. All current members of Nivcentia have the endophallus rather broadened, directed left (in ventral view), with the apex bent cephalad, but the species differ in form and number of processes on the periandrium and the form of the apex of the endophallus. Fennah did not illustrate the form of the male pygofer from ventral view, which is a useful character for differentiating groups within Pentastirini ( Mead & Kramer, 1982), nor did he illustrate the form of the male anal tube for the species from dorsal view. Examination of type material will be necessary to elucidate the true limits of Nivcentia .

Nivcentia is comparable to Melanoliarus s.s. ( Myrie et al., 2023) in its small size, geographic distribution, and the general shape of the endophallus. Nivcentia is morphologically diagnosable from Melanoliarus in the shape of the vertex, which is much narrower in Melanoliarus , the color of the body, which is often much darker in Melanoliarus , and the veins of the wings, which are pale and covered in setal bases in both genera, but the tubercles are contrastingly dark in Nivcentia while in Melanoliarus , they are usually concolorous to the veins and obscure (excepting Melanoliarus viequensis Caldwell, 1951 ). In the male terminalia, the genera differ greatly. In Melanoliarus , the ventral periandrium has the sinistral and dextral processes highly reduced to very short, broad, pointed spines as well as a small process directed cephalad at the apex of the periandrium. This contrasts with the elaborated processes of the ventral periandrium in Nivcentia . These features are in addition to the presence of a ventroapical spine on the anal tube of Melormenis s.s. (absent in Nivcentia ).

Species composition

Nivcentia christopheri (Fennah, 1945) – St. Kitts

Nivcentia grenadana (Fennah, 1945) – Grenada

Nivcentia hewanorrae (Fennah, 1945) – St. Lucia

Nivcentia interrupta ( Uhler, 1895) – St. Vincent

Nivcentia pinicolus ( Osborn, 1926) , comb. nov. – Cuba