Clastoptera querci Thompson, Halbert and Rothschild, 2020

Thompson, Vinton, Halbert, Susan E. & Rothschild, Mark, 2020, A new species of the spittlebug genus Clastoptera Germar (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Clastopteridae) on Florida oaks, Insecta Mundi 2020 (796), pp. 1-16 : 4-9

Clastoptera querci Thompson, Halbert and Rothschild , new species

( Fig. 1 b–e and 2a–i)

Type locality. Largo, Pinellas County, Florida, USA

Diagnosis. Small (3–4 mm long), tan to brown, moderately globose; tegmina with non-descript dorsal pattern; ten characteristic reddish marks, 6 on anterior margin of pronotum, 4 on vertex ( Fig. 1b , 2d ); face without dark transverse striations, light yellow-tan band across lower postclypeus ( Fig. 2c ); small, well-defined dot-like bulla (apical callous) in first apical cell near tegminal costal margin ( Fig. 2b ). Dorsal basal portion of second valvula indented to shaft for about 1/4 th total length ( Fig. 2h ).

Description

Head. Fig. 2c, d . Ocelli nearer anterior margin of vertex than pronotum, distance between ocelli about equal to distance between ocellus and eye, and about half median length of vertex; vertex base color tan, sometimes with greenish tint, small disc of reddish color around each ocellus; oval reddish marks in shallow pits between each ocellus and eye, intensity of these 4 reddish marks varying, sometimes to point of vanishing, and hue varying from red to red-orange to pink, apparently redder in living specimens ( Fig. 1b ); transverse light yellow-brown carina at anterior margin of vertex; tylus inconspicuous, barely visible in dorsal view beyond the vertex; postclypeus moderately inflated, base color tan, 8 pairs bilateral lightly pigmented transverse striations interrupted at midline with light yellow-brown band covering 3 ventral pairs, slight depression midline widening towards ventral side, scattered setae toward yellow-tan, pilose anteclypeus; lora almost white, pilose.

Pronotum. Fig. 2d . Maximum width between humeral angles about 1.90 mm, same as maximum width of head, eyes included; anterior margin convex; posterior margin deeply emarginated with bilateral convex rounded lobes; lateral margins strongly divergent, about as long as distance between posterior lobe tips where they intersect scutellar margins; humeral angles flaring sharply between eyes and tegmina; base color tan or yellow-tan, sometimes tinged with green, especially anteriorly, usually but not always with superimposed darker, grey-tan, bilaterally symmetrical patch covering much or most of pronotum except margins and humeral flares, this sometimes bisected at median into two patches (note: in the holotype this patch is asymmetrical, Fig. 2d ); transverse wrinkles cover whole, about 13 at median, about 16 between tips of posterior lobes and anterior rim, some anastomosing; slight median longitudinal carina from about ridges 4 to 8; ridge between fourth and fifth wrinkles from anterior margin with band of dark yellow in center moving to next ridge back about 1/3 distance toward lateral margins; anterior ridge margin thicker than others, yellow-tan with 6 reddish marks, outermost behind eyes, innermost pair behind ocelli, these last not meeting anterior margin, all 6 marks varying in size, distinctness, hue and intensity among individuals, as noted for reddish markings on vertex.

Scutellum. Fig. 2a . slightly more than 1.5 times length of pronotum, width about two thirds scutellum length, finely pilose, bilaterally creased for one quarter of width at just less than half length, tan base color; yellowbrown patch on anterior margin almost to creases, not including lateral margins; inner anterior section slightly depressed.

Tegmina. Fig. 2a, b . Length 2.5–3.5 mm; tan base color, finely pilose; color often darker brown on inflated area occupying most of distal portion of corium from claval suture to costal margin; narrow brown band from claval apex wing break down toward bulla, lighter color middle third costal margin, indistinct light diagonal line midscutellum rearward to inflation; bulla in basal portion first apical cell, shiny dark brown, raised, well-defined, about 0.2 mm diameter, white veins directly bordering basal side; appendix pale, hyaline, without pilae.

Legs. Fig. 2a, c . Tan, elongated light brown marks on first and second femora, darker marks on hind pair; 2 robust spines on hind tibia, distal larger; hind tibia with ring of 6 spines, first tarsomere ring 8 spines, second tarsomere ring 7 spines, all brown tipped with black.

Abdomen. Mottled tan-brown, pilose, posterior sternite edges with tan border. Male genitalia. Fig. 2g, i . Genital capsule about 0.40 mm across in posterior view; prominent pygofer processes curve ventrad and inward to almost meet tips of styles bending sharply dorsad and outward; styles laterally flattened, widening at ends in shallow bifurcation; pygofer processes sclerotized from point of sharp ventral bend to narrow rounded tip with slight end bulge; styles sclerotized from sharp bend to distal end; subgenital plates truncated, inconspicuous, protruding over anterior phallobase, posterior margins sclerotized; aedeagus curving dorsad, 0.24 mm long in ventral view from edge of phallobase, simple tube narrowing to shortly before gonopore, then widening to gonopore, flared flattened flange past gonopore.

Ovipositor. Fig. 2h . Inner (second) valvula 0.95 mm long, base color translucent tan; indented to shaft on basal portion of dorsal edge for about one quarter length, then feather shaped to distal end; small, inconspicuous setae on first two thirds of outer side of dorsal section above shaft, tip brownish, fine teeth lining the ventral section for about the apical half of its length (note: this second valvula is distinct in form from all 28 species illustrated in Doering 1928); outer (first) valvula distal section 0.75 mm long, scattered small setae on upper dorsal apical section.

Variant dark color form. Fig. 2e . Brown base color tegmina, pronotum, scutellum, vertex, postclypeus, legs and abdomen, sometimes obscuring but not completely masking distinctive red and dark yellow markings of vertex and pronotum; diagonal white tegminal line prominent; pronotum with dark brown longitudinal median line, this against brown background distinctive and diagnostic.

Measurements. In mm, mean ± SD (range), 23 specimens measured. Body length (tip of tylus to tips of tegmina in dorsal view): ♂ 3.48±0.16 (3.18–3.68), ♀ 3.81±0.14 (3.51–4.05). Tegmen length (wing base to tip): ♂ 2.76 ±0.09 (2.60–2.90), ♀ 3.01±0.20 (3.65–3.50). Head width (maximum including eyes) = pronotum width (between humeral angles): ♂ 1.72±0.08 (1.60–1.80), ♀ 1.93±0.06 (1.85–2.07). Pronotum length (at median): ♂ 0.77±0.04 (0.70–0.83), ♀ 0.85±0.06 (0.75–1.00). Scutellum length (at median): ♂ 1.18±0.07 (1.10–1.28), ♀ 1.36±0.07 (1.25– 1.48). Scutellum width (at widest point): ♂ 0.79±0.03 (0.73–0.83), ♀ 0.89±0.05 (0.80–0.95).

Material examined. Text within quotation marks is a verbatim transcription of pin label information, with the exception of the symbol “/”, which separates line breaks within labels on the same pin, and semicolons, which separate labels on the same pin (unless the semicolon is typed on the label). Semicolons following quotation marks separate specimens or groups of specimens with different information, each of which begins with a gender symbol and the number of specimens, if more than one. Holotype (♀, dissected, deposited at FSCA), with labels: “ USA: FLORIDA Pinellas County / Largo 12615 102 Ave N / 27.8766, -82.80722 / 16-IX-2013 Mark Spearman / & Jason Spiller Quercus vir - / giniana FSCA # E2013-6887 ; CLASTOPTERIDAE / Clastoptera sp. / det. Susan E. Halbert 2013” ; Paratypes (3 ♀, dissected), with same label information as holotype; (2 ♂, 1 dissected; 2 ♀) with labels “ USA: FLORIDA Pinellas County / Largo 12520 Ulmerton Rd / 2-VIII-2013 Bob Albanese & / Mark Spearman Quercus vir - / giniana E2013-5599; CLASTOPTERIDAE / Clastoptera sp.” (Note: only 2 ♂ and 2♀ from this series were used for measurements. There are six additional paratypes from this series, 2 ♂ and 4♀.) Altogether, there are 13 paratypes, of which two will be deposited at AMNH, two will be deposited at the USNM, and two will be deposited at the Snow Entomological Museum. The rest will remain at the FSCA. Additional material examined for description and measurements: ♂ “ USA: FLORIDA Alachua County / 3527 NW 52 Ave 28-VII-2014 / Steve Hildebrandt large #s in / dwelling FSCA # E2014-5181 ; CLASTOPTERIDAE / Clastoptera sp. / det. Susan E. Halbert 2014” (Note: There were three additional specimens in this series.) ; ♀ “ USA: FLORIDA / Alachua County / Gainesville, / Kanapaha Park / 29.6176°. -82.4187°; 17 July 2014 / M.J. Rothschild / on Quercus / virginiana ” ; ♀ “ USA: FLORIDA / Alachua County / Gainesville , / DPI grounds / 29.6352°, -82.3709° / 7 June 2018 / M.J. Rothschild on / Quercus laurifolia ” ; ♂ “ USA: FLORIDA Broward Co / Davie 15110 SW 26 St / 24-VIII-2011 Antonio Demien / Quercus FSCA # E2011-5994; CERCOPIDAE / Clastoptera undulata Uhler / det. Susan E. Halbert 2011” ; ♀ “ USA, FL, Levy Co. Goethe S.F. / Gasline / Beehive Rds. 29.1608 / -82.5983 Flatwoods. MV /UVL / 19-VII-2014 J. Hayden, K. & M. / Schnepp, J. Bremer, K. Rogers ” ; ♀ “ USA: FLORIDA Marion Co / Ocala Foxwood Farms Mobile / Homes Park NW 45 Ter. / 29.21030; -82.19701 / 9-IX-2013 Mark J. Rothschild / Quercus virginiana / FSCA # E2013-6580 ; CLASTOPTERIDAE / Clastoptera sp. / det. Susan E. Halbert 2013” (Note: there were two additional specimens in this series.); (2 ♀, same labels) “ USA: FL, Miami-Dade / Co. Homestead, 21315 / SW 312 St. , 17-VII-2015 / Jake Farnum leg.; Quercus virginiana / FSCA # E2015-4065 ” ; ♂ “ USA: FLORIDA Orange Co / Ocoee 6737 Lumberjack Ln / 12-IX-2012 Jesse Krok Citrus x / paradisi FSCA # E2012-7060 ; CERCOPIDAE / Clastoptera undulata Uhler / det. Susan E. Halbert & / Mark J. Rothschild 2012” ; Dark forms: ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Hernando Co. / US-41, 3.2km S of / Citrus Co. line; 28.6407°, -82.3376° / 21 March 2018 / M.J. Rothschild, on: / Quercus laurifolia ” ; ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Marion Co., Ocala / Tuscawilla Park / 29.1937°, -82.1314°; 11 June 2014 / M.J. Rothschild / on Quercus / virginiana ” ; ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Marion Co., Ocala, / Jervy Gantt Park / 29.1673°, -82.0921°; 1 March 2018 / M.J. Rothschild / on Quercus / virginiana ” ; ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Marion County / Ocala, Pine Oaks / Golf Course ; 29.2101°, -82.1607° / 30 March 2019 / M.J. Rothschild. on: / Quercus virginiana ” ; ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Marion County, NW of / Ocala, NW 44 th Ave. / 3.4km N of US-27; 29.2415°, -82.1922° / 31 March 2019 / M.J. Rothschild. on: / Quercus laurifolia ” ; ♀ dark form “ USA: FLORIDA / Sumter Co., Oxford, / near Post Office / 28.9315°, -82.0381°; 28 March 2018 / M.J. Rothschild. / on: Quercus / laurifolia ”. Altogether, there are 23 specimens in this category, of which two, including one dark form, will be deposited at the AMNH. Others will remain at the FSCA .

Nymphs. First through fifth instar nymphs preserved in ethanol are illustrated in Fig. 2f . Early instar living nymphs are illustrated in Fig. 1d . Except for eyes (dark red), stylets (brown) and partial greying or tanning of leg parts, wing pads and dorsal thorax in some fifth instar specimens, external parts are unpigmented white, including ocelli. In contrast to at least one other Clastoptera study ( Kuenzi and Coppel 1985), head capsule width overlaps among adjacent instars, but instars are separable by a combination of body length, presence of ocelli, proportion of head to body, reach of stylets, presence of visible bacteriomes, and level of development of wing pads and leg spines ( Table 1 ). First instar nymphs have off-yellow bacteriomes visible through the lateral sides of the abdomen just before it narrows towards the rear (see Moran et al. 2005 for illustrations of Clastoptera bacteriomes and an explanation of their biological significance). Later ethanol-preserved instars lack visible bacteriomes. The head and thorax of preserved fifth instar nymphs in ventral view present an uncanny likeness to Darth Vader in white. Nymphal observations are based on specimens collected from Quercus virginiana in the Largo, Florida type locality (supplemented by four first instars from Alachua Co. on Quercus sp. and two second instars from Miami-Dade Co. on Q. virginiana ).

Eggs. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name querci is from Latin Quercus , for oak, the host plant group.

Comparative notes

The known Florida Clastoptera fauna includes five other described species: Clastoptera obtusa (Say) , Clastoptera proteus Fitch , Clastoptera saint-cyri Provancher , Clastoptera undulata Uhler and Clastoptera xanthocephala Germar ( Osborn 1921; Porter 1955; Mead and Bennett 1987). Clastoptera saint-cyri , C. proteus and the two color forms of C. xanthocephala are black, black with prominent yellow markings, or uniform grey-tan and bear no resemblance to C. querci .

Clastoptera undulata and C. obtusa resemble C. querci more closely, and all three species exhibit variation in dorsal color pattern, complicating separation. Clastoptera obtusa is largest, C. undulata smallest, with C. querci in between, but the size ranges overlap. However, in addition to the distinctive C. querci vertex-anterior pronotal markings ( Fig. 1d , 2d ), these species can be separated by facial pattern. In both C. obtusa ( Hamilton 1982, fig. 71) and C. undulata the postclypeus has dark, medially interrupted transverse striations and a broad contrasting dark brown band towards the bottom. The striations are much fainter in C. querci , with only a light yellow-tan band towards the bottom of the postclypeus ( Fig. 2c : obscured in some individuals of the dark form by the overall darker coloration). Clastoptera querci never has a contrasting dark brown band on the clypeus. These species also have different hosts: C. undulata occurs primarily on Casuarina spp. ( Porter 1955; Mead and Bennett 1987), a group that attracts several Clastoptera species ( Thompson 1999), while Florida C. obtusa occur primarily on Alnus serrulata (Aiton) Willd. ( Mead and Bennett 1987).

There are three eastern USA Clastoptera species that have not been recorded yet in Florida but might be confused with C. querci :

The white nymphs of Clastoptera testacea Fitch live on white oaks ( Quercus spp.) ( Hanna 1970; VT observations) and superficially resemble nymphs of C. querci . However, C. testacea nymphs have red ocelli (VT observations), in contrast to the unpigmented ocelli in C. querci . They also have prominent red and yellow abdominal bacteriome structures (VT observations), whereas these structures are visible in C. querci only in the tiny first instar nymphs ( Table 1 ). Adult C. testacea are sexually dimorphic and neither the black males nor the tan, relatively elongated females ( Hamilton 1982, fig. 48 and 49) resemble C. querci .

Clastoptera laevigata Hamilton can be distinguished by the presence of four black marks on the vertex and six on the anterior pronotum ( Wheeler and Kramer 1983; Hamilton 2015, fig. 1D); also, C. laevigata lives on Celtis spp. ( Wheeler and Kramer 1983).

Clastoptera octonotata Hamilton has brown vertex and anterior pronotal markings and a broad white diagonal band across the clavus ( Hamilton 2015, fig. 1C); it lives on Vitis rotundifolia Michaux ( Hamilton 2015) . Note: the Florida “ C. obtusa ” reported by Mead and Bennett (1987) to live on “wild grape” are more likely C. octonotata .

Life history and biology

DPI records include 138 probable samples (396 specimens) of C. querci , collected by DPI inspectors and others. There are 104 samples with some recorded host information. Forty-eight of those samples list Quercus (spp.) as the host. Of those 48, 30 were collected on the oaks, including all samples with nymphs, and 18 adult samples were from traps of various kinds. Fifty-six samples were reported from plants other than Quercus . Of these, 38 were from traps of various kinds. There were 18 samples of adults collected directly from plants other than Quercus . All were single adults except for a sample of three adults from Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck (lemon), and a sample of three adults from Vaccinium L. sp. Based on this information, it appears that Quercus is the only reproductive host, but adults might visit other plants. It is not known if adults found on other plants were feeding, resting, or in the case of trap catches, merely flying around in large numbers, accidentally being collected in a trap. Multi-Lure traps for fruit flies are bright yellow, which could have attracted the spittlebugs. An additional eight collections from oaks and one collection from a trap, which were not entered into the DPI database, are included among the specimens used for the description.

Records of submissions from the DPI database indicate a peak of both adults and nymphs between June and October, with highest numbers in August ( Fig. 3 ). We do not have enough data to determine whether the slight increase in numbers of adults in December reflects a small second generation in the winter. A teneral adult collected in April suggests a winter or early spring generation, but no nymphs have been found yet at that time of year. The biological significance of the dark color form, including whether it might be genetically determined or a seasonal phenotype, is unknown.

Most of the of the specimens and collections from host plants for C. querci originate from oaks. Among these, a large majority of the ones for which the oak species is known come from Quercus virginiana Mill. , the southern live oak, which appears to be the most common and widespread host. The full record of host records on oaks is as follows, including data from collections that are not from the DPI database:

Q. virginiana 181 specimens (20 collections)

Q. hemisphaerica Bartram ex Willd. 25 specimens (8 collections)

Number of samples

Q. shumardii Buckley 40 specimens (1 collection)

Q. nigra L. 6 specimens (1 collection)

Q. laevis Walter 2 specimens (1 collection)

Quercus sp. (species not known) 23 specimens (6 collections)

In addition, the remains of a colony (skin and spittle) were found on Quercus acutissima Carruthers.

In the areas covered, Quercus laurifolia Michx. and Q. hemisphaerica both are present and difficult to distinguish. This accounts for the attribution of samples in some specimen records in Material Examined to Q. laurifolia . These are included above as coming from Q. hemisphaerica .

Distribution

Clastoptera querci is now widely distributed in Florida ( Fig. 1a ). It occurs coast to coast in Central and Southern Florida and reaches Alachua County in the north. It has not been collected in the Florida Panhandle or outside Florida. Counties in peninsular Florida without records probably reflect lack of collecting rather than lack of C. querci .

Figures

Figure 1. Clastoptera querci distribution map and photographs in natural settings. a) Counties in which specimens have been taken shaded in blue. The species is unknown outside Florida. b) Close-up of adult showing diagnostic red marking on vertex and front of pronotum. c) Adult on live oak. d) Early instar nymphs in spittles on oak twig. e) Spittle masses on oak leaves. Photographs 1b–d by Lyle Buss, University of Florida.

Figure 2. Clastoptera querci photomicrographs. a) Dorsal habitus. b) Lateral habitus. c) Ventral habitus. d) Close-up of pronotum and vertex, arrows point to diagnostic reddish marks. e) Dark color form. f) Left to right, nymphal instars 1 to 5, ventral view. g) Male genital capsule, ventral view. h) Female, left second valvula. i) Male genitalia close-up, ventral view. Figures 2a, b, d from holotype; 2e, g, h, i from paratypes. Scale bars for a–f = 1.0 mm, for g–i = 0.1 mm. Photograph 2c by Tony Dickens, FDACS/DPI.

Figure 3. Seasonal distribution of collections of C. querci. Adults are present year around, peaking in August. Nymphs have been collected June through October. Blue shows all samples, regardless of life stage and color form. Orange indicates samples that include teneral (newly emerged) adults. Grey indicates samples that include nymphs. Yellow indicates samples that include dark color form adults.