Belbina pionneaui Lallemand, 1922

Constant, Jérôme, 2014, Revision of the Malagasy lanternfly genus Belbina Stål, 1863, with two new species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 102, pp. 1-37 : 29-30

Belbina pionneaui Lallemand, 1922

Figs 10A–E , 30–31 , 51

Belbina pionneaui Lallemand, 1922: 63 (type in FSAG).

Belbina pionneaui – Metcalf 1947: 123 (catalogued). — Lallemand 1959: 93, fig. 42 (key, description, lateral view of head). — Constant 2004b: 31 (listed).

Diagnostic characters

(1) disc of hind wings red ( Fig. 10A ); (2) tegmina dark red with membrane pale brown, numerous black-brown spots ( Fig. 10A ); (3) cephalic process broad, strongly curved dorsad ( Fig. 10D–E ); (4) large-sized (more than 25 mm long).

LT: ♂ (n = 3) 25.6 mm (25.1–26.0); ♀ (n = 13) 30.6 mm (25.8–32.9).

Material examined

Holotype

MADAGASCAR: ♀, [Type] [Manjakandriana, Madagascar] [ Belbina pionneaui Lallem. ] ( FSAG).

Paratypes

MADAGASCAR: 2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, [Manjakandriana, Madagascar] [Para-type] ( FSAG); 1 ♀, [Manjakandriana, Madagascar] [Para-type] [ Belbina pionneaui Lall, V. Lallemand det., 1959] ( NHRS); 1 ♀, [Manjakandriana, Madagascar] [Para-type] [ Belbina pionneaui Lallemand, V. Lallemand det., 1956], 18°55’ S, 47°48’ E ( NHRS).

Note: Lallemand (1922, 1959) stated that the type and paratypes are in his collection. It seems, however, that he subsequently gave one of the paratypes to NHRS.

Additional material

MADAGASCAR: 1♀, Madagascar ( RBINS); 2♀♀,Tananarive, Lamberton,Tananarive (Antananarivo), 18°55’ S, 47°31’ E ( RBINS); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, [“Ambatol...” (unreadable)], Lamberton ( RBINS); 1 ♀, Maroantsetra, Lamberton, 15°26’ S, 49°44’ E ( RBINS); 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, Tananarive ( NCSU, 1 ♀ *: MNHN); 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, no data ( NCSU). – The specimen marked with * bears a label [ Belbina pionneaui , cotype, Lallemand]. This specimen is not recognized as a paratype, as Lallemand (1959) stated that all type specimens were from Manjakandriana.

1 ♂ mislabeled “Soekaboemi, Java” has also been examined ( INHS).

Examined on photographs

MADAGASCAR: 4 specimens, Tananarive, Lamberton ( RMNH); 2 specimens, Maroantsetra, Lamberton ( RMNH).

Male genitalia

Dark red ( Figs 30–31 ); pygofer higher than long and with posterior margin straight, slightly rounded on dorsal ¼ in lateral view ( Fig. 30 ); anal tube slightly elongate, 1.28 times longer than broad at apex and with lateral margins bisinuate in dorsal view ( Fig. 31 ); posterior margin broadly rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 30 ) with hind margin of anal opening slightly projecting posteriorly ( Fig. 30 ) and hiding lateral margin apically in dorsal view ( Fig. 31 ); gonostyli elongate, 1.35 times longer than high (dorsal process included), strongly surpassing anal tube and rounded at apex in lateral view ( Fig. 30 ); ventral margin straight on basal 1/5, then sinuate ( Fig. 30 ); dorsal margin with basal digitiform process slightly curved posteriorly and projecting laterodorsally, strong hook laterally at middle of process projecting ventrally ( Figs 30–31 ); digitiform process narrowing from base to apex and acutely rounded apically ( Figs 30–31 ).

Remarks

Belbina pionneaui is a member of the falleni + group, showing a strong basodorsal digitiform process on the gonostyli. It can be separated from all species of the group by having the basodorsal digitiform process of the gonostyli narrowing from the base to the apex and the apical margin of the anal tube not notched under the anal opening in lateral view.

Distribution

See Fig. 51 .

Figures

Figs 10–12. — 10. Belbina pionneaui. 11. B. recurva. 12. B. servillei. — A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Vertex, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. D. Head and prothorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. — Scale bar: 10 mm (C–E not to scale).

Figs 30–35. Male genitalia. — 30–31. Belbina pionneaui. 30. Lateral view. 31. Dorsal view. — 32–33. B. recurva. 32. Lateral view. 33. Dorsal view. — 34–35. B. servillei. 34. Lateral view. 35. Dorsal view. — An = anal tube, Py = pygofer, G = gonostylus. Photographs by Y. Laurent & I. Bachy.

Figs 50–53. Distribution maps. — 50. Belbina nympha. 51. B. pionneaui. 52. B. recurva. 53. B. servillei.