Membracis luizae Evangelista and Sakakibara, 2010

Sakakibara, Albino M. & Evangelista, Olívia, 2010, Membracis foliata (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Membracinae) and allied species: an effort towards their correct determination, Journal of Natural History 44 (35 - 36), pp. 2131-2148 : 2146-2147

Membracis luizae Evangelista and Sakakibara sp. nov.

( Figures 20–23, 26 , 29 )

Diagnosis

Pronotum highly elevated, semicircular; black, with three translucent yellowish bands: the anterior one, narrow, arcuate, more or less vertical and parallel to the sutural line; the median one, shorter and next to the anterior band, juxtaposed to the semicircular impression, very small and roughly shaped; the posterior one, preapical, more or less elliptical, larger than the second and well defined, reaching the inferior margin.

Measurements

Male/female(mm): total length 7.50/10.00; length of pronotum 6.25/8.37; length of tegmina 6.00/7.62; width of head 1.93/2.31; width between humeral angles 2.37/2.93; length of head 1.25/1.43.

Description

Female. Pronotum black, with three narrow translucent yellowish bands disposed more or less vertically and in sequence: the anterior one, largest, arcuate, extended from anterior lobe up to dorsum but only attaining sutural line; the median, smallest, very short and roughly shaped, located between lateral margin and sutural line; the posterior one, more or less elliptical, well defined, preapical, also delimited by sutural line, reaching the inferior margin. Head black, eyes castaneous and ocelli yellow. Tegmina and veins dark opaque. Ventral surface of head, thorax, abdomen and legs concolorous except brown tarsi.

Head approximately as wide as long, finely punctuate and pubescent, especially above epistomal suture; vertex weakly convex, lateral borders very slightly curved forwards; epistomal suture distinctly grooved; superior margin inconspicuously sinuose; ocelli prominent, closer to eyes than each other; suprantennal ledges somewhat straight, foliaceous, vertical, almost parallel to each other; postclypeus diamond shaped, as long as wide, extended half its length beyond lower margins of vertex, apex truncate, covered with dense and shining pubescence.

Pronotum foliaceous, highly elevated, semicircular, almost twice as wide as long, finely punctuate, sparsely pubescent; in lateral view, projected anteriorly to the head, anterior lobe rounded and weakly developed, not reaching the level of ocelli; humeral angles obsolete; dorsal outline regularly arcuate from metopidium to apex of posterior process, highest at midlength; apex of posterior process acute, reaching the distal angle of the fifth apical cell of tegmina. Sutural line arcuate anteriorly, curved from base of metopidium, near border, to humeral angles, almost parallel to dorsal line, then abruptly descending, distinctly sinuous until reaching the tip of posterior process.

Tegmina entirely exposed, veins distinct, weakly punctuate throughout; veins R, M and Cu divergent from base; one discoidal and five apical cells; transverse veins s, r-m and 2 m-cu present.

Male. Identical to the female, slightly smaller. Genitalia closely resembling that of other Membracis species : aedeagus U-shaped, shaft directed vertically, anterior surface denticulate apically; styles robust, apical hook of shank curved, apex truncate

with sharp edges, the ventral edge with a finger-like projection; gonopore large, eliptical, subapical on posterior surface, membrane not produced.

Holotype female. “ BRAZIL: Paraiba State, João | Pessoa , 01.ii.2009 | Evangelista leg” . Paratypes: with the same label data as holotype , 9 males and 2 females in DZUP , 2 females in each of the following institutions: BMNH, INHS, INPA, MNHN, MNRJ, MZUSP, NCSU, NHRS, UFPB and ZMUC ; 12 females and 3 males “ BRAZIL: Paraiba State, João | Pessoa, Campus I UFPB | 11.iv.2009 | Mendonça and Creão leg” ( DZUP) .

Distribution

BRAZIL: Paraiba [João Pessoa].

Remarks

Membracis luizae sp. nov. is similar to M. mimica Walker in nearly all aspects. It differs, however, in having narrower yellow bands, especially the middle spot, the shape of which can vary among specimens. It is very small or absent in almost all examined specimens, but occasionally it can be a little larger, roughly shaped, extended for a short distance towards the inferior margin ( Figures 21–23 illustrate this variation).

Host plant records

Tropical almond, Terminalia catappa L. ( Combretaceae ). Ornamental tree originated in tropical Asia, commonly found in the municipality of João Pessoa (and in others seashore cities along Brazilian Atlantic coast), popularly known as “ castanheira-dapraia ”, “ castanhola ” or “ sombreiro ”. M. luizae sp. nov. is highly polyphagous and was also found in many other host plants, such as Trema micrantha Blume (Ulmaceae) , Solanum paludosum Moric. (Solanaceae) , Cupania revoluta Radlk. (Sapindaceae) , Byrsonima sericea DC. (Malpighiaceae) and Bowdichia virgilioides Kunth (Leguminosae, Fabaceae ).

Etymology

This species is named in honour of Maria Luiza M. Evangelista, who resides near the location where type-specimens were collected. In northeastern Brazil M. luizae sp. nov. is popularly known as “ soldadinho ” [“tiny trooper”/“tiny soldier”] or “ viuvinha ” [“little widow”], names that are also attributed to other resembling Membracis species , like M. mimica .

Figures

Figures 24–26. Membracis species, frontal view. (24) M. latifasciata Sakakibara and Evangelista sp. nov. (holotype 3, ZMUC); (25) M. obliquifasciata Evangelista & Sakakibara sp. nov. (holotype ♀, MNHN); (26) M. luizae Evangelista and Sakakibara sp. nov. (holotype ♀, DZUP). Note: Scale bar, 1 mm.

Figures 27–29. Membracis species, paratype male genitalia, lateral view. (27) M. latifasciata Sakakibara and Evangelista sp. nov.; (28) M. obliquifasciata Evangelista and Sakakibara sp. nov.; (29) M. luizae Evangelista and Sakakibara sp. nov. Note: Scale bar, 0.5 mm.