Acutalis Fairmaire

McKamey, Stuart H. & Wallner, Adam M., 2022, The immatures of the New World treehopper tribes Acutalini Fowler and Micrutalini Haupt (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Smiliinae), ZooKeys 1136, pp. 187-208 : 187

Acutalis Fairmaire

Figs 1-7

Nymph diagnosis.

Body with full complement (9 pairs in total) of dorsal, short scoli from postmetopidium to last visible abdominal segment, and sometimes also 1 pair of scoli on head and 1 pair of scoli on premetopidium; metathoracic scoli directed forward, in opposite direction of abdominal scoli (backwards), low to tergal surface but not appressed; abdomen laterally with 3 rows of slightly enlarged chalazae but otherwise almost without setae.

Nymph description.

Overall body. Fifth instar length 4.3 mm. Cross-section subtriangular; chalazae on thorax and abdomen, excluding those on scoli, sparse, almost absent; chalazal setae short; scoli parallel. Head. With simple conical scoli (except absent in Acutalis tartarea ), directed anterad, length relative size to basal width about subequal; chalazal bases long-stalked; compound eye surface with setae; frontoclypeus with dense setae; enlarged chalazae absent between eyes, but present in front of ventral margin of eye and also adjacent to central or dorsal margin of eye; frons extending over central margin of eye. Prothorax. Premetopidium scoli present (except absent in Acutalis tartarea ), directed anteriorly; postmetopidium scoli present, directed anteriorly; posterior extension of pronotum not surpassing anterior margin of metanotum; if present, premetopidial scoli length about 2-4 × basal width; postmetopidial scoli length about 2-4 × basal width. Mesothorax. Scoli bearing stalked chalazae; scoli directed dorsoanteriorly; forewing pad anterior costal margin straight; dorsal scoli length about 2-4 × basal width; anterior basal side of scoli lacking cluster of enlarged chalazae; forewing pad surface chalazae absent; forewing pad costal chalazae present only only on base of costal margin; meso- and metathorax without lateral rows on enlarged chalazae. Metathorax. Scoli bearing stalked chalazae; scoli directed dorsoanteriorly; dorsal scoli length about 2-4 × basal width. Legs. Chalazae of tibia on anterior and posterior lateral margins, absent or very few on dorsal surface; prothoracic tibia form subcylindrical. Abdomen. Terga III-VIII ventrolateral margins each with row of four or more enlarged chalazae; terga III-VIII dorsal scoli subequal in size to each other; terga III-VIII tallest dorsal scoli length 2-4 × basal width; tergum IV dorsal scoli directed preapically dorsally, apically posteriorly but not appressed; terga III-VIII lateral rows bearing 3 rows slightly enlarged chalazae; lamellae absent; scoli bearing stalked chalazae. Segment IX: dorsal length subequal to combined length remaining visible abdominal terga; preapically with paired enlarged setae dorsally, with 1 pair dorsal scoli apically.

Material examined.

Acutalis fusconervosa , 1 adult, 2 nymphs, Mexico: Chiapas, 13 km S Pichucalco , 170 m alt., 17°26'38"N, 93°10'49"W, 2 November 2001, S.H. McKamey (USNM) .

Note.

There is a difference between Quisenberry et al.'s (1978) illustration of A. tartarea (Say) and the specimen of A. fusconervosa Fairmaire figured here (Fig. 7 ); the latter has a small pair of scoli on the pronotum, lacking in Quisenberry et al.'s illustration. This difference cannot be attributed to developmental changes because both are fifth instars deduced from wing pad size. Quisenberry et al.'s (1978) illustration was redrawn from Matausch (1912b).

Figures

Figures 1 - 7. Acutalis 1 - 3 Acutalis fusconervosa Fairmaire from Chiapas, Mexico in anterior, dorsal, and lateral views, respectively 4 Acutalis sp. from Durham, NC, courtesy of Margarita Lankford 5 Acutalis sp. from Hoover, AL, courtesy of Vitaly Charny 6 Acutalis sp. from Costa Rica, ex Asteraceae, courtesy of Kenji Nishida 7 Acutalis tartarea, courtesy of Mark Rothschild.