Melanastera obscura, Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt, 2025

Serbina, Liliya Š., Malenovský, Igor, Queiroz, Dalva L. & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2025, Jumping plant-lice of the tribe Paurocephalini (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5585 (1), pp. 1-164 : 70-72

26 Melanastera obscura sp. nov.

( Figs 10F , 16J , 27G–L )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: Barroso, Mata do Baú , Rio das Mortes, S21.2140, W43.9347, 930 m, 12–17.vi.2010, Annona sp. , gallery forest along river (D. Burckhardt) #5(13) ( UFPR; dry).

Paratypes. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 6 ♂, 7 ♀, same as holotype but ( BMNH, MMBC, NHMB, UFPR; dry, slide; NMB-PSYLL0008008, NMB-PSYLL0008586, NMB-PSYLL0008590, NMB-PSYLL0008591, NMB-PSYLL0008589, NMB-PSYLL0008587, NMB-PSYLL0008588) ; 2 ♀, same but Miconia chartacea (D. Burckhardt) #5(18) ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0008589) ; 7 ♂, 7 ♀, same but Annona cacans (D. Burckhardt) #5(4) ( NHMB; dry, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008003–NMB-PSYLL0008005, NMB-PSYLL0008571) ; 1 ♀, 11 immatures, 2 skin, same but Annona cacans (D. Burckhardt) #5(5) ( MMBC, NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008023, NMB-PSYLL0008024, NMB-PSYLL0008019, NMB-PSYLL0008020) ; 7 ♂, 3 immatures, same but Miconia flammea (D. Burckhardt) #5(8) ( MMBC, NHMB; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008006, NMB-PSYLL0008007, NMB-PSYLL0008025, NMB-PSYLL0008036–NMB-PSYLL0008038) ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, same but 21.1833/2000, W43.9167 /9667, 940– 1140 m, 13–14.vi.2010, Cerrado semideciduous forest, along forest edge (D. Burckhardt ) #7 ( NHMB; dry, slide; NMB-PSYLL0008031 [voucher 74-7], NMB-PSYLL0008021 [voucher 74-8], NMB-PSYLL0008011 [voucher 74-7]) ; 3 ♂, 2 ♀, 3 immatures, same but S21.1833 /2000, W43.9167 /9667, 940– 1140 m, 13.vi.2010, Annona cacans, Cerrado semideciduous forest (D. Burckhardt ) #9(1) ( NHMB; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008030, NMB-PSYLL0008026, NMB-PSYLL0008035 [voucher 74-3], NMB-PSYLL0008034, NMB-PSYLL0008033) ; 1 ♀, same but S21.1833 /2000, W43.9167 /9667, 940– 1140 m, 3.vi.2010, cleared area with low vegetation and some shrubs and small trees prepared for eucalypt plantations (D. Burckhardt) #6 ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0008010) ; 2 ♀, 5 immatures, 1 skin, Catas Altas da Noruega, roadside, S20.5806, W43.7218, 720 m, 20.viii.2013, degraded Atlantic forest (D. L. Queiroz) #559 ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008028, NMB-PSYLL0008018 [LSMelobs-59], NMB-PSYLL0008016 [LSMelobs- 59], NMB-PSYLL0008017 [LSMelobs-59]) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Lavras, Universidade Federal de Lavras, UFLA, S21.2308, W44.9914, 900 m, 2–11.vi.2010, park trees, forest edge, hedges and plantations (D. Burckhardt) #2 ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0008000–NMB-PSYLL0008002; 1 ♂, Paula Cândido , S20.8060, W42.9798, 790 m, 22.viii.2013, experimental plot coffee and Inga plantation (D. L. Queiroz) #565 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008029).

Material not included in type series. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 2 ♂, 4 ♀, 2 immatures, Lavras, S21.2672, W44.9353, 900 m, 1–6.vi.2010, Annona cf. cacans , edge of Atlantic forest around coffee plantation mixed with pastures (D. Burckhardt) #1(1) ( NHMB; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007996, NMB-PSYLL0008080, NMB-PSYLL0008032 [LSMelobs-74], NMB-PSYLL0007999, NMB-PSYLL0008022) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Sexually dimorphic. Male dark brown to black. Antenna ochreous, apices of segments 3–8 and entire segments 9–10 brown to dark brown. Meracanthus, tibiae, tarsi and apex of femora greyish white. Forewing ( Fig. 16J ) greyish white in basal third, light brown in apical two thirds; bearing indistinct brown dots, sparse basally, dense and often confluent in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate reddish brown apically; paramere light brown. Intersegmental membranes reddish. Female as male but head ochreous with fine, almost black dots on vertex. Thorax brown with dark dots and patches, and longitudinal stripes on mesoscutum. Apices of proctiger and subgenital plate brown.

Structure. Head, in lateral view, inclined inclined at> 45° from longitudinal body axis. Vertex ( Fig. 10F ) in basal half with imbricate microsculpture, bearing short setae. Forewing ( Fig. 16J ) with Rs weakly curved to fore margin apically; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, forming hexagons of a single row of spinules; spinules sparse in basal half of the wing and absent from basal half of cell c+sc. Hindwing with 9 ungrouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 7–9 grouped apical spurs, arranged as 3–4 + 4–5, anteriorly separated by a few bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 27G–L ). Male. Proctiger weakly produced posteriorly; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, subtriangular; dorsal margin straight proximally, curved in apical third; posterior margin almost straight in the middle, curved ventrally; with long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, lanceolate, apex subacute; in dorsal view, apex blunt, directed upwards and slightly inwards, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; both outer and inner faces with dense, long setae; posterior margin with longer setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part weakly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus almost straight in basal two thirds, dorsal margin weakly concave; ventral process situated in apical third of the segment, lacking lateral lobes; in lateral view, relatively long, simple, rounded apically; in dorsal view, ventral process tongue-shaped, slightly wider than apical dilation, with irregularly rounded apex; apical dilation, in lateral view, short, subparallel-sided, with irregularly rounded apex, basally with relatively large membranous lobe at dorsal margin, in dorsal view, apical dilation narrow, with narrowly rounded apex; sclerotised end tube moderately long and almost straight.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, with imperceptible hump distal to circumanal ring, almost straight otherwise; in dorsal view, apex subacute; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, distinctly cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, irregularly narrowing to pointed apex, which is slightly upturned; in ventral view, apex rounded.

Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Brownish yellow to pale brown; cephalothoracic sclerite, antenna, wing pads, legs and caudal plate brown.

Structure. Eye with one short, simple ocular seta dorsally. Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed: 1(0), 2(1), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with five marginal sectasetae, in some specimens one relatively large lanceolate is present dorsally; hindwing pad with two marginal pointed sectasetae, lacking sectasetae or larger lanceolate setae dorsally. Tarsal arolium broadly triangular apically, slightly longer than claws. Abdomen with 1–2 lateral pointed sectasetae on either side anterior to caudal plate. Caudal plate with anterior margin close to anterior margin of extra pore fields; with 3–5 (1+2 or 2+3) pointed sectasetae on either side laterally, and three pointed sectasetae subapically, on either side of circumanal ring dorsally. Extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of small oval patches; outer band long medially, end pointing outwards. Circumanal ring small.

Host plant. Annona cacans Warm. ( Annonaceae ). According to the field notes (D. Burckhardt, unpublished data), sample DB#5(8) with adults and immatures was collected on Miconia flammea ( Melastomataceae ). This is a very unlikely host and possibly due to a mixup of the samples in the field.

Distribution. Brazil (MG).

Derivation of name. From the Latin adjective obscurus = dark, referring to the dark body colour.

Comments. Melanastera obscura sp. nov. resembles M. australis sp. nov., M. dimorpha sp. nov., M. guatteriae sp. nov. and M. nasuta sp. nov. in the lanceolate paramere. It differs from the other species as indicated in the key.

The specimens of the sample DB#1(1) differ considerably from those of samples DB#9(1) and DLQ# 559 in the DNA barcoding sequences; the uncorrected p-distances for cytb between them are 8.10% and 8.97%, respectively. Although no morphological differences have been found between DB#1(1) and the other samples, the high genetic distance would suggest that M. obscura sp. nov. may represent a complex of cryptic species.

The trematos -group

Description. Adult. Head, in lateral view, inclined at ≥ 45° from longitudinal axis of body. Vertex ( Figs 10G–I , 11A–H ) trapezoidal, covered with distinct imbricate microsculpture (partly reduced in ♂ of M. dimorpha sp. nov.: Fig. 10J ) and microscopical setae. Thorax weakly or moderately arched, covered with microscopical setae. Forewing ( Figs 17 , 18A, B ) relatively uniformly coloured, with small brown dots; pterostigma distinctly expanding towards the middle or apical third, longer than 4.0 times as wide; vein R 1 weakly convex or straight medially. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly spatulate or lanceolate. Distal segment of aedeagus bearing ventral process (small in M. cabucu sp. nov. and M. dimorpha ) which is, in dorsal view, narrower than apical dilation.

Immature. Antenna 10-segmented.

Comments. The group includes eleven species from Brazil described here and Melanastera maculipennis (Brown & Hodkinson) from Panama. Eight species develop on Melastomataceae ( Miconia , Pleroma ), two on Cannabaceae ( Trema ) and one each on Annonaceae ( Guatteria ) and Myristicaceae ( Virola ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. roraima sp. nov.; B, M. tubuligera sp. nov.; C, M. umbripennis sp. nov.; D, M. nasuta sp. nov.; E, M. australis sp. nov.; F, M. obscura sp. nov.; G, M. trematos sp. nov.; H, M. virolae sp. nov.; I, M. inconspicuae sp. nov.; J, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♂.

FIGURE 11. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♀; B, M. cabucu sp. nov.; C, M. itatiaia sp. nov.; D, M. pusilliflorae sp. nov.; E, M. goldenbergi sp. nov.; F, M. clavata sp. nov.; G, M. tibialis sp. nov.; H, M. pleromatos sp. nov.; I, M. ingariko sp. nov.; J, M. brasiliensis sp. nov.

FIGURE 16. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. cacantis sp. nov.; B, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; C, M. francisi sp. nov.; D, M. roraima sp. nov.; E, M. tubuligera sp. nov.; F, M. umbripennis sp. nov., ♂; G, M. umbripennis sp. nov., ♀; H, M. nasuta sp. nov.; I, M. australis sp. nov.; J, M. obscura sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 17. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. trematos sp. nov.; B, M. virolae sp. nov.; C, M. inconspicuae sp. nov.; D, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♂; E, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♀; F, M. cabucu sp. nov.; G, M. itatiaia sp. nov.; H, M. pusilliflorae sp. nov.; I, M. goldenbergi sp. nov.; J, M. clavata sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 18. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. tibialis sp. nov.; B, M. pleromatos sp. nov.; C, M. ingariko sp. nov.; D, M. brasiliensis sp. nov.; E, M. caramambatai sp. nov.; F, M. acuminata sp. nov.; G, M. melanocephala sp. nov.; H, M. brevicauda sp. nov.; I, M. michali sp. nov.; J, M. duckei sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 27. Melanastera australis sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; E, paramere, dorsal view; F, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. obscura sp. nov. G, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; H, paramere, inner face, lateral view; I, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; K, paramere, dorsal view; L, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. trematos sp. nov. M, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; N, paramere, inner face, lateral view; O, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; P, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; Q, paramere, dorsal view; R, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. virolae sp. nov. S, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; T, paramere, inner face, lateral view; U, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; V, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; W, paramere, dorsal view; X, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.