Herpis Stål 1862, 1860

Bahder, Brian W., Zumbado Echavarria, Marco A., Barrantes Barrantes, Edwin A., Helmick, Ericka E. & Bartlett, Charles R., 2021, A new species of planthopper in genus Herpis (Hemiptera: Derbidae) from lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica, Zootaxa 5032 (1), pp. 121-135 : 127-128

Genus Herpis Stål 1862

Herpis Stål 1862: 8 . Type species Herpis fuscovittata Stål, 1862 , by subsequent designation of Muir 1924: 16 (see also McAtee 1924: 175).

Syntames Fowler, 1905 (Type species Syntames delicatus Fowler 1905 , by monotypy). Synonym with Herpis according to Muir 1924: 16; Caldwell 1944: 99; O’Brien 1987: 383; treated as valid by Metcalf 1938: 324; 1945a: 101; 1945b: 125. Synonymy of Syntames with Herpis confirmed here.

Amended Diagnosis. Members of this genus are relatively large and robust among the Cenchreini , measuring approximately 4-8 mm in length, including wings. Wings held tectiform in repose, distinctly exceeding abdomen. Vertex broad, trapezoidal, just broader than long, nearly flat to weakly concave, transverse carinae present at fastigium. Pits present along lateral carinae of vertex and frons, varying in distinctness, appearing to be in 2+ rows. Frons broad, flat (not concave), lateral margins parallel, medium carina of frons evident, frontoclypeal margin straight. Clypeus elongate triangular, approximately in the same plane as frons, median carina present. Genae without subantennal processes. Antennae short, pedicle spheroid, about as long as wide.

Pronotum narrow, posteriorly concave, broadening laterally, in lateral view declinate anteriorly; paranotal region foliate, forming large foveae posterior to the antennae (a tribal feature). Mesonotum tricarinate, carinae approximately reaching posterior margin, scutellum contiguous with scutum (i.e., not separated by groove). Lateral teeth absent on tibiae.

Terminalia bilaterally symmetrical. Pygofer in lateral view narrow, irregular in outline; in ventral view, median process of pygofer present (longer than wide, apically conical). Gonostyli elongate, broad, bearing dorsal projection in distal half, and in ventral view, usually with a medial process near midlength. Aedeagal shaft with processes apically and near midlength; flagellum complex, with elongate retrorse processes. Anal tube elongate in lateral view (but usually shorter than gonostyli), distally expanded; in dorsal view appearing spatulate with caudal margin strongly bifid.

Remarks. The species examined thus far that clearly belong in Herpis are all pallid in coloration, although survey efforts of the included taxa are incomplete. Indomalayan species currently placed in Herpis have not been examined. It is unlikely, from a biogeographic perspective, that these taxa are correctly placed (also noted by Metcalf 1938: 325), but review of these taxa was outside of the current scope, which is to consider New World taxa allied with those associated with palms. Images of the type specimen of Syntames delicatus Fowler from the British Museum confirm the synonymy of Syntames with Herpis . The images show the specimen with the venter glued to a card. Syntames delicatus is a pallid species, with a broad, flat roughly trapezoidal vertex, frons parallel sided, bearing a median carina, thorax with dark markings on the lateral portions of the thoracic nota, and dark markings in the forewings whose arrangement are not clear in the images, but consistent with O’Brien (1987, fig. 13).

The dark specimen reported and illustrated as Herpis sp. from palms in Dollet et al. (2020, fig. 3) is suspected to belong to Oropuna , but evaluation of all the needed features is not possible from the views provided.

Images of the type specimen of Syntames fuscus Metcalf, 1938 ( Fig. 7 , from the website of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZC, Harvard University, Cambridge MA; ©President and Fellows of Harvard College, used by permission), show that this species lacks a median carina on the frons; and the frons and vertex are somewhat concave, features that currently associated with Oropuna . For that reason, it is transferred to Oropuna as Oropuna fusca (Metcalf) , new combination.

Photographs provided by the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NHRS, Stockholm) of three species originally described by Stål, 1862 in Herpis , ( H. fimbriolata , H. orba , and H. pallidovenosa ) but subsequently moved to Phaciocephalus by Muir 1924: 16 were also examined (as briefly noted in Dollet et al. 2020). The species described by Stål (1862) in Herpis are from Brazil, presumably the region around Rio de Janeiro, based on the title of the paper (roughly translated from Swedish as “Contribution to the Rio Janeiro area, Hemiptera fauna”). None of these species belong in Herpis or to Phaciocephalus . Phaciocephalus is a genus of the Oceania and Indomalayan Ecoregions, characterized in part by a broadly quadrate ventral process of the pygofer, a feature associated with Oropuna among New World Cenchreini . Photographs of the type specimen of Phaciocephalus vitiensis Kirkaldy, 1906 , the type species of Phaciocephalus , from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum (BPBM, Honolulu, HI) were also examined to better understand features attributed to the genus.

Phaciocephalus orbus ( Fig. 4 ) is a dark species with a broad vertex and frons, lacking a median carinae, excluding it from Herpis . The habitus of the species, plus the broad vertex and frons, lacking a median carina, suggests the genus Oropuna , thus this species is transferred to Oropuna as Oropuna orba (Stål) , new combination.

Phaciocephalus fimbriolatus ( Fig. 5 ) has a deeply convex frons, lacking a median carina, excluding it from Herpis . The shape of the head is most suggestive of Tico Bahder & Bartlett (in Bahder et al. 2021), but we consider this species as incertae sedis until additional specimens collected from palms that may belong to Tico are investigated.

Phaciocephalus pallidovenosus ( Fig. 6 ) is a stramineous species with very conspicuous pale wing veins. The head is moderately broad, and the vertex and face are distinctly concave. The features of this species are suggestive of the genus Persis . The head of this species is not particularly projecting, which would place the species in either subgenus Anapersis Fennah or Eritalaena Fennah. Phaciocephalus pallidovenosus in habitus appears consistent with the subgenus Anapersis , including a long subcostal cell and pustules along the lateral carina of the vertex, features attributed to the subgenus. Therefore this species is transferred to Persis (Anapersis) as Persis (Anapersis) pallidovenosa (Stål) , new combination.

Etymology. The original publication ( Stål 1862) did not specify the derivation of the genus name, but “ Herpis ” is an Egyptian word for wine that was adapted into Greek, and is masculine in gender.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Holotype of Oropuna orba (Stål) comb. n.; (A) head, frontal view, (B) body, dorsal view, (C) body, lateral view, (D) female pregenital plate, and (E) labels.

FIGURE 5. Holotype of Herpis fimbriolata (current combination Phaciocephalus fimbriolatus, incertae sedis); (A) body, dorsal view, (B) body, lateral view, (C) head frontal view, and (D) labels.

FIGURE 6. Holotype of Persis pallidovenosa (Stål) comb. n.; (A) body dorsal view, (B) body lateral view, (C) head frontal view, and (D) labels.

FIGURE 7. Holotype of Oropuna fuscus comb. n; (A) body dorsal view, (B) body lateral view, (C) head frontal view, (D) labels, and (E) terminalia ventral view. (image credit Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, ©President and Fellows of Harvard College, used by permission).