Orthorapha (Balsania)

Andrew Hamilton, K. G., 2013, Revision of Neotropical aphrophorine spittlebugs, part 2: tribe Orthoraphini (Hemiptera, Cercopoidea), Zootaxa 3710 (3), pp. 201-225 : 214-216

Orthorapha (Balsania) , subg.nov.

Type-species: Orthorhaphia [sic] reducta Walker, 1851 .

Etymology. An arbitrary combination of letters, representing the initial letters of the most frequently used names for this segregate, Balsana + the termination of Orthorhaphia ; gender feminine.

Distribution. Widely distributed in Brazil.

Diagnosis. Frons contrastingly dark, as in Lepyronoxia , but without transverse or W-shaped pale markings, in profile not projecting below plane of clypellus; ocelli present. Pronotum shallowly declivous. Tegmina more than twice as long as broad, venation weakly developed. Hindwings, when present, with venation distinct, and anal lobe broad ( Figs. 2 C–E). Hind basitarsomere glabrous on lower surface (as in O. invidia sp. nov.).

Included species. Six species, of which 3 are tentatively included although their males are unknown. These species ( O. concinna , O. geminata , O. inflata ) are larger than other members of the subgenus, have hind wings like those of Lepyronoxia (e.g., have more spines on the basal lobe of the hind wing) but have the faint, regular venation of subgenus Balsania; one ( O. concinna ) has numerous apical veins in the tegminal tips similar to those of the type-species of Orthorapha .

A single small female without hindwings (UPRM) was examined. It most closely resembles a pale specimen of O. obliqua (Jacobi) taken in the same Brazilian state, and is here interpreted as a second case of sexual dimorphism, the other being the genotype.

Orthorapha (Balsania) concinna (Stål) , comb.nov.

Lepyronia concinna Stål, 1854: 251 .

Balsa concinna: Stål, 1866b: 384 .

Balsana concinna: Metcalf & Wade, 1962: 191 .

Distribution. Probably restricted to the highlands of eastern Brazil.

Diagnosis. Cinnamon brown to blackish brown, unmarked except for widely variable number of pale veins near tip of tegmina ( Fig. 33 G). Face usually marked with yellow lines on first 9 muscle impressions halfway to eye, and on median line at tip, defining dark roughly Y-shaped figure on apex of head; or (lectotype) darker on face, venter of thorax and tegminal base, tegmina redbrown marked with narrow yellow oblique line extending from centre of costa towards scutellum, and with large, brown triangular area extending from outer half of costa to inner anteapical cell. Head strongly produced, as long as median length of pronotum; frons distinctly inflated, broadly rounded at apex, receding in profile; crown weakly declivous, face not horizontal, frons not as low as clypellus at maximum expansion; ocelli present; head slightly narrower than pronotum; lateral margins of pronotum much shorter than eye; tegmina rastrate, 1.7 × as long as broad, veins weakly carinate on apical cells; hind wings as in O. geminata , but with crossvein at base of Cu fork heavy and transverse ( Fig. 2 D). Male unknown. Length: 6.6–6.8 mm. Width across pronotum: 2.3–2.5 mm.

Type. Lectotype female, here designated: BRAZIL [no further data]. Paralectotype female, same data; a dark specimen without the yellow frontal markings mentioned in the original description. Both types in NRSE.

Additional material. BRAZIL: 1 female from: Pernambuco —Caruaru, Apr. 1972; in BMNH.

Orthorapha (Balsania) geminata (Jacobi) , comb.nov.

Lepyronia geminata Jacobi, 1921:124 .

Distribution. Highlands of central Brazil.

Diagnosis. Tegmina dark with 2 bold yellow spots just before midlength ( Fig. 33 H). Blackish brown, darker on lower half of face, with muscle arcs on frons yellow; tegmina redbrown with dark bases and margins, with a faint pale spot on margin just above tip; hind legs, upper edge of fore femur and rostrum also redbrown. Head as long as median length of pronotum; frons strongly inflated, broadly rounded at apex; crown weakly declivous, face produced in profile, frons as low as clypellus at maximum expansion; ocelli present; head narrower than pronotum; lateral margins of pronotum much shorter than eye; tegmina pitted, 1.6 × as long as broad, veins obscure; hind wings with second vein (M) straight, crossvein m-cu reflexed, situated beyond fork of Cu, fold in fork of Cu reaching midlength of wing, costal margin with 7 spines ( Fig. 2 E). Male unknown. Length of female: 6.2 mm. Width across pronotum: 2.2 mm.

Type. Holotype female, BRAZIL [no further data]; in SMFT.

Orthorapha (Balsania) inflata sp. nov.

Etymology. inflata (adjective), from the Latin for “swollen.”

Distribution. Highlands of central Brazil.

Diagnosis. Face nearly horizontal and head strongly produced ( Fig. 33 F), resembling O. subfaciata (Amyot & Serville) , but tegmina much broader and more strongly inflated, with clearly defined transverse pale band instead of clearly defined veins. Dark brown, marked with buff coloured band across tegmina the width of commissure. Venter and tip of tegmen paler than dorsum and face; apices of veins slightly paler, apex of central anteapical cell with prominent yellow spot; a broken, curved line across each tegmen on pale band extending from discal cells across clavi to lateral margins of scutellum. Head well produced, slightly shorter than median length of pronotum; frons scarcely inflated, nearly pointed at apex; crown declivous, face nearly horizontal, as low as clypellus at maximum expansion; ocelli present; head narrower than pronotum; lateral margins of pronotum much shorter than eye; tegmina rastrate, strongly inflated, 1.5 × as long as broad, veins inconspicuous; hind wings with second vein (M) nearly straight as far as crossvein m-cu, the latter long and transverse, fold in fork of Cu reaching midlength of wing as in Orthorapha concinna ( Fig. 2 D). Male unknown. Length: 7.5 mm. Width across pronotum: 2.8 mm.

Type. Holotype female, BRAZIL: M[ato] G[rosso] —Reserve Florestal, 4 Feb. 1987 (L. Boa Nova); in UFRJ.

Orthorapha (Balsania) reducta Walker

Orthorhaphia [sic] reducta Walker, 1851: 728 .

Lepyronia fusconotata Stål, 1862a: 15 (new synonymy). Lepyronia reducta: Stål,1862b: 494 .

Balsa fusconotata: Stål, 1866b: 384 .

Balsa reducta: Lallemand, 1912: 54 .

Balsa fusconotata var. stalii Lallemand, 1912: 54 ; homonym of B. frontalis var. stalii Lallemand, 1912: 53 (= O. frontalis ). Balsana fusconotata: Metcalf & Wade, 1962: 191 .

Balsana reducta: Metcalf & Wade, 1962: 192 .

Distribution. Confined to the mountains of coastal Brazil.

Diagnosis. Tan to green, darker towards wing tips ( Fig. 33 K); one of the smallest species in the genus. Apex of head yellow barred with black muscle arcs, band across middle of frons brown; often pleura and rostrum also brown, in which case dorsum green; tegmina variable from tan to dark brown, or green (sometimes only at base), with ivory band tapering from costa towards claval suture; commissure behind tip of clavus and near wing tips with black spots edged with yellow or ivory veins, often other veins in vicinity also pale. Head strongly produced, slightly longer than median length of pronotum; frons scarcely inflated, pointed at apex; crown weakly declivous, face not horizontal, frons not as low as clypellus at maximum expansion; ocelli present; head as wide as pronotum; lateral margins of pronotum much shorter than eye; tegmina punctate, 1.6 × as long as broad, veins scarcely raised; hind wings as in O. obliqua ( Fig. 2 C). Theca shaft tubular, sinuate in lateral aspect, apically spatulate in caudal aspect, tip pointed, nearly as in O. testacea , but widening beyond gonopore in caudal aspect ( Fig. 6 A–B), gonopore extending more than half length of shaft. Length: male 4.3–4.5 mm, female 4.7–5.0 mm. Width across pronotum: male 1.6–1.7 mm, female 1.7–1.8 mm.

Types. Holotype male of reducta , BRAZIL: 48/89; in BMNH. Lectotype male of fusconotata , here designated, [ BRAZIL]: Rio [de] Jan [eiro] (Stål), Allotypus; paralectotypes, 1 female, same data as lectotype; 4 females, Rio [de] Janeiro (F. Sahlb[er]g), Typ.; 1 female, Brasil (F. Sahlb[erg]; all in NRSE

Additional material. BRAZIL: 4 males and 3 females from: Rio de Janeiro —Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgaos 1000 m [ASL], Teresópolis, 23–27 April 1947 (Wygod[zinsky]); Jussaral, Jan. and Sept. 1935 (Dario Mendes); Jussaral, 26 Oct. 1935 (Lopes & Lest); Teresópolis, 9 Sept. 1923 (G.L.R. Hancock) BM 1931–589; in BMNH, CNCI and UFRJ.

Remarks. This species is quite variable in colour, but the short series from Teresópolis seems to show that the color pattern does not overlap with that of O. testacea . The type of reducta is green with a blackish patch behind the pale tegminal band and the type of fusconotata is green with two dark brown tegminal bands bordering the pale band. Lallemand's " var. stalii " probably refers to tawny individuals.

Figures

FIGURE 2. New World Orthoraphini: habitus (A – B), hind wing (C – F) including detail of hamuli on costal margin (G – H), male abdomen in ventral aspect (J) and male genital capsule in lateral aspect (K). A, Orthorapha (Lepyronoxia) frontalis (Stål); B, F, H, O. cassidioides Westwood, female; C, Orthorapha (Lepyronoxia) obliqua (Jacobi); D, Orthorapha (Balsania) concinna (Stål); E, G, Orthorapha (Balsania) geminata (Jacobi); J, K, Orthorapha (Lepyronoxia) bufo (Walker).

FIGURE 33. Lateral aspect of the nominate subgenus of Orthorapha (A – E) and subgenus Balsania (F – L). A – B, color varieties of O. laeta Jacobi; C, O. cassidioides Westwood, male; D, same, female; E, O. invidia sp. nov.; F, O. inflata sp. nov.; G, O. concinna (Stål); H, O. geminata (Jacobi); J, O. sagittata sp. nov.; K, O. reducta Walker; L, O. testacea Walker. Scale line: 1 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 17. Male theca of Orthorapha s. s. (3 – 5), subgenus Balsania (6 – 7) and Lepyronoxia (8 – 17), lateral (A) and caudal aspect of tip (B): 3, O. cassidioides; 4, O. laeta; 5, O. invidia; 6, O. reducta; 7, O. sagittata; 8, O. obscurata; 9, O. inscripta; 10, O. decorata; 11, O. oculata; 12, O. bufo; 13, O. rana (type of O. glabrata); 14, O. subfasciata; 15, O. frontalis; 16, O. quadrimaculata; 17, O. sphaerata. Scale line: 0.05 mm.