Macrotingis Champion, 1897

Costa, Sara Itzel Montemayor and Luiz Antônio Alves, 2009, Systematic revision of Macrotingis and phylogenetic analysis of the genera Macrotingis and Ceratotingis (Heteroptera: Tingidae), European Journal of Entomology 106 (4), pp. 631-642 : 631-632

Genus Macrotingis Champion, 1897

Macrotingis Champion, 1897: 22 ; Hurd, 1946: 469; Drake & Ruhoff, 1960: 66; 1965: 294; Brailovsky & Torres, 1986: 902; Froeschner, 2003: 31.

Type species. Macrotingis biseriata Champion, 1897 by original designation.

Diagnosis. Antennae longer than body; segment Iat least 4 times the length of the head; bases of segment I widely separated; segment IV spatulate; hood well developed, compressed; one long cephalic spine; pronotum with one or three low carinae and lacking areolae; lateral pronotal carinae when present only developed on posterior process; lateral margins of hemelytra serrate, with setae; discoidal area short, not reaching the middle of the hemelytra.

Redescription. Head short, broad. One median, unpaired, long cephalic spine. Bucculae in contact apically, moderately broad. Eyes oval. Rostrum reaching at least the posterior half of mesosternum. Antennae extremely long and slender, at least 1.1 times the length of the body; segment Ivery long, between 4.4 to 7.1 times the length of the head; segment II short; segment III very long; segment IV spatulate.

Pronotal disc convex, shiny. Collar raised in a high, compressed hood, projected forward. Paranota wide, margins with setae. One or three carinae very low, lateral carinae when present only developed on posterior process. Posterior process long, tapering gradually to a sharp point. Rostral laminae composed of one row of areolae, high, mesosternal laminae more widely separated anteriorly than posteriorly, metasternal laminae closed posteriorly.

Hemelytra narrow, widened distally, extending considerably beyond the apex of abdomen; margins serrated, with setae. Costal area wide, composed of one or two rows of areolae. Subcostal area subvertical, narrow, composed of a variable number of rows of areolae. Discoidal area short, not reaching the middle of the hemelytra. Sutural area narrow, with areolae becoming larger and more irregular posteriorly. Hypocostal area with one row of areolae. Legs yellowish, long, slender.

Discussion. Macrotingis as well as Ceratotingis are closely related to Tigava Stål , a genus distributed in Central and South America. The general appearance of Tigava is very similar to Macrotingis and Ceratotingis . In these three genera the body is long and slender, the legs and antennae are thin and long, and segment Iis particularly long. This last character is very infrequent among Tingidae and is a synapomorphy shared by these genera. Macrotingis is the sister group of Ceratotingis and shares, among other characters, antennae longer than the body, segment IV spatulate and cephalic spines long. The main characteristics that distinguish these two genera are the number of cephalic spines and presence of pronotal carinae. Macrotingis has one cephalic spine, the pronotal carinae are low and the lateral carinae are absent or only present on the posterior process, whereas Ceratotingis has three cephalic spines, the pronotal carinae are high and the lateral carinae are present on the pronotum. The main characters that distinguish Tigava from Macrotingis and Ceratotingis are antennae shorter or a little longer than the body, segment IV cylindrical and short cephalic spines.