Costanana praecellens (Stål, 1862)

Figs 13C–D, 15–17

Gypona praecellens Stål, 1862: 47 .

Costanana cella DeLong & Freytag, 1972b: 497 . Syn. nov.

Costanana praecellens – DeLong & Freytag 1972b: 499.

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL • ♀; “Brasil”, “NHRS-GULI \ 000097315”; NHRS 97315.

Other material

BRAZIL • Santa Catarina – 1 ♂, holotype of Costanana cella; “Brasilien \ Nova Teutonia \ 27º11’S 52º23’W \ 1939 \ Fritz Plaumann ”; NCSU . – Paraná (new record) • 64 ♂♂, 20 ♀♀; São José dos Pinhais; 25°36′18″ S, 49°11′37″ W; DZUP • 1 ♀; Palmas; 26º29′ S, 51º39′ W; DZUP • 1 ♂; Colombo; DZUP .

Description

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Sternite VII (Fig. 16A, C), in ventral view, 2.4× as wide as long; posterolateral margins subtruncated, not produced posterad; weakly excavated laterad of narrow median lobe, which occupies less than median third and is produced posterad as far as lateral angles. Internal sternite VIII (Fig.16D)with a small triangular portion sclerotized.Pygofer (Fig. 16A–B),in lateral view, approximately 2.5× as long as high; macrosetae distributed on posteroventral quadrant; apex rounded. First valvifer (Fig. 16E) subelliptic, slightly higher than wide, anterodorsal and posteroventral angles rounded. First valvula (Fig. 16E) 6× as long as high; slightly higher near base; ventral interlocking device long, almost reaching apical fourth; dorsal sculptured area strigate; apical portion (Fig. 16F) abruptly tapered; apex acute and areolate. Second valvula (Fig. 16G) 8.5× as long as high; dorsal protuberance minute and acute, localized before midlength of blade; apical portion (Fig. 16H) dorsal margin with a larger round tooth followed by minute denticles, approximately regular in shape and size and restricted to apical sixth; ventroapical margin without denticles; apex rounded. Second valvifer (Fig. 16I) approximately 2.8× as high as wide. Gonoplac (Fig. 16I) 4.5× as long as high; dorsoapical margin straight, with one-third of gonoplac length; ventral margin evenly rounded, with a few short setae; outer surface (Fig. 16J) with many integumentary denticles; rounded apex.

Behavior note

In a locality of the municipality of São José dos Pinhais (Paraná State, Brazil, 25°36′18″ S, 49°11′37″ W) C. praecellens and C. flavina are abundant species among the approximately 55 species of Gyponini found there. Both species are apparently polyphagous, feeding on shrubs and trees at a fragment of Araucaria moist forest. Both species were found presenting a feeding behavior in a curious upside down position, but we were able to record images only for a female specimen of C. praecellens (Fig. 17). The pro- and mesothoracic legs are extended, forming a cross, while the frons almost touches the leaf surface and the abdomen and metathoracic legs are directed almost vertically (Fig. 17A–B). In the figures 17B and C it is possible to observe the mouthparts inserted on the leaf parenchyma. We observed the specimen in this position for an interval of approximately 10 minutes in which the leafhopper also showed grooming behavior (Fig. 17C), but without releases of drops of excreta or brochosome fluid from the anus. We have never observed this type of behavior in species of the other Gyponini genera and perhaps this is characteristic of Costanana .

Remarks

Gypona praecellens Stål, 1862 was described based on a single female specimen labeled as “ Brasil ” (Fig. 15C–F). DeLong and Freytag (1972b) examined an additional female specimen from Santa Catarina State (Southern Brazil) deposited at NHRS and transferred this species to Costanana . In the same work, the authors described Costanana cella based on a single male specimen from Santa Catarina State (Fig. 15A–B) and commented that this specimen probably is a male of C. praecellens . We examined 65 pinned males and 21 females from Paraná State (Southern Brazil) (Figs 13C–D, 16–17), that fit perfectly with the descriptions of these species and therefore we propose that C. cella is a junior synonym of C. praecellens .