Myconus Stål 1862

Barrantes Barrantes, Edwin A., Zumbado Echavarria, Marco A., Bartlett, Charles R., Helmick, Ericka E. & Bahder, Brian W., 2024, A new species of planthopper in the genus Myconus (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea: Achilidae) from the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 580-590 : 583-588

Genus Myconus Stål 1862

Type species: Achilus conspersinervis Stål 1862

Amended Diagnosis. Medium to large-sized achilids (~ 5–14 mm), general coloration of mottled earth tones, from brown olive to testaceous. Head small relative to prothorax, vertex flat, roughly square or longer than wide, anterior margin bluntly protruding, carinate; posterior margin broadly incised, bearing complete median carina. Frons elongated, lateral margins arched, widest below level of compound eyes, median carina weak. Clypeus trapezoidal, bearing a median carina and with lateral plates (the loral plates, Fennah 1950, Emeljanov 1993) feebly oblique, visible in frontal view, appearing almost as lateral extensions of the clypeus. Lateral ocelli distinct. Rostrum reaching hind coxae. Pronotum broadly chevron-shaped, relatively broad and elongated (approximately equal in length to eye diameter), disc weakly concave, in lateral view, paradiscal region bearing a carina between eye and tegula (in dorsal view demarcating the lateral margins), and a second carina below (between eye and ventral margin of tegula). Tegula without carina. Mesonotum broad, approximately planar, with three longitudinal carinae. Forewing broad and elongated, trailing margin concave, costal margin weakly convex; composite vein Sc+R+M forming short stalk from basal cell; subapical crossveins (nodal veins) forming uniform step-like row; apex of clavus near wing midlength. Hind wing with thick A 2 that does not reach the wing margin. Posterior tibiae with 2–3 lateral spines,. Male terminalia with gonostyli broad, distal process broad and roughly quadrate. Pygofer with posteroventral margin broadly triangular. Aedeagus strongly upcurved near base, then nearly straight toward apex, with pair of elongate dorsal processes and pair of short ventral hooked processes sub-apically. Anal tube in lateral view with elongated downcurved apex.

A preliminary key to species of New World Myconus

1. Forewing clavus with irregular fuscous markings (~10) between A1 and wing margin ( Fig. 4 ), gonostylus with basal, dorsal process crescent-shaped, Costa Rica ….................................................................... 2

1.’ Forewing color more uniform, fuscous ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 10); clavus not marked with ~10 dark spots, gonostylus with basal dorsal process not as above ( Fennah 1950, fig 3f)....................................................... 3

2. Large (body length including wings> 10 mm), strongly mottled with olive green and brown ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 2); dorsal aedeagal processes crossed in dorsal view ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 7C).......................... jacquelinae

2.’ Medium to small size (body length including wings <7 mm), testaceous with light fuscous mottling ( Fig. 2 ); aedeagal processes not crossed in dorsal view ( Fig. 6C ).............................................................. florae sp. n.

3. General body color uniform dark cinnamon brown, tegmina with paler veins ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 8); Panama (described from female)................................................................................. uniformis

3.’ Body color not as above................................................................................ 4

4. Distal dorsal process of gonostylus curved cephalad ( Fennah 1950, fig 4d), apex sharply pointed, two bands present on the forewing ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 11); Brazil..................................................... trivittatus

4.’ Distal dorsal process of gonostylus curved caudad, trifurcated ( Fennah 1950, fig. 3f); forewing without bands ( Echavarria et al. 2022, fig. 10); Brazil (also reported from Belize)................................................. conspersinervis

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adult male Myconus florae sp. n. habitus; (A) dorsal view and (B) lateral view, scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Adult male Myconus florae sp. n. forewing; black = veins, italics = crossvein, green = cell.

FIGURE 6. Aedeagus of Myconus florae sp. n.; (A) left lateral view, (B) right lateral view, (C) dorsal view, and (D) ventral view.