Novaphrophara phalerata (Spinola) Spinola, 2012

Hamilton, Andrew, 2012, Revision of Neotropical aphrophorine spittlebugs, part 1: Ptyelini (Hemiptera, Cercopoidea), Zootaxa 3497, pp. 41-59 : 58-59

Novaphrophara phalerata (Spinola) , comb. nov.

( Figs 18 A–B)

Plinthacrus phaleratus Spinola, 1850: 156 .

Plinthacrus mexicanus Spinola, 1850: 155 . Syn. nov. Plinthacrus irroratus Spinola, 1850: 156 . Syn. nov. Novaphrophara tasmaniae Lallemand, 1940: 151 . Syn. nov.

Diagnosis (Spinola 1850), with italicized text as in original:

5. Plin[thacrus] mexicanus , m[ihi]— Pubescens , niger , capite prothoraceque flavo-viridibus nigro maculatis. Long. totius corporis, 12 millim.—Lat. maxima ante originem alarum, 5 millim.

Praecedentis [ Ptyelus sp. from Africa] longitudinis, ut videtur, sed latior. Pars anterior verticis plus duplo latior quam longior, pentagonalis, lateribus omnibus rectris, exterioribus brevioribus parallelis, angula anteriore aperto. Corpus supra puberulum et sub pube nitidum, pube e pilis parvulis rarioribus ac brevioribus. Tibiarum posteriorum spinae laterales inter se et ab extremitatibus oppositis aequè distantibus, primâ minimâ vix conspicuâ . Antennae pedesque nigri. Caput flavum, maxillâ genarumque maculá mediâ punctiformi nigris. Prothorax itidem flatus, dorso virescente ante medium maculis duobus nigris notato, pleuris dilutioribus nigro unipunctatis. Pectus et abdomen nigra . Alae superiores nigrae albo transversim bifasciatae, fasciis inaequalibus et irreulariter laciniatis a latere interno prodeuntibus et non longè a margine exteriore abtruptè terminatis, anteriore intûs lateriore et extûs sensim coarctatá, posteriore costis longitudinalibus interruptá.

Due femine del Messico, avute dal Sig. Deyrolle.

6. Plin[thacrus] irroratus , m[ihi]—Magnitude et statura praecedentium. Corpus densius pubescens , fronte minus convexâ , vertice utrinque abruptius terminato, prothoracis dorso minimè convexo, quibus faciei characteribus a cospeciebus satis distinguitur. Flavo-testaceus, vertice prothoracisque medietate anteriore nigro punctatis, hujus in medio dorsi maculis quatuor majoribus brunneo-nigrescentibus, exterioribus marginalibus triangularibus anticè emarginatis, interioribus longitudinalibus obovatis. Maxilla inferior testacea, articulo ultimo nigro. Venter rubidus. Alae superiores opacae brunneae albo irroratae, maculis duabus majoribus in margine exteriore, primâ flavo-rubidâ, secundâ albo-hyalinâ: interiores basi fuscescentes apice dilutiores, nervis nigropiceis. Pectus flavo-virescens. Antennae, articulo primo testaceo, secundo nigro, (alii desunt). Pedes rufo-testacei, tibiarum apice tarsali nigro, tarsis primi et secundi paris prorsûs nigris, iisdem tertii paris testaceis, articulorum apicibus spinulosis nigris.

Due femine e un maschio del Brasile, avuti dal Sig. Buquet.

7. Plin[thacrus] phaleratus , m[ihi]—Forma et magnitudo praecedentium, Verticis parte anticâ quam in reliquis cospeciebus magis porrectâ et capitis apicem attingente, quadrangulari, angulis posterioribus rectis, lateribus exterioribus brevibus rectis parallelis, margine anteriore paulò incrassato valdè arcuato semicirculari. Oculi adproximati. Frons mediocriter convexa , in paginâ inferiore tota decurrens . Corpus subtûs nitidum oculo nudo glabrum, supra opacum laevissimè pubescens , pube deciduâ in nonnullis deficiente. Prothorax uniformiter convexus, confusim punctatus, regosiusculus, punctis creberrimis difformibus confluentibus et strigulas transversales efficientibus. Alarum superiorum nervi longitudinales elevato-costati et marginem extimum attingentes, radio crassiore. Tibiarum posteriorum spinis lateralibus aequalibus et conformibus. Corpus subtûs nigrum, antennis maxillâque concoloribus, supra brunneo purpureum: capitis limbo anteriore, strigis duabus longitundinalibus ab angulis posterioribus frontis prodeuntibus et angulis posterioribus frontis prodeuntibus et angulos posteriores prothoracis attingentibus, alterâ mediâ a basi partis anticae verticis dorsum prothoracis rectâ percurrente et supra scutellum plus minusve prolongatâ, aliis duabus exterioribus ponè oculos incipientibus et ad latera postero-externa prothoracis pervenientibus, flavis. Alae superiores brunneae, albo quadri-maculatae, maculis hyalinis, anterioribus duabus majoribus medium versùs et ferè sub eâdem lineâ transversali, exteriore latiore transverso-quadratâ in regione discoidali, altera arcuatâ in regione internâm 3.tie et 4.ta parculis punctiformibus, ambobus in regione posteriore, alterâ sub-marginali, alterâ sub-apicali.

Un maschio e una femina del Brasile, avuti dal Sig. Buquet. Un’ altra femina, della stessa provenienza, differisce alquanto dal tipo nella distribuzione dei colori.—Alarum superiorum maculae posteriores obsoletae, anteriores coalitae et fasciam transveram angustiorem efformantes.

Remarks. The Spinola types were examined, and these agreed with the original description in being similar to Ptyelus “but wider ... before the wing bases [i.e., across the pronotum], 5 mm.” They differ from each other only in minor ways and all are similar to a recently labeled specimen of Novaphrophara in the BMNH and likewise to a still more recent series in the California Academy of Science, San Francisco, USA, all of which were collected in Madagascar. Evidently the people who donated the specimens to Spinola were under the impression that the insects were the common Brazilian and Mexican species of Cephisus , to which Novaphrophara bears a superficial resemblance ( Fig. 18 A); but why Spinola thought so too is a mystery, as one of the specimens of “ mexicanus ” is clearly labeled as coming from Madagascar. The size given by Spinola is also incorrect, as the actual specimens are 17 mm long (which may be simply a mistranscription of the “7" as a “2"). To further complicate the issue, Lallemand (1940) described Novaphrophara (from a specimen of unknown date and provenance) as being from Tasmania. This specimen Evans (1966: 321) notes does not correspond to any known tasmanian spittlebug. He incorrectly refers to it as being “brick-red” which is apparently a mistranslation from the French “brique claire” or biscuit-colored. None of these specimens is recent enough to give us any hope of verifying their identities by reference to barcoding.

I have selected as the senior synonym for this species the “Brazilian” specimens most closely resembling authenticated specimens from Madagascar. P. irroratus almost certainly represents additional specimens of phaleratus , having been collected by the same person and probably from a single series. The specimens of mexicanus are more doubtfully associated but, until additional species of this genus might be found in Madagascar, their status does not appear to require clarification.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 19. Habitus of genera of Ptyelini (A), male genitalic capsule in lateral aspect (B) and male theca (C) in caudal aspect. 16. Mandesa; 17. Cnemidanomia; 18. Novaphrophara; 19. Hymettus.