Plesiodelphacini Asche, 1985

Wallner, Adam M. & Bartlett, Charles R., 2019, Comparative morphology of female gonapophyses IX in Delphacidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha) with key to tribes, Zootaxa 4564 (1), pp. 137-172 : 154

Tribe Plesiodelphacini Asche

Description. Gonapophyses IX semicircular-shaped, average length 1404.35 µm, width 89 µm, bearing numerous, small, sharp teeth; lacks carination ( Fig. 10B ); one subapical tooth, ventrally; apex slightly serrate ( Fig. 10B ). Small ventral membranous sheath encompassing distal third of gonapophyses ( Fig. 10B ).

Notes. Plesiodelphacini currently includes two genera in eight species, with seven of these species in Burnilia Muir & Giffard. As noted in Asche et al. (2016), the phylogenetic position of this taxon may be problematic. Early cladistic (but non-quantitative) analyses ( Asche 1985a, b) placed Plesiodelphacinae basad to the Stenocraninae and Kelisiinae , whereas the molecular phylogenetic analyses of Urban et al. (2010) placed Plesiodelphacinae in a derived position relative to Stenocraninae and Kelisiinae , sister to the Delphacinae . The latter analysis, if verified, “would have a substantial impact on the interpretation of morphological data” ( Asche et al. 2016: 76). The tribe is restricted to the New World, more specifically the Caribbean, Central America, and South America ( Asche 1985b), except for Burnilia japonica Asche, Hayashi & Fujinuma from Japan. New World representatives of this tribe are specialists on Heliconia spp. ( Heliconiaceae ), where nymphs and adults are found within the rolls of young leaves. Burnilia japonica from Japan is associated with Alpinia intermedia Gagnep (a ginger-lily; Zingiberales , Zingiberaceae ) ( Asche et al. 2016).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Lateral view of gonapophysis IX. A. Vizcaya bakeri (Vizcayinae: Vizcayini); B. Burnilia sp. (Plesiodelphacinae: Plesiodelphacini).