Scaralina orientalis Yanega, 2024

Yanega, Douglas, Goemans, Geert, Dam, Matthew Van, Gómez-Marco, Francesc & Hoddle, Mark, 2024, Description of a new genus of North and Central American planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) with fourteen new species, Zootaxa 5443 (1), pp. 1-53 : 42

Scaralina orientalis Yanega , sp. nov.

( Figs 24 , 38 , 53 , 68 , 80 , 89 )

Etymology. This species is named for the Sierra Madre Oriental, the mountain range which appears to be the home of this taxon. It is treated as adjectival.

Diagnosis. The features of the pronotum and mesonotum, including the long notal pubescence, are unlike any of the populations of marmorata examined; the details of coloration also do not exactly match any marmorata color variants known, nor rileyi , though specimens of rileyi are very close. The coloration of orientalis is most similar to the southeastern Texas populations of marmorata . These three taxa ( marmorata , orientalis , and rileyi ) are certainly each others’ closest relatives, and could perhaps justifiably have been designated as subspecies. We suspect that this species will be found to feed on Quercus grisea , or possibly Q. affinis or Q. laurina .

Description. Head ( Figs 38 , 53 ). Most features as in marmorata but frontal ridges weaker. Clypeus typically mostly dark, with light markings restricted to base of clypeus and widely-spaced lateral pale markings, but lower midline not pale, as also seen in rileyi (compare Figs 38 & 39 ).

Thorax ( Fig. 53 ). Most features as in marmorata but in pinned material often appearing darker than typical for marmorata , not from pigmentation, but from a loss of the pale pigmentation in the medial portion (as is visible in Fig. 53 ); the posterior mesonotal lobe is entirely pale apically (no lateral dark pigmented spots); dorsal setae long and generally readily visible.

Wings ( Figs 24 , 68 ). Most features as in marmorata but pale basal area of forewing lightly orange-tinted rather than olivaceous. Costal crossveins simple and somewhat closely spaced past 1 st branch of M. Hind wing hyaline except base, which is slightly orange-infused.

Abdomen ( Fig. 24 ). Most features as in marmorata but tergum 2 pale medially, tergum 3 often with faint median pale marks, and terga 4 and beyond pale laterally, with a dark midline and some very faint submedial marks. Female supra-anal plate large, and marked like preceding tergum.

Male terminalia ( Figs 80 , 89 ). Most features as in marmorata but gonostyli with a less oblique dorsal ridge, smaller basal impressed portion, broader dorsal aperture, and more densely setose bulge.

Type material. Holotype, male: MEXICO: San Luis Potosí: 4 km E Ciudad Maiz , 1425m, 25.vii.1981, B.C. Ratcliffe, C.L. Messenger ( UNSM).

Paratypes (10 specimens) as follows: MEXICO: Nuevo León: “ 6 mi S Iturbide on Santa Rosa rd.,” 1530m, 12.vii.1994, P. Lago, A.E. Zuccaro, 1M, 1F ( ASULOB) ; 16.5 mi W Linares, Rio Viejo turnoff, 712m, 13.vii.1992, P.K. Lago, 1M ( ASULOB) ; El Carmen , 30.iv.1980, H. Quiroz, 1F ( UANL) ; San Luis Potosí: 4 km E Ciudad Maiz , 1425m, 25.vii.1981, B.C. Ratcliffe, C.L. Messenger, 1M ( UNSM) ; 5 km E Ciudad Maiz , 1370m, 27.v.1984, B.C. Ratcliffe, 3M, 1F ( UNSM) ; Tamaulipas: “15.5 km E Tula , 3.9 km N Hwy on dirt rd,” ~ 1300m, 14.vii.1994, P.K. Lago, A.E. Zuccaro, 1F ( ASULOB) .

Additional material (not on map). Nuevo León: La Estanzuela Park, Monterrey , 25.548703, -100.270824. 17.iii.2023 (iNaturalist obs. #151875542) ; Puebla: 1 mi N Puebla, 27.vi.1964, C.D. Johnson, 1M ( ASULOB) .

Distribution. Northeastern Mexico, from Tamaulipas and Nuevo León south to Puebla; to date, no localities overlap the distribution of any other species, including S. obrienae .

Figures

FIGURES 21–26. Habitus photos of Scaralina species. (21) S. monzoni (female); (22) S. obfusca (type male); (23) S. obrienae (male); (24) S. orientalis (male); (25) S. rileyi (male); (26) S. sullivani (female).

FIGURES 36–41. Faces of Scaralina species. (36) S. obfusca (male); (37) S. obrienae; (38) S. orientalis; (39) S. rileyi; (40) S. sullivani; (41) S. veracruzensis.

FIGURES 51–56. Heads and nota of Scaralina species. (51) S. obfusca (female); (52) S. obrienae; (53) S. orientalis; (54) S. rileyi; (55) S. sullivani; (56) S. veracruzensis.

FIGURES 63–68. Forewings of Scaralina species. (63) S. marmorata; (64) S. metcalfi; (65) S. monzoni; (66) S. obfusca (male); (67) S. obrienae; (68) S. orientalis.

FIGURES 73–81. Male genitalia of Scaralina species, dorsal view, anal tube removed. (73) S. aethrinsula; (74) S. chapina; (75) S. cristata; (76) S. marmorata; (77) S. metcalfi; (78) S. monzoni; (79) S. obrienae; (80) S. orientalis; (81) S. rileyi. NOTE: obfusca, sullivani not included.

FIGURES 82–90. Male genitalia of Scaralina species, lateral view. (82) S. aethrinsula; (83) S. chapina; (84) S. cristata; (85) S. marmorata; (86) S. metcalfi; (87) S. monzoni; (88) S. obrienae; (89) S. orientalis; (90) S. rileyi.