Livilla monospermae Hodkinson, 1990

Percy Csiro, Diana M., 2003, Legume-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Canary Islands and Madeira, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 397-461 : 449

Livilla monospermae Hodkinson

(figures 2A, G, 22A)

Livilla monospermae Hodkinson, 1990: 29 .

Adult

Colour. Green to yellow-green, thorax usually with dark bands, head and legs sometimes brown, femora, genal cones and terminal antennal segments darker brown; forewing membrane with distinct, dark brown transverse apical pattern, veins uniform light brown.

Description. Hodkinson (1990).

Nymph

Colour. First to second instars cream with black tergites, 3rd–4th instars orangebrown with black tergites, 5th instars pale blue-green or yellow with black tergites. Sclerites, wing pads, legs and terminal antennal segments darker brown.

Fifth instar structure. Forewing pads and abdomen broadly rounded apically. Antennal segments seven. Tergites extensively reduced on the thorax, typically not extending to the lateral margin on the abdomen. Arolium pad long, broadly expanded apically, usually with a distinct medial groove and long petiole. Circumanal ring shape broadly crescent-shaped with well-rounded anterior lobes, outer ring not contiguous with the apical abdominal margin and with a single row of pores.

Fifth instar measurements. (Specimens 4) BL: 1.95–2.23; BW: 1.15–1.23; WL: 0.63–0.69; CPL: 0.56–0.59; CPW: 0.84–0.91; RW: 0.22–0.24; HW: 0.75–0.84; AL: 1.03–1.1.

Fifth instar chaetotaxy. Head setae simple and distinctly capitate; antennal setae simple and capitate (small capitate on first, and distally on third and fifth segments); ocular seta small, capitate; primary and secondary post-ocular seta distinctly capitate. Dorsal thoracic setae short capitate. Forewing macrosetae 8–12, distinctly capitate, surface and marginal (7–10 marginal, one proximal, remainder surface); hindwing macrosetae four to seven, distinctly capitate, surface and marginal (two apical, one proximal, one to four surface); proximal setae distinctly capitate; numerous capitate microsetae scattered on the wing pad surfaces. Dorsal abdominal pre-caudal macrosetae present on anterior tergites, short capitate, caudal plate macrosetae absent (numerous small capitate); sectasetae four pairs; marginal abdominal setae (other than sectasetae) four pairs, distinctly capitate; pleurite setae paired capitate and simple or capitate only (anterior pleurites with two or three capitate setae). Legs with capitate setae present on femora, tibiae and tarsi, on tibiae three or four larger, with numerous smaller capitate setae.

Host plant. Retama monosperma .

Distribution. Canary Islands: Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.

Comment. This is the only representative of Livilla in the Canary Islands. It is present on four of the five central and western Canary Islands, and the apparent absence from Gran Canaria may be due to the restricted host plant distribution on this island. It is closely related to the widespread continental, Retama -feeding species, Livilla retamae (Puton) .

Material examined. Canary Islands, Tenerife: Holotype W (slide mounted) and 5 W, 4 X paratypes, 1 km N of Santiago, 18 December 1988, I. D. Hodkinson ( BMNH). 45 W, 23 X paratypes, Teno , Masca-Santiago del Teide rd, 16 May 1987, D. Hollis ( BMNH). 3 W, 13 X, 3 nymphs, ca 2 km S of Tamaimo, 28°15∞N, 16°48∞30◊W, 600 m, 29 June 1997 ( DP 28 ). 6 W, 13 X, 5 nymphs, NW of Santiago del Teide , Barranco Seco , 28°18∞30◊N, 16°49∞30◊W, 1000 m, 2 July 1997 ( DP 31 ). La Gomera : 15 W, 5 X, 3 nymphs, above El Retamal , Valle Gran Rey , 28°7∞N, 17°18∞30◊W, 550 m, 13 July 1997 ( DP 65 ). 66 W, 47 X, 1 nymph, rd Arure to Las Hayas , 28°7∞30◊N, 17°18∞30◊W, 900 m, 13 July 1997 ( DP 70 ). La Palma : 4 W, 1 X, between Las Nieves and Mirca , 28°42∞N, 17°46∞30◊W, 260 m, 16 July 1997 ( DP 77 ). 11 W, 9 X, 6 nymphs, Barranco de las Angustias , 28°40∞15N, 17°55∞45◊W, 350 m, 18 May 1998 ( DP 196 ). El Hierro: 22 W, 12 X, 16 nymphs, ca 50 m below Mirador de la Peña, 27°48∞30◊N, 17°59∞W, 560 m, 12 July 1997 ( DP 62 ).