Scaralina sullivani 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 : 42-43

Scaralina sullivani Yanega , sp. nov.

( Figs 26 , 40 , 55 , 70 , 92 )

Etymology. This species is named for Patrick Sullivan, one of the collectors of the holotype, who generously donated the specimen to UCR, and was an excellent and gracious host during field work in Arizona.

Description. The relative lack of dark markings on the face, legs, and pleura, make this species fairly readily distinguished from other similar taxa, as do the more reddish-orange hindwings (more persimmon than orange, similar only to obfusca ). Both known specimens lack strong maculation in the forewing at the claval junction, but without more specimens it is unclear whether this is diagnostic. The head and thorax have coloration that is fairly similar to S. veracruzensis , but the lower frons is laterally expanded, and the male gonostyli are more similar to marmorata than to obrienae , with a weak setose bulge and poorly-developed dorsal ridge. The paratype female differs slightly from the holotype male in having the markings of the anterior pronotum divided rather than continuous.

Description. Head ( Figs 40 , 55 ). Frons and clypeus pale orange and, other than scattered fine dark spots on the frons, almost entirely without dark markings. Lateral margin of frons slightly concave, lower lobes slightly expanded. Vertex very similar to veracruzensis , with well-defined dark lateral markings.

Thorax ( Fig. 55 ). Anterior pronotum very dark, more or less connected to more posterior dark markings on either side of the midline. Mesonotum mostly pale, with fairly well-defined black areas lateral to the carinae, posteriorly (including the posterior granular spots), and near the anterior arms of the lateral carinae, which are very weakly sinuate. Dorsal setae long. Legs with greatly reduced dark markings.

Wings ( Figs 26 , 70 ). Forewings fairly similar to obrienae or obfusca , but with the orange hues slightly more intense, and the dark markings of the basal and claval regions more brownish than black, somewhat larger orange markings in the postcostal cell, and no obvious dark maculation near the claval junction. Costal crossveins simple and typically well-spaced past 1st branch of M, not as evanescent as in obrienae .

Abdomen ( Fig. 26 ). Dorsal abdomen mostly black, with fairly broad pale lateral markings on terga 4–6.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 92 ). Gonostyli dark only in apical third, with a weakly projecting setose bulge and poorly-developed dorsal ridge.

Type material. Holotype, male: MEXICO: Veracruz: “Escola; 1372 m,” 1.viii.1975, T.W. Taylor & P.H. Sullivan (assumed to be Excola, 1972 m; UCRC ENT 536497, at UCRC).

Paratype, female: Veracruz: “6 air km SW of Banderilla , 1710m,” 17.viii.1987, Brown & Powell (black light); ( EMEC) .

Distribution. So far known only from two localities in central Veracruz, within 60 km of one another.

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 69–72. Forewings of Scaralina species. (69) S. rileyi; (70) S. sullivani; (71) S. veracruzensis; (72) Scaralis (Alphinoides) inbio.

FIGURES 91–93. Male genitalia of Scaralina species, lateral view.(91) S. obfusca; (92) S. sullivani; (93) Scaralis (Alphinoides) inbio, sub-lateral view.