Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897

Freitas, Énio & Aguín-Pombo, Dora, 2021, Taxonomy of the Cixiidae (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) from the Madeira archipelago, European Journal of Taxonomy 744, pp. 1-37 : 11-16

Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897

Figs 3C , 5B , 6A, C , 7A–N , 8C–D

Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897: 79 , pl. I, fig. 1.1 (description, illustration of head).

Cixius verticalis – China 1938: 50 (records). — Lindberg 1954: 4–5 (same material as China 1938; illustration of male genitalia and description of aedeagus, misidentified as C. madeirensis ); 1961: 54–55 (new records; habitat; new illustrations of male genitalia, but in fact very likely C. wollastoni sp. nov.).

Cixius verticalis Noualhier ? – Lindberg 1941: 27 [wrong record for Azores], 31 [Madeira record].

Diagnosis

Cixius verticalis is the largest of the Madeira Cixius ( Table 1 ). The vertex is sharper on the anterior margin than in C. madeirensis . The overall colouration is darker than in C. madeirensis , with larger and darker wing punctuations. The lobes of the anal tube in C. verticalis do not bend rostrally as in C. madeirensis . The aedeagus differs in the following characters: (1) the basal half of the velum shows a broad, hump-shaped dilatation; (2) the medioventral expansion of the base of the aedeagus is rounded or subtriangular and less pronounced than in C. madeirensis .

Material examined

Lectotype (here designated)

MADEIRA ISLANDS • ♂ (pinned on a minute pin, 1 st left leg missing, abdomen dissected with aedeagus separated, both in a vial with glycerin); “ Cixius / verticalis Nlh [handwritten]”, “Madère [handwritten]”, “ C. verticalis [handwritten] / det. RIBAUT”; MNHN ( EH) 24138 .

Paralectotypes

MADEIRA ISLANDS • 1 ♀ (pinned on minute pin, a second left leg missing); “Madère”; “ C. verticalis / det. RIBAUT [printed]”; MNHN ( EH) 24139 • 1? ♂ (specimen without abdomen, glued on a card); “MUSEUM PARIS/MADÈRE/A. FAUVEL 92–97” [handwritten], “ Cixius /verticalis / det. RIBAUT [printed]”, “ Cixius / verticalis Nlh. ”, a large yellow card reading “ Syntypes 1♂, 1♀, 1 (? ♂)/ Cixius verticalis Nouhalier /[Revue. Ent. 1897:79]”; MNHN ( EH) 24140 .

Other material

MADEIRA ISLANDS – Porto Moniz • 1 ♂; Chão da Ribeira ; 540 m a.s.l.; 24 Jul. 1997; Dora Pombo leg; DAPC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; DAPC • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Apr. 2002; E.B.N. Freitas leg.; on Diplazium caudatum ; UMACI • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 450 m a.s.l.; 21 May 2002; Énio B. Freitas leg.; on Persea indica ; UMACI • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 8 Jul. 1998; I. Silva leg.; on Euphorbia mellifera ; UMACI • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 21 May 2002; F. Reis leg.; on Persea indica ; UMACI • 1 ♂; Ribeira da Janela ; 400 m a.s.l.; 14 Dec. 2001; D. Aguín-Pombo leg.; on Laurus novocanariensis ; DAPC • 1 ♂; Ribeira da Janela ; 35º50′19.90″ N, 17º9′14.02″ W; 602 m a.s.l.; 15 May 2015; Elisa Teixeira leg.; on native trees; UMACI. – Santana • 1 ♂; Ribeiro Frio ; 1000 m a.s.l.; 28 Apr. 2000; A.Mª. João leg.; UMACI .

Redescription

BODY MEASUREMENTS (mm). Lectotype: BL = 7.81, HW = 1.32, ML = 1.75, MW = 1.5, PW = 1.62, VL= 0.32. For other specimens see Table 1.

COLOURATION. Males like C. wollastoni sp. nov. but eyes pale yellow ( Figs 3C , 5B ), mesonotum glossy; the bands on the tegmina also similar, but vestigial; legs yellowish but the dark brown colour around the tibiofemoral joints extends like a shadow along the tibia. The females are darker than males, as in C. wollastoni sp. nov., and the gonoplacs are light brown, being lighter towards the internal lateral margins ( Fig. 8C–D ).

HEAD. Forehead, vertex, and ocellus as in C. wollastoni sp. nov. but differs from this in the vertex that is more excavated, the anterior margin is more angular, and the parabola, on the posterior margin, is less pronounced ( Fig. 7B ). Frons is approximately 1.1 times as wide as the height medially ( Fig. 7A ).

THORAX. Pronotum, mesonotum, tegulae, tegmina, and tibiae as in C. wollastoni sp. nov. ( Figs 3C , 5B , 7A–B ).

MALE GENITALIA. Lateral lobes of the pygofer concave distally ( Fig. 7C–D ). The anal tube is as in C. wollastoni sp. nov. but the ventrocaudal margin is slightly concave and divergent, its lobes are subtriangular, and the widest part is distinctly larger medially than at the base ( Fig. 7F–H, J ). Lamella of paramere oval, the anterior margin is oblique, and the ventral and posterior margins are slightly concave ( Fig. 7I ). Basal part of the aedeagus long and rectangular with a small rounded or subtriangular ventromedial projection ( Fig. 7K–L ); the ventral spine at the proximal end is triangular; there are two thorns subapically; the right-side is large, variable in size, and sharply bends distally at a 90º angle; the left spine is almost straight and sometimes slightly curved, but much smaller and thinner than in C. madeirensis ( Fig. 7M–N ).

FEMALE GENITALIA. The shape of the caudal margin of the seventh sternite is truncated ( Fig. 8C–D ). The anal tube is long and the gonoplac is ensiform and long, reaching the caudal margin of the anal tube, almost touching it from behind ( Fig. 8D ). Nineth tergite truncated caudally with caudal margins incurved. The wax secreting field reduced, oval and deeply excavated in the middle but not separated by a distinctive crest; long hairs denser near the lateral margin.

Distribution and ecology

Endemic to the island of Madeira. Due to the successive errors in identification, previous records of this species (Noualhier 1897; China 1938; Lindberg 1941, 1961), should be taken with caution. In this study, adults of this species were collected from medium to high altitudes on the slopes of northern Madeira. Adults can be found from April to October in endemic plants that grow in shaded and humid areas of the evergreen laurel forest, such as Persea indica and Clethra arborea trees, Euphorbia mellifera Aiton shrubs and Diplazium caudatum (Cav.) Jermy ferns. It was also found in hedges and trees that grow in the native forest ( Lindberg 1961).

Remarks

The type material comprises a male, designated as the lectotype, on which Noualhier (1897) based the original description, and two additional specimens, one female and the other of unknown sex. The last two were used to describe the colour and size of the body. The female is shorter (body length = 7 mm) than all the female specimens of C. verticalis studied (see Table 1 ); it is more within the range of C. wollastoni sp. nov. However, the vertex, deeply excavated, long, with the anterior margin angular, and the sharp carinae are more like the lectotype of C. verticalis than the holotype of C. wollastoni sp. nov. The body size is larger than in C. madeirensis . The original description of C. verticalis refers that the points along the tegmina veins are not setiferous, but the setae exist although they are difficult to recognize and easily breakable.

The identification of C. verticalis has been difficult because no credible drawings of its genitalia were available. The original description did not provide any and those published later by Lindberg were wrongly attributed to this species. Lindberg (1941: 27), despite having some doubts, identified specimens from the Azores as C. verticalis . Later ( Lindberg 1954: 4–5), based on the same material and new specimens collected by Stora and Frey, he concluded that those of the Azores belonged to different species, which he described as C. (Sciocixius) insularis and C. (Ceratocixius) azoricus . In the same work, he provided the first illustrations of what he thought was the male genitalia of C. verticalis . However, the shape of the aedeagus resembles the genitalia of C. maderensis ( Lindberg 1954: 5, figs 7–10), particularly the humped projection of the flagellum and the blunt tip of the apex of the aedeagus. The small spine is also comparatively long and curved. It seems that he wrongly illustrated the specimen(s) of C. madeirensis from the Lundblad collection, which China (1938) had previously studied and identified as C. verticalis . In 1961, he studied these specimens again and new material that he had collected in Madeira. Here he provided new records that he assigned to C. insularis , and, again, what he believed to be the first drawings of the male genitalia of C. verticalis ( China 1938: 54, fig. 4g –i) which are probably C. wollastoni sp. nov. (see above). Since none of Lindberg’s drawings seem to correspond to C. verticalis , the genital structures of this species are illustrated here for the first time.

Figures

Fig. 3. Habitus. A–B. Cixius madeirensis China, 1938. A. ♂ from Vereda Paul, 23 Jul. 2002, on Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. B. ♀ from Corredor Verde, 16 Apr. 2002, on P. aquilinum. C. Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897, ♂ from Chão da Ribeira, 4 Sep. 1998. D. Cixius wollastoni sp. nov., ♂ from Ribeiro Frio, 24 May 2002, on Digitalis purpurea L. (the arrows indicate the brown stripes). E. Tachycixius chaoensis China, 1938, ♂ from Ponta de São Lourenço, 11 May 2001, on Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel. F. Hyalesthes madeires Remane & Hoch, 1986, ♂ from Serra de Água, 9 Jul. 2001, on Globularia salicina Lam.

Fig. 5. Male forewings. A. Cixius madeirensis China, 1938 from Vereda Paul, 23 Jul. 2002, on Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. B. Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897 from Chão da Ribeira, 30 Apr. 2002, on Diplazium caudatum (Cav.) Jermy. C. Cixius wollastoni sp. nov. from Ribeiro Frio, 24 Apr. 2002, on Digitalis purpurea L. D. Hyalesthes madeires Remane & Hoch, 1986 from Serra de Água, 9 Jul. 2001, on Globularia salicina Lam. E. Hyalesthes portonoves Remane & Hoch, 1986 from Porto Novo, 16 Apr. 2003, on G. salicina. F. Tachycixius chaoensis (China, 1938) from Ponta de São Lourenço, 11 May 2001, on Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.

Fig. 6. A, C. Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897, lectotype, ♂ (MNHN(EH) 24138). Habitus and label. B, D. Tachycixius chaoensis (China, 1938), lectotype, ♂ (NHMUK 010748310). Habitus and label. Photographed by Ken Merrifield and kindly provided by Mick Webb (NHMUK).

Fig. 7. Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897, specimens from Chão da Ribeira. A, C, H. 8 Jul. 1998, on Euphorbia melliferaAiton. B. 4 Sep. 1998. D–E, J. 30 Apr. 2002, on Diplazium caudatum (Cav.) Jermy. F–G. 4 Aug. 1998. I. 10 Jun. 1998, on Persea indica Spreng. K–N. Lectotype, ♂ (MNHN(EH) 24138), label without information besides “Madère”. A. Head (frontal view). B. Head, pronotum, and scutellum (dorsal view). C–D. Pygofer (lateral and ventral view). E. Right forewing. F–H. Anal tube (dorsal, ventral and left lateral view). I. Left paramere. J. Anal tube (caudal view). K–N. Aedeagus (K–L, right and left lateral view; M–N, dorsal and ventral view).

Fig. 8. Female genitalia. A–B. Cixius madeirensis China, 1938 from Vereda do Paul da Serra, 23 Jul. 2002, onPeteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. C–D. Cixius verticalis Noualhier, 1897 from Chão da Ribeira (500 m a.s.l.), 30 Apr. 2002, on Diplazium caudatum (Cav.) Jermy. E–F. Tachycixius chaoensis (China, 1938) from Ponta de São Lourenço, 11 May 2001, on Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel. G–H. Hyalesthes portonoves Remane & Hoch, 1986. G. Specimen from Porto Novo, 25 Apr. 2003, on G. salicina Lam. H. Specimen from Cristo Rei, 26 Apr. 1998, on G. salicina.