Pyrops synavei, Constant, 2015

Constant, Jérôme, 2015, Review of the effusus group of the Lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839, with one new species and notes on trophobiosis (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 128, pp. 1-23 : 4-6

The effusus species group

The characters of this very consistent group mainly follow Baker’s (1925: 348) definition: (1) medium sized species; (2) cephalic process very short, clavate, bent in middle, strongly curved upwards, and with at least apical half blue or green; (3) tegmina green or blue basally, with yellow dots or markings; (4) hind wings blue basally and broadly black apically, the black colour extending towards the base along the main veins; (5) legs brown.

As compared to the list of included species given by Nagai & Porion (1996), Pyrops cyanirostris (Guérin- Méneville, 1845) and P. maquilinganus ( Baker, 1925) are here removed from the effusus group, the first because it does not match characters (3) and (4), the latter because it does not match characters (2), (4) and (5). P. maquilinganus is returned to the candelaria group as originally proposed by Baker (1925); P. cyanirostris cannot be attributed to any of the currently defined species groups in Pyrops .

All 4 species included here in the group are restricted to Borneo and adjacent islands. Noteworthy, P. cyanirostris is recorded from Java ( Guérin-Méneville 1845) and Sumatra ( Nagai & Porion 1996) and P. maquilinganus from the Philippines ( Baker 1925).

The group seems to be close to the pyrorhynchus species group which shares characters (3) and (4), but contains large sized species with an elongate cephalic process. However, the cephalic process in the latter group is also bent in the middle – even if not so strongly curved upwards – and slightly dilated apically like in effusus group. In some way the members of the effusus group could be regarded as dwarfed members of the pyrorhynchus group.

Noteworthy, of all members of the pyrorhynchus group, the Bornean species P. intricatus (Walker, 1857) ( Fig. 1 ) shows the greatest affinities in the pattern of the tegmina with the effusus group.

Identification key to the species of the effusus group

A Bornean species pertaining to the pyrorhynchus group, but sharing a number of characters with the species of the effusus group, P. intricatus (cf. above), is included in the key and illustrated to avoid misidentifications.

1 Head with cephalic process longer than half of tegmen ( Fig. 1A, C ); cephalic process slightly curved upwards, brown with bright yellow apex, without blue or green ( Fig. 1 D–E); ratio LPr/LF> 4; LPr/BPrH> 9 ………………………………… P. intricatus (Walker, 1857) [pyrorhynchus group]

– Head with cephalic process shorter than half of tegmen ( Figs 2A, C , 4A, C ); cephalic process strongly curved upwards, at least partly green or blue ( Figs 2 D–E, 4D–E); ratio LPr / LF <2.5; LPr/BPrH <7… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

2 Basal half of head yellow-brown, strongly contrasting with green or blue apical half of cephalic process ( Fig. 2A, C ) ………………………………………………………………………………… 3

– Head unicolorous blue or green, at best slightly paler basally ( Figs 4A, C , 5A, C ) ………………… 4

3 Tegmina green on basal half, getting progressively more yellow on membrane, infuscate along apical margin; spots on tegmina yellow and rather large, visible on membrane ( Fig. 2A ) ………… ……………………………………………………………………………… P. effusus ( Distant, 1891)

– Tegmina with basal half dark blue-green followed by a contrasting large oval yellow patch and broadly dark brown along apical margin; spots on tegmina pale yellow-white and rather small, getting indistinct on membrane ( Fig. 3A ) ………………… P. gunjii ( Satô & Nagai, 1994)

4 Tegmina with transverse yellow bands on corium, the basal one complete ( Fig. 4A ); pro- and mesonotum concolorous ( Fig. 4A ); head dark olivaceous blue-green ( Fig. 4A , D–E) … P. synavei sp. nov.

– Tegmina with small round yellow spots ( Fig. 5A ); pronotum yellow to orange, mesonotum dark blue-green ( Fig. 5A ); head bright blue (often faded in collection specimens) ( Fig. 5A , D–E) ………………………………………………………………………… P. whiteheadi ( Distant, 1889)

Figures

Fig. 1. Pyrops intricatus ♀, Kalimantan, Mt Bawan (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. Scale bar = 30 mm (D–E not to scale).

Fig. 2. Pyrops effusus ♀, Kalimantan, Batulicin (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. Scale bar = 30 mm (D–E not to scale).

Fig. 4. Pyrops synavei sp. nov. ♀, holotype (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. Scale bar = 30 mm (D–E not to scale).

Fig. 5. Pyrops whiteheadi ♂, Sabah, Danum Valley (RMNH). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. Scale bar = 30 mm (D–E not to scale).

Fig. 3. Pyrops gunjii ♂, E Kalimantan, Samarinda, Mt Beratus (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. Scale bar = 30 mm (D–E not to scale)