Omolicna mariajosae Bahder & Bartlett, 2021

Zumbado Echavarria, Marco A., Barrantes Barrantes, Edwin A., Bartlett, Charles R., Helmick, Ericka E. & Bahder, Brian W., 2021, A new planthopper species in the genus Omolicna (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha Derbidae) from the Reserva Privada el Silencio de Los Angeles Cloud Forest in Costa Rica, Zootaxa 4975 (2), pp. 357-368 : 360-364

Omolicna mariajosae Bahder & Bartlett sp. n.

( Figures 2–6 )

Type locality. Costa Rica, Alajuela, Reserva Privada el Silencio de Los Angeles , Hotel Villa Blanca .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from congeners by the dark fuscous coloration, presence of tubercles on forewings along all major longitudinal veins and most branches, presence of a spurious vein (lacking tubercles) arising near fork of Sc and RA, the Pcu is fused with the CuP well in advance of the fusion of A1 with the composite vein; the medioventral process of pygofer with reduced lateral teeth, and endosoma with two strongly downcurved processes.

Description. Color. General body color dark fuscous, legs lighter brown, pronotum testaceous (yellowish in dried specimens). Wings uniformly light fuscous with reddish vein near wing apex ( Fig. 2 ). Vertex lighter in color than frons.

Structure. Body length (all measurements averages, males n = 2): 2.91 mm with wings; 1.90 mm without wings. Head. In lateral view, rounded on anterior margin with dorsal margin planar ( Fig. 3C ). Frons relatively broad, widest at frontoclypeal suture, constricting just below ventral margin of eye, expanding slightly between eyes until reaching vertex, two rows of wax-producing pits on lateral margins running entire length of frons ( Fig. 3A ). Vertex relatively broad, approximately twice as wide at posterior margin as long at midline, posterior margin concave, anterior margin straight, two rows of wax-producing pits along lateral margins, median carina obsolete ( Fig. 3B ), transverse carina present at fastigium ( Fig. 3B ). Vertex length: 0.12 mm; width at hind margin: 0.23 mm; width at distal margin: 0.14 mm. Frons length: 0.69 mm; dorsal width: 0.30 mm; width frontoclypeal margin: 0.38 mm; width at narrowest point: 0.24 mm. Clypeus length: 0.26 mm.

Thorax. Pronotum with anterior margin convex, appearing angular, posterior margin smoothly concave, pronotal disk tricarinate, median carina distinct, lateral carinae closely following posterior margin of head ( Fig. 3B ). Paranota strongly foliately keeled and laterally projecting, lateral margin rounded from frontal view ( Fig. 3A ), nearly covering antennae in lateral view ( Fig. 3C ). Mesonotum tricarinate, lateral carinae sinuate, anteriorly distinct, converging and becoming obscure posteriorly; length at midline and width at tegulae approximately equal ( Fig. 3B ). Pronotum length at midline: 0.79 mm. Mesonotum length at midline: 0.49 mm, width: 0.61 mm. Spinulation of hind tibia, basitarsus, and second tarsomere 6-6-6.

Forewing ( Fig. 4 ) with large tubercles along costal, Sc+R(+M) and A1 veins. Smaller tubercles along all major longitudinal veins and branches. ‘Spurious’ vein present between Sc and RA. Vein branching pattern ( Fig. 4 ): RA two-branched, RP three-branched (RP 1 apically forked), MP five-branched, CuA two-branched. Unusually, CuP fused with Pcu in distal quarter, well prior to fusion with A1, which closely tracks wing trailing margin Fork of R (Sc+RA from RP) well proximad to fork of CuA, about at level of fusion of CuP with Pcu. Forewing length: 2.53 mm.

Terminalia. Pygofer in lateral view narrow, with irregularly sinuate margins; narrowest dorsally, abruptly enlarged ventrally ( Fig. 5A ); median process in ventral view ornate with apex rounded, subapical teeth and small lateral basal teeth ( Fig. 5B ). Parameres in lateral view becoming wider distally, rounded ventrally, distal margin truncate, distal half of dorsal margin straight to dorsal process then strongly sloped ventrad; dorsal process with rounded apex, weakly sclerotized, angled anteriodorsad with smaller sclerotized process on lateral margin ( Fig. 5A ). Parameres in ventral view spatulate, narrow proximally, with pair of medially directed teeth, proximal tooth small bifurcated, distal very large and cultrate, curved basad; distal margin straight ( Fig. 5B ).

Aedeagus asymmetrical, all processes associated with aedeagal apex (A1–A3 on right side and A4–6 on left side) and endosoma (E1 on right side and E2 and E3 on left side); right side of aedeagus with three robust processes, approximately equal in length (A1–A3), right side of endosoma with single dorsal process (E1) strongly downcurved at apex ( Fig. 6A ), aedeagus left lateral side with three processes ( Fig. 6B, A 4–A 6 ), all more slender than processes on right lateral side, ventral two processes (A5, A6) significantly more slender and shorter, ventral-most process smallest ( Fig. 6B ). Endosoma left lateral with dorsal process (E2) moderately downcurved, equal in length to the first endosomal process, third process on left side longer than all other processes, curved dorsad (E3) ( Fig. 6C ). Anal tube in lateral view robust, with large, irregularly sinuate ventral lobe setting off strong distal concavity; apex elongate, and projecting to pointed apices ( Fig. 5A ); dorsal margin straight. In dorsal view, lateral margins subparallel with ventral lobes visible past midlength, anal column short, nipple-like ( Fig. 5C ).

Plant associations. Unknown. Collected at light trap in primary growth cloud forest at an elevation of approximately 1,100 meters.

Distribution. Costa Rica (Alajuela)

Etymology. The specific name is given in honor of the lead author’s daughter, Maria Jose.

Material examined. Holotype male “ Costa Rica, Alajuela / Los Angeles Cloud Forest / 15.V.2018 / Coll.: B.W. Bahder, light trap / Holotype Omolicna mariajosae ♂ ” ( FLREC) ; Paratype: 1 male, same data as holotype ( FLREC) .

Sequence Data and Analysis. For Omolicna mariajosae sp. n., a 761 bp product was generated for the COI locus (GenBank Accession No. MT 422534 ). Based on the pairwise comparison of the COI loci for all taxa sampled, Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. is on average 15.4% (±0.005) different from other members of Omolicna , 17% different from Anchimothon dubia , 21% (±0.004) different from the genus Agoo, 19% different from Neocenchrea heidemanni , 20% different from Herpis metcalfi , and 23% different from Cenchrea dorsalis ( Table 2 ). Based on the phylogenetic analysis using the COI locus, Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. resolved well within the genus Omolicna ( Fig. 7A ).

For the 18S locus, a 1,395 bp product was generated for Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. (GenBank Accession No. MT 424915 ). Based on the pairwise comparison of 18S, Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. differed, on average, by 3.3% (±0.0008) from other species of Omolicna , whereas excluding the novel taxon, the average variability among species with Omolicna was on average 0.7% (±0.001) ( Table 3 ). Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. differed from the genus Agoo by an average of 11.7% (±0.0009), 12.2% from Anchimothon dubia , 11.8% from Cenchrea dorsalis , and 13.5% from Herpis metcalfi ( Table 3 ). The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. resolves within the genus Omolicna and that there is relatively strong support at the genus level for the cenchreine genera sampled in this study ( Fig. 7B ).

Remarks. While the novel taxon generally exhibits the morphological features observed in many species of Omolicna , there are significant deviations that make O. mariajosae sp. n. unique among Omolicna . A striking feature, relative to other Omolicna , is the asymmetry of the aedeagus. Bahder et al. (2020) found that in dorsal view, the longest process was on the right side of all taxa studied whereas the longest aedeagal process in O. mariajosae sp. n. is on the left side. Furthermore, the forewing of O. mariajosae sp. n. appears unusual among Omolicna by the presence small tubercles along most veins, a spurious vein in the subcostal cell, and the fusion of the Pcu with CuP before the A 1 in the forewing. The combination of molecular data and morphological characters confirm the placement of this new species in the genus Omolicna .

Interestingly, available sequence data for both 18S and COI show O. cubana (from Jamaica) and O. puertana (from Puerto Rico) to be the same—100% identical for 18S and 99.8% for COI. Similarities in the aedeagus and terminalia (viz. Caldwell & Martorell 1951: 202, plate 24), Fennah 1952:135, figs. 13G, L,M,N) alongside the genetic evidence, seem to support that the taxa may be the same; however, we have not yet examined type material which is needed to confirm or refute the synonymy.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adult male habitus Omolicna mariajosae sp. n.; A. body lateral view and B. body dorsal view, scale = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Adult male Omolicna mariajosae sp. n.; A. head frontal view, B. head, pronotum and mesonotum dorsal view, C. head, pronotum and mesonotum lateral view, scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 4. Omolicna mariajosae sp. n., forewing venation; A. photograph and B. line art; black=vein, blue=associated cell.

FIGURE 5. Male terminalia of Omolicna mariajosae sp. n.; A. lateral view, B. ventral view, and C. dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. Aedeagus of adult male Omolicna mariajosae sp. n.; A. right lateral view, B. left lateral view, and C. dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees (1,000 replicates) demonstrating the relationship of the novel taxon, Omolicna mariajosae sp. n. relative to other species in Omolicna and other genera within the Cenchreini based on the; A. COI gene and B. 18S gene.