Chionomus balboae ( Muir & Giffard, 1924 )

Weglarz, Kathryn M. & Bartlett, Charles R, 2020, A revision of the planthopper genus Chionomus Fennah (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Delphacidae), Zootaxa 4811 (1), pp. 1-63 : 13-14

Chionomus balboae ( Muir & Giffard, 1924)

( Figures 4 , 18b & e , 19 )

Delphacodes balboae Muir & Giffard, 1924: 36 .

Chionomus balboae (Muir & Giffard) , comb. by Fennah, 1971: 324.

Type Locality. Mexico, Veracruz, Jalapa [Xalapa] .

Diagnosis. Body dark brown and shining, with white to ivory markings. Vertex quadrate; foveae of frons and vertex dark. Carinae distinct, off-white in color; antennae light brown. Pronotum dark anteriorly with band of white along posterior edge, paranota paler at posterior edge. Armature of diaphragm forming triangular or cordate boss, apex of parameres anvil-shaped. Aedeagus tubular, right side bearing preapical hook with proximal flange on distal third opposite 2 preapical spines on the left.

Description. Color. Macropter. Body dark, brunneous, shining, with white or ivory markings. Carinae of head (including genal carinae) distinct, ochraceous to off-white in color, usually with a small amount brown at apex of carinae; median carinae of vertex less evident. Antennae brown to light brown proximally, shading distally paler to yellow. Pronotum dark brown to brown anteriorly, posterior edge and ventral edge of paranota white to ivory. Mesonotum dark, median and lateral carinae light brown in some specimens. Legs light brown, with hind legs lighter, occasionally yellow. Forewings hyaline, sometimes with faint fuscous markings, dark spot just before apex of clavus. Abdomen brown, caudal edge of each segment lightened to yellow or white, lateral projections of sternites yellow to white. Pygofer and segment X brown. Brachypter. Similar to above, tegmina infuscate, white stripe along apex, darkened spot near apex of clavus. Structure. Body. Body length (in mm) ♂ macropter 1.67±0.13 (n=25); ♂ brachypter 1.74 (n=1); width ♂ 0.71±0.09 (n=25). Head. Vertex length 0.17±0.03 (n=25); vertex width 0.17±0.03 (n=25); frons length 0.45±0.03 (n=25); frons width 0.20±0.02 (n=25). Macropter. Carinae of vertex distinct, stem of Y-shaped carina faint. In lateral view ( Figure 4b ), fastigium rounded; projecting in front of the eye about 1/5th eye length. Carinae of frons and clypeus distinct ( Figure 4e ), frons subparallel, widest just below compound eyes. Antennal segments subequal in length, segment II wider than segment I; 2nd segment sparsely setaceous, bearing sensory pits arranged 4, 3–4, 2, 2, evenly spaced around segment. Sensory pits surrounded by small black setae. Brachypter. Same as above.

Thorax. Macropter. Carinae of mesonotum weak, median carina ending anterior to scutellum, lateral carinae faint, diverging posteriorly to reach hind margin. Legs with 2 rows setae on ventral margin of femora, mostly bare. Calcar bearing 22–26 small teeth (holotype with 22). Brachypter. Same as above but with lateral carinae mesonotum evident, diverging posteriorly; tegmina apically rounded, reaching to apex of 7th abdominal segment.

Abdomen. Macropter. Compressed dorsoventrally, tapering caudad to truncate apex; abdominal spiracles surrounded by fine setae. Brachypter. Same as above.

Genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view ( Figure 4g ) nearly 2/3rds as long dorsally as ventrad, ventral margin sinuate. In caudal view ( Figure 4f , 20a ), as tall as wide, rounded; margins raised, weakly carinate. Opening to inner chamber triangular, pointed ventrad. Armature of diaphragm triangular to heart shaped, smooth, distinctly projecting caudad. Parameres, widest in basal third, basal angle strong, projecting, quadrate; dorsolaterally diverging to anvil-shaped apices, lateral margins concave, inner angles weak, acute; outer angles produced to rounded apices. Aedeagus circular in cross-section, slightly curved dorsad, widest near base, slightly tapering for most of length, with slight subapical expansion before pointed apex; Aedeagus bearing 1 to 2 teeth on left and large subapical flange on right bearing 2 hooks; distal hook large, directed caudoventrally; proximal hook smaller, directed anteriorly; gonopore dorsal, subapical. Segment X quadrate, processes vestigial. Segment XI produced, about 2/3rds length of segment X.

Plant associations. None reported.

Distribution. USA: FL; Mexico (Campeche, Jalisco, Mexico City, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); Cayman Islands; Belize; Guatemala; Honduras; Costa Rica; Panama; Colombia; French Guiana; Venezuela; Brazil (Amazonas, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Rondonia, Santa Catarina); Ecuador; Bolivia; Paraguay; Uruguay; Argentina; Also reported: Guyana (as British Guiana; Muir 1926), Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca) Dominican Republic; Jamaica; Puerto Rico; St. Lucia ( Bartlett et al. 2014).

GenBank accession number. MN339592

Remarks. This species is very frequently collected with C. havanae at lights. The combination of the anvil shape of the parameres and the frequent projection of the large hook on aedeagus easily separates it from C. havanae . This species may be close to C. havanae and C. haywardi because of the triangular shaped armature of the diaphragm. Both of these species lack similar arming of the aedeagus, C. havanae bears a dorsal spine while C. haywardi is armed with small, scattered teeth.

Type material examined. Holotype [ BPBM]: Macropterous ♂, “ Jalapa / Crawford // [Blue paper] // Holotype [Red paper, vertical orientation, affixed to following label] // Delphacodes / balboae / ♂ M.G. [Handwritten] // ♂ gen. Slide No 8 / Series II/ Liburnia pacifica Crawf. / det. Crawford. / Single ♂ / Jalapa, mex. / Crawf. Coll. [Hand- written] // 854 [Handwritten]”.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus of Chionomus balboae (A, C, E holotype); A. dorsal view, habitus; B. lateral view, habitus; C. labels of holotype; D. apex of aedeagus, ventral view, E. frontal view, habitus; F. male terminalia, caudal view, G. male terminalia, lateral view.

FIGURE 18. Dorsal and lateral habitus of brachypters of select Chionomus species, A,D. Chionomus havanae, B,E. Chionomus balboae, C,F. Chionomus herkos, G,J. Chionomus pacificus, H,K. Chionomus puellus, I,L. Chionomus quadrispinosus.

FIGURE 19. Line art of Chionomus havanae terminalia, A. pygofer, caudal view, B. aedeagus and anal tube, left lateral view, C. left paramere, widest view.

FIGURE 20. Line art of Chionomus balboae terminalia, A. pygofer, caudal view, B. anal tube, left lateral view, C. aedeagus, left lateral view; D. left paramere, widest view.