Virgilia cocovora Soulier-Perkins, 2018

Soulier-Perkins, Adeline, Navasero, Mario, Yap, Sheryl & Wilson, Michael R., 2018, New species for Virgilia Stål, 1870 (Hemiptera, Lophopidae), genus review and key to species, Zootaxa 4415 (1), pp. 135-149 : 137-140

Virgilia cocovora Soulier-Perkins sp. nov.

( Figs 5–34 )

Type material. Male holotype: Philippines: Mindanao, Compostela Valley, New Bataan, Camanlangan, on coconut, 3.2.2016, M.V. Navasero & G.A.S. Burgonio rec & leg, MNHN (EH)23546 ( MNHN).

Paratypes: 1♂?, 4♀?. Philippines, Mindanao, Compostela Valley, New Bataan, Camanlangan , on coconut, 3.2.2016, M.V. Navasero & G.A.S. Burgonio rec. & leg., 3♀? MNHN (EH) 23545, 23547 and 23548 ( MNHN) 1♂? & 1♀? (MNH-UPLB).

Distribution. Philippines, Mindanao Island ( Fig. 65 )

Diagnosis. Easy to recognise from the other three Virgilia by the coloration of its frons, it bears six brown spots ( Fig. 2 ) where the V. luzonensis presents two patches and a stripe ( Fig. 2 ), V. imuganensis colouration along the media and sub-lateral carinae (Fig. 4) and V. nigropicta a single large patch, half–moon shaped, touching the fronto-clypeal margin ( Fig. 3 ).

Description. Total length of male holotype: 1.17 cm (tegmina included), male paratype: 1.17 cm, female paratypes between 1.31 and 1.49 cm.

Head. In dorsal view, head 1.78 times wider across eyes than long in midline. Vertex 1.74 longer than wide, posterior margin almost straight, anterior margin V shaped, lateral margins posterior two-third parallel and last anterior third diverging slightly. In frontal view, frons 1.04 wider across the widest part at gena level than long in midline, fronto-vertex and fronto-clypeal margins slightly rounded and respectively convex and concave, lateral margins regular and underlining the pear-shaped frons, the widest area is sharply curved, sub-lateral and median carinae present but not reaching the fronto-clypeal suture. In lateral view, ocellus present located below compound eye and anteriorly to antennae, ocellar carinae absent, genal carinae present. Prothorax larger than head and 4.15 times wider than long in midline, longest length being in midline. Mesothorax 1.45 times wider than long in midline. Tegmina 3.12 longer than wide at midline, ScP+R(+MA) forking first, then CuA and finally MP, all forking before the end of clavus and respectively around 1/5, 1/3 and 1/2 of the total tegmina’s length. Metatibiae bearing 3 lateral and 7 stout apical spines, first metatarsal segment bearing a series of apical spines organised in a triangular area, longer than cumulative length of second and third metatarsal segment, second segment reduced to a lobe without any spine.

Male terminalia. In lateral view, anal tube elongated posteriorly, 5.25 times longer than its biggest thickness measured just before the epiproct insertion, ventral margin developed just before the apex into an irregular tooth shaped extension pointing postero-ventrally. Pygofer with dorso-posterior margin largely and regularly rounded, posterior margin clearly inverted S shaped, posterior and ventral margin meeting in a sharp acute angle. Gonostylus with dorsal margin developing on its 2/3 posterior length a regular dorso-anterior oriented hook shaped extension, just posterior to the hook, the dorsal margin is curved ventrally, ventral margin roughly straight and posterior margin generally convex and irregularly curved. Periandrium with dorsal margin starting horizontally and bending up to its half at 90° and finishing in a rounded lobe, ventral margin curving as well and finishing dorsally in a hillock. Aedeagus bearing a ventral posterior process sickle-shaped and a short ventral anterior process strongly bent and pointing ventrally.

Colour. Generally brownish and cream with ochre powdery colour on tegmina that tend to disappear on specimens preserved in the collections. Head cream coloured with: on the vertex, a median discrete carina underlined in brown, two brown lines comma shaped close to the anterior margin and two yellowish-brown patches closes to the posterior margin; on the frons, 3 brown-black dots on each side along the sub-lateral carinae; on the clypeus that tend to get darker toward its apex, a brown patch in the middle, just below the fronto-clypeal suture; on each gena, a circular brown patch around the ocellus. Prothorax mixed with cream and brown with the cream more abundant along the anterior margin and the brown along the posterior margin, mesothorax brown and apex of metathorax cream. Tegmina dominantly dark brown with a series of 7-8 cream lunula shaped areas along the costal and radial margin that can be very small or larger and containing up to two dark stripes starting from the margin of the tegmina, one lunula on the apical margin in the medial area and one ultimate lunula on the margin on the anterior cubital area. Profemur with two dark brown transversal stripes.

Etymology. The species name is built using the first four letters of coconut “ coco ”, plant on which the specimens were collected and found feeding and the Latin word “ vorare ” meaning to devour.

Figures

FIGURE 65.Distribution map.

FIGURES 5–11. Virgilia cocovora n. sp., holotype. 5 Habitus, dorsal view. 6 Habitus, lateral view. 7 Frons and clypeus, anterior view. 8 Labels. 9 Anal tube, pygopher and gonostylus, lateral view. 10 Aedeagus s.l., lateral view. 11 Aedeagus s.s., lateral view.

FIGURES 12–34. Virgilia cocovora n. sp., paratypes. 12–16 female MNHN(EH)23545 12 Habitus, dorsal view. 13 Habitus, ventral view 14 Habitus, lateral view 15 Frons and clypeus, anterior view 16 Labels. 17–21 male 17 Habitus, dorsal view. 18 Habitus, ventral view 19 Habitus, lateral view 20 Frons and clypeus, anterior view 21 Labels. 22–25 female 22 Habitus, dorsal view 23 Habitus, lateral view 24 Frons and clypeus, anterior view 25 Labels. 26–29 female MNHN(EH)235457 26 Habitus, dorsal view 27 Habitus, lateral view 28 Frons and clypeus, anterior view 29 Labels. 30–34 female MNHN(EH)23548 30 Habitus, dorsal view. 31Habitus, ventral view 32Habitus, lateral view 33 Labels34 Frons and clypeus, anterior view.

FIGURES 1–3. Schematic patterns on Virgilia’ frons. 1 V. luzonensis. 2 V.cocovora.3 V.nigropicta.4 V.imuganensis.