Flynnia, McKamey, Stuart H., 2017

McKamey, Stuart H., 2017, The identity of three South American " smiliine " treehoppers (Hemiptera, Membracidae) and related taxonomic changes, including description of a new genus in Thuridini, ZooKeys 678, pp. 65-72 : 65-66

Flynnia gen. n.

Type species.

Ophiderma fascipennis Funkhouser, 1919: 274.

Description.

Head. Vertex with dorsal margin sinuate. highest between ocelli and eyes; ocelli slightly closer to inner margin of eyes than to each other; frontoclypeus evenly rounded ventrally; rostrum attaining abdomen. Thorax. Posterior process of pronotum smooth and finely punctate throughout (Figs 5-7), weakly sinuous in lateral view, slightly overlapping forewings in repose. Mesonotum bare, lacking vestigial scoli. Forewing (Fig. 10) with veins R and M fused basally and strongly divergent near middle of wing, veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent for a short distance and very strongly divergent more distally, 2 m-cu crossveins present, 1st near mid length of wing. Hind wing without r-m crossvein, veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent for short distance and divergent beyond, anal vein unbranched. Metathoracic leg (Fig. 12) without cucullate femoral setae, tibia without cucullate setae in row 1, very few in row II (where the leg is more strongly sclerotized, as indicated by arrows, Fig. 12), first tarsomere with about eight cucullate setae scattered on plantar surface (Fig. 8). Abdomen. Lacking dorsal protrusions or smooth fossae.

Distribution.

Bolivia and Ecuador.

Etymology.

The genus is feminine and named for Dawn Flynn for her contributions to our knowledge Neotropical treehoppers.

Discussion.

Many of the aforementioned features are diagnostic for the tribe Thuridini as listed by Deitz (1975): posterior process of pronotum slightly overlapping forewings; forewing with veins R and M fused basally and strongly divergent near middle of wing; veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent for short distance and very strongly divergent more distally; hind wing without r-m crossvein, veins R4+5 and M1+2 confluent for short distance and divergent beyond; metathoracic leg without cucullate femoral setae, tibia without cucullate setae in row I. An additional similarity of the new genus and Thuris Funkhouser is presence of about eight cucullate setae on the first tarsomere of the metathoracic leg, and the dark markings on and around the apical veins of the forewing. Some treehoppers that have scoli on the mesonotum, metanotum, or both (e.g., Alchisme Kirkaldy) have shriveled, vestigial scoli in the adults underneath the pronotum. The absence of vestigial scoli cannot be inferred to mean that the nymph lacks thoracic scoli. Nevertheless, taken together with the absence of dorsally paired processes or fossae on the abdomen, it is more likely that the nymph, unknown, may be unarmored, as is the nymph of Thuris ( McKamey and Porter 2016). Until now, the tribe was composed of one genus and two species ( McKamey and Porter 2016). The new genus is easily distinguished from Thuris , which has a strongly keeled pronotum posteriorly. Bolivia represents a new country record for the tribe.