Cyclopissus corticalis, Constant & Pham, 2024

Constant, Jérôme & Pham, Hong Thai, 2024, Issid planthoppers from Bach Ma and Phong Dien in Central Vietnam. I. Tribe Parahiraciini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 975, pp. 1-64 : 9-15

Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:56CB35B9-BCED-4596-99F8-9DE3E54A7FF0

Figs 1 , 2D , 3–6

Diagnosis

Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov. is the only species in the genus Cyclopissus gen. nov. The markings of the frons, like the white line along the lower margin of the oculiform black shiny marking, and characters of the male terminalia, are probably relevant diagnostic characters to recognize the species, e.g., the subhexagonal anal tube in dorsal view and the size and shape (curvature) of the lateroventral processes of the aedeagus.

Differential diagnosis

The most similar species belong to the genus Tetricodes which can be separated by the characters given above for the genus Cyclopissus gen. nov.

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ corticalis ’ is a Latin adjective meaning ‘resembling or consisting of bark or rind’. It refers to the excellent camouflage of this species, which lives on the bark of trees covered in moss and lichen.

Type material

Holotype

VIETNAM • ♂ (dissected – Figs 3–5 ); Th ừa Thiên-Huế Province, Bach Ma National Park, summit; 16°11′18″ N, 107°50′56″ E; 11–21 May 2023; 1300–1400 m a.s.l.; J. Constant and L. Semeraro leg.; VNMN.

Paratypes

VIETNAM – Th ừa Thiên-Huế Province • 2 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; VNMN • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; I.G.: 34.640; RBINS • 1 ♀; Bach Ma National Park, stairs going up to Hai Vong Dai ; 16°11′53.77″ N, 107°51′26.92″ E; 16 Sep. 2024; 1272 m a.s.l.; [by] net; Hoai leg.; VNMN .

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 3): 6.2 mm (6.1–6.3), ♀ (n = 4): 7.8 mm (6.6–7.0); LT/BB = 1.84; LTg/BTg = 2.33; LW/BW = 1.51; BV/LV = 2.11; LF/BF = 1.01.

HEAD ( Fig. 4A–D ). Head variegated brown, slightly narrower than thorax. Vertex slightly more than two times as wide as long in midline, medially grooved with margins weakly carinate; sides subparallel; anterior and posterior margins subparallel and curved. Posterior face of head largely blackish brown. Frons as wide at maximum width slightly above clypeus, as long in midline, with large oculiform black, shiny marking in dorsal portion with pale yellowish spot in dorsomedian portion, black marking finely circled in pale brown, turning to slightly wider pale yellowish in ventral portion; median carina in ventral portion, disappearing at midheight of black marking; pale yellowish tubercles along lateral margins under midheight of eye; laterodorsal angles black. Clypeus slightly paler basally, flat in middle portion, moderately elongate, subtriangular with fronto-clypeal suture rounded; anteclypeus with median blunt carina. Labium yellow-brown, elongate and narrow, reaching metacoxae, with apical segment elongate, nearly as long as penultimate. Eyes reniform (not emarginate), strongly projecting laterally; ocelli absent. Antennae dark brown, rather short with scape ring-shaped and pedicel cylindrical, slightly longer than broad.

THORAX ( Fig. 4A–D ). Pronotum variegated brown, with more or less well marked median yellowish line on obsolete carina; impressed point on each side of median carina; anterior margin bordered posteriorly with several yellowish blunt tubercles and carinate in middle portion, strongly sinuate and strongly, roundly protruding anteriorly between eyes; posterior margin nearly straight, slightly carinate in middle portion; pale yellowish blunt tubercles on disc and sides; behind eyes, large blackish marking containing pale yellowish mark, with black area continued on inner half of paranotal lobes; lateral half of paranotal lobes yellowish brown with yellowish tubercles along posterior margin, with posteroventral angle of lobes rounded. Mesonotum yellowish with yellowish, obsolete median carina in middle of rather wide dark brown median line; weak peridiscal carinae bordered with dark brown fine line; lateral angles darker; apex of scutellum pale yellowish. Tegulae yellowish.

TEGMINA ( Fig. 3A–C ). Tegmina variegated brown with main veins raised and yellowish, and dense network of pale, nearly whitish, cross-veinlets; subcoriaceous, elongate, about 2.3 times as long as broad, convex with sides broadly rounded (middle portion nearly straight to weakly incurved in dorsal view); epipleuron not developed. Apex narrowly rounded. Postclaval margin weakly rounded on distal half and slightly notched at apex of clavus. Clavus closed, reaching about 3/5 of tegmen. Venation: ScP+R rather short, forking into subparallel ScP+RA and RP; RP forking at about midlength of tegmen; MP first fork at about half of tegmen length; CuA straight, unforked and reaching hind margin; Pcu fused with A1 at 3/5 of clavus length; Pcu+A1 fused with CuP at apex of clavus.

HIND WINGS ( Fig. 4E ). Dark brown with contrasting yellow-brown markings, one basal along vein Pcu and one central, larger, including portion of Pcu. Hing wings wider than tegmina and deeply bilobed, strongly notched at CuP; costal margin sinuate; CuP-Pcu-A1 lobe about 1.7 times as wide as Sc-R-MP-CuA lobe, and slightly longer than latter; both lobes rounded apically; postclaval margin broadly rounded; A2 lobe reduced and narrow. Venation: main veins distinct, numerous cross-veins; ScP+R, MP and CuA running more or less parallel in basal portion, with ScP+R diverging beyond basal ⅓; Pcu strongly curved around basal third of wing towards CuP, and reaching the latter; A1 curved, more or less parallel to postclaval margin; CuP-Pcu-A1 lobe with numerous cross-veins. Vein A2 weak.

LEGS ( Fig. 3 ). Pro- and mesocoxae pale yellowish with dark marking along anterior margin. Pro- and mesofemora elongate, relatively slender, shorter than corresponding tibiae, brown with apex paler and median pale yellowish ring, brown colour darker on ventral face. Pro- and mesotibiae more slender than corresponding femora, pale yellowish with subbasal and subapical brown rings leaving more or less wide pale ring in middle. Metafemora dark brown with posterior side pale yellowish in basal portion. Metatibiae yellowish with 2 lateral spines in distal half and 7 apical spines, apex of all spines black. Tarsi elongate; first metatarsomere yellowish, elongate and slender, with a strong spine at each side and a row of 5 smaller spines in between ventrally along posterior margin, apex of all spines black; second metatarsomere brown, short with one spine at each side. Metatibiotarsal formula: (2) 7 / 8 / 2.

MALE TERMINALIA. Pygofer (Py – Fig. 5A–D ) higher than long in lateral view, with anterior margin weakly concave and posterior margin broadly rounded in upper half; subcircular in caudal view; posterior margin deeply emarginate in dorsal view. Gonostyli (G – Fig. 5A–C ) rather elongate, projecting posteriorly and with rounded posterior margin in lateral view, with capitulum (ca) strongly developed dorsad, with lateral laminate upcurving projection and with rather long neck with outer margin strongly concave and inner margin sinuate, in caudal view, and apical portion anteroposteriorly flattened, with apical hook and inner margin angularly rounded. Anal tube (An – Fig. 5A–D ) dorsoventrally flattened, rather wide and subhexagonal in dorsal view and with posterolateral angles expanded lateroventrally, leaving middle portion of posterior margin strongly excavate in caudal view. Aedeagus curved dorsad (in lateral view), with symmetrical pair of elongate, apically pointed lateroventral processes (lvp) directed caudad; dorsal lobe (dl) angularly rounded apically and surpassing apically rounded ventral lobe (vl) in caudal view. Connective (co) elongate, tectiductus (te) moderately developed.

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Hind margin of sternum VII (St VII – Fig. 4F ) concave, moderately inflated towards lateral portion.

Biology

Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov. was collected in May and September, in montane evergreen tropical forest, exclusively at about 1300–1400 m a.s.l. near the summit ( Fig. 1D ). The species lives on tree trunks densely covered in lichens and mosses, on which it is very cryptic ( Fig. 6 ). When disturbed, they tend to walk away and hide on the opposite side of the trunk or branch, and jump away as a last solution.

Distribution

Vietnam: Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, summit of Bach Ma National Park ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of the sampled localities in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Vietnam.

Fig. 2. Typical habitats in Bach Ma National Park, May 2023. A. Pheasant trail. B. Roadside (1200– 1300 m a.s.l.). C. Rhododendron trail. D. Summit (1300–1400 m a.s.l.).

Fig. 3. Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov., dissected holotype, ♂ (VNMN). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Right hind leg, ventral view. E. Metatarsus and apex of metatibia, ventral view.

Fig. 4. Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov. A–E. Holotype ♂ (VNMN). A. Head and thorax, dorsal view. B. Frons, perpendicular view. C. Head and thorax, lateral view. D. Head and thorax, anterolateral view. E. Right hind wing. F. Paratype ♀ (VNMN), terminalia, ventral view. Abbreviation: see Material and methods.

Fig. 5. Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (VNMN). A–D. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli. A. Left lateral view. B. Posterolateral view. C. Caudal view. D. Dorsal view. E–J. Aedeagus. E. Left lateral view. F. Left laterodorsal view. G. Posteroventral view. H. Dorsal view. I. Anterodorsal view. J. Ventral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.

Fig. 6. Cyclopissus corticalis gen. et sp. nov., live specimens in Bach Ma National Park, summit. A. 13 May 2023. B–C. 14 May 2023.