Hamma boulardi Bayendi Loudit, Durante & Susini

Loudit, Sandrine Mariela Bayendi, Durante, Antonio & Susini, Antonio, 2014, Membracidae of Gabon: the genus Hamma Buckton, 1905 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 3838 (3), pp. 323-346 : 339-342

Hamma boulardi Bayendi Loudit, Durante & Susini n. sp. ( Figs. 9 , 10 , 11)

Holotype

♀ Gabon, Makokou, Ipassa research station (Ivindo National Park), 0°30’43”N 12°48’13”E, Feb.-Mar. 2011, A. Susini leg. In MSNS.

Paratypes

1 ♀ Gabon, Makokou, Ipassa research station (Ivindo National Park), 0°30’43”N 12°48’13”E, Dec. 2011 - Jan 2012, A. Susini leg. In MNHN.

1 ♀ Gabon, Ogooué Ivindo, Zadié (Belinga), 2-12-2012, A. Susini leg. In Susini private collection.

Other material

1 ♀ Gabon, Makokou, Ipassa research station (Ivindo National Park), 0°30’43”N 12°48’13”E, Dec. 2011 - Jan 2012, A. Susini leg. In MSNS.

Diagnosis

This species is quite similar to Hamma brevicornis Boulard, 1968 , H. nodosum Buckton, 1905 , and H. pattersoni Distant, 1916 . It differs from H. brevicornis in the generally more compact aspect of the posterior process, the absence of the second node ( Boulard (1968) describes H. brevicornis as having four nodes), that is incorporated in the first node (the two humps in the description below, Fig. 9 ), and in the more evident spines of the third (terminal) node (in the light brown form, four nodes are fairly distinguishable, however the caudal spine is diagnostic); in the horizontal disposition of the suprahumeral horn (upward in H. brevicornis , and slightly upward in the light brown form). It differs from H. nodosum in having a more stout posterior process, and in the more strictly merged humps of the first node.

It differs from H. pattersoni for the terminal node of the posterior process clearly larger in dorsal view.

Further, both H. nodosum and H. pattersoni have the final pronotal swelling smaller than H. boulardi .

H. spinosum , that is close to H. boulardi in the key, is clearly different in every feature, but mainly is noticeable the median node of H. spinosum very large in lateral view.

Size (light brown form denoted by parentheses) Total length: 3.2 mm (3.7)

Pronotal length: 3.6 mm (3.5)

Tegminal length: 3.4 mm (2.6)

Description

Two forms: one entirely black, the second with the metopidium black with the superior part of pronotum light brown and the posterior process patched black and light brown (listed above as “other material)”.

HEAD: black, vertical, slightly convex, punctuate, with quite dense golden pubescence; vertex 1.6 wider than high; above the ocelli three shallow concavities: one in the middle, two lateral; upper margin slightly arcuate; ventral margin W-shaped with the lower parts slightly bent forward; ocelli slightly above the centro-ocular line.

Frontoclypeus oval, slightly longer than wide, lateral lobes completely fused to frontoclypeus with margins hardly distinguishable; rostrum brown with black base; antennae brown.

PRONOTUM: black, with two semicircular reddish brown bulges on the ventral margin of the metopidium and with several dark reddish brown thorn-like tubercles, each associated with a single apical seta; metopidium slightly wider than high; median carina percurrent; supraocular callosities convex, ovate, transversely divided into two large blunt swelling (not easy to observe), and bearing a fine golden pubescence; humeral angles prominent and blunt; posterior angle rounded; suprahumeral horns reduced, tuberculate, projected laterally and angled slightly to the posterior, with an acuminate tubercle dorsally (second form with horns directed upward).

Posterior process strongly produced emerging slightly dorsal to posterior margin and with apex extending beyond M3+4 of forewing; sinuate in lateral view, with three nodes, one at the beginning, one in the middle and one at the end, the first of which with two humps; the median node not notable in lateral view; the latter with a caudad strong light brown thorn; dorsal and ventral carinae percurrent. The whole posterior process with several thorn-like tubercles with a small golden bristle at the apex. Tubercles smaller and more rare laterally and ventrally.

SCUTELLUM: black with base longer than the height, emarginated with scutellar apices acute, lighter in colour distally; base swollen except for the corners, with one ogival tubercle on each side of the swelling. The said tubercles with a tuft of small golden back- or upward setae.

FOREWING: Approximately three times longer than wide, hyaline, sclerotized basally, punctate, amber in colour with costal and anal margin dark brown. Pterostigma sub-triangular, amber in colour, finely edged in black (in the light brown specimen, pterostigma with costal margin shorter); venation lighter than pterostigma; a brown squarish dot at the anal angle, a smaller dot on the vein at the clavar distal end; a shady small brown dot at the proximal end of the 4th apical cell; a shady brown median band. Venation with few very sparse small setae.

LEGS: with articulations and surrounding areas brown, femur black, prothoracic tibia black with a small yellow fascia, mesotoracic tibia black with a very large (about three fifth of its length) yellow fascia, metathoracic tibia entirely yellow; tarsi yellow (in the light brown specimen the black replaced with brown, and the articulations lighter with yellowish staining.

ABDOMEN: light gray variegated by light brown with dark brown punctuation; sternum less coloured and punctuated.

Remarks

The light brown form here considered conspecific with the type differs in shape (e.g. the suprahumeral horns) and may eventually be found to represent a separate species, but the scarcity of material at the moment is not sufficient to corroborate such a conclusion.

Etimology

The species is dedicated to Michel Boulard, MNHN, Paris, eminent specialist of the Homoptera.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Hamma boulardi n. sp., Africa Eq., Gabon, Makokou / Ipassa, Feb. - Mar. 2011, A. Susini.

FIGURE 10. Hamma boulardi n. sp., Africa Eq., Gabon, Ipassa (Makokou), dic. 2011 - gen. 2012, A. Susini.