Arytaina nubivaga Loginova, 1976

Percy Csiro, Diana M., 2003, Legume-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Canary Islands and Madeira, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 397-461 : 444-445

Arytaina nubivaga Loginova comb. rev.

(figures 16B, 22D)

Arytaina nubivaga Loginova, 1976: 12 .

Arytainilla nubivaga (Loginova) Hodkinson and Hollis, 1987: 11 , 42.

Adult

Colour. Males generally dark brown, grey or chestnut, females with abdominal intersegment colour yellow-grey or green, thorax orange-red with grey bands. Genal cones, legs and proximal antennal segments yellow-grey, terminal antennal segments darker brown. Forewing cells with brown patches, veins uniform mid-brown; hindwing costal and claval margins darkly pigmented.

Description. Loginova (1976).

Nymph

Colour. Fourth and fifth instars cream with black tergites. Sclerites, wing pads, legs and terminal antennal segments darker brown.

Fifth instar measurements: (Specimens 5) BL: 1.73–1.88; BW: 1.18–1.28; WL: 0.71–0.74; CPL: 0.6–0.63; CPW: 0.84–0.87; RW: 0.18–0.19; HW: 0.77–0.81; AL: 1.18–1.23.

Fifth instar chaetotaxy. Head and antennal setae simple; ocular seta simple, conspicuous; primary and secondary post-ocular seta simple or narrowly capitate. Dorsal thoracic setae short simple. Forewing pad macrosetae two to five, simple or narrowly capitate, surface and marginal; hindwing pad macrosetae surface and marginal with two apical, distinctly or narrowly capitate; proximal setae absent (indistinct from surface microsetae in 5th instars, more prominent in 3rd and 4th instars); numerous simple microsetae scattered on the wing pad surfaces. Dorsal abdominal pre-caudal macrosetae present on anterior tergites, short simple with long simple and capitate (frequently narrow), caudal plate macrosetae six, narrowly or distinctly capitate; sectasetae two pairs; marginal abdominal setae (other than sectasetae) four pairs, narrowly or distinctly capitate (fourth pair sometimes simple); pleurite setae paired simple. Foreleg capitate setae on femur only; middle and hind leg capitate setae on femur and tibia, on tibia three (one large distal, one smaller proximal).

Host plant. Spartocytisus supranubius .

Distribution. Canary Islands: Tenerife.

Notes. Known only from Tenerife where the host plant is abundant in the subalpine zone. A. nubivaga is relatively common on Tenerife but is apparently absent from La Palma, the other high altitude island where the host occurs.

Biology. Eggs were found under the small floral bracts at the base of the calyx.

Comment. The host plant on La Palma is threatened by over grazing (less than 500 individuals recorded in 1988 (Palomares Martínez, 1997)). The dramatic reduction of S. supranubius , once considered to be widespread on La Palma, raises the possibility that A. nubivaga may have once been present but subsequently become extinct on this island with the demise of the host plant.

Material examined. Canary Islands, Tenerife: 20 WX, Las Cañadas , S side, 18 May 1987, D. Hollis ( BMNH) . 2 W, 6 nymphs, 12 km NE of Parque Nacional del Teide , 28°20∞30◊N, 16°29∞W, 2080 m, 23 June 1997 ( DP 7 ) . 1 W, 2 X, 30 nymphs, 28°18∞30◊N, 16°33∞W, 2–3 km NE of Parque Nacional del Teide , 2070 m, 23 June 1997 ( DP 10 ) . 17 W, 18 X, ca 2 km N of Observatory, Las Cañadas , 29°19∞N, 16°29∞30◊W, ca 2200 m, 5 April 1998 ( DP 154 ) .