Melanastera macaireae, Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt, 2025

Serbina, Liliya Š., Malenovský, Igor, Queiroz, Dalva L. & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2025, Jumping plant-lice of the tribe Paurocephalini (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5585 (1), pp. 1-164 : 51-52

13 Melanastera macaireae sp. nov.

( Figs 9C , 15E , 24A–G )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: Buenópolis, Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral, Vereda do Jacaré , S17.9212, W44.2372, 1000 m, 20.ix.2019, Macairea radula (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #370(1) ( UFPR; dry).

Paratypes. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 9 ♂, 11 ♀, 18 immatures, 1 skin, same as holotype but ( BMNH, MMBC, NHMB, UFPR; dry, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007946, NMB-PSYLL0007980, NMB-PSYLL0007981, NMB-PSYLL0007982) ; 1 ♀, same but S17.8853, W44.2636, 1000 m, 8.iv.2021 (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #384(0) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008560) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same as holotype but S17.9212, W44.2371, 1030 m, 9.iv.2021, riparian vegetation, Miconia sp. (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #393(1) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008500) ; 2 ♂, 7 ♀, 3 immatures, 1 skin, Diamantina, Parque Biribiri , S18.10986, W43.37106, 1080 m, 14.ix.2021, Macairea radula (D.L. Queiroz) #1010(1) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008562) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same but Poço do Estudante , S18.2040, W43.6216, 1110 m, 16.ix.2019 (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #359 ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0007945) ; 4 ♀, same but Cachoeira dos Cristais, S18.1569, W43.5998, 1070 m, 12.iv.2021, Cerrado vegetation along river, waterfalls and on rocks (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #399(0) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008561) ; 1 ♂, 5 ♀, 6 immatures, São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, Parque Estadual do Rio Preto, Prainha , S18.1170, W43.3407, 760 m, 11‒12.ix.2019, Macairea radula (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #351(4) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007943) ; 1 ♂, same but, heliponto, S18.0910, W43.3421, 830 m, 12.ix.2019, Macairea radula (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #354(3) ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0007944) ; 1 ♀, same but S18.0882, W43.3366, 790 m, 13.iv.2021, shrubby Cerrado vegetation and gallery forest (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #403(0) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008501) ; 1 ♀, same but S18.0882, W43.3366, 790 m, 13.iv.2021, shrubby Cerrado vegetation and gallery forest (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #404(0) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008502) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 skin, same but Casa de Hóspedes , S18.1263, W43.3570, 850 m, 16.iv.2021, planted trees (D. Burckhardt & D. L. Queiroz) #411(0) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008503) ; 1 ♂, Vargem Bonita, Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra, Cachoeira Casca d’Anta , around park entrance, S24.8541 /8573, W48.6982 / 7121, 850 m, 4–8.ix.2014, Xylopia sericea (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #141(10) ( NHMB; slide; NMB-PSYLL0007933 [LSMelmac-64]) ; 3 ♂, 3 ♀, 7 immatures, same but Cachoeira Casca d’Anta , plateau, S24.8541 /8573, W48.6982 /7121, 1160–1250 m, 6.ix.2014, Macairea radula (D. Burckhardt &D.L. Queiroz) #144(4) ( MMBC, NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007926 [LSMelmac-64], NMB-PSYLL0007927 [LSMelmac-64], NMB-PSYLL0007930, NMB-PSYLL0007931, NMB-PSYLL0007932, NMB-PSYLL0007934, NMB-PSYLL0007942 [LSMelmac-64]) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Body pale to bright yellow. Antenna yellow, scape and pedicel pale brown, segments 4–8 with dark brown apices, segments 9–10 entirely dark brown. Mesopraescutum with two pale orange patches along the fore margin; mesoscutum with four pale orange longitudinal stripes. Forewing ( Fig. 15E ) bright yellow with white stripes along veins. Coxae pale brown, meracanthus pale yellow, distal tarsal segment brown. Abdomen and terminalia pale yellow. Younger specimens with less dark colour.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 15E ) oblong-oval, widest in the middle, narrowly, evenly rounded apically; C+Sc curved in apical third; pterostigma slightly narrower in the middle than r 1 cell, mostly parallel-sided; Rs straight in basal two thirds, curved to fore margin apically; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4; Cu 1a curved in apical third, ending proximal of M fork; cell cu 1 moderately wide; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, spinules absent in basal half of cell c+sc, dense, not forming distinct hexagons. Hindwing with 3 + 3 grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 8–10 apical spurs, arranged as 4–5 + 4–6, anteriorly separated by ca. 2 bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 24A–G ). Male. Proctiger weakly produced posteriorly; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, irregularly ovoid; dorsal margin curved, posterior margin slightly indented; with dense, long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, lanceolate; paramere apex, in lateral view, blunt, directed upwards, in dorsal view, directed inwards and slightly upwards, lacking a distinct sclerotised tooth; outer face with dense, moderately long setae in apical two thirds; inner face with dense, relatively short setae; posterior margin with longer setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part strongly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus with sinuous ventral margin and sinuate dorsal margin in basal half; ventral process, in lateral view, short, simple, situated in the middle of segment, truncate apically, without distinct lateral lobes; ventral process, in dorsal view, broad, shovel-shaped, widening to apex, indistinctly three-lobed; apical dilation relatively large, oblong-oval, slightly widening to apex which is rounded; sclerotised end tube short and sinuate.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, weakly sinuate distal to circumanal ring, apex blunt; in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, vaguely cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Yellow; antenna gradually becoming darker towards apex; legs pale to dark brown with darker tarsal segment; cephalothoracic sclerite, wing pads and caudal plate pale to bright brown.

Structure. Eye with one short simple ocular seta dorsally.Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(1), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(2), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with 8 pointed sectasetae marginally and 13–35 sectasetae or smaller pointed lanceolate setae dorsally; hindwing pad with 3 marginal and 5–7 pointed sectasetae or lanceolate setae dorsally. Tarsal arolium broadly fan-shaped apically, ca. 1.5 times as long as claws. Abdominal tergites anterior to caudal plate with four irregular rows of 12–18, 12–20, 14–25 and 10–12 pointed lanceolate setae dorsally, respectively. Caudal plate dorsally with one row of 12–14 pointed lanceolate setae along anterior margin, a row of 16–20 pointed setae submedially, one group of 6–7 pointed sectasetae on each side in the middle and one group of 4–6 pointed sectasetae on each side subapically, anterior to circumanal ring. Caudal plate with large tubercules posteriorly; anterior margin remote from anterior margin of extra pore fields; extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of large oval patches; outer band very short medially, end pointing backwards. Circumanal ring small.

Host plant. Macairea radula (Bonpl.) DC. ( Melastomataceae ).

Distribution. Brazil (MG).

Derivation of name. Named after its host, Macairea .

Comments. Melanastera macaireae sp. nov. resembles M. granulosi sp. nov. and M. tijuca sp. nov. in the narrow yellow forewing with light stripes along the veins. From the former it differs in the shorter metatibia (MT 0.4 versus 0.6; MT/HW <0.9 versus 1.1) and female terminalia (FP 0.4 versus 0.6). From the latter it differs in the fully developed median suture of the vertex (versus partly reduced) and the shape of the apical dilation of the distal segment of the aedeagus (sickle-shaped versus oblong-oval, in lateral view).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. parva sp. nov.; B, M. guatteriae sp. nov.; C, M. macaireae sp. nov.; D, M. tijuca sp. nov.; E, M. falcata sp. nov.; F, M. spinosa sp. nov.; G, M. amazonica sp. nov.; H, M. cacantis sp. nov.; I, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; J, M. francisi sp. nov.

FIGURE 15. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. variegata sp. nov., ♂; B, M. variegata sp. nov., ♀; C, M. parva sp. nov.; D, M. guatteriae sp. nov.; E, M. macaireae sp. nov.; F, M. tijuca sp. nov.; G, M. falcata sp. nov., ♂; H, M. falcata sp. nov., ♀; I, M. spinosa sp. nov.; J, M. amazonica sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 24. Melanastera macaireae sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; D–E, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; F, paramere, dorsal view; G, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. tijuca sp. nov. H, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; I, paramere, inner face, lateral view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; K, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; L, paramere, dorsal view; M, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. falcata sp. nov. N, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; O, paramere, inner face, lateral view; P, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; Q, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; R, paramere, dorsal view; S, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. spinosa sp. nov. T, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; U, paramere, inner face, lateral view; V, paramere, posterior view; W, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; X, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; Y, paramere, dorsal view; Z, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.