Melanastera itatiaia, 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 : 78-79

32 Melanastera itatiaia sp. nov.

( Figs 11C , 17G , 28S–X )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: RIO DE JANEIRO: Itatiaia, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Mirante do Último Adeus , S22.4589, W44.6071, 790 m, 15‒18.iv.2019, Pleroma granulosum (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #332(2) ( UFPR; slide; [LSMelita-109]).

Paratypes. Brazil: RIO DE JANEIRO: 1 ♀, same as holotype but ( NHMB; slide; NMB-PSYLL0007936 [LSMelita-109]) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Yellow; head and thorax with dark brown dots. Antennal segments 3–9 apically and segment 10 entirely dark brown. Mesoscutum with four broad longitudinal stripes, margined by dark brown dots, and one row of dots in the middle. Forewing ( Fig. 17G ) yellow with brown pattern consisting of distinct, irregularly spaced dots; apices of veins Rs, M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a and Cu 1b brown.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 17G ) oblong-oval, widest in the middle, slightly irregularly rounded apically; wing apex situated in cell r 2, near apex of M 1+2; C+Sc curved in distal third; pterostigma relatively slightly wider than r 1 cell in the middle, widening to apical quarter; Rs relatively straight in basal two thirds, weakly curved to fore margin apically; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4; Cu 1a irregularly curved, ending slightly proximal of M fork; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving very narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, forming hexagons of a double row of spinules. Hindwing with 3 + 2 grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 8–9 grouped apical spurs, arranged as 3–4 + 4–5, anteriorly separated by 3 bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 28S–X ). Male. Proctiger with weakly convex posterior margin; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate subglobular; dorsal margin strongly curved in distal third; posterior margin slightly concave; with long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, relatively evenly lanceolate, broadest medially; apex, in lateral view, blunt, directed upwards; in dorsal view, apex narrow, subacute, directed upwards and slightly inwards, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; both outer and inner faces with dense, moderately long setae; posterior margin with longer setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part moderately subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus in basal half with weakly sinuate dorsal margin; ventral process situated slightly distal of the middle of the segment, in lateral view, ventral process small, narrow, simple, lamellar, lacking lateral lobes, in dorsal view, ventral process lanceolate, broadest in apical third; apical dilation, in lateral view, relatively narrow, weakly curved, with narrowly rounded apex, dorsal part of apical dilation membranous and produced at base; sclerotised end tube moderately long and slightly curved.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, weakly convex distal to circumanal ring, apex slightly upturned, pointed; in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, distinctly, abruptly narrowing to apex in apical half, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt or truncate.

Fifth instar immature. Unknown.

Host plant. Adults were collected on Pleroma granulosum (Desr.) D.Don ( Melastomataceae ) which is possibly a host.

Distribution. Brazil (RJ).

Derivation of name. Named after the Itatiaia National Park, where the types were collected.

Comments. Within the trematos -group, M. itatiaia sp. nov. resembles M. pusilliflorae sp. nov. in the forewing colour, shape and venation and the symmetrically lanceolate paramere. Melanastera itatiaia differs from M. pusilliflorae in the lighter body colour, FL/FW> 2.28 (versus FL/FW <2.28), the shorter ventral process of the distal aedeagal segment and the apically pointed and slightly upturned female proctiger (versus subacute and straight).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♀; B, M. cabucu sp. nov.; C, M. itatiaia sp. nov.; D, M. pusilliflorae sp. nov.; E, M. goldenbergi sp. nov.; F, M. clavata sp. nov.; G, M. tibialis sp. nov.; H, M. pleromatos sp. nov.; I, M. ingariko sp. nov.; J, M. brasiliensis sp. nov.

FIGURE 17. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. trematos sp. nov.; B, M. virolae sp. nov.; C, M. inconspicuae sp. nov.; D, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♂; E, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♀; F, M. cabucu sp. nov.; G, M. itatiaia sp. nov.; H, M. pusilliflorae sp. nov.; I, M. goldenbergi sp. nov.; J, M. clavata sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 28. Melanastera inconspicuae sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; E, paramere, dorsal view; F, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. dimorpha sp. nov. G, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; H, paramere, inner face, lateral view; I, paramere, dorsal view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; K, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; L, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. cabucu sp. nov. M, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; N, paramere, inner face, lateral view; O, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; P, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; Q, paramere, dorsal view; R, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. itatiaia sp. nov. S, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; T, paramere, inner face, lateral view; U, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; V, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; W, paramere, dorsal view; X, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.