Melanastera stanopekari, 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 : 105-106

53 Melanastera stanopekari sp. nov.

( Figs 13B , 19H , 34A–F )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: RORAIMA: Uiramutã, Caramambatai , N5.1333 /1466, W60.5850 /5916, 970– 1200 m, 7–14.iv.2015, cf. Virola (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #161(16) ( UFPR; slide; [LSMelsta-51]).

Paratypes. Brazil: RORAIMA: 1 ♀, same as holotype but ( NHMB; slide; NMB-PSYLL0008603 [LSMelsta- 51]) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Yellowish to orange; head and thorax with dark brown dots; head lighter than thorax. Antenna pale brown, scape and pedicel brown, apices of segments 4–8 and entire segments 9–10 dark brown. Mesopraescutum with brown patches at fore margin; mesoscutum with four broad pale brown longitudinal stripes, margined by dark brown dots, and one or two median rows of dark brown dots. Forewing ( Fig. 19H ) yellow with irregular, sparse brown dots; apices of pterostigma and Rs, M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a and Cu 1b dark brown. Femora with brown patches; apical tarsal segments brown. Abdominal sternites dark brown.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 19H ) oval, widest in the middle, broadly rounded apically; wing apex situated in cell r 2, near apex of M 1+2; C+Sc weakly curved in distal third; pterostigma slightly narrower than cell r 1, widening to apical third; 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 convex, ending at M fork; surface spinules present in all cells, forming hexagons mostly of a double row of spinules, spinules leaving narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, spinules absent from basal part of cell c+sc. Hindwing with (3–4) + (2–3) grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 9–10 grouped apical spurs, arranged as (4–5) + (5–6), anteriorly separated by 3 bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 34A–F ). Male. Proctiger produced posteriorly; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate subglobular; dorsal margin curved; posterior margin weakly convex; with long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly lanceolate, incised in basal quarter at posterior margin; apex subacute, in dorsal view, apex directed upwards and slightly inwards, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; outer face with dense, moderately long setae in apical half and long setae posteriorly; inner face with long setae subbasally and posteriorly, dense moderately long setae medially and short setae apically. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part strongly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus weakly curved in basal half, with dorsal margin weakly sinuate; ventral process situated slightly distal of the middle of segment, in lateral view, ventral process tubular with lateral lobes, in dorsal view, ventral process much broader than apical dilation, bearing a subtriangular lobe on either side, apex rounded, lying in the same plane as lateral lobes; apical dilation long and narrow, subparallel-sided, with rounded apex; sclerotised end tube short and nearly straight.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, sinuate, apex pointed, slightly upturned; in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, distinctly cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature. Unknown.

Host plant. Unidentified Myristicaceae (cf. Virola sp. ).

Distribution. Brazil (RR).

Derivation of name. Dedicated to Professor Stano Pekár, group leader at the Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, for his support and help during the project.

Comments. Adults and immatures were collected on cf. Virola sp. The samples DB-DLQ#161(16) with adult M. stanopekari sp. nov. from? Virola and #161(1) with adult M. michali sp. nov. from Miconia , both with immatures, were inadvertedly mixed in the lab (D. Burckhardt, pers. comm.). As the immatures are mostly young instars, they cannot be attributed at present to any of the two species.

Melanastera stanopekari sp. nov. resembles M. discoloris sp. nov. For details see comments under the latter species.

The smithi -group

Description. Adult. Head, in lateral view, inclined at ≥ 45° from longitudinal axis of body ( Fig. 7G, H ). Vertex ( Fig. 13C–J ) trapezoidal, covered with distinct imbricate microsculpture and microscopical setae. Thorax weakly to strongly arched, covered with microscopical setae; metapostnotum with distinct longitudinal keel. Forewing ( Figs 19I, J , 20A–F ) uniformly coloured, with small brown dots; pterostigma expanding towards the middle or apical third, longer than 4.0 times as wide; vein R 1 weakly convex or straight medially; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly acuminate or lanceolate. Ventral process of the distal aedeagal segment, in lateral view, curved and with long apico-median lobe; in dorsal view, wider than apical dilation.

Immature. Antenna 10-segmented.

Comments. The group comprises eight species from Brazil, including Melanastera smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço) . All species develop on Melastomataceae ( Miconia , Pleroma ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Habitus of adult Paurocephalini. A, Klyveria crassiflagellata (Burckhardt); B, Melanastera moquiniastri sp. nov.; C, M. olgae sp. nov.; D, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; E, M. virolae sp. nov.; F, M. melanocephala sp. nov.; G, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; H, M. smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. atlantica sp. nov.; B, M. stanopekari sp. nov; C, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; D, M. simillima sp. nov.; E, M. trianae sp. nov.; F, M. cinerascentis sp. nov.; G, M. minutiflorae sp. nov.; H, M. cannabinae sp. nov.; I, M. prasinae sp. nov.; J, M. smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço); K, M. granulosi sp. nov.; L, M. sebiferae sp. nov.

FIGURE 19. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. burchellii sp. nov.; B, M. barretoi sp. nov.; C, M. sericeae sp. nov.; D, M. tristis sp. nov.; E, M. discoloris sp. nov.; F, M. truncata sp. nov.; G, M. atlantica sp. nov.; H, M. stanopekari sp. nov.; I, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; J, M. simillima sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 20. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. trianae sp. nov.; B, M. cinerascentis sp. nov.; C, M. minutiflorae sp. nov.; D, M. cannabinae sp. nov.; E, M. prasinae sp. nov.; F, M. smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço); G, M. granulosi sp. nov.; H, M. sebiferae sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 34. Melanastera stanopekari sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, paramere, dorsal view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; E, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; F, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. sellowianae sp. nov. G, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; H, paramere, inner face, lateral view; I, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; K, paramere, dorsal view; L, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. simillima 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. trianae 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.