Scaralis (Alphinoides) Yanega, 2024

Yanega, Douglas, Goemans, Geert, Dam, Matthew Van, Gómez-Marco, Francesc & Hoddle, Mark, 2024, Description of a new genus of North and Central American planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) with fourteen new species, Zootaxa 5443 (1), pp. 1-53 : 44-46

Scaralis (Alphinoides) Yanega , subgen. nov.

Type species. Poiocera quadricolor Walker, 1858 , by present designation.

Etymology. The name is coined as a reference to the general resemblance to members of Alphina in wing shape, head shape, and abdominal coloration. For purposes of gender agreement, the name, if subsequently elevated to generic rank, should be considered feminine (ICZN Art. 30.1.4.4).

Diagnosis. Examination of the holotypes of three species ( Scaralis nigronotata Stål, 1863 , Poiocera quadricolor Walker, 1858 , and Poiocera semilimpida Walker, 1851 ), and “ paratypes ” of another ( Scaralis fluvialis Lallemand, 1956 ; labeled by Lallemand as paratypes, but the original publication did not include them), reveals them to be very close to one another, and quite unlike species such as neotropicalis , obscura , picta (the type species of Scaralis ), and versicolor Distant, 1906, and the former four species are here transferred to a new subgenus Alphinoides , in the hopes that future work will better reveal their relationships. We suspect that Alphinoides may prove to be a monophyletic lineage distinct from Scaralis , but this analysis is beyond the scope of the present work (as only one species extends into Mesoamerica, the proper circumscription of these taxa is not considered essential here). It may prove to be more closely related to Scaralina than Scaralis s.s. Fairly distinctive features of Alphinoides are the hindwings with an anal region that is broadly black in coloration (in all but one species examined; semilimpida ); the vertex only 3–4 times as wide as long (5 or more times in Scaralis s.s.); the abdomen is dorsally entirely black, with a pale margin to the apical segment (in all but two species examined); the versteifung is low but somewhat more abbreviated and more nearly angulate than in Scaralis s.s. ( Fig. 4 ); the pigmented portion of the forewings typically extends to the nodal arc, but not beyond as in Scaralis s.s. At least a few species (including some undescribed taxa known only from photos) have banded legs, typical of Alphina and Scaralina , but not shared with Scaralis s.s. The male gonostyli of the species for which males could be examined are broadly open dorsally but somewhat incurved apically, and the gonostylar hooks are small but sharply acute, both feature somewhat intermediate between Scaralis s.s and Scaralina . The anal tube is shorter, more tapering at the base, and apically shallowly emarginate, more similar to Scaralina than to Scaralis s.s. (compare Figs 10 & 11 ). The second antennomere is also intermediate, being slightly ovoid and asymmetric ( Figs 7 , 97 ), though not nearly so large as in Scaralis s.s. ( Fig. 103 ). Several structural features show greater similarity to Scaralina , though the asymmetric antennae, weak pubescence, highly contrasting venation, and dorsally open aedeagal apparatus are similar to Scaralis s.s.

Composition. 6 species: Scaralis fluvialis Lallemand, 1956 ; S. inbio Yanega sp. nov.; S. nigronotata Stål, 1863 ; S. quadricolor ( Walker, 1858) ; S. semilimpida ( Walker, 1851) ; S. spectabilis ( Walker, 1858) .

Notes on included species. There has been some confusion between Scaralis nigronotata and S. spectabilis ( Walker, 1858) ; many specimens in museum collections and identified online as spectabilis are indistinguishable from the type of nigronotata , whose type we have examined, but Porion published a photograph of the type of spectabilis and it is not the same taxon as nigronotata . Regardless, it is closely related, and we here also place spectabilis in Alphinoides . The two “ paratypes ” of S. fluvialis may not be conspecific with each other or with the holotype, but they were seen by Lallemand and belong in this group of species, and Lallemand specifically indicated a relationship to spectabilis . Also, Porion’s photograph of nigronotata from Guyana (miscaptioned as # 52 in the plate, but corresponding to # 55 in the text) is definitely not nigronotata , and likely to be an undescribed species. Finally, Scaralis semilimpida shows, in its head and wing shape, clear affinities to taxa such as nigronotata , though the red abdomen and hindwing bases are not consistent with any of the other described taxa in the subgenus. To this lineage, we add a species described here as new, Scaralis inbio , whose affinities lie clearly with fluvialis, quadricolor , and spectabilis , though it possesses a few of its own unique features.

Description. Head. Vertex roughly 3 to 4 times as wide as long, defined by lamellate rim, produced into rounded supra-ocular lobes, which may be slightly elevated above dorsoposterior eye margin; posterior rim reflexed anteriorly. Rims may be pigmented, but otherwise vertex typically marked in the posterolateral corners, if marked at all. Sub-ocular lobes typically weak and rounded. Frons bulging and somewhat convex for most of its surface, smooth to slightly wrinkled and with or without dark markings; often with well-defined ridges, such as a medial ridge and/or converging lateral ridges, which may include ridges arising from the clypeal base (thus with 5 evident ridges all converging on a single point); laterally expanded below and sublobate at corners; reflexed along upper portion to form an appressed flap, the transition rounded rather than an obtuse angle (relative to the plane of the lower frons), delimited above by strong transverse crease, dorsal reflexed portion smooth. Clypeus triangular, only slightly longer than broad, fairly smoothly convex but often very shallowly concave near midline, with sides nearly straight to slightly concave; upper margin typically gently arcuate. Main segment of rostrum typically extending to metacoxae; in most species, mostly pale except apical segment, and anterior (ventral) ridges also somewhat darkened. Antennal base concealed in protruding socket; basal antennal segment often darkened dorsally, otherwise pale; second segment small (diameter slightly larger than antennal socket diameter), typically slightly ovoid ( Figs 7 , 97 ), with pale circular to ovoid sensillae; stylus apical, elongate, dark, with a small basal bulbosity, arising from slight indentation. Ocellus present in angle between frons and lower eye margin, translucent yellowish.

Thorax. Dorsal and lateral surfaces with pubescence extremely short and fine, typically hardly evident. Pleura sometimes with fine pollinose wax layer. Pronotum with a well-developed medial carina; there is also a sub-lamellate lateral anterior rim that starts near the inner eye margin, and continues to near the middle of the tegula, below the eye; there is another oblique carina just ventral to this, continuing onto the ventral posterior lobe of the pronotum, which approximates the forecoxal bases and partly overlaps the anterior face of the mesepisternum; there is also commonly a low transverse ridge immediately preceding the dorsoposterior margin of the prontoum; typically with paired, dark granular spots, usually a somewhat pitlike anteromedial pair, a larger postero-medial pair, and a small lateral post-ocular pair (at the indentation immediately behind the outer posterior edge of the eye). Mesonotum with low longitudinal medial and lateral carinae, the latter sinuate to varying degrees, ending posteriorly at the outer edges of a pair of small and typically dark posterior granular spots (the inner edges of which may sometimes be bordered by a weak inner posterior carina that starts at the terminus of the lateral longitudinal carina), and the inner edges of much larger granular spots (dark at least in part) which are variously interrupted anteriorly; the lateral carinae at the extreme anterior edge are strongly angled inward and converge at the midline, but these anterior “arms” may be hidden underneath the posterior pronotal margin; the medial carina becomes obscure posteriorly, ending in an upward-angled semi-acute lobe that is typically creased or wrinkled transversely at its base. Mesopleuron delimited from mesosternum by a strongly and fairly evenly arcuate ridge running from the upper posterior corner of the procoxal membrane to the upper anterior corner of the mesocoxa. Mesocoxa with dorsoposterior spine absent or scarcely evident. Femora weakly convex on anterior face, more strongly so on posterior face, with only two well-defined longitudinal setose ridges, along the anterior dorsal and ventral edges, and sometimes faint traces of a posterior setose ridge. Legs generally uniform in color, sometimes with fore- and mid-tibiae strongly banded.

Wings. Forewings with nodal line absent or scarcely evident; versteifung low, somewhat trapezoidal, fairly short, and proximally not angulate ( Fig. 4 ); pigmented portion (not counting the postcostal cell) typically extending over roughly half the length, sometimes reaching the weak nodal line; apical portion clear or stained hyaline, without maculations or patterning. Vein MP typically with 2–3 branches, CuA typically with 2, MP roughly equidistant between CuA and ScP+R. Venation of hyaline wing portions relatively coarse, though crossveins denser and much more irregular in pigmented portion, basal venation typically brightly colored, in contrast to nearly opaque black or dark brown pigmented membrane. Hindwings with membrane of anal region typically partially or entirely black, sometimes extending to cover nearly half the wing; often with small pale blue markings near base, rarely red or orange.

Abdomen. Most species with tergites and pleurites predominantly dark, and sternites predominantly pale (whitish to reddish); dorsal pale markings generally restricted to tergum 6, which may be white apically; a few species with orange-red coloration over 2 or more terga. Spiracles large, one dorsal at base of abdomen, others in the dorsal pleurites. Terga with sublateral pits concolorous with surrounding cuticle. Female tergum 6 produced into a supra-anal plate, but generally not entirely concealing anal tube; roughly twice the length of any of the preceding terga. Wax production evidently somewhat limited, typically a faint residue at the base of the genitalia, and traces in the spiracular apertures, rarely on abdomen or pleura.

Male terminalia. For the two species that have been possible to assess: The gonostylar hooks are small and short, but evenly tapered and acute, unlike Scaralis s.s. ( Fig. 93 ); dorsal margin of gonostyli swollen at setose bulge but otherwise poorly developed, margin very thin, and incurved, apically, only enclosing the extreme tip of the aedeagal apparatus (if the anal tube is removed, the aedeagal apparatus is almost fully exposed) ( Fig. 98 ). Anal tube short with broad, shallowly semicircular apical concavity ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Antenna of Scaralis (Alphinoides) nr. semilimpida; arista not visible.

FIGURES 4–5. Versteifung, underside of left forewing, viewed from posteroventral angle in both photos, so wing base is to the left; (4) Scaralis (Alphinoides) semilimpida; (5) Scaralina obrienae.

FIGURES 10–11. Male anal tubes, dorsal view; (10) Scaralis (Scaralis) sp.; (11) Scaralis (Alphinoides) inbio.

FIGURES 95–98. Scaralina (Alphinoides) inbio. (95) habitus (holotype male); (96) head and thorax; (97) face; (98) male genitalia, dorsal view (anal tube removed).

FIGURES 99–104. Faces of different genera of Poiocerini. (99) Calyptoproctus sp.; (100) Hypaepa nr. zapotensis; (101) Jamaicastes basistella; (102) Matacosa miscella; (103) Scaralis sp.; (104) Scaralina obfusca (female).

FIGURES 91–93. Male genitalia of Scaralina species, lateral view.(91) S. obfusca; (92) S. sullivani; (93) Scaralis (Alphinoides) inbio, sub-lateral view.