Belbina bloetei Lallemand, 1959

Constant, Jérôme, 2014, Revision of the Malagasy lanternfly genus Belbina Stål, 1863, with two new species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 102, pp. 1-37 : 16-17

Belbina bloetei Lallemand, 1959

Figs 2A–E , 15–16 , 46

Belbina blotei Lallemand, 1959: 92 , fig. 40a–b (lateral view of head, wing venation) (type in RMNH).

Belbina blotei – Constant 2004b: 31 (listed).

Note

The species epithet refers to the Dr H.C. Blöte (RMNH) and is emended following the article 32.5.2.1 of ICZN (1999).

Diagnostic characters

(1) disc of hind wings red ( Fig. 2A ); (2) size more than 26 mm; (3) cephalic process projecting dorsad, broad ( Fig. 2D–E ); (4) ground colour of tegmina and head pale rosy brown; (5) rectangular pale patch on clavus ( Fig. 2A, C ).

LT: ♂ (n = 1) 27.0 mm; ♀ (n = 1) 29.5 mm.

Material examined

Holotype

MADAGASCAR: ♀ (examined on photographs), [Madagascar, coll. Lambert.] [environs de Tananarive] [Type] [ Belbina blotei Lall., V. Lallemand det., 195] [ RMNH.INS.780532], Tananarive (Antananarivo), 18°55’ S, 47°31’ E ( RMNH). – Note: “Lambert” = Lamberton.

Paratypes

MADAGASCAR: 1 ♀ (examined on photographs), [Madagascar, rec. Lamberton] [environs de Tananarive] [ Belbina blotei Lallemand, V. Lallemand det., 195] [Paratype] [ RMNH.INS.780531] ( RMNH); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, [environs de Tananarive] ( FSAG). Note: Lallemand (1959) stated that all types are deposited in RMNH but he actually retained 2 paratypes in his collection (now in FSAG).

Additional material

MADAGASCAR: 1 ♂, Mahajanga Prov., Forêt de Tsimembo, 8.7 km 336° NNW of Soatana, 19°1’17” S, 44°26’26” E, 20 m, 21–25 Nov. 2001, at light in tropical dry forest, Fisher, Griswold et al. ( CAS); 2 ♀♀, near Tananarive, Lamberton ( RBINS); 2 ♀♀, Morondava à Mahabo, Last 1854-91, 20°20’ S, 44°28’30” E ( MNHN); 1 ♂, Madagascar ( NMPC); 1 ♂, no data ( NCSU).

1 ♀, erroneously labelled Soekaboemi, Java ( INHS).

Male genitalia

Dark red ( Figs 15–16 ); pygofer higher than long and with posterior margin concave in middle in lateral view ( Fig. 15 ); anal tube slightly elongate, 1.16 times longer than broad at apex and with lateral margins bisinuate in dorsal view ( Fig. 16 ); margin of anal opening pointed posteriorly ( Fig. 15 ) and hiding lateral margin apically in dorsal view ( Fig. 16 ); gonostyli elongate, 1.18 times longer than high (dorsal process included), strongly surpassing apex of anal tube and acutely rounded at apex in lateral view ( Fig. 15 ); ventral margin straight on basal 1/5, then strongly excavate ( Fig. 15 ); dorsal margin with basal strong digitiform process projecting laterodorsally, strong hook laterally at middle of process projecting posteroventrally and posterior margin of process excavate between apex and hook ( Fig. 15 ); apex of digitiform process rounded and broad in dorsal view ( Fig. 16 ).

Remarks

Belbina bloetei is a member of the falleni + group, showing strong basodorsal digitiform process on gonostyli. It can be separated (1) from B. falleni , B. laetitiae sp. nov., B. lambertoni and B. pionneaui by the more strongly concave ventral margin of the gonostyli in lateral view; (2) from B. falleni by the less excavate dorsal margin of the gonostyli in dorsal view; (3) from B. laetitiae sp. nov. and B. lambertoni by the more acute apex of the gonostyli in lateral view; (4) from B. pionneaui by the more rounded apex of the basodorsal digitiform process of the gonostyli.

Distribution

See Fig. 46 .

Figures

Figs 1–3. — 1. Belbina bergrothi. 2. B. bloetei. 3. B. bourgoini sp. nov. — A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Vertex, pro- and mesonotum, dorsal view. D. Head and prothorax, lateral view. E. Frons, normal view. — Scale bar: 10 mm (C–E not to scale).

Figs 13–18. Male genitalia. — 13–14. Belbina bergrothi. 13. Lateral view. 14. Dorsal view. — 15–16. B. bloetei. 15. Lateral view. 16. Dorsal view. — 17–18. B. bourgoini sp. nov. 17. Lateral view. 18. Dorsal view. — An = anal tube, Py = pygofer, G = gonostylus. Photographs by Y. Laurent & I. Bachy.

Figs 46–49. Distribution maps. — 46. Belbina bergrothi, B. bloetei and B. madagascariensis. 47. B. bourgoini sp. nov., B. falleni and B. foliacea. 48. B. laetitiae sp. nov. 49. B. lambertoni.