A new species of Calloconophora Dietrich (Hemiptera, Membracidae) from the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil

Uma nova espécie de Calloconophora Dietrich (Hemiptera, Membracidae) do semi-árido do nordeste do Brasil

SYSTEMATICS, MORPHOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY

A new species of Calloconophora Dietrich (Hemiptera, Membracidae) from the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil¹

Uma nova espécie de Calloconophora Dietrich (Hemiptera, Membracidae) do semi-árido do nordeste do Brasil

Antonio José Creao-Duarte^I; Rembrandt Romano D. A. Rothéa^II

^IDepartamento de Sistemática e Ecologia. Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I. 58059-900 João Pessoa-PB. [e-mail]

^IICNPq fellowship. [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

A new species of treehopper, Calloconophora gaudencia sp. nov., from Araruna, Paraíba State, is described and illustrated.

Keywords: Aconophorini; Caatinga; Homoptera; Membracinae; Taxonomy.

RESUMO

Calloconophora gaudenciasp. nov., coletada em Araruna-PB, é descrita e ilustrada.

Palavras-chave: Aconophorini; Caatinga; Homoptera; Membracinae; Taxonomia.

Calloconophora Dietrich (in Dietrich & Deitz, 1991) is a genus closely related to Aconophora Fairmaire, 1846 and Guayaquila Goding, 1920. The main character that distinguishes it from the others is the basal half of forewings entirely and densely punctuate. In McKamey's (1998) catalogue, 17 species are recorded, all restricted to the Neotropical region, being distributed from south of Mexico to Argentina. In the present work a new species is described based on specimens collected in the municipalities of Araruna and São José dos Cordeiros, both located in a semi-arid region (Caatinga) in the State of Paraiba.

The abbreviations mentioned in the text are: DSE - Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia; UFPB - Universidade Federal da Paraíba.

Calloconophora gaudencia sp. nov.

(Figs. 1a, ^b, ^c)

Measurements (in mm). Female/male. Body length: 8.95/6.65; pronotum length: 7.92/5.50; pronotum height: 3.72/2.30; forewing length: 5.70/4.60; head width: 3.09/2.61; head height: 1.14/1.11; distance between humeral angles: 3.49/2.93.

Diagnosis. Male with anterior process short, more or less triangular; aedeagus U-shaped, corona with two projections turned cephalad, gonopore membrane projected and without microtrichia. Female with anterior process well developed, in lateral view falciform, parallel-sided, apex rounded.

Holotype male. Color. Head, pronotum, thorax, and abdomen reddish brown. Margin of pronotal horn black. Forewings with membrane smoky-hyaline, slightly yellow, with maculae on second apical cell and on anterior edge of limbus. Legs, except coxa and trochanter, yellow.

Body densely pubescent, including forewings. Head twice as wide as long; ocelli closer to eyes than to each other; posclypeus deflected downwards, without transversal fold. Pronotum, in lateral view, with anterior process short, subtriangular, projected upwards and forwards, with laminate margins. Posterior process gradually tapering, apex not exceeding 5th apical cell. Metopidium with two supraocular callosities. Forewings with basal half entirely and densely punctate. Legs with pro- and mesothoracic tibiae subfoliaceous; setal formula of posterior tibia 4-5: 7-8:0. Abdomen with transverse carina on sternum IV. Genitalia: aedeagus U-shaped, with median carina on anterior face, apex not elevated, corona with two projections directed cephalad; gonopore membrane produced and without microtrichia.

Female. Pronotal horn well developed, in lateral view, falciform, margins distinctly laminate, parallel-sided, about three times longer than wide, apex rounded.

Comments. This species is similar to Calloconophora rubricornis Dietrich, 1991, especially the female, in having the anterior process almost as long as the posterior process, and distinctly laminate. The male, on the other hand, presents the anterior process very short, represented by a triangular-laminar projection above the metopidium. The apex of aedeagus is not elevated, and the gonopore membrane projected.

Host plant. The specimens were collected on Mimosa sp. (Leguminosae, Mimosaceae).

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Rogéria Gaudencia do Rêgo (UFPB).

Holotype male. "Parque Estadual, Pedra da Boca / Araruna, Paraíba/ 22-23.X.2003 / Rothéa & O. Souza" (UFPB/DSE). Paratypes: 35 males and 27 females (UFPB/DSE) and 5 males and 5 females (DZUP with same data as holotype); 4 females, "Faz[enda]. Almas, São José dos Cordeiros / Paraíba (7º/ 28' S 36º 53' W) / 03-04.V.2003 / Rothéa, R. Col." (UFPB/DSE).

Received 11/05/2006; accepted 13/10/2006

• Dietrich, C. H. & L. L. Deitz. 1991. Revision of the Neotropical Treehopper Tribe Acononophorini (Homoptera: Membracidae). North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. Technical Bulletin 293: 134 pp.
• McKamey, S. H. 1998. Taxonomic Catalogue of the Membracoidea (Exclusive of Leafhoppers). Second Supplement to Fascicle 1 Membracidae of the General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 60: 1377.

1

Work developed under the support of "Programa Ecológico de Longa Duração" (PELD).

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  30 Jan 2007
• Date of issue
  Dec 2006

History

• Received
  11 May 2006
• Accepted
  13 Oct 2006