Angulapteryx texana (Bartlett & Hagerty & Yanega & Hoddle & Gebiola & Gómez-Marco, 2025)

Angulapteryx texana ( Oman, 1936), comb. nov.

The striated lanternfly

( Figures 19–22A View FIGURE 19 View FIGURE 20 View FIGURE 21 View FIGURE 22 )

= Poblicia texana View in CoL Oman, 1936: 105 (original combination).

Diagnosis. Color mottled grey with a median vitta from head apex to apex of mesonotum (median carina pale). Face bearing strongly developed carinae dorsally enclosing a nearly triangular region and a transverse carina just above frontoclypeal suture. Vertex broad, width about 2.8× midlength. Face broad (width at eyes about 1.4× midlength), dorsal margin convex. Forewings elongate (length about 2.7× width), opaque, irregularly washed with charcoal bearing irregularly placed rounded pale spots. Hindwing fuscous except irregular transparent patches proximally.

Description. Color. Overall coloration ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 ) mottled olive-grey, with darker and paler markings on forewings and body. A dark vitta extends from apex of head to apex of mesonotum (intensity and extent varying), with the median carina of pro- and mesonotum pale. Forewing mainly grey with broad, irregular patches of charcoal (in claval area and irregular wash along the middle of remigium) and bearing many pale, rounded maculations of varying intensity; some specimens also with pale reddish wash. Hindwing greyish to blackish, with 1–2 irregular pale windows near base (sometimes also in claval region). Fore and middle legs olive-grey washed with blackish with extensive pale markings; fore- and middle legs with three dark bands; hind legs paler. Dorsum of abdomen near black proximally, apically reddish.

Structure. Body length (including wings) usually less than 21 mm (males n=1, 18.4 mm; females n=6, 20.3– 21.6 mm, average 20.8 mm). Body in dorsal view ( Fig. 19A View FIGURE 19 ) broad and parallel-sided (weakly laterally convex). Head in dorsal view ( Fig. 19A View FIGURE 19 ) broad and strongly transverse, anteriorly broadly (but weakly) convex, posterior margin concave. Vertex width about 2.8× midlength, carinate on all margins, median carina weaker, disc bearing a conspicuous elongate-oval pit near middle (and a smaller, inconspicuous round pit just anterior and mesad of oval pit). Head in lateral view with face distinctly receding ventrally, inflection at fastigium sharp. Frons (frontal view, Fig. 19C View FIGURE 19 ) broad, roughly quadrate with width at eyes about 1.4× midlength, dorsal margin convex, lateral margins sinuate; face surface bearing fine spots and diagonal striations; median carina on frons upper half, dorsally terminating in transverse carina, all enclosed within strongly developed carina enclosing a nearly triangular area (triangle apex, directed ventrad, not quite closed); a sinuate transverse carina in median third of face above frontoclypeal suture. Clypeus subtriangular, with median carina and arched lateral carinae.

In dorsal view ( Fig. 19A View FIGURE 19 ), pronotum about 2.25× broader than vertex along midline, anterior margin truncate and carinate with lateral potions diagonally sloped (giving anterior margin a broadly trapezoidal appearance); posterior margin weakly angulate, surface weakly striate bearing distinct median carina. Mesonotum triangular, length at midline about equal to combined pronotum + head length, median carina distinct, lateral carinae obscure (laterally curved). Front and middle legs not expanded, hind tibiae with 5 lateral spines, spinulation 7(2+5)-(8–9)-(7–9), with teeth at the apex of tibia large and those on the basitarsus and 2 nd tarsomere in uniform row with lateral teeth largest. Forewing length about 2.7× width, opaque, costal and trailing margin subparallel (costal margin weakly convex, trailing margin weakly concave inflected near apex of clavus), apex narrowing to rounded apex. Hindwings broad, maximum breadth near base, anal lobe well-developed.

Male terminalia. Pygofer in lateral view ( Fig. 20A View FIGURE 20 ) irregular in shape, broadest ventrally, irregularly narrowed dorsad, leading anterior margin concave, caudal margin sinuate, nearly linear for ¾ length (narrowed dorsad); in ventral view, ventral pygofer margin ( Fig. 20B View FIGURE 20 ) concave (medioventral margin weakly convex). Gonostyli very broad and spatulate, proximal lateral portion bearing a conspicuous laterally projected hook before midlength ( Fig. 21B View FIGURE 21 ); apex broadly and sinuately rounded. Phallus stout, bilaterally symmetrical; in lateral view ( Fig. 21A View FIGURE 21 ) horizontally bisected into dorsal and ventral lobes, each subtended by a sclerotized element; dorsal lobe with pair of stout elongate sclerotized rods, each subtending a bifurcated inflatable process; ventral lobe with pair of shorter and slenderer sclerotized rods subtending a membranous element. Anal tube (lateral view, Fig. 20A View FIGURE 20 ) thick, broadened distally, dorsal margin nearly linear, ventral margin sinuate, apical margin smoothly rounded (distal-most point below midline); from ventral or dorsal view ( Fig. 21E View FIGURE 21 ), apex deeply concave, lateral margin projected.

Plant associations. Reported collected from the trunk of Juniperus virginiana L., and on ‘Cedar’ (label data given below). In this study, nymphs were collected from Juniperus deppeana Steud. by fogging.

Remarks. Angulapteryx texana comb. nov. is easily separated from other US Poiocerini by general color pattern including the broad median dark vitta. Angulapteryx texana comb. nov. is similar in general proportions to Scaralina marmorata (Spinola) , but has opaque (not partially transparent forewings) which are held partially overlapping in repose ( Scaralina marmorata wings are held weakly diverging).

Angulapteryx texana comb. nov. appears to have undergone a recent eastern expansion in distribution. In Bartlett et al. (2014), the species was known only from Arkansas and Texas, but now iNaturalist records it throughout the eastern United States ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 ). This species seems poorly represented in institutional collections.

There are several disjunct records ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 ) attributed to Angulapteryx texana comb. nov. from Central Mexico ( Fig. 22B, e.g View FIGURE 22 ., states of Jalisco, iNaturalist observation 64748274, Guanajuato, observations 61228128, 35147587, Querétaro, observation 31627477, and Michoacán, observation 32386639). We believe these will likely prove to be undescribed species allied to Angulapteryx texana comb. nov., but we do not have specimens to make this determination. Also, we note that the Arizona population appears to be disjunct relative to the eastern population. It is possible that the eastern and western US populations of Angulapteryx gen. nov. may represent different species, but we lacked the needed data and specimens to adequately address this question, although we hope to return to the problem in the future.

Plant Associations. Juniperus virginiana L. and ‘Cedar’ (from label data).A specimen from Arizona (at UCRC) is from an area with abundant Juniperus deppeana , and nymphs tentatively associated with this taxon were found on this host plant (pers. obs., DY).

Distribution. USA: AR, AZ, DC, IL, MD, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA; also reported Mexico ( Guanajuato, Michoacán, Querétaro, Jalisco) ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 , see Remarks).

Material examined. Type material (USNM, holotype, male) “Dallas/IX.21 Tex // GeoMGreene/Collection// Poblicia / Texana / Oman // Type No./ 51616 / U.S.N.M. [red paper]”, Paratype “ParisTx / 10.8 1904 // on cedar // CRJones / Collector // Paratype No. 51616 / U.S. N.M. [red paper] // Poblicia / texana / Oman / Det. PWOman // UDCC_TCN 00102586 [2d barcode label]”.

Other material examined. USA: TEXAS: Brazos Co., 12.X.1955 ( 1 female, TAMU) ; same, 12.X.1936, H.C. Johnston Collector ( 1 female, TAMU) ; College Station , H.J. Reinhard collector ( 1 female, TAMU) ; College Station, University Campus, Student collection, 28.X.2008, Thomas Hutto ( 1 female, TAMU) ; Montgomery Co., Montgomery City Park [understood as Cedar Brake Park], 25.X.2007, B.M. Drees, on trunk of Juniperus virginiana ( 2 females, TAMU) .

iNaturalist State Records: USA: ARIZONA: Yavapai Co. (244701702, 244701537). ARKANSAS: Benton Co. (961517504), Craighead Co. (200134382), Madison Co. (8713829), Washington Co. (189796259). DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA (250917457). ILLINOIS: Saline Co. (134628978). KENTUCKY: Warren Co. (249827214). MARYLAND: Frederick Co. (100811485), Prince George’s Co. (98730473). MISSISSIPPI: Montgomery Co. (58804582). MISSOURI: Greene Co. (135123900, 246707994). NORTH CAROLINA: Durham Co. (16997853), Lee Co. (17313973), Randolph Co. (246249220), Wake Co. (248112245). OKLAHOMA: Tulsa Co. (185502284). SOUTH CAROLINA: Abbeville Co. (95028199), Greenville Co. (35073002), Richland Co. (140315009). TENNESSEE: Clay Co. (185838447), Shelby Co. (138403100), Williamson Co. (95290833), Wilson Co. (148971077). VIRGINIA: Chesapeake Co. (245654726), Loudoun Co. (191225500).

Angulapteryx sp. iNaturalist Records: MEXICO: Aguascalientes (250695724), Querétaro, (31627477), Distrito Federal (252306883), Durango (240838706), Guanajuato (61228128, 35147587), Jalisco (64748274), Michoacán (32386639).