Poblicia cribrata ( Gerstaecker, 1860 )

Poblicia cribrata ( Gerstaecker, 1860) , restored name, new combination—The obscure speckled lanternfly

( Figure 13 View FIGURE 13 )

= Poiocera venosa Walker, 1851: 298 View in CoL (nec Germar) (original description).

= Poiocera cribrata Gerstaecker, 1860 View in CoL (replacement name for preoccupied Poiocera venosa Walker View in CoL (nec Germar).

Gerstaecker 1860: 227 [described].— Metcalf 1947: 43 [cataloged as synonym of Poiocera venosa View in CoL ].— Nast 1951: 270 [As P. venosa View in CoL , synonym of Crepusia fuliginosa View in CoL ].— Porion 1994: 21 [cataloged as venosa View in CoL ].

Amended diagnosis. Vertex not elongate (vertex shorter than P. misella , similar to P.fuliginosa and P.thanatophana ), lateral compartments without distinct pits. Forewings maculated with irregularly arranged bluish spots (with similar spotting on both sides of nodal line), forewings lacking fine, irregular pale reticulate lines in cells proximad to the nodal line, distal white dashes between veins distal to nodal line also absent. Hindwings broad, apex and proximal portion washed with fuscous, basal portion with two large, irregular, bluish spots (similar to P. fuliginosa ).Abdominal terga broadly red.

Remarks. Poiocera cribrata was proposed as a replacement name for Poiocera venosa Walker (nec Germar) in Gerstaecker, 1860. Walker’s type specimen ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 ) in the BPBM collection does not have locality information and was reported as being from an uncertain locality ( Walker 1851: 298–299). As noted under remarks of P. fuliginosa, Nast (1951: 270) synonymized Poiocera venosa under ‘ Crepusia’ fuliginosa ( Olivier, 1791) . Based on the type of Poiocera venosa , this synonymy is in error. The pattern of spotting in the forewing differs in that the many fine, irregular pale reticulate lines in cells proximad to the nodal line and distal white dashes between veins present in both P. fuliginosa and P. thanatophana are absent. The maculations on the forewings of P. cribrata may be comparable to those on the forewing of P. misella (although fewer), but P. misella has a conspicuously more elongate vertex, and so we conclude that P. cribrata is not a synonym of any of these three Poblicia species. Unfortunately, we only have a dorsal view of the type and were unable to locate any additional specimens of P. cribrata , nor definitive observations of this species on iNaturalist. Since the intended scope of this work was to reconsider the US species of Poblicia , we considered further diagnostic reevaluation of P. cribrata to be outside of our scope, but we here restore Poblicia cribrata as a new combination and a valid species of Poblicia .

Gerstaecker’s reference specimen ( Figs 16–17 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 , erroneously labeled as a type specimen) at the MFNB is reported as being from Brazil, based on the specimen labels). Unfortunately, this specimen does not appear to represent the same species of Poblicia as Walker’s type specimen of Poiocera venosa . While the Gerstaecker specimen is labeled as being from Brazil, the specimen appears quite similar to P. fuliginosa in that it has a red abdomen and forewing markings similar to P. fuliginosa . While it appears reasonable that P. fuliginosa may be present in Mexico, we have no records (specimens or iNaturalist records) of Poblicia south of Mexico, and so we are unclear whether Gerstaecker’s specimen is a mislabeled P. fuliginosa , or that otherwise undetected Poblicia species are present in southern Mesoamerica into South America.

Plant associations. None reported.

Distribution. Not reported, probably Central America.

Material examined. Type material ( BMNH, holotype, female) “Type [circular label, green border] / Poiocera / venosa Walk / ≠ Poblicia fuliginosa [handwritten, possibly by Lois O’Brien] ”

Other material examined ( MFNB, female) “4681 // cribrata / gerst.* / venosa Walker / Brasil N. Olfers [green paper] // Typus [red paper] // MfN URI / http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u/de65d0 [2D barcode label]” .