Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella, Malenovský & Serbina & Queiroz, 2025

Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 )

Type mAteriAl. HOlOtype ♂: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, Parque Estadual do Rio Preto , posterior park entrance, S18.1282° W43.3807°, 1080 m, 11.ix.2019, Chamaecrista ursina , cerrado on rocks, D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz leg., #350(1) ( UFPR; dry-mounted). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 35 ♂♂, 44 ♀♀, same as holotype ( UFPR, 1 ♀, dry-mounted; NHMB, 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ dry-mounted, 30 ♂♂, 38 ♀♀, in 70% ethanol) ; 1 ♂, same as holotype but Prainha , S18.1170° W43.3407°, 760 m, 11‒12.ix.2019, cerrado, #351(3) ( NHMB, dry) GoogleMaps ; 20 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀, 1 imm., same as holotype but Heliponto , S18.0910° W43.3421°, 830 m, 12.ix.2019, cerrado near river, #354(2) ( NHMB, 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 6 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, same as holotype but Heliponto , S18.0882° W43.3366°, 790 m, 13.iv.2021, shrubby cerrado vegetation and gallery forest, #403(1) ( NHMB, MMBC, dry-, slide-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 7 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀, same as holotype but Vau das Éguas , S18.0990° W43.3210°, 720 m, 12.ix.2019, cerrado along river, #355(2) ( NHMB, 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 10 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, same as holotype but Vau das Équas , S18.0995° W43.3301°, 740 m, 15.iv.2021, cerrado vegetation on rocky slope, #407(1) ( NHMB, MMBC, dry-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same as holotype but rock painting, S18.0954° W43.3424°, 880 m, 13.iv.2021, open cerrado vegetation near river on rocks, #402(2) ( NHMB, in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 7 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, same as holotype but Cachoeira do Crioulo , S18.1464° W43.3690°, 890 m, 14.iv.2021, gallery forest and vegetation on rocks, #404(1) ( NHMB, MMBC; dry-, slide-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps . 16 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀, 22 imm., 1 skin, Diamantina, Parque Estadual do Biribiri, Cachoeira da Sentinela , S18.1886° W43.6229°, 1090 m, 14‒15.ix.2019, Chamaecrista ursina , cerrado, riverine vegetation near waterfall, D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz leg., #357(7) ( NHMB, 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ dry-mounted; 12 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, 18 imm., 1 skin in 70% ethanol, 1 imm. slide-mounted; MMBC, 3 imm. slide-mounted) GoogleMaps ; 33 ♂♂, 23 ♀♀, same as preceding but Poço do Estudante , S18.2040° W43.6216°, 1110 m, 16.ix.2019, #359(4) ( NHMB; 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ dry-mounted, 28 ♂♂, 18 ♀♀ in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 3 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, same as preceding but Cachoeira da Sentinela , S18.1863° W43.6143°, 1100 m, 11.iv.2021, cerrado vegetation on rocks, #396(5) ( NHMB, MMBC; dry-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps ; 21 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀, same as preceding but Cachoeira da Sentinela , S18.1831° W43.6184°, 1078 m, 14.ix.2021, Chamaecrista sp. , cerrado vegetation on rocks, D.L. Queiroz leg., #1010(5) ( NHMB, MMBC; dry-, slide-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps . 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Diamantina, Mirante , S17.92389° W43.78654°, 1312 m, 16.ix.2021, Chamaecrista sp. , cerrado vegetation on rocks, D.L. Queiroz leg., #1014(1) ( NHMB, MMBC; dry-, slide-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps . 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Buenópolis, Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral , S17.9218° W44.2526°, 1080 m, 8.iv.2021, Chamaecrista ursina , moderately dense cerrado vegetation, D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz leg., #387(1) ( NHMB, MMBC; dry-mounted and in 70% ethanol) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Adult. Body with a striped pattern. Genal processes small, slightly less than 0.4 times as long as vertex along midline, broadly subconical, with subacute apex. Antenna 2.7–3.0 times as long as head width. Forewing membrane with distinct brownish tinge especially along veins in apical half of wing and in cu 2 cell at wing posterior margin proximal of anal break; surface spinules densely covering all cells up to veins or leaving irregular spinule-free bands along veins. Metatibia long and slender, 1.0–1.5 times as long as head width. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly lamellar, relatively narrow and straight, weakly expanded in apical third, with apex following the longitudinal axis of the paramere, not deflected posteriorly, narrowly rounded. Aedeagus complex, with apical expansion of ventral process, in lateral view, slightly smaller than dorsal lobe; dorsal lobe unipartite. Female proctiger 0.9–1.0 times as long as head width; in lateral view, dorsal outline weakly concave posterior to circumanal ring, otherwise almost straight up to apex. Female subgenital plate 0.6–0.7 times as long as proctiger, relatively broad in proximal half, strongly narrowed in distal half with a well-developed apex, densely beset with moderately long setae, without a group of long setae on dorsum or a spinule-free patch subapically. Fifth instar immature with dorsum covered with numerous robust, very long and shorter capitate setae; rostrum long, reaching up to hind coxae; legs long and slender, 1.1–1.2 times as long as forewing pad, tarsal arolium relatively short, slightly longer than large claws, apical tarsal segment with rows of spiny setae ventrally; abdomen with five transversal rows of large sclerotised tubercles dorsally and laterally anterior to caudal plate, each bearing 1–2 long capitate setae; caudal plate with two lateral and three dorsal tubercles, apex truncate, anus in ventral position, outer circumanal ing situated entirely on ventral side of body, subquadrate in unmounted specimens, sinuate in slide-mounted specimens, strongly indented medially.

Description. Adult. Colouration. Body with a striped pattern. In fully coloured (mature, older) specimens ( Figs 1A–D View FIGURE 1 ; 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ), dorsum of head and thorax creamy with orange to dark brown markings. Vertex with irregular, oblique dark brown streaks in longitudinal depressions passing through discal foveae on either side of midline, antero-lateral margins of vertex and coronal suture narrowly dark brown to black, lateral ocelli bordered with orange to dark brown. Genae and clypeus dark brown, genal processes apically and antennal sockets light creamy; rostrum light brown, with apex dark. Antennae with segments 1–2 light brown, segments 3–5 or 3–6 light brown basally with gradually extending dark brown portion apically, segments 6–10 or 7–10 entirely dark brown. Pronotum with orange brown anterior margin and small spots medially and dark brown spots in lateral and sublateral depressions. Mesopraescutum with large dark brown triangular markings fusing together at anterior margin and small orange to dark brown markings at posterior margin (the latter may be absent). Mesoscutum with four broad dark brown longitudinal bands and sometimes with a smaller orange brown streak at midline close to posterior margin; anterior, posterior and lateral margins narrowly bordered with orange brown. Mesoscutellum with a light brown stripe medially and dark brown anterior and lateral margins. Metanotum light medially, dark brown laterally. Lateral and ventral sclerites of thorax mostly dark brown. Legs with dark brown coxae; femora dark brown basally, lighter brown apically; tibiae light brown, apically infuscate; tarsi infuscate; apical spurs on metatibia and metabasitarsus black ( Fig. 3G, H View FIGURE 3 ). Forewing with veins creamy to light brown at wing base, becoming darker brown towards wing apex; anal vein with dark brown streak proximal of anal break; marginal vein with dark brown streaks at fields of radular spinules in cells m 1, m 2 and cu 1 medially; membrane hyaline, colourless basally, becoming infuscate towards wing apex, with distinct brownish tinge especially along veins in apical half of wing and in cu 2 cell at wing posterior margin proximal of anal break, fields of radular spinules in cells m 1, m 2 and cu 1 darker brown ( Fig. 3A–D View FIGURE 3 ). Hindwing hyaline, costal vein light ochreous. Abdomen dark brown, male terminalia lighter brown, female terminalia with proctiger and subgenital plate dark brown basally and apically, lighter brown medially. In weakly coloured (teneral, younger) specimens ( Figs 1E–H View FIGURE 1 ; 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ), prevailing colour of body including ventral and lateral parts of head and thorax pale yellow to light ochreous, with more or less distinct orange markings, legs entirely pale yellow except infuscated tarsi, rostrum pale yellow with dark apex, the brownish tinge on wing membrane sometimes hardly distinct.

Structure. Head inclined at a 30° angle to the longitudinal axis of the body ( Fig. 1A, B, E, F View FIGURE 1 ). Vertex relatively short, about twice wider than long, with scaly microsculpture ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ), anteriorly separated from genae by deep grooves and with deep, elongate depressions passing obliquely through discal foveae on either side of coronal suture, separated from coronal suture by a relatively narrow and convex area, anteorbital and lateral ocellar tubercles distinctly bulging ( Fig. 2A–D View FIGURE 2 ). Genal processes ( Figs 2A–D View FIGURE 2 , 3E View FIGURE 3 ) small, broadly subconical, irregularly narrowing to a subacute apex, slightly less than 0.4 times as long as vertex along midline. Antenna 10-segmented, filiform, 2.7–3.0 times as long as head width; segment 7 the longest, relative length of individual segments as 1: 0.8: 3.4: 3.1: 3.2: 3.3: 3.5: 2.8: 1.7: 1.1; terminal setae subequal, 0.35 and 0.31 as long as antennal segment 10, respectively ( Fig. 3F View FIGURE 3 ); one single subapical rhinarium on each of segments 4, 6, 8 and 9. Rostrum long, both segments wellvisible in profile ( Fig. 1B, E View FIGURE 1 ), 0.8–1.2 as long as head width. Forewing ( Fig. 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ) obovoid, 3.1–3.7 as long as head width, 2.2–2.5 as long as wide; costal margin moderately, unevenly curved, wing widest in its apical third; wing apex broadly, evenly rounded, lying in cell r 2 submedially; pterostigma relatively narrow, at base 2/3 as broad as adjacent part of cell r 1; vein Cu 1a moderately arched at basal third, cell cu 1 0.6–0.8 times higher than wide. Veins bearing microscopic setae that are slightly longer than vein diameter ( Fig. 3C, D View FIGURE 3 ). Surface spinules present in all cells, coarse and dense in both males and females, becoming denser towards wing apex, covering cells up to veins or leaving irregular spinule-free bands along veins, especially in basal part of wing, indistinct at base of c+sc cell in some specimens ( Fig. 3C, D View FIGURE 3 ); radular spinules forming narrow subtriangular patches at wing margin in cells m 1, m 2 and cu 1 medially. Hindwing with seven costal setae (2 basally, 4 medially and 1 apically on costal vein). Metacoxa with horn-shaped, pointed meracanthus; metatibia long and slender, 1.0–1.5 times as long as head width, distinctly curved submedially, basally with a small, blunt genual spine, apically usually with five sclerotised spurs grouped as 1 + 3 + 1; metabasitarsus with two sclerotised lateral spurs ( Fig. 3 G, H View FIGURE 3 ).

Terminalia. Male proctiger ( Figs 4A View FIGURE 4 , 5A View FIGURE 5 ) 0.5–0.6 times as long as head width, with small, broad posterior lobes in basal quarter. Subgenital plate subglobular. Paramere, in lateral view ( Figs 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ; 5A, B View FIGURE 5 ), irregularly lamellar, relatively narrow and straight, weakly expanded in apical third, with anterior margin almost straight in apical two thirds and posterior margin strongly convex in apical third, apex evenly rounded; outer face with many fine, moderately long, evenly distributed setae; inner surface with dense, fine, moderately long setae and several slightly stouter setae subapically below sclerotised ridge; sclerotised apical ridge approximately in the longitudinal axis of paramere in lateral view, forming a subquadrate tooth oriented inwards in dorsal view ( Figs 4C View FIGURE 4 , 5C View FIGURE 5 ). Distal segments of aedeagus ( Figs 4D, E View FIGURE 4 ; 5D, E View FIGURE 5 ) complex, with unipartite dorsal lobe; dorsal lobe in profile ovoid; ventral process slightly upturned, its apical expansion ovoid, slightly smaller than dorsal lobe in lateral view, with lateral tubercles situated near apex and hardly surpassing apex in dorsal and lateral views; sclerotised end tube of ductus ejaculatorius short, sinuous. Female proctiger ( Figs 4F View FIGURE 4 , 5F View FIGURE 5 ) 0.9–1.0 times as long as head width; in lateral view, dorsal outline weakly concave posterior to circumanal ring, otherwise almost straight, apex straight, narrowly rounded; with moderately long setae around circumanal ring and in proximal two thirds, distal third with a submedian longitudinal row of shorter setae on each side and densely arranged peg setae laterally; circumanal ring slightly less than 0.3 times as long as proctiger, consisting of two rows of unequal pores. Female subgenital plate ( Figs 4F View FIGURE 4 ; 5F View FIGURE 5 ) 0.6–0.7 times as long as proctiger, relatively broad in proximal half, strongly narrowed in distal half with a well-developed apex, densely beset with moderately long setae, without a group of long setae on dorsum or a spinule-free patch subapically; in lateral view, ventral outline slightly sinuous, pointed apically; in ventral view ( Fig. 5G View FIGURE 5 ), lateral margins abruptly narrowing to a narrowly rounded apex.

Mesurements (in mm, 5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀). Body length ♂ 2.6–2.9, ♀ 2.6–3.2. Head width ♂ 0.60–0.70, ♀ 0.64– 0.70. Antenna length ♂ 1.63–1.94, ♀ 1.77–1.85. Forewing length ♂ 1.86–2.37, ♀ 2.12–2.54. Metatibia length ♂ 0.67–1.04, ♀ 0.66–1.08. Male proctiger length 0.29–0.37. Paramere length 0.24–0.26. Length of distal segment of aedeagus 0.25–0.29. Female proctiger length 0.61–0.74.

Fifth instar immature. Colouration ( Fig. 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ). Body light green to orange in living specimens, creamy yellow in specimens preserved in ethanol, antenna (except the third segment), rostrum, apical parts of tibiotarsi, sclerites on head and thoracic dorsum, wing pads, tubercles on abdominal dorsum and caudal plate all dark brown.

Structure. Body ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ) 1.5–2.1 times as long as wide. Dorsum covered with numerous robust, long ( 0.14– 0.20 mm) and short ( 0.04–0.06 mm) capitate setae on head, thorax and abdomen; venter with sparse short finely capitate and simple setae. Antenna ( Fig. 7B View FIGURE 7 ) with 8 segments (divisions), 0.4 times as long as body, 1.3–1.5 times as long as forewing pad; segments 1–2 each bearing one moderately long capitate seta and several shorter fine setae, segment 3 with two pairs of short capitate setae medially and subapically and one slightly shorter capitate seta situated close to each of these pairs on ventral side, segments 4–7 each with 2 + 1 short capitate setae subapically, segment 8 with two small capitate setae submedially and short, subequal, truncate terminal setae; segments 3, 5, 7 and 8 each with a single subapical rhinarium. Rostrum (labium) long, slightly surpassing anterior margin of hind coxae in slide-mounted specimens ( Figs 6B View FIGURE 6 , 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Dorsum with cephaloprothorax well-sclerotised on either side of midline, smaller meso- and metathoracic sclerites partly fused, irregularly shaped. Forewing pad ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ) 0.3 times as long as body, oval, lacking humeral lobe, bearing 6 long and 3 shorter capitate setae marginally and 7 long and 1– 3 shorter capitate setae dorsally. Hindwing pad ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ) bearing one long capitate seta marginally and 5 long and 1 short capitate setae dorsally. Legs slender, densely covered with many short simple setae; metatibiotarsus (including apical tarsal segment) 0.3–0.4 times as long as body, 1.1–1.2 times as long as forewing pad, with one inconspicuous short capitate seta among many simple setae on outer margin subbasally; apical tarsal segment slender, with three pairs of spine-like setae on ventral side (another pair of spine-like setae is placed at the apex of proximal segment); claws large; tarsal arolium relatively short, only slightly longer than claws, subtrapezoidal, with distinct unguitractor and pedicel ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ). Abdomen with five transversal rows of sclerotised tubercles dorsally and laterally anterior to caudal plate, each row consisting of six large tubercles alternating with smaller sclerites, each tubercle or sclerite irregularly circular in outline, each large tubercle bearing one (on dorsum) or two (on abdominal margin) long capitate setae, smaller sclerites each with a short capitate seta ( Figs 6A View FIGURE 6 ; 7A, D View FIGURE 7 ). Caudal plate short, with a large marginal tubercle on either side laterally and three large dorsal tubercles medially; each tubercle bearing a long capitate seta, apex broadly truncate, with a pair of small, slender, narrowly truncate sectasetae on a smaller tubercle on either side of midline, sectasetae much shorter ( 0.03–0.04 mm) than surrounding capitate setae ( Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ). Anus in ventral position, outer circumanal ring situated subapically but entirely on ventral side of body, strongly indented medially on both anterior and posterior margins, strongly expanded laterally, 0.4–0.5 times as broad as caudal plate width, subquadrate in unmounted specimens ( Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 ), sinuate in slide-mounted specimens, consisting of one row of narrowly slit-like pores, inner ring consisting of one row of small round pores ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ); extra pore fields absent.

Measurements (in mm, 4 exx.). Body length 1.74–1.97. Body width 0.94–1.21. Antenna length 0.69–0.79. Forewing pad length 0.52–0.61. Metatibiotarsus (including apical tarsal segment) length 0.61–0.66. Caudal plate width 0.30–0.37. Circumanal ring width 0.14–0.15.

Host plant. Chamaecrista ursina (Mart. ex Benth.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby ( Fabaceae ) ( Fig. 8A, C View FIGURE 8 ). Adults and immatures were collected while walking on their long legs between the sticky glandular trichomes on the young leaves and flower stalks of the host plant ( Fig. 8D–F View FIGURE 8 ).

Distribution. Brazil: Minas Gerais ( Fig. 15A–C View FIGURE 15 ). All known sites are located in the Espinhaço mountain range near the municipalities of Buenópolis, Diamantina and São Gonçalo do Rio Preto in the centre of Minas Gerais at altitudes of 720–1312 m.

Etymology. Dedicated to Daniel Burckhardt ( Fig. 8B View FIGURE 8 ) for his outstanding contribution to the systematics of psyllids and his continuous support to us; diminutive of his surname, alluding to the name of the genus Queiroziella Burckhardt, 2021 , which the new species superficially resembles in the long legs and short genal processes.

Comments. Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella sp. nov. shows a variation in the body colouration of the adults ( Figs 1A–H View FIGURE 1 , 2A–D View FIGURE 2 ), which is probably due to differences in the age of the specimens. Such intraspecific variation is also common in other species of Mitrapsylla ( Rendón-Mera et al. 2020) . The adults studied here also show a relatively large variation in overall body size and the relative length of the hind tibia, as well as some variation in the distribution of surface spinules on the forewing membrane ( Fig. 3C, D View FIGURE 3 ). Since other characters, particularly the structure of the male and female terminalia, are constant in the different specimens and no consistent patterns could be identified, this variation is also considered to be intraspecific and perhaps partly due to the quality of the host plant (cf. Sutton 1984). The p -distance between specimens of M. burckhardtiella from different localities is 5.7–7.0% for COI and 4.8–8.6% for cytb. This is also quite high for intraspecific variation in animal species, but not unusual for Neotropical psyllids (cf. Serbina et al. 2025b). For comparison, the genetic distance between M. burckhardtiella and M. danieli is 14.6–16.3% for COI and 21.5–23.2% for cytb, while between M. fusca and M. machaerii it is 12.2% for COI and 21.2% for cytb.

The adults of M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Mitrapsylla species by their very long legs (ratio metatibia length/head width = 1.0–1.5) and the rostrum; all other Mitrapsylla species described so far have relatively shorter legs, with the metatibia being 0.5–0.9 times as long as the head width ( Rendón-Mera et al. 2020; see also Brown & Hodkinson 1988). Among the immatures of Mitrapsylla known to date (cf. Burckhardt & Brown 1992; Burckhardt & Queiroz 2020), the immatures of M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. are unique not only for their long and slender legs and rostrum, but also for the long and thick capitate setae, which cover the entire dorsum of the body and arise from sclerotised tubercles on the abdomen, as well as for the ventrally located anus, the presence of only 2 + 2 truncate sectasetae on the caudal plate (instead of 4 + 4 in other Mitrapsylla spp. ), the presence of rows of thick setae on apical tarsal segment ventrally and the small arolium in relation to the large claws.

Using the identification key for Brazilian Mitrapsylla by Rendón-Mera et al. (2020), the character states of the adult males of M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. lead to the couplet no. 37, which includes M. amazonica Rendón-Mera et al. , M. xanthoptera Rendón-Mera et al. and M. cassiae Rendón-Mera et al. Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella sp. nov. is similar to M. amazonica in the short, subacute genal processes, but differs in the dense surface spinules that completely cover the cells in the apical part of the forewing (reduced around the radular areas of cells m 1, m 2 and cu 1 in M. amazonica ) and the narrowly rounded paramere apex (truncated in M. amazonica ). In the latter two characters, M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. resembles M. xanthoptera and M. cassiae , but both are characterised by larger genal processes and a larger apical part of the ventral process of the aedeagus in relation to its dorsal lobe, compared to M. burckhardtiella . Mitrapsylla cassiae also differs from M. burckhardtiella by the basally expanded paramere, the tripartite dorsal lobe of the aedeagus and the host plant, which is Cassia leptophylla (host plants are unknown for M. amazonica and M. xanthoptera ). The female terminalia of M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. also differ from M. amazonica , M. cassiae and M. xanthoptera in the shape, chaetotaxy and relative length of the proctiger and subgenital plate (cf. Rendón-Mera et al. 2020).

Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella sp. nov. differs from M. danieli sp. nov., the only other Mitrapsylla species known so far from Chamaecrista , not only by the long legs and immature characters but also by the short genal processes (0.6 times as long as the vertex along the midline in M. danieli ), relatively longer antennae (1.9–2.0 times as long as the head width in M. danieli ) and forewings (2.9–3.0 as long as the head width in M. danieli ), relatively shorter antennal terminal setae (more than half as long as antennal segment 10 in M. danieli ), forewings with infuscation on the membrane concentrated along the veins (not in the middle of the cells in the apical third of the wing, as in M. danieli ) and denser surface spinules, often extending to the veins (less dense and with distinct spinule-free bands along the veins in M. danieli ), the relatively slender and straight paramere with sclerotised apical ridge situated dorsally in the longitudinal axis of the paramere (broader and with sclerotised apical ridge displaced posteriorly in M. danieli ), the unipartite and narrower dorsal lobe of the distal segment of the aedeagus (tripartite and broader in M. danieli ), and the female proctiger mostly straight dorsally (clearly concave in M. danieli ).

Mitrapsylla burckhardtiella sp. nov. should not be confused with M. burckhardti Brown & Hodkinson from Panama. Although the name is similar, M. burckhardti differs from M. burckhardtiella sp. nov. by the longer and apically broadly rounded genal processes, the shorter rostrum and hind legs, the reduced surface spinules that leave broad spinule-free bands around veins or are absent, the paramere, which is narrowly lanceolate in lateral view, not expanded posteriorly in the apical third, the ventral process and dorsal lobe of the aedeagus, which are fused together and not clearly separated, and the apex of the female proctiger, which is curved upwards. The host plant of M. burckhardti is unknown ( Brown & Hodkinson 1988).