Coptopola cincticrus StÅl, 1869

Coptopola cincticrus StÅl, 1869 View in CoL

Figs 1-5 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Coptopola cincticrus STÅL, 1869: 239 View in CoL (original description).

MATERIAL EXAMINED

TYPE MATERIAL

SYNTYPES

BRAZIL • ♂ ( Fig. 1 View Fig ); Minas Gerais; no date given; “Minas / Gerais”; “Salmin”; “ Coptopola / cincticrus / StÅl” [handwritten]; “ Typus ” [red paper]; “Riksmuseum / Stockholm” [greenish paper]; “Naturhistoriska / Riksmuseet / Stockholm / Loan no 1376/05” [yellow paper]; “182 / 59” [red paper]; “NHRS-GULI / 000094508”; NHRS • ♂; same collection data as for preceding; “Minas / Geraes”; “ Coptopola / cincticrus StÅl ” [handwritten]; “183 / 59” [red paper]; “Naturhistoriska / Riksmuseet / Stockholm / Loan no 1377/05” [yellow paper]; “NHRS-GULI / 000094509”; NHRS .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED

BOLIVIA • 1 ♀; Beni Dept., Rosario, Lake Rogagua ; [-13.907, -66.9066]; 28 Oct. 1921 – 9 Nov. 1921; W.M. Manu leg.; AMNH_IZC 00300539 [2D barcode label]; USNM GoogleMaps .

BRAZIL • 1 ♀; Goias, Campinas ; [-16.66785, 49.29149]; 19 Mar. 1939; P. A. Berry leg.; AMNH_IZC 00300541 [2D barcode label]; USNM GoogleMaps • 1eX., gender unknown; Mato Grosso, Campo grassland; 12°50’S, 51°45’W; Mar. 1968; B.W. Freeman leg.; BMNH GoogleMaps .

PARAGUAY • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( Figs 2–3 View Fig View Fig ); Itapua Dept., vicinity of Pro Cosara Nature Preserve ; S 26°38.271’ W 55°39.850’; 9–10 Dec. 2019; J.E. Eger, W. Tyson, J.B. Heppner & J.M. Leavengood leg.; elev. 933 ft.; UDCC_TCN 00065726 & UDCC_TCN 00065727 [2D barcode labels]; RBINS GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Central Dept , 20 mi. E. of Asuncion;[-25.32324, -56.96886]; 26 Jul. 1980; D.C. Lowrie leg.; AMNH_IZC 00300540 [2D barcode label]; USNM GoogleMaps .

INATURALIST RECORDS

BRAZIL • 1 eX.; Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta; -9.860022 -56.068013; 7 Dec. 2021; user Fábio Luis dos Santos; inaturalist.org/observations/102667341 • 1 eX.; Minas Gerais; São Pedro do Suaçuí ; -18.302325 -42.764033; Nov. 2020; user geffc; inaturalist.org/observations/145712779 • 1 eX.; Paraná, Francisco Beltrão; -26.106605 -53.046942; 10 Mar. 2024; user Rony Ristow GoogleMaps ;

inaturalist.org/observations/201946173 • 1 eX.; Minas Gerais, Pedro leopoldo; -19.644267 -44.043869; 21 Jan. 2022; user ariannalage; inaturalist.org/observations/105317497 • 1 eX.; Pernambuco, Gravatá; -8.170464 -35.501907; 25 Apr. 2023; user Gustavo Sandres inaturalist. org/observations/156608154 • 1 eX.; São Paulo, Sorocaba; -23.461429 -47.320849; 19 Nov. 2022; user nbec; inaturalist.org/observations/142448022 GoogleMaps .

BOLIVIA • 1 eX.; Santa Cruz, Sara ; -17.342705 -63.840286, 10 May 2021, user Kozue Kawakami inaturalist.org/observations/78304037 • 1 eX. ( Fig. 4 View Fig ); Santa Cruz, Sara, -17.344286 -63.836521; 17 Apr. 2022; user Kozue Kawakami; inaturalist.org/observations/111952540 • 1 eX.; Santa Cruz, Sara; -17.345392 -63.83698; 7 Apr. 2024; user Kozue Kawakami; inaturalist. org/observations/206705053 GoogleMaps .

DIAGNOSIS.

A small species (for Fulgoridae ), lachrymiform from dorsal view with the apeX of the forewings translucent and overlapping. From lateral view appearing distinctly humpbacked, with face receding ventrally. Head much broader than long, but narrower than pronotum. Pronotum with hind margin nearly truncate. Frons roughly quadrangular, widest dorsad, lateral margins sinuate, lacking strong longitudinal carinae. Frontoclypeal suture arched. Fore and middle legs with greatly expanded femora and tibiae, tibiae with subapical wide white ring contrasting with otherwise dark legs. Hind legs elongate, hind tibiae with five strong spines on lateral margins.

AMENDED DESCRIPTION.

COLOR.

General body color ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ) reddish-brown with paler mottling and irregularly washed with black. Face ( Figs 1 C View Fig , 2 H View Fig ) densely and irregularly speckled with pale, frons bearing three indistinct blackish bands (one each subbasal, median and subdorsal), clypeus darkened ventrad and following frontoclypeal suture. Pronotum ( Fig. 2 F View Fig ) with irregular median dark maculations and irregularly darkened along caudal margin, paradiscal region (in frontal view, Fig. 2 H View Fig ) with broad median dark band. Fore and middle legs (e.g., Fig. 2 B View Fig ) with distinct white subapical ring on the tibiae, otherwise varying shades of dark reddish-brown with pale speckling; hind legs reddish-brown with pale speckling; tarsi of all legs darkened. Forewings dark reddish-brown (opaque eXcept tending toward transparent in apical third) bearing an indistinct broad subbasal paler diagonal band (collectively creating an indistinct “V”). Hindwing ( Fig. 2 D View Fig ) proXimally red or orangish, blackened apically and in costal region, transparent medially. Abdomen dark brown ( Fig. 3 A View Fig ) with pale speckles.

RATIOS.

BF/LF = 1.68; LT/BB = 1.52; LTg/BTg = 2.00; BV/LV = 6.24.

STRUCTURE.

Body length 7.8 mm (male), 8.1 mm (female). Body shape from dorsal view ( Figs 2 A View Fig , 3 A View Fig ) roughly lachrymiform, widest just behind apeX of mesonotum, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly; from lateral view, distinctly conveX ( Fig. 2 C View Fig , highest point at end of clavus, near level of hind coXae, declinate both to head and wing apeX).

Head. Head (in dorsal view, Fig. 2 F View Fig ) short and very broad, narrower than prothoraX. In lateral view ( Fig. 2 G View Fig ), head sharply angled dorsad ahead of eyes, declinate ventrad, verteX slightly inclined. In dorsal view, verteX strongly transverse, approXimately 6X wider than midlength, carinate on all margins (anterior carina doubled), anterior margin weakly curved, posterior margin moderately incurved, disc eXcavated. Face broad ( Figs 1 C View Fig , 2 F View Fig ) weakly trapezoidal (broadest dorsally), dorsal margin with distinct arched keel, weakly concave with lateral eXtremes J-hooked; lateral margins distinctly sinuate, frontoclypeal margin concavely arched; in frontolateral view, frons surface gently undulating (giving wrinkled appearance), declining ventrad. Clypeus approXimately rhomboid (dorsal margin truncate), lateral margins sinuate. Eyes nearly round ( Fig. 2 G View Fig , slightly diagonally oval with truncate caudal margin). Lateral ocellus conspicuous in lateral view below eye near front margin. Antennae short and broad, scape wider than long, pedicel just longer than wide, cylindrical, bearing numerous sensory plaques, flagellum bristle-like with bulbous base.

Thorax. Pronotum about 2X as long as verteX along midline ( Fig. 2 F View Fig ), anterior margin carinate (carinae continued to posterior margin at tegulae) and procurved (following posterior margin of head), narrowing laterally, posterior margin nearly straight (weakly inflected medially); disc with irregular teXture (with distinct eXcavation behind eyes) and fine lateral striations; median carina present (incomplete anteriorly), lateral compartments bearing median pit; pronotum inclined in lateral view; paradiscal region broad from anterior view, eXceeding frontoclypeal suture, apeX broadly rounded. Mesonotum broadly triangular, nearly 2X length of pronotum at midline; anterior margin with prominent sinuate transverse carina, lateral margins strongly angled caudad, approaching posterior mesonotal margin; mesonotum inclined in lateral view; posterior margin of scutellum inclined. Forewings strongly reticulate (e.g., Fig. 1 A View Fig ), distinctly overlapped distally ( Figs 2 A View Fig , 3 A View Fig ). Front and middle legs with femora and tibia thick and conspicuously eXpanded, tibiae foliately tricarinate in cross-section. Hind legs long, eXtended well beyond abdominal apeX, conspicuously armed ( Fig. 2 E View Fig ) with strong tooth at apeX of femora and four lateral spines on tibiae; spinulation (4) 7/8/4-5. Rostrum just reaching hind coXae ( Figs 2 B View Fig , 3 B View Fig ).

Forewing venation: main veins distinct, with a dense network of cross-veinlets ( Fig. 1 A View Fig ); ScP+R first fork very close to base, with multiple lateral oblique branches into postcostal cell; MP more or less parallel to CuA in basal portion, with first fork beyond level of first fork of ScP+R; CuA long, straight with first fork slightly before apeX of clavus; Pcu and A1 moderately curved, merging before apeX of clavus, Pcu+A1, strongly curved and merging with A2 slightly before apeX of clavus.

Hind wing ( Fig. 2 D View Fig ): wider than forewing with costal margin strongly incurved at wing coupling apparatus, apical angle rounded, anal area well developed. Venation: main veins distinct, with a rather dense network of cross-veins beyond nodal line; ScP+R fused with CA at coupling apparatus, MP weakly sinuate with first fork well beyond nodal line, CuA curved in basal portion and running along CuP for a short distance and with first fork beyond nodal line but before fork of MP, CuP weakly curved with fork near apeX, Pcu weakly sinuate, A1 weak, A2 well visible but not distinct in distal portion.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 5 View Fig ). Pygofer (Py) in lateral view irregularly quadrate ( Fig. 5 A View Fig , dorsal margin greatly narrowed, widest ventrad), much taller than long with anterior margin concave and posterior margin broadly rounded. Gonostyli (G) (in lateral view, Fig. 5 A View Fig ) narrowest near base, broadly rounded and spatulate distad (without dorsal capitulum), dorsal margin in proximal third bearing sclerotized hooked process (hp), ventral margin appearing flat; in ventral view ( Fig. 5 D View Fig ), gonostyli medially cupped, medial margins diverging, nearly straight, dorsal margin strongly inflected laterad into blunt point. Aedeagus (lateral view, Fig. 5 F View Fig ) short and stout with periandrium (pe) well sclerotized, apical lobes largely membranous, with lateroventral processes (lvp) sclerotized basally (ventral portion), then membranous and recurved on dorsal portion of aedeagus and with apex pointed and sclerotized, median lobes (ml) not surpassing lateroventral processes; connective (co) well developed with tectiductus (td) widely open. Anal tube (An, Fig. 5 A View Fig ) massive, longer than high and with apical margin rounded in lateral view, slightly widening from base towards apeX in dorsal view, with apical margin deeply concave.

REMARKS.

Coptopola cincticrus is a highly distinctive species because of its small size and unusual shape.

ETYMOLOGY.

The specific epithet ‘ cincticrus’ is apparently derived from Latin “ cinctum” (girdle, belt, zone), plus “ crus ” (leg, shank), apparently a reference to the white bands at the apices of the front and middle tibiae.

PLANT ASSOCIATIONS.

None recorded. Photographed on an unidentified plant in the Asteraceae (iNaturalist observations 152417598 and 206705053).

DISTRIBUTION.

Southern Brazil (Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Paraná, Pernambuco, São Paulo), Paraguay, Bolivia ( Fig. 6 View Fig ) .

Discussion

Coptopola cincticrus is a distinctive, but previously obscure, taXon of southern tropical South America. The species is poorly represented in natural history collections and citizen science forums. Essentially nothing is known about its biology, other than what can be discerned from the few records presented here. Plant associations and nymphal stages remain undocumented. This is a familiar condition among the Poiocerini , where many of the taxa are incompletely characterized and many new species appear to be present among existing natural history collections. The description of new taXa will often require review and redescription of many of the taxa in the Poiocerini , the most diverse and challenging tribe of New World Fulgoridae .