Pictoliarus zoetropeus Hendrix & Bartlett, 2025

Pictoliarus zoetropeus Hendrix & Bartlett , sp. nov.

Figs 1–7 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7

Diagnosis. Large (10+mm) pentastirine cixiids. Vertex narrowing anteriorly, wider at posterior margin than at midline, disc concave, median carina absent; subapical transverse carinae foliate, converging from anterior apex of eyes to meet near head apex. Antennae very short, within concavity. Veins of forewings pale with extensive dark maculations.

Description. Coloration. Pale yellow-brown in coloration (in dry specimens). Face (frons+clypeus) and head uniformly yellow-brown with greenish cast ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Pronotum yellow with lateral margins (in dorsal view) paler than center. Mesonotum yellow-brown; either uniformly so or much darker at lateral margins (outside of lateral carinae) than medially (within the lateral carinae) ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Legs pale yellow-brown with tarsi slightly darker ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Forewings with weak banding, extensive dark markings present on otherwise pale veins; pterostigma pale yellow ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Dorsum and venter of abdomen pale yellow.

Structure. Large planthoppers (♂ 10.6–11.5 mm; n = 2), body weakly compressed. Head much narrower than pronotum, slightly projected in front of eyes ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Vertex narrowing anteriorly, posterior margin wider than length at midline, posterior margin deeply angulately incised, disc concave, median carina absent, lateral margins foliately carinate, sinuate, apically converging; head apex bearing transverse apical carina; subapical transverse carinae foliate, converging from anterior apex of eyes to meet near head apex, gap between apical and subapical transverse carinae crossed by pair of obscure carinae forming a small, obscure median areolet (and larger lateral, roughly triangular areolets) ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). In lateral view, head angulate at fastigium (marking position of apical transverse carina), vertex appearing arched and declinate ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Frons and clypeus collectively elongate rhomboid (truncate dorsad), widest near level of antennae, lateral margins carinate, median carina distinct, forked subapically to form a distinct dorsal areolet ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Frontoclypeal suture strongly arched outlining quadrate excision. Median ocellus present, lateral ocelli distinct at anteroventral margin of eye; eyes roughly circular (posterior margin flattened, ventral margin with weak emargination above antennae). Antennae very short, appearing to rest within concavity, scape hidden, pedicel about as tall as wide bearing many irrregularly placed sensory plaques (more than 12, some inconspicuous), flagellum long, setaceous with bulbous base.

Pronotum in dorsal view narrow, midlength about 1/3x length of vertex at midline, anterior margin partly hidden below caudal margin of head, posterior margin broadly and deeply angulately excised; disc bearing three carinae, a median carina and a pair of strongly curved lateral carinae (continued to reach ventral margin of paradiscal region), lateral margin with distinct carina between eye and tegulae (forming lateral extremes of pronotum from dorsal view); paradiscal region broad, reaching level of ventral margin of antennae, ventral margin broad, curved with rounded caudoventral expansion. Mesonotum broad, midlength exceeding combined length of vertex and pronotum, disc bearing five carinae, median and lateral carinae stronger than intermediate; lateral carinae weakly diverging, then medially arched near hind margin, intermediate carinae arched, median carina obsolete near scutellum (in some specimens, extra evanescent pair of carinae present); in lateral view mesonotum weakly arched with concavity at anterior margin of scutellum. Wings held tectiform, forewing ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ) rather broad, elongated oval, costal margin arched, apex broadly rounded; clavus elongated, apex near distal third of wing; fork of RP from ScP+RA in proximal quarter of wing, well proximad of fork of CuA, crossveins absent in proximal half of wing, nodal line irregular and incomplete; branching pattern RA 1-2 branched, RP 3-branched, MP 5-branched, CuA 2-branched. Hind wing broad with venation similar to Mead & Kramer (1982, fig. 11); vein A2 (at the fold) traced with fuscous markings. Hind legs with two large lateral teeth and a proximal row of fine spinules, apical ornamentation 6(1+5)-7-7 ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Male terminalia ( Figs. 5–7 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 ), in ventral view, with relatively narrow pygofer ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ); medioventral process small and triangular (about as tall as wide, much less than half length of lateral processes); lateral processes somewhat bilaterally asymmetrical; in left lateral view, pygofer broadly triangular, obtusely incised at top right margin. Gonostyli ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ) large, surpassing length of pygofer in ventral view ( Figs. 5A–E View FIGURE 5 ); broadly spatulate distally, in lateral view; joined at base by narrow tether ( Figs. 7C–D View FIGURE 7 ). Aedeagal complex ( Figs. 6A–E View FIGURE 6 ) with periandrium of moderate width, giving rise to two prominent twisted processes; dextral process (in ventral view) directed distad and then strongly curved right, distally pointed, (in caudal view) rather twisted, directed somewhat dorsad and then strongly ventrad; sinistral process (in ventral view) very long, wavily curved at base, strongly angled cephalad at half of length, overlapping profile of endosoma, distally pointed, (in caudal view) strongly directed ventrad before curving left-cephalad and finally directed right at apex. Endosoma somewhat narrow and strongly twisted; (in ventral view) strongly directed dorsad before curving cephalad, (in caudal view) directed dorsad with apex directed ventrad, (in left lateral view) strongly arched left, curving right at half of length, apex surpassing ventral margin of periandrium; apically membranous, apparently bifid. Endosoma with three short, prominent processes; dorsal process present, narrow, curved ventrad (in left lateral view), pointed at apex; short, pointed process present at inner margin of medial region, (in dorsal view) directed left; narrow pointed process present preceding apical region of endosoma, (in dorsal view) directed left. Anal tube ( Figs. 6F–H View FIGURE 6 ) (in dorsal view) elongate and hood-like, bilaterally asymmetrical, rounded apically, (in caudal view) very slightly incised at apex.

Plant associations. Unknown.

Type locality. Belize, Cayo District, near Teakettle Bank, Pook’s Hill ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ).

Distribution. Belize (Cayo District).

Etymology. “zoetrope” + -us; named for the patterning of the wings, which are vaguely reminiscent of the sequential illustrations of a zoetrope which form an animation upon their movement.

Remarks. The ecology of the species is almost entirely unknown. The species is phototropic as all specimens were collected at night from light traps. Many Pentastirini appear to be collected in the highest numbers this way, with exceptions (e.g., Melanoliarus chuliotus ; Mead & Kramer, 1982). While no female specimens were available for study, observations by community scientists on iNaturalist (observations 34735142, 52852092, and 104934521; Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ) apparently represent female specimens of P. zoetropeus sp. nov. The forewings of these specimens (all observed in the eastern Cayo District, Belize) bear bolder markings than that of the males, a trait found in other taxa in the tribe (e.g., Mead & Kramer 1982, Hendrix & Bartlett 2024a).

The specimens were collected from Teakettle Bank at the former Pooks Hill Lodge in Cayo District, Belize ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ), which consisted of a few cabins of thatched-roof construction bordered by a 7000-acre nature reserve. The reserve consisted mainly of lowland or low hills (near Roaring River), forested with tropical moist broadleaf forests (Petén-Veracruz Moist Forest). More broadly, the vicinity contained a mosaic of forests with agriculture and grazing lands with low-density settlement.

Material examined. Holotype male ( USNM) “ BELIZE, Cayo District / nr. Teakettle Bank / Pook’s Hill , 5-Jan-2003 / CRBartlett at light // UDCC _ TCN 00030326 View Materials [2D Barcode Label]”

Paratypes (3 males): (1 male, AMNH) “ ♂ // BELIZE, Cayo District nr. / Teakettle Bank, Pooks Hill / N17 09.257 W88 51.094 / 279ft; 5-VII-2003 CR Bartlett // UDCC _ TCN 00062596 View Materials [2D Barcode Label]”. (2 males, USNM) “ ♂ GoogleMaps // BELIZE, Cayo District nr. / Teakettle Bank, Pooks Hill / N17 09.257 W88 51.094 / 279ft; 5-VII-2003 CR Bartlett // UDCC _ TCN 00103699 View Materials [2D Barcode Label],” “ ♂ GoogleMaps // BELIZE, Cayo District nr. / Teakettle Bank, Pooks Hill / N17 09.257 W88 51.094 / 279ft; 5-VII-2003 CR Bartlett // UDCC _ TCN 00102951 View Materials [2D Barcode Label]” GoogleMaps .

iNaturalist observations #104934521, #52852092 and #34735142 are tentatively referred to this species. All are female and from the Cayo district of Belize.