A new species of Saccharosydne Kirkaldy from Argentina (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

Abstract

-Saccharosydne is the most diverse genus of the tribe Saccharosydnini. Male, female and nymphal Saccharosydne have been captured in recent collections from garlic (Allium sativum), rye (Secale cereale) and pampas grass (Cortaderia spp.) in Argentina. In this contribution, we describe and illustrate a new species S. subandina sp. nov., adding information on the geographical distribution and host plants. Saccharosydne subandina can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of features: uniformly light green-yellowish color with a distinctive rounded black macula on both genae; vertex 1.5x longer than wide, and projecting beyond eyes almost one half of its length; parameres divergent with internal and external angles acute; and dorsolateral angles of pygofer produced caudad. A key for species identifi cation based on male genitalia and external morphology, is provided.KEY WORDS: Fulgoromorpha, taxonomy, host plant, distributionThe Saccharosydnini (Delphacinae) includes the primarily Neotropical genera Neomalaxa Muir (one species, N. fl ava), Pseudomacrocorupha Muir (one species, P. wagneri) and Saccharosydne Kirkaldy (seven species) Asche (1985). The tribal diagnostic characteristics include the presence of seven (2+5) post-tibial distal spines, the hind wings with M and Cu fused almost all of its length and the distal anal vein not forked (convergence with most Delphacinae: Tropidocephalini).The genus Saccharosydne is distinguished mainly by the slender and elongated forms; head much narrower than pronotum, and angular in profi le; vertex extended before eyes; median carina forked on vertex; and pronotum with lateral carinae reaching posterior margin. The male terminalia with aedeagus well developed, represented by a caudally directed process and an elongate long tube coiled within pygofer anteriorly directed; pygofer subcylindrical; parameres dorsocaudally directed; the lack of processes on the anal segment and the anal style elongate. The genus is represented in the Neotropical region by six species: S. brevirostris (Muir), S. gracillis (Muir), S. ornatipennis Male, female and nymphs of Saccharosydne were recently collected from garlic (Allium sativum), rye (Secale cereale) and pampas grass (Cortaderia spp.) in Argentina. These specimens have morphological characteristics different from those of described Saccharosydne, thus we describe as a new species, S. subandina sp. nov., and provide information on its geographical distribution and biology. Given that the species of this genus are insuffi ciently studied -the original descriptions for most of them are not fully adequate, we provide an identification key based on the external morphology and male genitalia to distinguish the new species from the previously described ones. Material and MethodsAlmost all adults studied were fi eld collected on garlic in agricultural areas from Mendoza and San Juan provinces using water traps and sweep nets; others were hand captured on pampas grass and rye from several sites in Argentina. Both ma...

Description of the Immature Stages of the PlanthopperLacertinella australis(Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

“…Taking into account the behavioral and morphological similarities of S. saccharivora and L. australis, the latter deserves more research because of its potential capacity as a biological control agent for pampas grass. An unidentified species of Strepsiptera (Elenchidae) was found parasitizing adults of L. australis and is the only known natural enemy (Remes Lenicov and Rossi Batiz 2010).…”

Description of the immature stages of the planthopper Lacertinella australis (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

“…An unidentified species of Strepsiptera (Elenchidae) was found parasitizing adults of L. australis and is the only known natural enemy ( Remes Lenicov and Rossi Batiz 2010 ).…”

“…Frequently, the pampas grass observed in Argentina was highly colonized by one or both species; L. australis is more common in the eastern provinces (Entre Ríos, Córdoba, La Pampa, and Buenos Aires), and S. subandina is more abundant in the western provinces (Ju-juy, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza, Neuquén, and Río Negro) ( Remes Lenicov and Rossi Batiz 2010 , Rossi Batiz and Remes Lenicov 2011a ). Both species had their highest population densities during spring (Rossi Batiz, unpublished data).…”

Morphological reassessment of the movable calcar of delphacid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae)

“…In the Saccharosydnini various types are reported, e.g. , various species of the genus Saccharosydne Kirkaldy, 1907 present Type 7 (with 18–25 teeth), Lacertinella Rossi Batiz et Remes Lenicov, 2012 presents Type 6 (with 14–20 teeth), Neomalaxa Muir, 1918 Type 6 (with 14–16 small teeth) and also in the genus Pseudomacrocorupha Muir, 1930 Type 6 is present (with 14 teeth) 27 , 30 , 93 , 95 , 96 . Based on the available data, representative of the tribe Tropidocephalini probably present Type 9 calcar (toothless tectiform) e.g.…”