A STUDY OF SOME NEOTROPICAL LEAFHOFPERS (HOKOFTERA: CICADELLIDAE: IDIOCERINAE) DISSERTATION Presented, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jenaro Maldonado-Capriles, B. S. A., M. 3. S, The Ohio State University 1956 Approved by: Dr. Carl ET Venarc Adviser Department of Zoology and Entomology Acknowledgments The many technicalities that were met during the study of this insect material could never have been solved and the work finisned witn- out tne invaluable and unselfish help of all the persons mentioned below. To all of them I am sincerely and gratefully Indebted. Dr. Carl E. Venard whose constant counsel and suggestions helped me, not only to finish this dissertation, but to make the best of my stay at Ohio State University. Dr. D. J. Borror for nis advise on nomenclatural and bibliographi­ cal problems. Dr. J. N. Knull for letting me examine the types of Idlotettlx Osborn. Special thanks are due to Dr. George Wallace, of tne Carnegie Mu­ seum, for tne loan of all of Osborn's types of Idlocerus Lewis and to Dr. David A. Young Jr., of t:*e United States Department of Agriculture, for tne detailed correction of parts of t e first typescript, many other suggestions, and the drawings of the styles of Caldwell’s types. One last word of acknowledgment is due to the members of the Ma- quiritare Tribe of Venezuelan Carib Indians without whose help the collection of the Venezuelan material treated tiere and other very Interesting material in ti.e collection of the University of Puerto Rico would have been simply impossible. To their uncanny knowledge of the deep Jungle and its ways we owe the success of our venture and the fact that we came back alive from Terra incognita. 11 Table of Contents Page 1 . Acknowledgments ii 2 . List of tables iv 3. Introduction 1 k. Methods 2 5. Terminology 3 6 . T:ie subfamily Idiocerinae Baker 1915 8 7. Genera In Idic'erinae Baker 1915 8 8. Species in the new genus Idloceropsis 13 9- Relationships of the species In Idloceropsis gen. nov. 1 6 1 0 . Key to the species of Idloceropsis gen. nov. 2 2 1 1 . Key using genitalic characters to the known males in Idioceropsis gen. nov. 26 1 2 . Type localities of the species 29 13. The second abdominal sternal opodeme 32 Ik. Description of toe new genus 3^ 15. Description of species 35 1 6 . Conclusions 95 17. Illustrations 96 16. Bibliography 1 3 6 19- Index to descriptions and illustrations of the species IkQ ill List of Tables Table Page I Names of parts of male genitalia J* II Names of parts of head 5 III Terminology of veins of forewing 6 IV Terminology of cells of forevlng 7 V Localities of the genotypes of the genera in Idiocerinae 12 VI Systematic arrangement of the species in Idloceropsis gen. nov. lU VII Geographic distribution of the species in Idloceropsis gen. nov. 33 iv 1 Introduction This dissertation summarizes t:ie results of a study of idiocerine leafhoppers. It contains a description of a new genua and new species collected by the writer in Territorio Amazonas, Venezuela, S. A., and a study of species of IdloceruB Lewis described by Osborn and by Caldwell. It includes the redescription and transfer of Osborn's and the transfer of Caldwell's species, previously include.* „^eru8 Lewis, into the new genus. 2 Methods In order to examine the second abdominal sternal apodeme and the internal male genitalia the whole abdomen of the specimen has to be detached from tne thorax. After relaxing an insect, the abdomen was removed by Inserting a fine pin or needle between the thorax and the abdomen and then pulling the abdomen free witn a pair of fine forceps. The detached abdomen was then cleared, stained and dissected for micro­ scopic study. This process can be summarized as follows; 1. heat the detached abdomen for ten to fifteen minutes or leave the abdomen over­ night in 10$ KOH solution, 2. remove tne alkeli with warm water, 3» neutralize any remaining alkali with 10$ HCl aqueous solution, 4. stain with 5$ acid fuschin aqueous solution, 5 * dissect internal male genitalia from genital capsule, and 6 . store in small vials attacned to tne pins of corresponding specimens. Drawings were made by means of an ocular grid with both compound and stereoscopic dissecting microscopes. Tne part to be drawn was sub­ merged in a snail cup of acid (2$ acetic) glycerine and ueld in place by means of a small amount of boric acid ointment rubbed un tr.e bottom. Slide projectors were used in making drawings of tne wings. The dimensions of tne face were taken by measuring from tne top of the crown to the base of the clypellus and across from the inner margins of tne eyes. The second abdominal sternal apodeme was sketcned wnlle having the abdominal sterna horizontal and upward. 3 In redescribitig Osborn's types hlB account of colors is used again instead of trying to describe the present faded colors of the specimens. Caldwell's descriptions of the three Puerto Rican species have been cited verbatim. Terminology Oman's terminology was used for describing the characters of the body, genitalia, and wing venation. Tables I, II, and III summarize and compare tne terms used with the equivalents used by modern students of the Cicadellidae. Metcalf (1913) has published similar tables and in order to avoid repetition the terminology ae compares is not treated here. Table I Names of parts of male genitalia DeLong Evans Qpiwn Snodgrass pygofer pygophore pygofer valve aternite IX valve plate subgenital plate subgenital plate plate style paramere style aedeagus aedeagus aedeagus connective basal plate connective second basal plate 5 Table II Names of parts of head DeLong Evans Oman Snodgrass vertex crown crown vertex frons frons frons postclypeus clypeus clypeus clypeus anteclypeus f'lypellus anteclypeus gena maxillary plate gena gena maxillary plate frontal frontal suture lateral fron­ clypeal suture suture tal suture epistomal suture epistomal suture postfrontal suture lorum lorum lorum anterior plate mandibulary plate Table III Terminology of forevlng venation DeLong Coustock- Evans Cknan Needham Longitudinal veins Outer branch of first sector First sector R / M R / M R / M *2 / 3 Rlb **2 / 3 Rla ^ / 5 Rs Rk f 5 Inner branch of M1 / 2 Ml j 2 M1 / 2 first sector M3 / k m3 / U m3 / b Second sector Cui Cuj cui C “ia Cula Cula Cuib Culb Culb Claval suture CU2 Cug claval suture Cross veins Cross vein 1st r m M1 / 2 between sectors Apical cross 2nd r - m r - m vein 1st cross 1st m - cu 1st m - cu 1st cross nervure vein 2nd cross 2nd m - cu 2nd m - cu 2nd cross nervure vein 7 Table IV Terminology of cells of forewlng DeLong Comstock- Evans Oman Needham costal costal costal costal Rla costal fiscal R R dlscal outer 1st R3 1st Rlb outer anteapical anteapical apical 2nd R3 2nd Rlb fourth apical central 1st R^ 1st Rs central anteapical anteapical apical 2nd R^ 2nd Rs third apical 1st M R / M Inner 2nd M M discal anteapical apical 3rd M 1st M 3 ^ k inner anteapical apical 4th M 2nd M3 y 4 second apical Cui Cu1 brachial apical Cuia Cula first apical appendix appendix appendix appendix Tie subfardly Idlocerlnae Baker The members of the Idlocerlnae Baker 1915 con be distinguished from tne members of otner subfamilies of Cicadellidae as follows: episternum completely or almost completely concealed by gena; clypeus not large, broad basally, narrowed and rounded distally, ocelli on face, dorsal extremities of clypeus extending beyond antennel pits to near ocelli, dorsun without circular pits, distance between ocelli less tnan distance between antennal pits; clypellus short and broad, apex narrower than base, .ead nearly always broader tuan pronotum, and antennal ledges distinct. These characters i.ave been summarized from Oman (19^9)* Tne lew genuds described in this dissertation exhibits all these characters but the apex cf the clypellus is slightly brtader tr'3 n its basal width and tne dorsal extremities of tne clypeus of a few specimens reac; ti.e ocelli. Genera in Idlocerlnae Baker 1915 Evans (19^7) lists 22 genera under Idlocerlnae. Omen (19^SJ) considers one of t.nese, Zlnneca Amyot and Serville, a synonym of I die - cerus Lewis. In the list tnat follows the c..aracters th.ot distinguis: Idloceropsis gen. nuv. frv.r. t. e ot^.er genera In the subfamily are sum­ marized. The cliQrocters that are listed are these wnich Idloceropsis goi . nov. r.as and differ from tnose exhibited b„, the genus wit;: wi.ich it is Cui:ipared, In a few cuses striking characters of the otner genera are mentioned. 9 1. Austrocerus Evans. The gena not deeply emarglnate, the frontal suture not directed inward at its apex only, and all the spines on the row of strong spines on the hind tibia equally set and spaced. 2. Baloeha Distant. With two subaplcal and four apical cells in the forevlng, the lateral sutures of clypeus not meeting between ocelli, 3. Busonia Distant. With well defined upper lateral suture of clypeus, ocelli not very much nearer the eyes than to each other, legs not slender, forevlng not short and broad, and the outer apical cell not very long and broad. Chunra Distant. With the scutellum and clypeus not more or leBs tumidly elevated and the forevlng with only two subaplcal cells instead of three. 5. Chunroldes Evans. Face on lateral aspect not concave and the postfrontal suture not discernible, the hind tibia is flattened with three rows of strong spines and the row with the strongest spines usually numbers eight.