Melanastera ingariko, Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt, 2025

Serbina, Liliya Š., Malenovský, Igor, Queiroz, Dalva L. & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2025, Jumping plant-lice of the tribe Paurocephalini (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5585 (1), pp. 1-164 : 86

The ingariko -group

Description. Adult. Head, in lateral view, inclined at ≥ 45° from longitudinal axis of body ( Fig. 7F ).Vertex trapezoidal, covered with distinct imbricate microsculpture ( Figs 11I, J , 12A, C–E ) (rugosely imbricate in M. acuminata sp. nov.; Fig. 12B ) and microscopical setae. Thorax moderately or strongly arched, covered with microscopical setae; metapostnotum usually with distinct longitudinal keel (indistinct in M. caramambatai sp. nov.). Forewing ( Fig. 18C–I ) uniformly coloured, with small brown dots; pterostigma distinctly expanding towards the middle or apical third, longer than 4.0 times as wide; vein R 1 weakly convex or straight medially. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly acuminate, falcate or lamellar. Distal segment of aedeagus bearing short ventral process, less than half as long as apical dilation, which is, in dorsal view, wider than the latter.

Immature. Antenna 10-segmented.

Comments. The group comprises seven species from Brazil and one species from Panama, viz. M. longitarsata (Brown & Hodkinson) . The Panamanian species differs from the other group members in the longer metatibia (MT/ MF> 1.7 versus ≤ 1.7). Five species develop on Melastomataceae ( Clidemia , Miconia ) and two on Annonaceae ( Guatteria , Xylopia ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Habitus of adult Paurocephalini. A, Klyveria crassiflagellata (Burckhardt); B, Melanastera moquiniastri sp. nov.; C, M. olgae sp. nov.; D, M. xylopiae sp. nov.; E, M. virolae sp. nov.; F, M. melanocephala sp. nov.; G, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; H, M. smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. dimorpha sp. nov., ♀; B, M. cabucu sp. nov.; C, M. itatiaia sp. nov.; D, M. pusilliflorae sp. nov.; E, M. goldenbergi sp. nov.; F, M. clavata sp. nov.; G, M. tibialis sp. nov.; H, M. pleromatos sp. nov.; I, M. ingariko sp. nov.; J, M. brasiliensis sp. nov.

FIGURE 12. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view.A, M. caramambatai sp. nov.; B, M.acuminata sp. nov.; C, M.melanocephala sp. nov.; D, M. brevicauda sp. nov.; E, M. michali sp. nov.; F, M. duckei sp. nov.; G, M. burchellii sp. nov.; H, M. barretoi sp. nov.; I, M. sericeae sp. nov.; J, M. tristis sp. nov.; K, M. discoloris sp. nov.; L, M. truncata sp. nov.

FIGURE 18. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. tibialis sp. nov.; B, M. pleromatos sp. nov.; C, M. ingariko sp. nov.; D, M. brasiliensis sp. nov.; E, M. caramambatai sp. nov.; F, M. acuminata sp. nov.; G, M. melanocephala sp. nov.; H, M. brevicauda sp. nov.; I, M. michali sp. nov.; J, M. duckei sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.