Melanastera sellowianae, 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 : 106-108

54 Melanastera sellowianae sp. nov.

( Figs 3E , 7G , 13C , 19I , 34G–L )

Diclidophlebia sp. , Barreto et al. (2020): 381.

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: PARANÁ: 1 ♂, Tibagi, Parque Estadual Guartelá , S24.5623 /5666, W50.2589, 920–950 m, 23–25.vi.2015, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #171(1) ( UFPR; dry).

Paratypes. Brazil: PARANÁ: 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Cerro Azul , BR- 476 km 69, S25.0685, W49.0877, 1080 m, 18– 19.iv.2013 (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #106(6) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007600) ; 1 ♂, Colombo, Campus da Embrapa , S25.0399, W49.0925, 950 m, 12.vii.2013 (D.L. Queiroz) #546 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007631) ; 14 ♂, 22 ♀, same but Jardim Botânico , S25.4417, W49.2394, 910 m, 24.v.2018 (D.L. Queiroz) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007635) ; 35 ♂, 54 ♀, 1 immature, 1 skin, same but S25.4416 /4433, W49.2366 / 2383, 930 m, 19.vii.2012, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #44(4) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007601) ; 5 ♂, 7 ♀, same but S25.4417, W49.2394, 920 m, 12.iii.2013 (D.L. Queiroz) #462 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007622) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same but S21.7248, W48.3569, 920 m, 28.viii.2014 (D.L. Queiroz) #649 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007634) ; 4 ♂, 40 ♀, Curitiba, UFPR, Centro Politécnico , S25.4450, W49.2316, 890 m, 1.vii.2015, Miconia sp. (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #173(10) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007611) ; 13 ♂, 15 ♀, same but S25.4450, W49.2450, 900 m, 15.vi.2016, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #200(11) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005914) ; 9 ♂, 16 ♀, 1 skin, same but S25.44662, W49.23206, 840 m, 23.vi.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #231(9) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007615) ; 7 ♂, 10 ♀, same but S25.4466, W49.2323, 840 m, 23.vi.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #244(3) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007620) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 4 immatures, same but S25.4478, W49.2316, 920 m, 14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (M.R. Barreto) # P1 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008554 ; 10 ♂, 16 ♀, 3 immatures, same but S25.4478, W49.2316, 920 m, 14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (I. Malenovský) # P2 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008555) ; 2 ♂, 5 ♀, 1 skin, same but S25.4478, W49.2316, 920 m, 14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (I. Malenovský) # P3 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008556) ; 3 ♂, 5 ♀, same but S25.4478, W49.2316, 920 m, 14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (I. Malenovský) # P4 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008557) ; 16 ♂, 40 ♀, same but S25.4478, W49.2316, 920 m, 27.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (I. Malenovský) ( MMBC; 70% ethanol) ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, same but Parque Tanguá , S25.3770, W49.2839, 870 m, 25.vi.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #234(5) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007616) ; 21 ♂, 54 ♀, Jaguariaíva, Parque Estadual do Cerrado , S24.1638 /1846, W49.6534 /6665, 660– 780 m, 26–27.vi.2015, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #172(5) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007610) ; 2 ♂, 9 ♀, same but S24.1685 /1833, W49.6603 /6670, 780– 820 m, 15–16.ii.2016, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #197(4) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007613) ; 6 ♀, same but S24.1829, W49.6617, 807 m, 10.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #530 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007628) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same but S24.6562, W49.9988, 870 m, 10.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #533 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007627) ; 12 ♂, 17 ♀, Mallet, ARIE Serra do Tigre , S25.9465, W50.8069, 1010 m, 13‒14.vi.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #228(5) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007614) ; 2 ♀, Palmeira , Recanto dos Papagaios, S25.4600, W49.7667, 960 m, 7.ii.2016 (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #193 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007612) ; 4 ♂, 11 ♀, Piraquara, Marumbi, Estação Carvalho , S25.4950, W48.9838, 1000 m, 20.xi.2013 (D.L. Queiroz) #599(4) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007633) ; 5 ♂, 14 ♀, Ponta Grossa, Parque Estadual de Vila Velha , S25.2238, W49.9927, 960 m, 12.vii.2017 (M.R. Barreto) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005478) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, same but S25.22384/24645, W49.99272/50.03994, 750‒870 m, 12‒14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #246(21) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007617) ; 9 ♂, 16 ♀, 1 immature, same but S25.22384/24645, W49.99272/50.03994, 750‒870 m, 12‒14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #246(9) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007619) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same but S25.2392, W49.9844, 950 m, 12.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #538 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007629) ; 2 ♂, 4 ♀, same but S25.3183, W49.1517, 970 m, 12.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #540 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007630) ; 5 ♂, 14 ♀, 1 skin, same but S25.2238/2465, W49.99272/50.0399, 750‒870 m, 14.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana, Araucaria forest, transitional forest, Baccharis scrub (L. Serbina) #DIC4 ( MMBC; 70% ethanol) ; 5 ♂, 6 ♀, Tibagi, Parque Guartelá , S24.5683, W50.2653, 930 m, 10.vii.2017 (M.R. Barreto) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005463) ; 99 ♂, 132 ♀, 2 immatures, 2 skins, same but S24.5623 /5666, W50.2589, 920–950 m, 23–25.vi.2015, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #171(1) ( BMNH, MHNG, MMBC, NHMB, UFPR, USNM; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007608, NMB-PSYLL0007643–NMB-PSYLL0007648, NMB-PSYLL0008286, NMB-PSYLL0008287, NMB-PSYLL0007655, NMB-PSYLL0007656, NMB-PSYLL0007664, NMB-PSYLL0007658 [LSMelsel-4], NMB-PSYLL0007659 [LSMelsel-4], NMB-PSYLL0007660 [LSMelsel-4], NMB-PSYLL0007661 [LSMelsel-4], NMB-PSYLL0007599, NMB-PSYLL0007662, NMB-PSYLL0007663, NMB-PSYLL0007609) ; 11 ♂, 44 ♀, 1 immature, same but S24.5683, W50.2553, 940 m, 10–12.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #245(2) ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007657, NMB-PSYLL0007665, NMB-PSYLL0007618) ; 3 ♂, 11 ♀, 1 immature, same but S24.5683, W50.2553, 938 m, 10.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana, Cerrado vegetation (L. Serbina) #DIC4 ( MMBC; 70% ethanol) ; 1 ♂, 6 ♀, same but S24.5683, W50.2553, 938 m, 11.vii.2017, Miconia sellowiana, Cerrado vegetation (L. Serbina) #DIC4 ( MMBC; 70% ethanol) ; 2 ♂, 4 ♀, 1 adult, same but S24.5683, W50.2553, 750‒870 m, 12.vii.2017, Araucaria forest, transitional forest, Baccharis scrub (L. Serbina) #DIC4 ( MMBC; 70% ethanol) ; 15 ♂, 26 ♀, same but S24.5638, W50.2559, 930 m, 8.xii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #522 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007623) ; 5 ♂, 5 ♀, 2 immatures, same but S24.5640, W50.2521, 910 m, 9.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #524 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007624) ; 7 ♂, 11 ♀, same but S24.1655, W49.6663, 990 m, 9.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #527 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007625) ; 11 ♂, 10 ♀, same but S24.1646, W49.6602, 1040 m, 9.vii.2013, Cerrado vegetation (D.L. Queiroz) #528 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007626); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Tunas do Paraná, Parque das Lauraceas, S24.8774, W48.7485, 860 m, 7.viii.2013, Atlantic forest (D.L. Queiroz) #555 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007632).— SÃO PAULO: 4 ♂, 4 ♀, São José do Barreiro, Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina , Cachoeira Santo Isidro , S22.7472, W44.6167, 1220 m, 7.iv.2019, Miconia sellowiana (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #320(1) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007621) .

Description. Adult. Coloration. Yellowish-orange; head and thorax with brown dots. Male generally paler than female. Antenna yellow, apices of segments 4–9 and entire segment 10 brown. Mesopraescutum with yellow to orange patches at fore margin; mesoscutum with four broad yellow to orange longitudinal stripes. Forewing ( Fig. 19I ) yellow, with sparse, irregular brown dots; apices of pterostigma and Rs, M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a and Cu 1b dark brown. Legs yellow.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 19I ) oblong-oval, with subparallel costal and anal margins, broadest in the middle, evenly rounded apically; wing apex situated at apex of M 1+2; C+Sc distinctly curved in distal third; pterostigma distinctly narrower in the middle than r 1 cell, weakly widening to apical third; Rs weakly, irregularly convex; Cu 1a irregularly, weakly curved, ending at M fork; surface spinules large, present in all cells, leaving no spinule-free stripes along the veins, forming hexagons of a double row of spinules. Hindwing with 6–7 ungrouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 6–10 grouped apical spurs, arranged as (3–5) + (3–5), anteriorly separated by 2 or more bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 34G–L ). Male. Proctiger weakly produced posteriorly; densely covered with short setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate small, irregularly ovoid; dorsal margin strongly curved in proximal third; posterior margin relatively straight; with long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly lamellar, acuminate in apical fifth; apex, in lateral view, blunt, directed slightly anteriad, in dorsal view, apex blunt, directed inwards, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; outer face with short setae in apical half; inner face densely covered with moderately long setae; posterior margin with very long setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part weakly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus strongly curved in basal half; ventral process situated in the middle, with short stem, bearing three large lobes, the median lobe hemispherical, directed ventrad, the two lateral lobes wing-like, oriented laterad, perpendicularly to the median lobe, in dorsal view, twice larger than diameter of the apical dilation; apical dilation narrow, evenly rounded apically; sclerotised end tube short and weakly sinuate.—Female terminalia cuneate; relatively densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, weakly sinuate, apex pointed; in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, vaguely cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Light; cephalothoracic sclerite, antenna, wing pads, legs and caudal plate brown.

Structure. Eye with one tiny ocular seta dorsally. Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(1), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(0), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with seven marginal pointed sectasetae and several narrowly truncate apically lanceolate setae dorsally; hindwing pad with two marginal pointed sectasetae and several (3–7) narrowly truncate apically lanceolate setae dorsally. Tarsal arolium broadly triangular apically, slightly longer than claws, with relatively short petiole. Abdomen anterior to caudal plate with three transverse rows of sparse (4, i.e. 2 on either side of each segment) narrowly truncate apically lanceolate setae on dorsum and 2 + 2 pointed sectasetae on either side laterally; margin of abdomen including caudal plate covered with dense microtrichia and sparse minute clavate setae. Caudal plate distinctly sinuous subapically; with three rows of four (i.e. two on either side) sparsely spaced pointed sectasetae or narrowly truncate lanceolate setae, 3 + 3 pointed sectasetae laterally on each marginal hump, and 3–4 pointed sectasetae on either side of circumanal ring dorsally. Extra pore fields absent. Circumanal ring large.

Host plant. Miconia sellowiana Naudin ( Melastomataceae ).

Distribution. Reported from Brazil (PR) ( Barreto et al. 2020; as Diclidophlebia sp. ), Brazil (PR, SP).

Derivation of name. Named after its host, Miconia sellowiana .

Comments. Within the smithi -group, Melanastera sellowianae sp. nov. resembles M. simillima sp. nov. in the small body size (FL <1.5 mm), the short antenna (AL <0.5 mm, AL/HW <1.0); elongate forewing (FL/FW> 2.55) with only weakly widening pterostigma, and the lack of extra pore fields on the caudal plate in the immature. Melanastera sellowianae differs from M. simillima as follows: ML/M 1+2 <2.00 (versus> 2.00); male subgenital plate, in lateral view, relatively straight (versus slightly concave) posteriorly; anterior margin of paramere, in lateral view, concave (versus straight) subapically; apical dilation of the distal aedeagal segment short (versus long) relative to ventral process; FP/SP> 1.8 (versus <1.8); fifth instar immatures: AL <0.33 (versus> 0.33); BL/AL> 3.0 (versus <3.0); forewing pad with less (versus more) than eight marginal pointed sectasetae; lanceolate setae on dorsum of wing pads and abdomen narrowly truncate (versus pointed) apically.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Morphology and measurements of male terminalia of Melanastera and Klyveria spp. A, B, M. inconspicuae sp. nov.; C, D, M. roraima sp. nov.; E, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; F, M. curtisetosa sp. nov.; G, K. flaviae sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, C, E–G, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view. For abbreviations see Table 1.

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 13. Melanastera spp., head, dorsal view. A, M. atlantica sp. nov.; B, M. stanopekari sp. nov; C, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; D, M. simillima sp. nov.; E, M. trianae sp. nov.; F, M. cinerascentis sp. nov.; G, M. minutiflorae sp. nov.; H, M. cannabinae sp. nov.; I, M. prasinae sp. nov.; J, M. smithi (Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço); K, M. granulosi sp. nov.; L, M. sebiferae sp. nov.

FIGURE 19. Melanastera spp., forewing. A, M. burchellii sp. nov.; B, M. barretoi sp. nov.; C, M. sericeae sp. nov.; D, M. tristis sp. nov.; E, M. discoloris sp. nov.; F, M. truncata sp. nov.; G, M. atlantica sp. nov.; H, M. stanopekari sp. nov.; I, M. sellowianae sp. nov.; J, M. simillima sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 34. Melanastera stanopekari sp. nov. A, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; B, paramere, inner face, lateral view; C, paramere, dorsal view; D, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; E, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; F, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. sellowianae sp. nov. G, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; H, paramere, inner face, lateral view; I, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; J, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; K, paramere, dorsal view; L, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. simillima sp. nov. M, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; N, paramere, inner face, lateral view; O, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; P, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; Q, paramere, dorsal view; R, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.—M. trianae sp. nov. S, ♂ terminalia, lateral view; T, paramere, inner face, lateral view; U, distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; V, distal segment of aedeagus, dorsal view; W, paramere, dorsal view; X, ♀ terminalia, lateral view.