Bothriocera substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881 ), 2025

Cesne, Maxime Le, Huber, Elisabeth & Bourgoin, Thierry, 2025, Historical account and redescription of Bothriocera substigmatica (Lethierry, 1881) (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae), an endemic species from the lesser Antilles, Zootaxa 5665 (1), pp. 85-98 : 87-92

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5665.1.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:260AB1A1-9641-4034-80D2-8DD2124D47B7
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E87829-FFC8-645B-FAF5-EB09095EFD6E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Bothriocera substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881 )
status

Treatment

Bothriocera substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881) View in CoL

( Figs. 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 )

Diacira substigmatica Lethierry, 1881: 13

Sevia substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881) , comb. by Fennah, 1945: 140

Vicentia substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881) , comb. by Holzinger, 2004: 952

Nivcentia substigmatica ( Lethierry, 1881) View in CoL , comb. by O’Brien, 2006: 312

Description. Length. Male: 4.5–4.8 mm with the wings (N=31), Female: 5–5.1 mm (N=28).

Color. Head pale yellowish orange (ferruginous). Ocelli pale yellow with a red ring at their base. Thorax dark yellowish brown (ferruginous). Abdomen black. Legs paler than head and thorax except external half of prothoracic tibiae and tarsus which are brownish. Forewings transparent and smocked with the presence of an elongated oval black spot on the costal margin. Light brownish spots are present on the apical part of the forewing, and all the apical transversal vein are highlighted by a light brownish spot. Veins brown except proximal portion of cubital veins pale yellow. These brownish spots, not mentioned in the original publication, seem more or less strongly visible depending on the specimen; present on the type specimen.

The hindwing is transparent.

Head ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The posterior compartment of the vertex sub-rectangular, with longitudinal carina not reaching the anterior suture. Frons and lateral carinae strongly marked on dorsal and frontal view. Frons wider ventrally, hiding antennae and ocelli in frontal view. Ocelli are almost half of the size of the pedicel. Antennal pedicels globular, sunk under the lateral suture of the frons by a carina almost circling it on lateral view. Antennal flagellum as long as the width of the pedicels bearing it. Anteclypeus and postclypeus with a median carina. Rostrum very long, distinctly surpassing the coxa and reaching the last segments of the abdomen.

Thorax. Prothorax with a sharply concave posterior margin. Mesonotum tricarinate, with a median and a pair of lateral carinae.

Forewings ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ) with common stem ScP+ R + MP as long as basal cell, common stem ScP+ R a little shorter. ScP+RA1 separating from RA2 before middle of the forewing; RA2 with 2 terminals; RP with 3 terminals; first fork slightly before MP1 +2 fork, second one at same level of MP1 fork. MP with 5 terminals of the trifid anterior branch type ( Le Cesne et al., 2022) with MP1.1 , MP1.2 , MP2 , MP3 , MP4 ; MP1 +2 separating from MP3 +4 at nodal line. CuA forking into CuA1 and CuA2 before the nodal line; icu joining CuP before posterior margin of the forewing. Subapical line well materialized by darkened transverse veinlets. C3 long and longer than C3'; C4 long but shorter than C3, quadrangular with a common short margin with C5; C5 short, distinctly triangular basally; C5' longer than C3 slightly widening distally. PCu and A1 fusing before middle of claval area .

Hindwing of V-type in the MP-CuA connection ( Le Cesne et al., 2022).

Hindlegs with an unarmed metatibiae and six apical spines separated in two groups of three by a diastema ( Brozek et al., 2024). First metatarsomere elongated with 8 apical teeth, the two lateral ones being longer than the six in the middle; second metatarsomere with the same number of teeth, and two longer lateral ones. Metatibiotarsal formula: 0-(3d3)/8/8.

Male genitalia. ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 and 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Male genitalia asymmetrical with a sclerotized periandrium bearing an apical rounded and multi denticulated lobe (1) on its left latero-posterior margin ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ) and a non-symmetrical spiniform process bearing round eight small apical teeth (2) on its dorsal posterior margin and one ventral ( Fig. 5F and G View FIGURE 5 ). Periandrium wall slimmer distally at the articulation transitioning from the perandrium to the aedeagus sensu stricto. The later curving above the periandrium to point anteriorly. Aedeagus s.s. forming a weakly sclerotized tube curving more or less regularly on the dorsal margin of the endosome; distributed in three main parts as marked by a thin membranous fold ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 and 5F View FIGURE 5 ): 1) the first one (a) well sclerotized bearing a short basal postero-lateral spiniform process pointing antero-dorsally (3), and proximally three to four minute spines (s) weakly sclerotized at the aeseagus s.s. base ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ), 2) the second part (b) remaining partly sclerotized in its wall, on one side mainly and 3) the third part (c) only supported dorsally by a distinct, distally shortly acute (4) rod-like sclerotized plate (rpa), and an apical spiniform aedeagal process pointing posteriorly (5) at the distal margin of the aedeagus ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 and 5E, F, G View FIGURE 5 ); a thin sclerotized ring marks the phallotrem opening into a more or less rounded endosomal sac (End), fully membranous and translucid, widening distally ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 and 5 View FIGURE 5 ) and probably inflatable. Its opening not distinguishable. Inside the aedeagus s.s. the ductus seminis (ds) is supported by a pair of rod like plates (rps), proximally united in a single sclerotized and wider tube of the ductus seminis connected basally to the base of the aedeagus s.s.. Because the aedeagus s.s. is weakly sclerotized and somehow translucid, the internal and paired ductus seminis rod-like plates and the rod-like one of the aedeagus are well observable such as being external plates. Anal tube regularly ovoid in dorsal view; lightly convex on lateral view.

Note. We present here a detailed morphological description of the male genitalia of the species. Several structures, reported here for the first time, are minute and weakly or non-sclerotized, making them difficult to observe without high-resolution techniques. These features are likely present in related species, but their individual or specific variation remains untested. This points to a potential gap between the fine-scale characters revealed through detailed examination and those traditionally used for routine taxonomic identification, highlighting the need for caution and a more integrative approach in future taxonomic revisions of the taxa.

From a morphological standpoint, the paired rod-like plates of the ductus seminis correspond to the ligamentary processes (sheath sensu Muir , 1926), as previously reported in the ground plan of fulgoromorphan male genitalia ( Bourgoin, 1988; Bourgoin & Juang, 1990). These structures are internally fused with the ventral wall at the base of the aedeagus sensu stricto ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ), clearly marking the beginning of the aedeagus sensu stricto.

Distribution. Lesser Antilles: La Guadeloupe (Saut de la Lézarde; Col des 2 Mammelles; Chutes du Carbet, Bras David, Cascade aux Écrevisses), La Dérisade island (Ravine Cybèle), Martinique (Macuba, Morne Rouge, Montagne Pelée, Presqu’île de la Caravelle, Source Didier, Terreville, Trois Rivières).

Habitat and host plants. Bothriocerini species have most frequently been associated with Poaceae (25%), Asteraceae (8.5%), and Juncaceae (8.5%) ( Bourgoin, 2025). Host plants remain unknown for B. substigmatica . In Guadeloupe, individuals were captured by sweep netting along trails bordered by ferns in undisturbed primary rainforest ( Figs 6 View FIGURE 6 ).