Lycoderides aburraensis, Flórez-V & Lapèze & Urban, 2025

Flórez-V, Camilo, Lapèze, Jérémie & Urban, Julie M., 2025, Taxonomic and ecological notes on Lycoderides Sakakibara (Hemiptera: Membracidae), including two new species from the highlands of the Colombian Andes, Zootaxa 5665 (2), pp. 151-186 : 162-164

Lycoderides aburraensis Flórez-V sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F3BBE447-C3C3-4F46-B92A-C6A66E82A4C1

( Fig. 3C , 4G , 5G , 6E , 12F–J , 16A )

Diagnosis: The male of this species resembles those of L. abditus , L. santainensis sp. nov., and L. serraticornis but can be distinguished by its short pubescence on the body, head 2.5× wider than long, and pronotum higher than wide, elevated 2× head length above the head; suprahumeral horns are larger, the anterior process is more dorsally directed, and the apical crest of the posterior process is more elevated than in other Lycoderides species. Femora and tibiae are entirely light brown. Forewing hyaline area is small. Male genitalia resemble those of L. santainensis and L. serraticornis .

Description: Holotype male. Color: General color reddish brown. Head dark brown, lighter along superior margin around ocelli, yellowish brown near eyes; eyes greyish brown, ocelli pink. Pronotum and warts reddish brown, supraocular callosities pinkish. Dorso-medial carina above metopidium and posterior process, suprahumeral horn edges yellow. Forewing sclerotized, punctuated, reddish dark brown until half-length; forewing membrane opaque brown on apical half, one hyaline and speckled spot on apex of R basal cell, R discoidal cell, and adjacent area of M basal cell; reddish hyaline area on subapical region of M and Cu basal cell. Hindwings hyaline. Coxae dark brown with lighter edges. Femora and tibiae light brown. Abdominal segments orange-brown.

Sculpture: Densely and coarsely punctuated, appearing opaque, Head, pronotum, sclerotized area of forewing, forewing veins, dorsal surface of tibiae and tarsomeres covered with short light brown pubescence. Wart-like protuberances scattered over pronotum, forewing veins, and sclerotized, punctuated area of membrane.

Head ( Fig. 3C ): 2.5x wider than long; eyes hemispheric; ocelli above transocular line, closer to posterior margin, positioned closer to eyes than to each other; supra-antennal ledges arched; frontoclypeus slightly emarginate above supra-antennal ledges. Beak extending to metacoxae.

Thorax: Finger-shaped process on ventral base of mesepimeron. Pronotum in frontal view ( Fig. 3C ), higher than wide, elevated above head almost 2x head length; humeral angles triangular; anterior process with two triangular suprahumeral horns; in lateral view ( Fig. 4G ), metopidium vertical, truncate at level of suprahumeral horns, summit behind suprahumeral horns, descending abruptly in sinuous line until above M and Cu bifurcation, forming small crest before reaching posterior margin of posterior process; posterior process reaching before claval suture of forewing; scutellum completely covered; in dorsal view ( Fig. 5G ), suprahumeral horns slightly longer than wide, dorso-medial carinae irregular forming zig-zag-line. Tibia with flattened dorsal surface, metatibia with row II of cucullate setae.

Abdomen ( Fig. 12F–J ): Male genitalia. Lateral plate totally fused to pygofer. Style attached to subgenital plate on basal 1/3 of subgenital plate. Subgenital plate bilobed, divided almost from base, attached with VIII abdominal sternite. Styles mesally expanded, apex hook-shaped; tooth obliquely directed lateral- and ventrally. Aedeagus with anterior arm reduced, posterior arm in lateral view, basally expanded, then slightly narrow until apex; anterior and antero-lateral surface of apical 1/3 of posterior arm with denticles; in posterior view, subcylindrical.

Female and late-instar nymph unknown.

Measurements: Holotype male (mm): Body length: 7.58; pronotum length: 4.63; pronotum height: 1.80; forewing length: 6.43; width between humeral angles: 2.52; head width: 2.32; vertex length: 0.86; vertex width: 1.52.

Biology: One male was found in an Alto-Andean forest on a Quercus humboldtii ( Fagaceae ) leaf ( Fig. 16A ). However, additional records are needed to confirm if Q. humboldtii is its host plant.

Examined material: Holotype male in CBUCES. COLOMBIA: Antioquia: El Retiro :“ COLOMBIA. Antioquia, El Retiro, Reserva Natural San Sebastián de la Castellana, 6.109670°N, 75.546140°W, 2500–2800 msnm, sobre hoja de Quercus humboldtii, Mar. 4/2018, leg. Semillero Entomología 2018-I (C. Flórez-V), CBUCES-F 8029” (1 male in CBUCES).

Holotype minuten mounted, in excellent state of preservation with dissected abdomen placed in vials with glycerin pinned with specimens.

Distribution: COLOMBIA: Antioquia: El Retiro (Reserva Natural San Sebastián de la Castellana, 6.109670°N, 75.546140°W, 2800 masl, Fig. 1 ).

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘aburraensis’ refers to the Valle de Aburrá, the type locality of this species. The name derives from the ‘Aburráes’, the Indigenous people who originally inhabited the region.

Remarks: This species was found in a locality close to those of L. serraticornis and L. santainensis sp. nov., on the slopes of the Valle de Aburrá. L. aburraensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. santainensis sp. nov. and L. serraticornis by: head 2.5× wider than long; pronotum higher than wide, elevated 2× head length above head, suprahumeral horns larger, anterior process more dorsally directed and apical crest of posterior process more elevated than the other Lycoderides species. Male genitalia of these species are very similar between, and they are difficult to distinguish based only on these structures ( Fig. 12 ). Females of this species are unknown, but the description of the female of L. abditus , L. santainensis sp. nov. and L. serraticornis give us insights about the morphology of females of L. aburraensis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map in Colombia of Lycoderides aburraensis sp. nov., L. amazonicus, L. brevilobus, L. brulei, L. fernandezi / Lycoderes argutus, L. luteus, L. marginalis, L. phasianus, L. santainensis sp. nov. and L. serraticornis.

FIGURE 3. Frontal habitus of the new species of Lycoderides related with L. serraticornis. Lycoderides santainensis sp. nov. A) male holotype and B) female paratype. Lycoderides aburraensis sp. nov. C) male holotype. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Lateral habitus of the species of Lycoderides related with L. serraticornis. Lycoderides abditus A) male, B) female. Lycoderides serraticornis C) male and D) female. Lycoderides santainensis sp. nov. E) male holotype and F) female paratype. Lycoderides aburraensis sp. nov. G) male holotype. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Dorsal habitus of the species of Lycoderide related with L. serraticornis. Lycoderides abditus A) male, B) female. Lycoderides serraticornis C) male and D) female. Lycoderides santainensis sp. nov. E) male holotype and F) female paratype. Lycoderides aburraensis sp. nov. G) male holotype. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Frontolateral habitus of Lycoderides species related to L. serraticornis. Lycoderides serraticornis A) male and B) female. Lycoderides santainensis sp. nov. C) male holotype and D) female paratype. Lycoderides aburraensis sp. nov. E) male holotype.

FIGURE 12. Male pygofer, subgenital plates and styles (dorsal and lateral view), and aedeagus (lateral and caudal view) of some Lycoderides species. A–E) Lycoderides serraticornis, F–J) L. aburraensis sp. nov., K–O) L. santainensis sp. nov.

FIGURE 16. Biology of some species of Lycoderides. A) Male holotype of L. aburraensis sp. nov. on Quercus humboldtii (Fagaceae). B) Female of L. serraticornis on Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae). C) Nymph and adult of L. luteus on Andesanthus lepidota (Melastomataceae). D) Nymph aggregation of L. phasianus tended by ants. E) Mixed-species aggregation of adults of L. phasianus, Bolbonota sp., a new species of Endoiastus, and a nymph of Micrutalis sp., which were associated with ants of the genus Dolichoderus. F) Ant-shelter construction with nymphs of L. phasianus. G and H) Adults of L. phasianus parasitized by entomopathogenous fungus.