Pintalia consobrina Stål, 1862

Hoch, Júlio César Do Carmo Vaz Santos Hannelore, Bartlett, Charles R. & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2025, Revision of the type series of the original species placed in the genus Pintalia Stål, 1862 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae), and description of 12 new species from Brazilian caves, Zootaxa 5678 (1), pp. 1-96 : 19-22

Pintalia consobrina Stål, 1862

( Figs. 1 B , 4 A–D , 11 B )

Type material. Holotype ♀. Brazil ( BRA). ( NHRS-GULI000075711 ).

Supplementary description. Coloration (preserved specimen). Body mostly dark brown (59), contrasting with some regions of strong brown (55) on the pronotum medially, tegulae, mesonotum distally and legs. Tegmina hyaline with spots in strong brown (55), with a conspicuous rounded spot in radial area.

Body length. Female (examined): 4.3 mm (n =1); 4.5 mm ( Stål, 1862).

Head. Vertex ( Fig. 4B–C ): distinct, subapical carina recorded on the disk; median carina developed in the basal compartment and evanescent in the apical compartment; raised apical transverse carina; curved caudal margin; basal compartment slightly larger than the apical compartment. Frons ( Fig. 4A ): in frontal view approx. 1.2 times longer than maximally wide; approx. 2.4 times wider medially than apically; median carina well developed; thick lateral carinae between the largest width (near the scapus) and the anterior region of the frons; anterior region of the frons trapezoidal, curved in the middle, and straight apically. Frontoclypeal suture: arched medially and slightly concave laterally, bypassing the ocellus. Post-and anteclypeus: median carina well developed and rounded in the middle.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Figs. 4B–D ): submedian carina developed; median carina developed; hind margin obtusely angled or rectangular; coloration a little lighter in the region between the eyes. Mesonotum ( Figs. 4B–D ): tricarinate, little darker lateral margins than between the carinae; flat in lateral view with distal region slightly inclined. Tegmina (forewings) ( Fig. 4D , 11 B ): length 5.9 mm; approx. 2.6 times longer than wide; transverse dark spot in the center of the tegmina with curved lateral elongation towards the anterior cubital margin; two dark spots with "C"-shaped form in prenodal cells, and two dark spots in the postcostal cell; double tubercles occurring throughout the tegmina; fork of ScP+ RA and RP, ahead of forks CuA1 and CuA2; C5 with one traversal vein; r-m1 together to the first MP fork; mcu1 distally to r-m1, together from MP 3 vein; RA bifid with punctual anastomosis RA + RP 1; RP quadrifid; MP 1+2 trifid; MP 3+ MP 4 bifid; 12 apical cells; 7 subapical cells.

Posterior legs. Hind tibia: 4 lateral spines, and 6 apical teeth (see remarks).

Female terminalia. Anal tube slightly longer than wide; flattened ventrally. Gonocoxae VIII, in caudal view appears ovoid with lateral margins rounded. Ovipositor in lateral view, sabre-shaped, curved upwards dorsally, just surpassing (or not surpassing) the anal tube.

Diagnosis. Pintalia consobrina can be distinguished from other species of the genus Pintalia mainly by the distinct vertex with subapical carina engraved into disc instead of elevated, and transverse dark spot in the center of the tegmina with curved lateral elongation towards the cubital margin.

Distribution. The only location reported by Stål (1862) is Brazil (type locality).

Notes. A female specimen that is very similar to P. consobrina was found in the ISLA collection. The specimen was collected during the dry season (20.x.2011) ( ISLA 100960) in the MP-008 cave, in Itabirito municipality (MG), a region strongly impacted by mining. This species is probably a subtroglophile due to the low occurrence recorded in these cavities so far, and perhaps came to lay eggs on the roots present in the cave (subtroglophile habits with subterranean eggs and larva). However, we still cannot rule out the hypothesis that it is a eutroglophile species, and it is part of an underground population living in the cave or the MSS (more eutroglophile habits). However, cave MP-008 also houses the species Ferricixius davidi Hoch and Ferreira, 2012 and during its discovery, several exhaustive collections were carried out in the cavity and its surroundings, and the only specimen of the P. consobrina type found was the one reported here. The referred specimen exhibits three lateral spines on the posterior tibia, eight apical teeth on the first posterior tarsomere and nine apical teeth on the 2nd tarsomere posterior, five of them with platellae.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Head Pintalia types Stål, 1862 (scale bar A–I, 1mm.): A, P. lateralis Stål, 1862; B, P. consobrina Stål, 1862; C, P. fasciatipennis Stål, 1862; D, P. fraterna Stål, 1862; E, P. inornata Stål, 1862; F, P. obscuripennis Stål, 1862; G, P. pictipennis Stål, 1862; H, P. proxima Stål, 1862; I, P. ustulata Stål, 1862.

FIGURE 4. Pintalia consobrina Stål, 1862: Head, A, ventral view; B, dorsal view; C, transition vertex to front; D, habitus female in right lateral view.

FIGURE 11. Tegmina cells patterns from the species described by Stål, 1862: A, Pintalia lateralis; B, Pintalia consobrina; C, Pintalia fasciatipennis; D, Pintalia fraterna; E, Pintalia inornata; F, Pintalia obscuripennis; G, Pintalia pictipennis; H, Pintalia proxima; I) Pintalia ustulata. Nodal cells (apical) (blue cells), cells difficult to identify (light blue), central prenodal cells (red cells) and lateral prenodal cells (yellow).