Pintalia constellaris ( Walker, 1858 )

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 : 56-61

Pintalia constellaris ( Walker, 1858)

( Figs. 39 A–F ; 40 A–G ; 41 A–H ; 42 A–D ; 43 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ Brazil, AM. (NHMUK-013588867).

Additional material examined. Brazil, MG: Sete Lagoas municipality, 1♂ CGP-0024 Cave , ( UTM 574138 W, 7848650S 23K), 04-13. xi. 2021, (Candiani, D. F. & Guarda, D. D.) ( ISLA 103995 ) ; Santa Barbara municipality, 1 ♂ Gand _0073 Cave, ( UTM 640305 W, 7783515S 23K), 18.iv.2017, (Rabelo et al.) ( ISLA 126055 ) ; Iguatama municipality, 1♀ JAT39 Cave, ( UTM 414595 W 7756476S 23K), 27. xi. 2022, (Zampaulo R. A.; Reis A. S.) ( ISLA 126052 ) ; 2♂ and 1♀ JAT42 Cave , ( UTM 414519 W 7756592S 23K), 27. xi. 2022, (Zampaulo R. A.; Reis A. S.) ( ISLA 126053 ) ; 1♂ JAT43 Cave , ( UTM 414496 W 7756551S 23K), 27. xi. 2022, (Zampaulo R. A.; Reis A. S.) ( ISLA 126054 ) ; Pains municipality, 1♂ Gruta da Torre caida cave, ( UTM 436818 W 7746966S 23K), 22. xi. 1999, (Ferreira, R. L) .

Synonyms. Poecilloptera constellaris Walker, 1858 prev. comb. of Pintalia constellaris ( Walker, 1858) acc. to Fennah (1947); Pintalia quadrimaculata Fennah, 1945 syn. of Pintalia constellaris ( Walker, 1858) acc. to Fennah (1947).

Description. Coloration (specimen preserved in 70% ethanol). Body generally strong orange yellow (68), contrasting with regions in strong yellowish brown (74) of the carinae, deep orange yellow (69) on mesonotum, frons, and abdomen dorsally and brilliant orange yellow (67) on legs and abdomen ventrally. Tegmina Brilliant yellow (83) with a distal area hyaline, spot in deep yellow (85) with four hyaline points on the cubital, median and C5 cells.

Body length. Male. 4.0– 4.3 mm (n=2).

Head. Vertex ( Fig. 39A, C ): laterally wider, approx. 2.5 times wider (0.5) than medially long (0.2); apical compartment narrows and laterally larger, approx. 4.0 times wider (0.4) than medially long (0.1); apical transverse carina (0.413) slightly smaller than the subapical carina (0.437); angle formed by the caudal margin, concave irregular. Frons ( Fig. 39B ): 1.4 times longer (1.0) than wide (0.7), approx.1.7 times wider medially than apically (0.4); anterior region of the frons trapezoidal, wide and straight apically. Frontoclypeal suture large, very convex. Postclypeus ( Fig. 39B ): very carinated. Anteclypeus ( Fig. 39B ): with a distinct median carina apically, rounded close to the frons. Rostrum in ventral view reaching the middle of the abdomen.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Figs. 30A, C ): submedian carinae weakly developed, evanescent behind the eyes; hind margin obtusely angled. Mesonotum ( Fig. 30A ): median carina well developed but evanescent distally; lateral carinae strongly developed. Tegmina (Forewings) ( Fig. 39D ): length 7.0 mm; dark yellow with a dark spot and four hyaline spots; dark spot between basal vein RP, hyaline spots over the veins MP, CuP, CuA1 and CuA2; r-m1 and m-cu1 occurs together before to the first MP fork; Cells C3 and C5, C4 narrow; small and simple tubercles in all veins; petiole in RP2.2+RP2.3 well developed; 12 apical cells; 7 subapical cells.

Posterior legs. Hind tibia ( Fig. 39E ): approximately 2.3 mm; 6 apical spines; 4 lateral spines, the first being at the base of the tarsomere difficult to visualize; 1 st tarsomere ( Fig. 39F ): 7 apical teeth, the two outer teeth and the two middle teeth larger. 2 nd tarsomere ( Fig. 39F ): 7 apical teeth, the two outer ones being larger, and in the middle with approx. the same size; 3 platellae, one separated by apical teeth without platellae.

Male terminalia. Pygofer ( Figs. 40E–G ): bilaterally symmetric. In lateral view, dorsocaudal margin with cone-shaped process tilted up laterally, rounded apically; in ventral view ventromedian process triangular, longer than wider. Anal tube ( Figs. 40A–B, H ; 41A–B ): moderately short; in dorsal view slightly elevated medially with lateral margins slightly curved; in lateral view the lateral margins form one convex line. Genital styles ( Figs. 40A–B, D ; 41C–E ): thin near to the base and distally approx. 3.5 times longer than wide with rounded distal margin; near of base with a small triangular process ventrally. Aedeagus ( Figs. 40E–G ; 41F–I ): asymmetric tubular. Shaft of the aedeagus with five thin spines, four movable; in right lateral view with four spines, three large and curved spines (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd) (a)(b)(c), occurs on the apex of the shaft, towards the base; spine (a) in S-shapped; spine (b) straight, biger the others; spine (C) in hook-shaped; 4 th spine (d) straight, inserted little above of the center on the aedeagal shaft towards the base; in left lateral view, 5 th spine small (e), not movable, occurs near the apex of the shaft towards to the flagellum. Flagellum with a spine-like process laterally.

Diagnosis. Pintalia constellaris can be distinguished from other Pintalia species mainly by the spines apically on the aedeagal shaft towards the base of the shaft, with spine (b) being the largest of these.

Distribution. BRA,AM, Ega(Tefé) (Type Locality);MG, Sete Lagoas municipality, Santa Barbara municipality, Iguatama municipality, Pains municipality; BOL, La Paz, Tumupasa ( Fennah, 1945).

Remarks. I was able to see images of the type deposited in the Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK) by Walker (1858). Despite the current state of conservation of the type, the specimen is identical to the specimen used in the (re)description, except for some small variations in the tegmina, such as the size of the spots and the spine (b) of the aedeagus, which is larger and curved in the specimen used by Walker (1858).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Pintalia serratilis sp. nov., male terminalia: A, genital capsule, right lateral view; B, genital capsule, left lateral view; C, genital capsule, dorsal view; D, aedeagus, right lateral view; E, aedeagus, ventral view; F, aedeagus, dorsal lateral view; G, aedeagus, right lateral view; H, genital capsule, ventral view.

FIGURE 39. Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858): A, head, dorsal view; B, head, ventral view; C, head, transition vertex to frons; D, tegmina (forewings); E, posterior leg; F, tarsomeres.

FIGURE 40. Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858), male terminalia: A, genital capsule, right lateral view; B, genital capsule, left lateral view; C, genital capsule, dorsal view; D, aedeagus, right lateral view; E, aedeagus, dorsal view; F, aedeagus, left lateral view; G, genital capsule, ventral view.

FIGURE 41. Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858), male terminalia (Scale bar, A–C: 0,2 mm; D–H: 0,1 mm): A, anal tube, right lateral view; B, anal tube, dorsal view; C, genital styles ventral view; D, right genital style, right lateral view; E, left genital style, right lateral view; F, aedeagus, right lateral view; G, aedeagus, dorsal view; H, aedeagus, ventral view; I, aedeagus, right lateral view.

FIGURE 42. Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858), female terminalia: A, right lateral; B, ventral view; C, dorsal view; D, caudal view.

FIGURE 43. Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858): habitus male, left lateral view.