Melanastera brasiliensis Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt 2025
Creators: name: Serbina, Liliya Š.
name: Malenovský, Igor
name: Queiroz, Dalva L.
name: Burckhardt, Daniel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Liviidae
Melanastera
Melanastera brasiliensis

description: 39 Melanastera brasiliensis sp. nov.
(Figs 11J, 18D, 30M–R)
Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: SÃO PAULO: Santa Maria da Serra, Mina Velha, S22.6823, W48.3049, 450 m, 7.ii.2018, Xylopia brasiliensis (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #259(7) (UFPR; dry).
Paratypes. Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 5 ♂, 6 ♀, Buenópolis, Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral, headquarters: S17.8649, W44.1837, 590 m, 7.iv.2021, Grona adscendens, planted trees and cerrado vegetatio (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #383(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008489); 1 ♂, 6 ♀, Diamantina, Parque Biribiri, S18.3712, W43.1099, 1080 m, 14.ix.2021, Xylopia emarginata (D.L. Queiroz) #1010(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008559); 9 ♂, 16 ♀, same but Cachoeira Sentinela, S18.1863, W43.6143, 1100 m, 11.iv.2021, Xylopia emarginata, open cerrado vegetation near river on rocks (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #396(3) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008490); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, Parque Estadual do Rio Preto, Vau das Éguas, S18.0995, W43.3301, 740 m, 15.iv.2021, Xylopia emarginata, cerrado vegetation on rocky slope (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #407(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008492); 4 ♂, 8 ♀, 1 immature same but Poço do Areia, S18.1310, W43.3379, 770 m, 16.iv.2021, Xylopia emarginata, scrub near river (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #409(1) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008493); 1 ♀, same but Forquilha, S18.1354, W43.3372, 780 m, 16.iv.2021, scrub near river (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #410(0) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008494).— SÃO PAULO: 7 ♂, 7 ♀, 13 immatures, 17 skins, same as holotype but (NHMB, UFPR; dry, slide; NMB-PSYLL0007766, NMB-PSYLL0007679, NMB-PSYLL0007680, NMB-PSYLL0007775[LSMelbra- 66], NMB-PSYLL0007776, NMB-PSYLL0007777, NMB-PSYLL0007778 [LSMelbra-66], NMB-PSYLL0007779 [LSMelbra-66]).
Material not included in type series. Brazil: GOIÁS: 15 ♂, 19 ♀, 7 immatures, 11 skins, Pirenópolis, Cachoeira do Abade, S15.8088, W48.9190, 955 m, 1.viii.2018 (D.L. Queiroz) #864(3) (NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007786, NMB-PSYLL0007773, NMB-PSYLL0007774 [LSMelbra-98]).— MINAS GERAIS: 4 ♂, 4 ♀, 8 immatures, Buenópolis, Parque Estadual da Serra do Cabral, Marcos Teixeira, S17.9035, W44.2308, 660 m, 19.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #369(1) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007772); 2 ♂, 4 ♀, same but Passagem d’Anta, S17.9035, W44.2308, 1000 m, 19.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #374(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007770); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 5 immatures, same but Cuba, S17.9035, W44.2308, 1070 m, 22.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #376(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007771); 6 ♂, 9 ♀, 3 immatures, 13 eggs, Coromandel, Fazenda Laje, S18.5610, W46.9020, 1060 m, 23.viii.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #346(13) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007755, NMB-PSYLL0005585); 10 ♂, 20 ♀, 8 immatures, Diamantina, Parque Estadual do Biribiri, Cachoeira Sentinela, S18.1886, W43.6229, 1090 m, 14‒15.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #357(2) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007768); 18 ♂, 17 ♀, Diamantina, Parque Estadual do Biribiri, Poço do Estudante, S18.2040, W43.6216, 990 m, 15.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #359(1) (BMNH, MHNG, MMBC, NHMB, USNM; dry, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007769, NMB-PSYLL0007971–NMB-PSYLL0007976); 1 ♂, 4 ♀, 1 immature, São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, Parque Estadual do Rio Preto, Prainha, S18.1170, W43.2407, 760 m, 11‒12.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #351(5) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007756); 1 ♀, same but Vau das Éguas, S18.0990, W43.3210, 830 m, 12.ix.2019, Xylopia emarginata (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #355(1) (NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0007767).
Description. Adult. Coloration. Orange, head and thorax with dark brown dots. Antenna pale to brownish yellow, scape and pedicel brown, apices of segments 3–9 with and entire segment 10 dark brown. Mesopraescutum with two pale brown patches at the fore margin; mesoscutum with four broad pale brown longitudinal stripes, margined by dark brown dots, and one or two rows of median dots. Forewing (Fig. 18D) light amber-coloured, with irregular, dense dark brown dots; base and apex of pterostigma and apices of veins Rs, M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a and Cu 1b dark brown. Femora with dark brown dots, tibiae and tarsi yellow.
Structure. Forewing (Fig. 18D) oval, broadest in the middle, narrowly rounded apically; wing apex situated in cell r 2 near apex of apex M 1+2; C+Sc distinctly curved in distal quarter; pterostigma as wide as or slightly narrower in the apical third than cell r 1, weakly widening to apical third; Rs fairly straight in basal two thirds, weakly curved to fore margin apically; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4; Cu 1a weakly, relatively evenly curved, ending slightly proximal of M fork; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, forming hexagons of a single row of spinules, spinules sparse in basal third of cell c+sc. Hindwing with 3–4 + 2–3 grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 9 grouped apical spurs, arranged as 3–4 + 5–6, anteriorly separated by 3 bristles.
Terminalia (Fig. 30M–R). Male. Proctiger weakly produced postero-basally; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate subglobular; dorsal margin almost straight; posterior margin irregularly convex; with dense, long setae mostly in apical half. Paramere, in lateral view, broadly acuminate; apex, in lateral view, blunt, directed upwards, in dorsal view, apex subacute, directed upwards and inwards, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; both outer and inner faces with dense, moderately long setae in apical two thirds; posterior margin with longer setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part moderately subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus with dorsal margin strongly sinuate in basal half; ventral process situated slightly distal of the middle of the segment, in lateral view, relatively short and broad, subrectangular, with apex slightly protruding ventrally; in dorsal view, ventral process relatively broad, broadest subapically, with a short, apically truncate median lobe arising from the base ventrally; apical dilation, in lateral view, broad, slightly widening towards broadly rounded apex, with a large membranous sack at dorsal margin basally; in dorsal view, apical dilation relatively narrow, oblong-obovate, apex evenly rounded; sclerotised end tube short and weakly curved.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, weakly sinuous, apex blunt, in dorsal view, apex pointed; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, abruptly narrowing in apical half, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.
Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Light; antenna gradually becoming darker towards apex; cephalothoracic sclerite, wing pads, legs and caudal plate brown to dark brown.
Structure. Eye with one short, simple ocular seta dorsally.Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(1), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with 4–5 (usually 5) marginal pointed sectasetae; hindwing pad with 1–2 (usually 2) marginal pointed sectasetae; both pads lacking sectasetae or larger lanceolate setae dorsally. Metatibiotarsus long; tarsal arolium broadly fan-shaped apically, 1.2 times as long as claws. Abdomen with 1–2 lateral pointed sectaseta on either side anterior to caudal plate. Caudal plate with anterior margin remote from anterior margin of extra pore fields; with four (2+2) pointed sectasetae and one smaller lanceolate seta on either side laterally, and three pointed sectasetae subapically, on either side of circumanal ring dorsally. Extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of moderate oval patches; outer band relatively long medially, end pointing outwards. Circumanal ring small.
Host plant. Xylopia brasiliensis Spreng., X. emarginata Mart. (Annonaceae).
Distribution. Brazil (GO, MG, SP).
Derivation of name. Named after one of its hosts, X. brasiliensis.
Comments. Within the ingariko -group, M. brasiliensis sp. nov. differs from the other species by its much broader paramere.
The sample from Goiás from Xylopia sericea (DLQ#864(3)) and some samples from Minas Gerais from X. emarginata (DB-DLQ#346(13), #351(5), #355(1), #357(2), #359(1), #369(1), #374(2), #376(2)) are excluded from the type series for differences in the DNA barcoding sequence (e.g. the uncorrected p-distance between the sample DB-DLQ#259(7) including the holotype and DLQ#864(3) is 1.74% for COI, and 3.19% for cytb) and/or in the host species. However, as there are no significant morphological differences and low sequence divergence between these samples, they are all referred to the same species.
description: Published as part of Serbina, Liliya Š., Malenovský, Igor, Queiroz, Dalva L. & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2025, Jumping plant-lice of the tribe Paurocephalini (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) in Brazil, pp. 1-164 in Zootaxa 5585 (1) on pages 88-89, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5585.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15007669