A new endemic psyllid genus, Stevekenia gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Psylloidea, Triozidae), from the Hawaiian Islands with two new and rare species on threatened host plants in the endemic genus Nothocestrum (Solanaceae)
Author
Percy, Diana M.
text
Zootaxa
2017
4286
3
370
380
journal article
32742
10.11646/zootaxa.4286.3.4
706253b2-beb2-4712-8b44-9dd7e400e20c
1175-5326
828577
7D53A038-92BA-4F68-8326-8EB2D7C453BC
Genus
Stevekenia
gen. nov.
Type species:
Stevekenia nothocestri
sp. nov.
, by present designation.
Adult colour and structure.
General body colour light to mid-brown with yellow-green on abdomen. Fore wing broadest in the middle, membrane clear or slightly yellow and hyaline, lacking surface spinules, with or without distinct areas of pigmentation; veins with trifurcation of veins R, M and Cu1, brown, often with darker spots at marginal termination; long setae on ventral fore wing margin and interior veins; a single cluster of marginal radular spines present in cells cu1, m1, either centrally positioned or offset towards posterior of cells, and either one or two marginal clusters in cell m2; vein Rs short, cells cu1 and m2 large; fore wing apices bluntly acute (
Fig. 1A,C–D
,H– I,L). Hind wing short (
Fig. 1B
,J). Long setae present on head and thorax (
Fig. 1E
). Head without genal processes; vertex extremely short (width ≥
4x
length), extending anteriorly into two small projections overhanging the medial ocellus (
Fig. 2A–B
,I); due to the short vertex, the head appears somewhat dorso-ventrally flattened (
Fig. 2D
); lateral ocelli on small tubercles; medial epicranial suture distinct; small extensions at posterior rim of the eyes form small lateral projections (
Fig. 2A
,I). Antennae extremely long (length>
4x
head width); antennal segments 10, with apical region of segments 3–8 often slightly darker; either a single or multiple rhinaria apically on segments 4, 6, and a single rhinarium apically on segments 8, 9; rhinaria either simple or surrounded by a small disk (
Fig. 2E,F
); terminal segment with two setae of unequal length (stout and slender). Distal proboscis segment medium short, darker apically (
Fig. 2H
,L). Thorax moderately arched (
Fig. 1F–G
). Legs moderately short and robust, tibia longer than femur; hind leg with meracanthus well developed and straight; hind tibia with a single genual spine basally and 1+2 sclerotized apical spurs (single spur stalked and a pair of stalked spurs either conjoined at the base or not) and a comb of stout unsclerotized setae; proximal tarsus longer than distal tarsus (
Fig. 2
M–R). Male terminalia with subgenital plate more or less rounded, or more angular; proctiger with moderate posterior lobe medially, length longer than paramere; paramere with broad base below an abrupt anterior angle leading to sickleshaped neck with apex directed anteriorly; distal aedeagus segment with large, bulbous apex; sperm pump large (
Fig. 3A
–G). Female terminalia with proctiger robust, dorsal surface more or less straight, longer than subgenital plate, vase-shaped anal ring composed of a mostly continuous double row of cells, and two raised pores (approximately same size as abdominal spiracles) flanking anal ring; subgenital plate ventral surface either more or less straight or with medial bulge ventrally, apex acute or bluntly acute; ovipositor without serrations (
Fig. 3
H–N).
Egg.
Pale to light brown, with a long pedicel and short tail, and a distinct plug-like structure at the base near the pedicel; egg surface (mostly dorsal surface) covered in irregularly clustered to linearly ordered cellular outgrowths (
Fig. 3
O–Q).
Immature.
Unknown.
Comment.
There are no clear taxonomic affiliations with other genera in
Triozidae
. However,
Stevekenia
may be affiliated with
Baeoalitriozus
Li, 2011
based on forewing structure, particularly the large fore wing cell m2, and shortened hind wing;
Baeoalitriozus
occurs on both Asian and American continents, as well as in Africa (
Yang
et al
. 2013
). Other possible affiliations are with
Schedoneolithus
Tuthill, 1959
, a monotypic genus from South America which has a
Solanaceae
host and head lacking developed genae (
Tuthill 1959
), but the overall head shape is still not as atypical as in
Stevekenia
. Other than the host plant affiliation, the biology and immatures of
Stevekenia
are unknown. Ongoing phylogenomic work by this author places
Stevekenia
in a major clade of predominantly non-galling genera; and both
Baeoalitriozus
and
Schedoneolithus
are also in this same phylogenetic group, as is a predominantly holarctic genus,
Bactericera
Puton, 1876
, with several Solanaceae-feeding species, including one of the most serious pests of potato,
Bactericera cockerelli
(
Šulc, 1909
)
, see Discussion. Potentially significant similarities with
Bactericera
include the sickle-shaped paramere and eggs with a long pedicel, in addition some
Bactericera
taxa also lack developed genae (
Burckhardt & Lauterer 1997
).
There are two single island endemic species described in
Stevekenia
, and the genus can be separated from other genera in the Hawaiian Islands by the combination of large size (>
4 mm
), large fore wing cells m2 and cu1, extremely long antennae (>
4x
head width), and the unusual, somewhat dorso-ventrally flattened, head shape without genal processes; as well as being the only taxon found on
Solanaceae
host plants in the archipelago. In addition, there are two notably unusual morphological features in
Stevekenia
, one is the two raised pores flanking the anal ring on the dorsal surface of the female proctiger, it is not clear whether these are simply pores or may function as glands; the other is the egg structure with branching cellular outgrowths on the surface of the eggs, and a plug-like structure at the base of the pedicel.
Etymology:
Named for the combined efforts of two extraordinary field biologists, the entomologist Steve Montgomery and the botanist Ken Wood, without whose field knowledge and skills this genus would have remained undiscovered.