Revisão taxonômica de Notogonioides McKamey, 1997 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Membracidae)

Abstract

The treehopper family Membracidae includes exclusively phytophagous insects, traditionally recognized by the hyper development of the pronotum, a morphologically complex structure that takes on a wide variety of shapes. The family comprises approximately 400 genera and 3.200 species classified in nine subfamilies, eight of which are restricted to the New World. Polyglyptini includes 23 morphologically diverse genera, which are characterized by their forewings mostly concealed by the pronotum, and longitudinal elevated pronotal lines. Like other polyglyptines, species of Notogonioides McKamey, 1997 (type species: Hemiptycha erythropus Burmeister, 1835) are subsocial, show maternal care of eggs through eggguarding behavior, and form aggregations of adults and nymphs that are tended by ants. Nymphs are seemingly aposematic (showing black and red coloration patterns), whereas the adults appear to be cryptic (being mostly green when alive). This study consists of a taxonomic revision of Notogonioides based on the morphology of adults and immatures. The examined material includes 722 specimens borrowed from six national and international collections. Four species are recognized: N. cornicornuus (Sakakibara, 1996), N. costigerus (Butler, 1878) [= N. sinopae (Sakakibara, 1996) syn. nov.], N. erythropus (Burmeister, 1835), and N. rufiventris (Germar, 1821). New characters were incorporated to the classification of Notogonioides, which is recognized by the following features: (a) pronotum tectiform, anterior process in the shape of a horn or angle, (b) pronotal posterior process mostly concealing the forewing at rest, (c) longitudinal elevated pronotal lines on anterior and posterior processes (d) forewings showing four or five apical cells, lacking discoidal cells, one crossvein m-cu (m-cu2), (e) basal metathoracic tarsomere with two rows of plantar cucullate setae, (f) aedeagus cylindrical, U-shaped, shank lacking projections, and (g) second female valvae with two dorsal teeth. Updated descriptions, geographical distribution maps, data on tending ants, and a key to species are presented for treated taxa.