A new species of planthopper in the genus Melanoliarus (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae) from coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) in Trinidad.

Abstract

During a survey in Trinidad and Grenada for putative vectors of palm lethal decline phytoplasmas, three species of planthopper in the genus Melanoliarus (Hemiptera, Cixiidae) were collected. Melanoliarus maidis was collected from coconut palms in Grenada, M. kindli was collected from grasses in a coconut plot in Trinidad and a new species of Melanoliarus was collected from coconut palms in Trinidad. Herein the novel taxon is described with supplementary molecular data for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, 18S rRNA gene, and histone 3 (H3) gene to support placement in the genus Melanoliarus in the strict sense.