Review of the effusus group of the Lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839, with one new species and notes on trophobiosis (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)

Jérôme Constant

doi:10.5852/ejt.2015.128

Abstract

The species group effusus of the genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839 is reviewed and the nomenclatural history of the genus Pyrops is briefly summarized. One new species from eastern Borneo, Pyrops synavei sp. nov., is described. P. gunjii (Satô & Nagai, 1994) stat. nov. is proposed as a valid species instead of a subspecies of P. whiteheadi (Distant, 1889). P. maquilinganus (Baker, 1925) is removed from the effusus group and placed back into the candelaria group. P. cyanirostris (Guérin-Méneville, 1845) is removed from the group and not attributed to any of the currently defined species groups. An illustrated key to the species of the group with the addition of P. intricatus (Walker, 1857) and a distribution map are given. The effusus group is restricted to Borneo and adjacent Laut Island and presently contains 4 species: P. effusus (Distant, 1891), P. gunjii (Satô & Nagai, 1994) stat.nov., P. synavei sp. nov. and P. whiteheadi (Distant, 1889). Trophobiosis observations with the gecko Gehyra mutilata (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) and two species of cockroaches (Insecta: Blattodea), one Dorylaea sp. and an unidentified species of Pseudophyllodromiinae, are reported and illustrated for P. whiteheadi; observation with a cockroach, Dorylaea sp., is reported for P. intricatus.

Highlights

The Lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839 contains colourful, spectacular and popular species which are immediately recognized as Lanternflies by all entomologists because of their typical cephalic process
The genus was divided into 5 species groups by Baker (1925) [at the time under the genus name Fulgora Linnaeus, 1767], a view followed by Lallemand (1963) [ under Fulgora] and by Nagai & Porion, 1996, both of the latter with minor changes
The issue concerning the inconsistent use of the genus names Fulgora Linnaeus, 1767, Pyrops Spinola, 1839 and Laternaria Linnaeus, 1764, despite the wise treatment proposed by Kirkaldy (1902), was fixed in a similar way by a decision of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1955), who designated Cicada laternaria Linnaeus, 1758 as the type-species of the genus Fulgora, which is restricted to the Neotropics

Summary

Introduction

The Lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839 contains colourful, spectacular and popular species which are immediately recognized as Lanternflies by all entomologists because of their typical cephalic process It is widely distributed in the Indomalayan region, from Sri Lanka to the Himalayas (north India, south China), eastwards to Taiwan and Vietnam, and southwards to Sulawesi and neighbouring islands through Indonesia and the Philippines. The issue concerning the inconsistent use of the genus names Fulgora Linnaeus, 1767, Pyrops Spinola, 1839 and Laternaria Linnaeus, 1764, despite the wise treatment proposed by Kirkaldy (1902), was fixed in a similar way by a decision of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1955), who designated Cicada laternaria Linnaeus, 1758 as the type-species of the genus Fulgora, which is restricted to the Neotropics (the “peanut-headed lanternflies”). Some recent papers still contain and spread incorrect use of the name Laternaria, e.g., Leong et al (2009), who even state that the use of Pyrops is incorrect because of the priority of Laternaria (sic!), or Kemal & Koçak (2012)

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