Tremapterus Spinola

Tremapterus Spinola, redefined

Tremapterus Spinola, 1850:119. Type-species by monotypy: T. dregei Spinola, 1850.

Distribution. Widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.

Diagnosis. Dorsoventrally depressed; head produced, tylus distinct, crown at least half as long as pronotum; face horizontal or nearly so, unmarked or with black lines bordering tylus, or with very broad, black band contrasting strongly with pale yellow band across base of clypellus, extending onto pleura (Figs 6 E–K); antennal ledge with 1–3 tiny setae in a vertical row before antennal pit; postpedicel as in Sepullia (Fig. 23D), but placoid or furcate sensillum surrounded by septate groove as in Beesoniella (Fig. 21D); pronotum weakly declivous, usually coarsely pitted (Fig. 6 E–K); tegmina usually strongly pitted, veins inconspicuous or bordered by pits, usually 1–2 small dark bullae on tegmina at level of tips of clavi (Figs 8 A–Q). Male genitalia as in Sepullia (Figs 17 A, C, D). Ovipositor with 2nd valvulae usually strongly tapered, often short, tip usually pointed (Figs 10 F–P, 11B–L, Q–R). Length: 3–6 mm.

Included taxa. There are six subgenera in the above definition, including three that were formerly considered to be separate genera. Abbalomba represents the extreme in head length, and Patriziana the extreme in distinctness of wing venation and punctation.

Biology. The only species in this genus which has been observed in the field is T. (Patriziana) somalicus (Lallemand) which is “commune sur l’ Abutilon asiaticum L. [Malvaceae], plus rare sur le Cotonnier [Gossypium spp., also Malvaceae] au Villaggio Duca degli Abrussi [in Jowhaar, Somalia]; Mr. Paoli a observé que la larve et la nymphe produisent sur les branches des plantes sur lesquelles elles vivent, une secrétion semblable á celle des Aphrophora, mais celle-ci se dessèche en formant des tubes blancs, trés fragile, dans lesquels les jeunes homoptères vivent cachés” (Lallemand 1930: p. 187). This appears to be a forerunner of the “machaerotid” tube. Similar tubes also found on Malvaceae in South Africa (Figs 2 A–D) are shorter than any known tubes of Machaerotinae.

Remarks. Tremapterus means “pitted [trema =hole] wings”; these insects are not wingless as was found upon dissection of the holotype of the type-species. The two species that were subsequently assigned to this genus on the basis of winglessness (T. major Jacobi, T. occidentalis Schumacher) actually belong to the cercopid subfamily Aphrophorinae, and are here assigned to Witteella Lallemand.

The genotype of Tremapterus is similar to several species and subspecies described in Sepullia (Linnavuori 1973) and can be associated through intermediate forms with Abbalomba, Nyanja and Patriziana, here reduced to subgenera. A number of other species until now incorrectly placed in genera of Aphrophorinae also belong to this complex. This creates 17 new combinations in addition to 9 species transferred from subgenera Abbalomba, Nyanja and Patriziana (Table 1), and 18 new species are described below along with 2 new subgenera, making this the largest of the old-world genera of Clastopterinae with 39 species in 6 subgenera.