Skip to main content

Genny treehopper (Enchenopa gennyae) and Andean Choco treehopper (Enchenopa chocoandina) from Ecuador

Genny treehopper (Enchenopa gennyae) and Andean Choco treehopper (Enchenopa chocoandina) from Ecuador

NEWS - Genny treehopper (Enchenopa gennyae sp. nov.) from urban forest remnants in the Andean foothills was placed in E. biplaga species group and Andean Choco treehopper (Enchenopa chocoandina sp. nov.) from secondary montane forest was placed in E. andina species group.

Enchenopa Amyot & Serville 1843 is a diverse New World treehopper in Membracinae, the second most abundant subfamily of the New World Membracidae. The genus is distributed from Canada to Argentina, but is predominantly Neotropical with at least 51 valid species, including 21 new species and classified into 10 groups.

The biology of most species is poorly understood. Some species are solitary, but adults and nymphs are occasionally found. There is no parental care, females deposit eggs in clusters on host plants that are covered with a white waxy substance that protects them from parasitoids.

E. gennyae is overall black with whitish dorsal spots and subapical bands; metopidium straight, 2-4 accessory carinae less equal. Females with blunt protuberances instead of horns, short lateral carinae not exceeding the humeral angle, dorsal spots 2x longer than subapical bands, and longer than males.

Males with narrow horns slightly curved forward, lateral carinae almost touching the lateral edge of the pronotum and dorsal spots less equal in length to the subapical bands.

Adults and nymphs were found on several occasions living together, perched on the underside of leaves and stems of the genus Piper L. at 100-150 cm above the ground. Females always outnumber males. Nymphs are accompanied by fire ants Wasmannia auropunctata.

The epithet gennyae is dedicated to the mother of the first author, Genny Elizabeth Rodríguez Cueva, who helped find the specimen. The specimen was found in two remnants of secondary forest in the Western Foothills Forest of the urban area of Santo Domingo in the Baba River and Pove River’s ravines.

E. chocoandina has an overall black with a dark red median carina and posterior apex in females and a dark red posterior apex in males, the apical 1/3 of the forewings is golden yellow; pronotal horns absent, replaced by blunt projections directed obliquely forward, lateral carinae almost touching the lateral edge of the pronotum; 3-4 weak accessory carinae, some touching the lateral carinae or bifurcated.

This species is distributed in the Andes mountains of northwestern Ecuador, elevation 1300-2300 m, secondary forest borders and solitary. They roost on leaves or stems of Asteraceae and Araceae, but more often on Munnozia pinnatipartita (Hieron.) H.Rob. & Brettell. Active during the day and attracted to mercury light traps at night between 8 pm and 2 am.

This species is named after the Andean Choco Biosphere Reserve designated by UNESCO as Ecuador's seventh biosphere reserve. This name is given in honor of the people who protect this area from metal mining that threatens the ecosystem and biodiversity of this important area.

E. gennyae is included in E. biplaga group because of the band on the dorsum of the pronotum, the second valve with a ventral apical tooth, and the forewings with a single discoid cell. E. chocoandina is included in E. andina group because of the pronotum with horns or protrusions shorter than the distance between the humeral angles, the forewings with transparent spots and the second valve in the form of a blade.

Original research

Rueda-Rodríguez MP, Montalvo-Salazar JL (2024) Two new species of the treehopper genus Enchenopa Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera, Membracidae) from northwest Ecuador. ZooKeys 1216: 43-62, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1216.124181

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Giant golden spider (Nephila pilipes)

Kemlanding or giant golden orbweaver ( Nephila pilipes ) is an animal species in the Araneidae, a web spider with a vertical and asymmetrical mesh, sexually dimorphic with elongated females up to 20 cm in size and has a large investment in egg production and web construction, whereas males only a few millimeters. N. pilipes displays female gigantism and male dwarfism. Females usually have a body size of 30-50 mm, the cephalothorax is 15 mm long and 10 mm wide. The stomach is 30 mm long, 15 mm wide and is mostly tawny with yellow stripes. The female has black or brown, covered in thick hairs. The two rows of eyes stick out towards the back. Plastron is mostly black and brown. The legs are very long, stick-shaped with several joints, black and yellow, lacking of hairs. Males are 5-6.5 mm in size, cephalothorax is 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide. The stomach is 4 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. The front eye is bigger than the back eye. The legs are light brown with some hair. Yellow carapace with ...
Read more

Kemadih (Schultesianthus coriaceus)

Kemadih ( Schultesianthus coriaceus ) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae family. It grows as a climber and covers host trees. It is a perennial, multi-branched, hardwood plant with hard, brown bark and dark green young bark. S. coriaceus has thick leaves, 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. A central vein is linear, with a pointed tip and base. The upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is bright green. The petiole is 3 cm long. The flowers are fan-shaped with 5 inflorescences. The base is narrow, whitish-yellow or bright green, and 8 cm wide. Four inflorescences with brownish-white tips and one inflorescence with a green tip grow in the center. The fruit is green, 3.5 cm long, and the stalk is 2 cm long. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Subfamily: Solanoideae Tribe: Solandreae Genus: Schultesianthus Species: Schultesianthus coriaceus
Read more

Khayu shield bug (Pycanum oculatum)

Khayu shield bug ( Pycanum oculatum ) is an animal species in Tessaratomidae, arboreal insect, has wings, wide elliptical body, dark brown, black and ivory, spends time perched on leaves in bushes and low trees in forests and land agriculture. P. oculatum has an egg-shaped body, wide, flat upper surface, circular shoulders that form a semicircle, the rear end ends at the wing. The front has a thin black margin. The upper surface is covered by the folds of the wings leaving a visible edge, has a dark brown color and has a vein stripe. Along the margins on the sides have black and ivory stripes. The lower surface is the belly, is convex elongated, the front has folds, the back has straight transverse folds, is dark brown with light brown parts and the margins have black dots. The head on the front end, small size, triangular shape with a pair of black and light brown eyes on each side. A pair of antennae appears on the side of the head, in the shape of a cylindrical stick, has four se...
Read more