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

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