First record of a cavernicolous Kinnaridae from the Old World (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha, Kinnaridae, Adolendini) provides testimony of an ancient fauna

By

Hoch, Hannelore
Sendra, Alberto
Montagud, Sergio
Teruel, Santiago
Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

37

Pages

1--26

Subjects

Caves , Conservation , Iberian Peninsula , Morphology , taxonomy , troglobite , troglomorphy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.37.60483

 

Abstract

A new obligately cavernicolous species in the planthopper family Kinnaridae is described from Spain. This is the first record of a cavernicolous kinnarid from the Old World, and the first record of a troglobitic fulgoromorphan hemipteran from mainland Spain, and also the 7thcavernicolous kinnarid species worldwide. Epigean Kinnaridae are not known from the present-day fauna of the Iberian Peninsula nor from Western Europe at large. The new species is regarded as a relict from an ancient fauna which is now extinct. The new cavernicolous species could not be assigned to any of the existing genera, thus a new genus is established. Molecular data (COI barcode sequence) for the new species are presented. For the first time, a detailed description of the nymphal morphology of a kinnarid is provided. Information on its ecology, behaviour, distribution and conservation status is given, and biogeographic implications are discussed.