Postembryonic development of the troglobitic planthopper species Valenciolenda fadaforesta Hoch & Sendra, 2021 (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Kinnaridae), with a key to nymphal instars

By

Ortega Gómez, Alejandro
Selfa, Jesús
Sendra, Alberto
Hoch, Hannelore

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

44

Pages

51--68

Subjects

Caves , Iberian Peninsula , Morphology , taxonomy , troglobite

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.44.85604

 

Abstract

All nymphal instars of the recently discovered troglobitic planthopper species Valenciolenda fadaforesta Hoch & Sendra, 2021 are described. This represents the first documentation of the complete postembryonic development of any species in the family Kinnaridae. Characters of the external morphology are described and illustrated, and a key to the instars are provided to facilitate discrimination among the different nymphal stages. While V. fadaforesta nymphs share certain synapomorphies with other Fulgoromorpha (except the Tettigometridae), e.g., the cog-wheel structures of the metatrochanters, other characters may be correlated with the subterranean way of life of the species, and thus be autapomorphic, such as the absence of compound eyes in all instars.