[Back to North American Derbidae]
Contents
- 1 Family Derbidae Spinola, 1838
- 1.0.1 Subfamily Derbinae Spinola, 1829
- 1.0.2 Tribe Derbini Spinola, 1839
- 1.0.2.0.1 Genus Dysimia Muir, 1924: 462.
- 1.0.2.0.2 Type species: Dysimia maculata Muir 1924.
- 1.0.2.0.3 Synonyms:
- 1.0.2.0.4 Distribution:
- 1.0.2.0.5 Recognized species
- 1.0.2.0.6 Economic Importance:
- 1.0.2.0.7 Plant associations:
- 1.0.2.0.8 Recognition:
- 1.0.2.0.9 Collecting
- 1.0.2.0.10 Molecular resources:
- 1.0.2.0.11 Selected references:
Family Derbidae Spinola, 1838
Subfamily Derbinae Spinola, 1829
Tribe Derbini Spinola, 1839
= Mysidiini Broomfield, 1985; syn. by Emeljanov 1996a: 74.
Genus Dysimia Muir, 1924: 462.
Type species: Dysimia maculata Muir 1924.
Synonyms:
None.
Distribution:
USA: Florida and Neotropics.
Recognized species
There is a single species reported in the US and 13 additional extant and one fossil species (15 total) (Neotropical list from Lois O’Brien, unpublished) [genus Metcalf 1945: 106].
- Dysimia astarte Broomfield 1985: 95 – Venezuela
- Dysimia distincta Broomfield 1985 :93 – Puerto Rico
- Dysimia fennahi Broomfield 1985: 94 – Puerto Rico
- Dysimia fuscoclypeata Fennah 1952:124 – Venezuela
- Dysimia imprudens† Emeljanov & Shcherbakov, 2000 (fossil)
- Dysimia jamaicensis (Distant 1907: 396) – Jamaica
- Dysimia maculata Muir 1924: 463 – Puerto Rico
- Dysimia maculipennis Broomfield 1985: 95 – Ecuador
- Dysimia morrisi Broomfield 1985: 93 – Ecuador
- Dysimia muiri Broomfield 1985: 92 – Jamaica
- Dysimia numa Fennah 1971:324 – Cayman Is.
- Dysimia obrieni Broomfield 1985: 92 – Costa Rica
- Dysimia pseudomaculata Broomfield, 1985: 91; replacement name for D. maculata Ball, 1928 [nec. Muir, 1924] (misidentification) – USA: FL
- Dysimia putilla Fennah 1952:124 – St. Lucia
- Dysimia telfordi Broomfield 1985: 94 – Puerto Rico
Economic Importance:
Limited.
Plant associations:
Dysimia maculata Muir – Sabal (palmetto, Arecaceae), Coccothrinax gracilis Burret (Arecaceae), Inga vera Willd. (river koko, Fabaceae), Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. (sacky sac bean)
Hosts from Wilson et al. 1994; plant names from USDA PLANTS or Tropicos.
Recognition:
Description of genus from Broomfield 1985: 87:
Dysimia Muir, 1924: 462. Type-species: Dysimia maculata Muir, by monotypy.
Head in dorsal aspect one-quarter to two-thirds wider than long. Lateral margins of vertex strongly converging from base to level of anterior margins of eyes, then subparallel to apex, carinae very prominent, extending beyond anterior margins of eyes for one-quarter to one-third length; basal margin very deeply incised; junction with frons broadly rounded. Frons 6-9 times as long as wide at apex, 1.5-2.0 times width at base; lateral margins strongly and regularly diverging from apex to base. Genae extending anterior to eyes for one-third to two-thirds horizontal diameter of eye. Antenna with second segment club-shaped, twice as long as broad; apex transverse; flagellum arising medially. Ocelli small, usually distinct; occasionally obscure or obsolete. Clypeus short, broad; length from three-quarters of to equal that of frons, from c. equal to up to one-half greater than width at base; medial carina obsolete or absent; lateral carinae usually obsolete or absent, occasionally weak and extending over basal c. one-third length. Rostrum usually terminating at level of posterior surfaces of hind coxae, occasionally slightly shorter.
Pronotal width 8-12 times mid-dorsal length; fronto-lateral surfaces each with a single, distinct, occasionally prominent carina extending horizontally from adjacent to eye to lateral margin. Tegula rarely carinate. Disc of mesonotum c. as long as wide; medial carina percurrent, often weak or obsolete, rarely prominent; lateral carinae commonly obsolete or absent, rarely distinct.
Tegmen commonly 3.20-4.40 mm long, rarely more than 6.00 mm long. Medial vein separating from fused subcostal and radial veins at c. one-quarter length; subcostal and radial veins separating at somewhat basad of midlength. Radial vein with two branches extending to apical margin. Medial vein with seven branches extending to apical and posterior margins; with cross- veins between first and second and second and third branches. Cubital vein with three branches extending to posterior margin; anterior branch linked by a cross-vein to first medial vein at c. midlength (Fig. 9).
Length of wing greater than one-half that of legmen. Subcostal and radial veins fused over rather more than basal one-half length. Radial vein unbranched. Medial vein distinct from base, unbranched, linked to radial vein by a cross-vein at c. two-thirds length. Cubital vein with three branches extending to posterior margin, linked to medial vein by a cross-vein at slightly distad of midlength.
Head and body pale, yellowish or brownish. Genae frequently each with a brown band extending horizontally from level of dorsal margin of eye to anterior margin, a similar band at level of ventral margin of eye, rarely unmarked; area around ocelli occasionally tinged brownish. Frons and clypeus rarely with dark markings. Fronto-lateral surfaces of pronotum usually each with a broad brown band extending horizontally from adjacent to eye to lateral margin. Tegmen and wing whitish hyaline; veins pale yellow; cross-veins and forks of veins brownish, often broadly edged smoky brown; apical and posterior marginal veins often crimson, or flecked with red. Tegmen with a large, often prominent, black or brownish, roughly circular spot at one-fifth to one-third length over first branch of cubital vein; often with smaller but equally distinct spots between cubital vein and clavus, adjacent to point of separation of subcostal and radial veins and around apical fork of medial vein. Wing often with a large, prominent, circular, dark brown spot between cubital vein and clavus at c. one-third length; where marking is absent, often with a pale brown transverse band at one-third length.
Male genitalia with shaft of aedeagus horizontal, slender, cylindrical, usually symmetrical; dorsal surface subapically with a pair of large, anteriorly directed, flap-like processes, often bearing from one to three pairs of large, curving, anteriorly or antero-laterally directed spines; ventral surface unarmed. Paramere commonly slender, rarely very robust; apex frequently acutely rounded and directed towards midline; basal apodeme not more than one-third total length; dorsal process situated at or distad to midlength, usually well developed with apex strongly produced posteriorly; interlocking surfaces usually well developed, situated basally or at midlength, rarely reduced or absent; dorsal surface basad of main process usually with a large, internally directed, secondary process; ventral surface unarmed. Anal tube with posterior margin rounded, more or less strongly produced, often deeply notched at midline.
Female with posterior margin of subgenital plate more or less strongly produced medially, broadly and regularly convex, rarely truncate apically.
The genus is distinguished by the seven branches of the medial vein of the tegmen, the three branches of the cubital vein of the wing and the apical position of the antennal flagellum. This last character and the proportions of the frons and clypeus show a closer affinity to Pseudomysidia than to Mysidia, though it is apparently considerably more specialised than the former. The male genitalia show three possible diverging lines of development within the genus, which allow the postulation of the following species groups.
The maculata-group. Species where the shaft of the aedeagus is lacking large spines, with a corresponding increase in the size and armature of the paramere. The group includes distincta, fennahi, pseudomaculata and telfordi, and is probably the most highly specialized of the three.
The astarte-group. Species where the shaft of the aedeagus bears strong, heavily chitinized, spine-like processes, and the paramere shows a lesser degree of development. This group includes morrisi, muiri, obrieni, maculipennis and jamaicensis.
The numa-group. This monotypic group shows a separate line of development from the above. The aedeagus is heavily armed with three pairs of long, acute, spine-like processes, and the dorsal process of the paramere is greatly reduced and can have little grasping function.
Due to the absence of males, fuscoclypeata and putilla are omitted from the above groups. The genus is distributed from U.S.A. (Florida) through Central America to Ecuador and Venezuela.
Key to species of Dysimia (based on external characters) (slightly modified – mostly formatting – from Broomfield 1985; page and figure references to Broomfield)
D. putilla is omitted from this key due to the fragmentary condition of the unique holotype. In some instances the differences between species are slight and, where possible, reference should be made to the structure of the male genitalia.
1 Tegmen exceeding 6 mm. Jamaica … jamaicensis (Distant) (p. 91)
1- Tegmen less than 5 mm … 2
2(1) Wing with a prominent, dark brown, spot adjacent to cubital vein …6
2- Wing lacking a distinct spot adjacent to cubital vein … 3
3(2) Genae with dark brown markings adjacent to eye … 4
3- Genae unmarked, pale brownish throughout. Florida … pseudomaculata Broomfield (p. 91)
4(3) Tegmen with cross-veins and apical veins dark brown. Costa Rica … obrieni Broomfield (p. 92)
4- Tegmen with cross-veins and apical veins pale … 5
5(4) Male tegmen in excess of 4.00 mm; female with tegmen in excess of 4-50 mm. Tegmen with posterior margin narrowly scarlet. Ecuador … morrisi Broomfield (p. 93)
5- Neither sex with tegmen exceeding 4.00 mm; tegmen with posterior margin pale. Jamaica … muiri Broomfield (p. 92)
6(2) Clypeus narrowly pale basally, thence dark brown to junction with paraclypeus. Venezuela … fuscoclypeata Fennah (p. 90)
6- Clypeus pale throughout … 7
7(6) Genae each with one or two dark brown bands extending horizontally from adjacent to eye to anterior margin; pronotum dorsad of eyes unmarked … 8
7- Genae unmarked; pronotum dorsad of base of head with two very pale fuscous, parallel, transverse bands. Cayman Islands … numa Fennah (p. 90)
8(7) Abdomen with a large, dark brown, spot on either side of midline on dorsal surface. Puerto Rico distincta sp. n. (p. 93), … fennahi Broomfield (p. 94), telfordisp. n. (p. 94)
8- Abdomen with dorsal surface unmarked … 9
9(8) Disc of mesonotum ventrolaterally marked brownish. Venezuela … astarte Broomfield (p. 95)
9- Disc of mesonotum unicolorous yellowish throughout … 10
10(9) Pronto-lateral surfaces of pronotum ventral to level of dorsal margins of eye dark brown. Ecuador … maculipennis Broomfield (p. 95)
10- Pronto-lateral surfaces of pronotum pale brown throughout. Puerto Rico … maculata Muir (p. 89)
Online resources
bugguide. (much more attractive in life).
EOL.
FLOW.
3i Taxonomic databases.
iNaturalist.
GBIF. (There are some really attractive derbid photos here and iNaturalist attributed to Dysimia – I suspect they are another genus)
BOLD. (link to subfamily, genus not present)
Collecting
[?]
Molecular resources:
As of this writing (22 Oct. 2018), there are no molecular data for this genus on Barcode of Life or Genbank.
Selected references:
Bartlett, C. R., L. B. O’Brien and S. W. Wilson. 2014. A review of the planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) of the United States. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 50: 1-287.
Broomfield, P. S. 1985. Taxonomy of Neotropical Derbidae in the new tribe Mysidiini (Homoptera). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 50(1): 1-152.
Distant W. L. 1907. Rhynchotal notes. xlii. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 7) 19: 395-416 [396].
Emeljanov, A.F. 1995. On the problem of a system and a phylogeny of the family Derbidae (Homoptera, Cicadina). Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie 73(4): 783-811 & 946-947. [Russian] [English Transaltion: Yemel’yanov.1996. Entomological Review 75(2): 70-100]
Emeljanov, A. F. and D. E. Shcherbakov. 2000. Kinnaridae and Derbidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea) from the Dominican amber. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte 7: 438-448.
Fennah, R. G. 1952. On the generic classification of Derbidae (Fulgoroidea), with descriptions of new Neotropical species. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 103(4): 109-170.
Fennah, R. G. 1971. Fulgoroidea from the Cayman Islands and adjacent areas. Journal of Natural History 5: 299-342.
Metcalf, Z. P. 1938a. The Fulgorina of Barro Colorado and other parts of Panama. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Collections 82: 277-423. [p. 325 noted and in key to genus following]
Metcalf, Z. P. 1945. General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea, Part 4, Derbidae. Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts.
Muir, F.A.G. 1924. New and little-know Fulgorids from the West Indies (Homoptera). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society. Honolulu 5: 461-472 [P. 463, original description].
Spinola, M. 1839. Essai sur les Fulgorelles, sous-tribu de la tribu des Cicadaires, ordre des Rhyngotes. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 8: 133-337.
Wilson, S. W., C. Mitter, R. F. Denno and M. R. Wilson. 1994. Evolutionary patterns of host plant use by delphacid planthoppers and their relatives. In: R. F. Denno and T. J. Perfect, (eds.). Planthoppers: Their Ecology and Management. Chapman and Hall, New York. Pp. 7-45 & Appendix.