Family Cixiidae

Subfamily Cixiinae

Tribe Pintaliini Metcalf, 1938

Genus Pintalia Stål, 1862

Type species (in original combination): Pintalia lateralis Stål, 1862b.

Synonyms:

= Ciocixius Metcalf, 1923 (Type species Cixius dorsivittatus Van Duzee, 1909); syn. by Muir 1925a: 100.
= Cotyleceps Uhler, 1895: 63 (Type species Cotyleceps decorata Uhler, 1895: 64); syn. by Muir 1925a: 100.
= Metabrixia Fowler, 1904 (Type species Metabrixia delicata Fowler, 1904); syn. by Muir 1925a: 103.

 

Distribution: US (esp. southeast), Central and South America.

Recognized species

There are 3 species in this genus in the U.S:

Pintalia delicata (Fowler, 1904) - USA: AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA; Cuba, Mexico (Chiapas, Jalisco, Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Veracruz), Guatemala, Nicaragua (also Ecuador in error, Muir 1934: 432)
     = Metabrixia delicata Fowler 1904: 86.
     = Pintalia delicata (Fowler 1904); comb. by Muir 1925a: 102.
     = Cixius dorsalis Van Duzee, 1908: 491 (nec. Stephens 1829).
     = Cixius dorsivittatus Van Duzee, 1909: 188; replacement name for Cixius dorsalis Van Duzee, 1908 (nec. Stephens 1829: 356).
     = Pintalia dorsovittatus (Van Duzee, 1909); comb. by Metcalf 1936: 29.
     = Pintalia dorsovittata (Van Duzee, 1909); emendation by Caldwell 1944d: 154.
     = Cixius dorsalis Van Duzee, 1908 (nec. Stephens 1829); syn. by Kramer 1983: 39.
     = Pintalia dorsovittata (Van Duzee, 1909); syn. by Kramer 1983: 39.
Pintalia gurneyi Kramer, 1983 - USA: VA (uncommon, additional unpublished records throughout southeast US)
Pintalia vibex Kramer, 1983 - USA: AL, AR, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA

Neotropical species (synoptic list of 77 additional species; distribution data may be incomplete; list from unpublished list compiled by Lois O'Brien)

1 Pintalia acarinata Caldwell 1944:160 - Guatemala
2 Pintalia albolineata Muir 1934:435 - Guyana (= British Guiana)

3 Pintalia albomarginata Muir 1934:435 - Brazil
4 Pintalia alta Osborn 1935:200 - Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (Tortola, Guana)

5 Pintalia altamazonica Muir 1934:440 - Ecuador

6 Pintalia angustinotata Muir 1934:434 - Brazil
7 Pintalia aspersa (Fowler 1904:87) - Mexico, Costa Rica

8 Pintalia bicaudata Muir 1934: 432 - Ecuador

9 Pintalia blairmontensis Muir 1934: 431 - Guyana (= British Guiana)

10 Pintalia brunnivenosa Muir 1934: 432 - Ecuador
11 Pintalia castanea Metcalf 1945:127 - Guyana (= British Guiana)
12 Pintalia chromata Caldwell 1944:157 - Mexico
13 Pintalia consobrina Stål 1862:5 - Brazil
14 Pintalia contra Caldwell 1944:157 - Bolivia
15 Pintalia constellaris (Walker, 1858: 335) - Ecuador

     = Poeciloptera constellaris Walker, 1858.
     = Pintalia quadrimaculata Fennah 1945:96; syn. by Fennah 1947:12.
16 Pintalia curvivitta Fennah 1945:99 - Bolivia
17 Pintalia daedala Fennah 1945:99 - Ecuador
18 Pintalia damalis Fennah 1971:315 - Cayman Islands
19 Pintalia decorata (Uhler 1895:62) - St. Vincent
     Pintalia delicata (Fowler 1904:86) - see above
20 Pintalia discoidalis Lethierry 1890:148 - Venezuela

21 Pintalia (?) discrepans Muir 1934:441 - Ecuador

22 Pintalia distincta Muir 1934: 425 - Ecuador
23 Pintalia dominicana Fennah 1948:422 - Dominica

     Pintalia dorsivittatus (Van Duzee, 1909)  - see Pintalia delicata

24 Pintalia ecuadorensis Muir 1934:437 - Ecuador

25 Pintalia erecta Metcalf 1938:293 - Panama (Canal Zone)
26 Pintalia falcata Fennah 1945:98 - French Guiana
27 Pintalia fasciatipennis Stål 1862:4 - Brazil
28 Pintalia fasciolaris (Spinola, 1852) - Chile (see Fennah 1965:235)
29 Pintalia fraterna Stål 1862:4 - Brazil
30 Pintalia fumata Caldwell 1944:156 - Costa Rica
31 Pintalia fusca Metcalf 1938:292 - Panama (Canal Zone)

32 Pintalia fuscipennis Muir 1934: 422 - Brazil

33 Pintalia fuscomaculata Muir 1934: 430 - Brazil

34 Pintalia fuscomarginata Muir 1934: 427 - Ecuador
35 Pintalia geometra Caldwell 1944:157 - Mexico
36 Pintalia germana (Fowler 1904:87) - Mexico, Costa Rica
37 Pintalia grenadana Fennah 1948:421 - Grenada
38 Pintalia guttata Emelyanov 2001:70 - Puerto Rico (new name for P. maculata Osborn, 1935; preoccupied, nec. Fowler 1904)
    = Pintalia maculata Osborn 1935:199; unavalable name, replacement name by Emeljanov 2001

39 Pintalia huigrensis Muir 1934: 424 - Ecuador

40 Pintalia infuscata Muir 1934: 430 - Brazil
      Pintalia infuscata Osborn 1935:199 - Unavailable see P. martorelli
41 Pintalia inornata Stål 1862:4 - Brazil
42 Pintalia insularis Osborn 1935:200 - Puerto Rico
43 Pintalia lateralis Stål 1862:4 - Brazil

44 Pintalia latinotata Muir 1934:437 - Brazil

45 Pintalia lentiginosa Muir 1934: 428 - Ecuador

46 Pintalia lentiginosa var. tunguraguensis Muir 1934: 428 - Ecuador
47 Pintalia lineata Caldwell 1944:155 - Mexico

48 Pintalia longispinis Muir 1934: 425 - Brazil
     Pintalia maculata Osborn 1935:199 - Unavalable; see Pintalia guttata Emelyanov 2001

49 Pintalia maculata (Fowler 1904:88) - Guatemala

50 Pintalia maculipennis Muir 1934:438 - Ecuador
51 Pintalia marginata Caldwell 1944:155 - Mexico
52 Pintalia marmorata Fennah 1945:97 - Ecuador
53 Pintalia martorelli Caldwell 1951:143, replacement name for unavailable P. infuscata Osborn 1935 nec. Muir - Puerto Rico
54 Pintalia neoaspersa Caldwell 1944:158 - Mexico
55 Pintalia nemaculata Caldwell 1951:145 - Puerto Rico
56 Pintalia obliquivitta Fennah 1945:98 - Peru

57 Pintalia obscurata Muir 1934: 428 - Ecuador
58 Pintalia obscuripennis Stål 1862:4 - Brazil

59 Pintalia obtorta Muir 1934: 431 - Ecuador

60 Pintalia ornata Muir 1934:439 - Brazil
61 Pintalia pictipennis Stål 1862:5 - Brazil, Guadeloupe?
62 Pintalia procellata Uhler 1901:511 - Haiti

63 Pintalia propria Muir 1934: 423 - Brazil
64 Pintalia proxima Stål 1862:5 - Brazil
65 Pintalia pseudomaculata Caldwell 1944:156 - Mexico

66 Pintalia pulchella Muir 1934:439 - Ecuador
67 Pintalia punctata Caldwell 1944:156 - Mexico

68 Pintalia quadrispinosa Muir 1934: 426 - Brazil
69 Pintalia sanctaeluciae Fennah 1948:420 - St. Lucia
70 Pintalia stigmata Caldwell 1944:155 - Guyana.(= British Guiana)
71 Pintalia straminea Fennah 1945:417 - Trinidad
72 Pintalia supralta Caldwell 1951:148 - Puerto Rico
73 Pintalia tacta (Fowler 1904:88) - Mexico

74 Pintalia tumatumariensis Muir 1934:436 - Guyana (= British Guiana)
75 Pintalia ustulata Stål 1862:5 - Brazil
76 Pintalia variegata (Fabricius1803:54) - West Indies
77 Pintalia vomerifera Fennah 1945:100 - Ecuador

Economic Importance:

Limited.

 

Known host plants: 

Pintalia delicata - Sagittaria latifolia Willd. (broadleaf arrowhead, Alismataceae)

Hosts from Wilson et al. 1994; plant names from USDA PLANTS or Tropicos.

Recognition:

(Photos by Kimberley Shropshire, University of Delaware)

Hind tibiae with spines, posterior margin of vertex quadrately or roundly incised; mesonotum with three longitudinal carinae, forewings at rest vertical in position with distal portions broadly appressed (Pintaliini); mesonotum flat in lateral view (vs.Monorachis); apical cells of forewing almost uniformly slender; frons with midlength exceeding greatest width.

Key to US species, modified from Kramer 1983

1.  Aedeagus in ventral view with two sharp spines on each side of shaft; subcostal cel of forewing transparent brownish and either with or without 1-3 irregular pale milky spots ... delicata (Fowler)

1.'  Aedeagus in ventral view without spines as above; subcostal cell of forewing hyaline or milky hyaline with 104 irregular brownish spots ... 2

2. Aedeagus in lateral view with tapered, curved, subtriangular projection near middle of dorsal margin (widespread in east) ... vibex Kramer

2'. Aedeagus in lateral view with dentate convexity near middle of dorsal margin ... gurneyi Kramer

 

Pintalia alta

Pintalia delicata

Pintalia delicata genitalia from Kramer 1983

 

Pintalia vibex

Pintalia vibex from Kramer 1983

Pintalia gurneyi from Kramer 1983

 

Undetermined Pintaliini from Costa Rica (maybe not Pintalia because of shape of mesonotum)

 

Collecting

Commonly collected at lights or other passive traps.  I've seen many specimens in tropical canopy fogging samples.

 

Molecular resources: As of this writing, there are no molecular data for this genus on Barcode of Life; Genbank includes data for Pintalia alta, P. bicaudata, P. vibex, and 4 unidentified Pintalia spp.

 

Selected references:

Note: Many of the older references can be found in the Dr. Metcalf database; but someday I'll update the references here to reflect all those cited above.

Caldwell, J. S. 1944. Pintalia Stål with special reference to Mexico (Homoptera: Cixiidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 20(4): 154-160.

Caldwell, J. S. and L. F. Martorell. 1951 [dated1950]. Review of the Auchenorynchous [sic] Homoptera of Puerto Rico. Part II. The Fulgoroidea except Kinnaridae. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 34(2): 133-269.

Emeljanov, A. F. 2001. The generic position of some Nearctic Pentastirini (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae). Zoosystematica Rossica 9(1): 122. [Pintalia guttata new name for P. maculata Osb.]

Fennah, R. G. 1945a. The Fulgoroidea, or lanternflies, of Trinidad and adjacent parts of South America. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 95(3184): 411-520.

Fennah, R. G. 1945b. The Cixiini of the Lesser Antilles (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 58: 133-146.

Fennah, R. G. 1948. New pintaliine Cixiidae, Kinnaridae and Tropiduchidae from the Lesser Antilles (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 12(I): 417-437.

Fennah, R. G. 1965. Fulgoroidea from Southern Chile (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 17: 233-272.

Fennah, R. G. 1971. Fulgoroidea from the Cayman Islands and adjacent areas. Journal of Natural History 5: 299-342.

Kramer, J. P. 1983. Taxonomic study of the planthopper family Cixiidae in the United States (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 109: 1-57.

Fowler, W. W. 1904. Order Rhynchota. Suborder Hemiptera-Homoptera. (Continued). Biologia Centrali-Americana 1: 85-124. (link to cixiid key, p. 80.)

Lethierry, L. F. 1890. Voyage de M. E. Simon au Venezuela (Décembre 1887-Avril 1888) 9e mémoire Hémiptères Homoptères. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (Series 6) 10: 147-160.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1923. A key to the Fulgoridae of Eastern North America with descriptions of new species. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 38: 139-230.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1936. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicle IV Fulgoroidea . Part 2 Cixiidae. Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1938a. The Fulgorina of Barro Colorado and other parts of Panama. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard Collage 82: 277-423. [available from http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org]

Muir, F.A.G. 1925. On the genera of Cixiidae, Meenoplidae and Kinnaridae (Fulgoroidea, Homoptera). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 1: 97-110.

Muir, F.A.G. 1934b. The genus Pintalia Stål (Homoptera, Cixiidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 82(2): 421-441.

Osborn, H. 1935. Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands Homoptera (excluding Sternorhynchi). Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands 14: 111-260.

Stål, C. 1862. Bidrag till Rio de Janeiro-tratkens Hemipterfauna.II. Handlingar. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien 3(6): 1-75.

Uhler, P. R. 1895. An enumeration of the Hemiptera-Homoptera of the Island of St. Vincent, W. I. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1895: 55-84.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1908. Studies in North American Fulgoridae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1907: 467-498.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1909. Observation of some Hemiptera taken in Florida in the spring of 1908. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 9: 149-230.

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