Cavichiana bromelicola: description of the immature stages of a sharpshooter using scanning electron microscopy, with biological notes (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini)

ABSTRACT

The development of the sharpshooter Cavichiana bromelicola Mejdalani et al., 2014 is herein investigated, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to describe changes that occur along the five nymphal stadia. We recorded various kinds of integumentary sensilla, including a sensillum coeloconicum located in the interommatidial spaces. Unfertilised or preoviposition eggs are also briefly described. Biological notes are provided based on observations carried out during the collecting work of nymphs and adults in the Bromeliad Collection of Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil. A list of known bromeliad host species of this sharpshooter is given.

KEYWORDS:

• Bromeliaceae
• Cicadellinae
• morphology
• nymphs
• sensilla
• surface sculpturing

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Beatriz Cordeiro and Camila Simões from the Centro de Microscopia Eletrônica do Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). We thank the curator of the Bromeliad Collection of Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (JBRJ), Dr Bruno Rezende, and the gardeners José Mourão and Rhanna H.N. Bastos for their patience and assistance. We thank Adolfo Quintas for his help during the field works at JBRJ. Oscar Ribeiro provided useful information on the bromeliads on which the nymphs were found. Prof. Dr Renner C. Baptista and MSc André W. Prado identified the spider species found in the Bromeliad Collection. We are greatly indebted to the Laboratório de Entomologia (UFRJ) staff for their hospitality, support, encouragement and friendship after the tragic fire at the Museu Nacional. The manuscript benefited from useful comments provided by three anonymous reviewers, André L.D. Ferreira, Prof. Dr Daniela M. Takiya, Isabele da Côrte, Nathalia H. Pecly, and Prof. Dr Rodney R. Cavichioli.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Fellowships from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to GM [process 303229/2018-7] and VQ [processes MSc 131389/2017-3 and DSc 140625/2019-4] are acknowledged.