Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5828 No. 2: 9 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-09
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9
Page range: 347-360
Abstract views: 34
PDF downloaded: 2

Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior

University of Arizona; Entomology and Insect Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program; 410C Forbes Building; 1140 E South Campus Dr; Tucson; AZ 85721; USA
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Division of Plant Industry; 1911 SW 34th St; Gainesville; FL 32608; USA
University of Arizona; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; 1100 E University Blvd #200W; Tucson; AZ 86721; USA
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Division of Plant Industry; 1911 SW 34th St; Gainesville; FL 32608; USA
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Division of Plant Industry; 5400 S. University Avenue; Davie; FL 33328; USA
University of Delaware; Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology; 250 Townsend Hall; 531 S College Ave; Newark; DE 19716-2160; USA
Hemiptera Gyponini adventive trophobiosis ants true hoppers auchenorrhyncha

Abstract

The Mexican leafhopper Gyponana germari (Stål), previously reported in Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America, has recently been documented in the continental United States from Florida. The species is here reported for the first time from Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. Diagnosis of G. germari and its distinction from other similar Gyponana spp. in Florida are discussed. DNA sequence data for the loci 18S and 28S are reported for the first time, and the species is redescribed in detail. Potential interactions based on community science observations between G. germari and ants are briefly noted. The richness of the leafhopper genus Gyponana and adventive leafhoppers in Florida is briefly reviewed.

References

  1. Ahmed, M.Z., Ray, C.H., Moore, M.R. & Miller, D.R. (2020) The Matsucoccus Cockerell, 1909 of Florida (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Matsucoccidae): Potential pests of Florida pines. Insecta Mundi, 0810, 1–31.
  2. Altschul, S.F., Gish, W., Myers, E.W. & Lipman, D.J. (1990) Basic local alignment search tool. Journal of Molecular Biology, 215, 403–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-2836(05)80360-2
  3. Bahder, B., Mason, B.M. & Callaghan, C.T. (2025) Heralding Hoppers: A Guide to Uncovering Leafhoppers, Planthoppers, and Treehoppers with iNaturalist: WEC467/UW525, 11/2024. EDIS, 2025 (1). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-uw525-2024
  4. Ball, E.D. (1920) A review of the species of the genus Gypona occurring in North America, north of Mexico (Homoptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 13, 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/13.1.83
  5. Beardsley, J.W. (1981) January, Notes and exhibitions. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, 23 (3), 319–320.
  6. Bourgoin, T. (1997) Habitat and ant-attendance in Hemiptera: a phylogenetic test with emphasis on trophobiosis in Fulgoromorpha. In: The origin of biodiversity in insects: phylogenetic tests of evolutionary scenarios. Mémoires du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle publish, 173, 109–124.
  7. Bourgoin, T., Gjonov, I., Lapeva-Gjonova, A., Roger, S., Constant, J., Kunz, G. & Wilson, M.R. (2023) When cockroaches replace ants in trophobiosis: A new major life-trait pattern of Hemiptera planthoppers behaviour disclosed when synthesizing photographic data. Diversity, 15 (3), 356. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030356
  8. Chandler, D.S. & Hamilton, K.G.A. (2017) Biodiversity and ecology of the leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) of New Hampshire. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 143 (4), 773–971. https://doi.org/10.3157/061.143.0408
  9. Cushman, J.H. & Whitham, T.G. (1991) Competition Mediating the Outcome of a Mutualism: Protective Services of Ants as a Limiting Resource for Membracids. The American Naturalist, 138 (4), 851–865. https://doi.org/10.1086/285256
  10. Delabie, J.H. (2001) Trophobiosis between Formicidae and Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha): an overview. Neotropical Entomology, 30, 501–516. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-566x2001000400001
  11. DeLong, D.M. (1942) A monographic study of the North American species of the subfamily Gyponinae (Homoptera-Cicadellidae) exclusive of Xerophloea. Ohio State University, Columbus, xiv + 187 pp., XXXV pls.
  12. DeLong, D.M. & Freytag, P.H. (1964) Four genera of the world Gyponiae: A synopsis of the genera Gypona, Gyponana, Rugosana and Reticana. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey, 2 (3), 1–227.
  13. Dietrich, C.H. & McKamey, S.H. (1990) Three new idiocerine leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) from Guyana with notes on ant-mutualism and subsociality. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 92 (2), 214–223.
  14. Dmitriev, D.A., Angelova, R., Anufriev, G.A., Bartlett, C.R., Blanco-Rodríguez, E., Borodin, O.I., Cao, Y.-H., Deitz, L.L., Dietrich, C.H., Dmitrieva, M.O., El-Sonbati, S.A., Evangelista de Souza, O., Gjonov, I.V., Gonçalves, A.C., Gonçalves, C.C., Hendrix, S.V., McKamey, S., Kohler, M., Kunz, G., Malenovský, I., Morris, B.O., Novoselova, M., Pinedo-Escatel, J.A., Rakitov, R.A., Rothschild, M.J., Sanborn, A.F., Takiya, D.M., Wallace, M.S. & Zahniser, J.N. (2022 onward) World Auchenorrhyncha Database. TaxonPages. Available from: https://hoppers.speciesfile.org/otus/36463/overview (accessed 17 July 2024)
  15. Eger Jr, J.E., Pitcher, A.J., Halbert, S.E., Penca, C. & Hodges, A.C. (2020) First report of Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood)(Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in the United States. Insecta mundi, 0814, 1–6.
  16. Esquivel, I.L., Bryant, T., Malone, S., Jacobson, A.L., Graham, S.H., Gimenez-Cremonez, P.S., Roberts, P., Paula-Moreas, S., Reisig, D., Huseth, A., Greene, J., Reay-Jones, F.P.F. & Taylor, S. (2025) First Report of Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula Ishida) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on Commercial Cotton in the Southeastern United States. Insects, 16 (9), 966. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090966
  17. Fowler, S.V. & Macgarvin, M. (1985) The Impact of Hairy Wood Ants, Formica lugubris, on the Guild Structure of Herbivorous Insects on Birch, Betula pubescens. Journal of Animal Ecology, 54, 847–855. https://doi.org/10.2307/4382
  18. Halbert, S.E. (2001) Entomology Section. In: Coile, N.C. & Dixon, W.N. (Eds.), TRI-OLOGY, 40 (4), pp. 5–11. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/4004.pdf]
  19. Halbert, S.E. (2004a) Entomology Section. In: Weaver, R.E., Jr. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 43 (3), pp. 4–9. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/4301.pdf]
  20. Halbert, S.E. (2004b) Entomology Section. In: Weaver, R.E., Jr. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 43 (3), pp. 5–12. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/4303.pdf]
  21. Halbert, S.E. (2007) Entomology Section. In: Weaver, R.E., Jr. & Anderson, P.J. (Eds.), TRI-OLOGY, 47 (4), pp. 5–9. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/4606.pdf]
  22. Halbert, S.E. (2008) Entomology Section. In: Weaver, R.E., Jr. & Anderson, P.J. (Eds.), TRI-OLOGY, 47 (4), pp. 5–9. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/4704.pdf]
  23. Halbert, S.E. (2015) Entomology Section. In: Putnam, A.H. & Gaskalla, R.D. (Eds.), TRI-OLOGY, 54 (1), pp. 11–13. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/2015/01-2015.pdf]
  24. Halbert, S.E. (2017) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 56 (3), pp. 7–14. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/2017/07-2017.pdf]
  25. Halbert, S.E. (2018a) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 57 (3), pp. 8–15. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/2018/07-2018.pdf]
  26. Halbert, S.E. (2018b) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 57 (4), pp. 7–12. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/2018/10-2018.pdf]
  27. Halbert, S.E. (2021) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 60 (3), pp. 7–12. [https://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/doacs/PlantIndustry/triology/2021/07-2021.pdf]
  28. Halbert, S.E. (2023) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 62 (1), pp. 8–12. [https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/115868/file/FDACS-P-00124_2024-04-Tri-ology-62-4.pdf]
  29. Halbert, S.E. (2024a) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 63 (1), pp. 7–13. [https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/116891/file/Tri-ology-63-1-Jan-Mar-2024.pdf]
  30. Halbert, S.E. (2024b) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 63 (2), pp. 9–17. [https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/117365/file/tri-ology-63-2-april-june-2024-1.pdf]
  31. Halbert, S.E. (2024c) Entomology Section. In: Smith, T.R. (Ed.), TRI-OLOGY, 63 (4), pp. 8–17. [https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/118539/file/tri-ology-vol-63-no-4.pdf]
  32. Halbert, S.E. & Burckhardt, D. (2020) The psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) of Florida: newly established and rarely collected taxa and checklist. Insecta Mundi, 0788, 1–88.
  33. Hamilton, K.G.A. (1982) A review of the Nearctic species of the nominate subgenus of Gyponana Ball (Rhyncota: Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 55 (3), 547–562.
  34. Kittelberger, K.D., Hendrix, S.V. & Şekercioğlu, Ç.H. (2021) The value of citizen science in increasing our knowledge of under-sampled biodiversity: an overview of public documentation of Auchenorrhyncha and the hoppers of North Carolina. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 710396. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.710396
  35. Lavigne, R. (1966) Parabolocratus viridis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and ants associated with it. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 39 (1), 65–67.
  36. LeMay, G.A., Kawabata, A.M. & Curtiss, R.T. (2022) Statewide Survey of Insects Found on Coffee in Hawaii. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, 54, 41–52.
  37. Nagamine, W.T. (1981) A faunal study of insects associated with Euphorbia in Hawaiian sugarcane fields. University of Hawaii, viii + 83 pp. Available from: https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/faunal-study-insects-associated-with-em-euphorbia/docview/2516925875/se-2 (accessed 8 July 2022)
  38. Nance, C.E., Powell, E.C., Russell, D. & Halbert, S.E. (2024) Florida’s agricultural inspection stations: focus on intercepting invasive Hemiptera in interstate truck shipments. Florida Entomologist, 107, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2024-0019
  39. Nartey, R., Chamorro, L., Buffington, M., Afrane, Y.A., Mohammed, A.R., Owusu-Asenso, C.M., Akosah-Brempong, G., Pambit-Zong, C.M., Hendrix, S.V., Dao, A., Yaro, A.S., Diallo, M., Sanogo, Z.L., Djibril, S., Halbert, S.E., Bamou, R., Nance, C.E., Bartlett, C.R., Reynolds, D.R., Chapman, J.W., Obiri-Danso, K. & Lehmann, T. (2024) Invasion and spread of the neotropical leafhopper Curtara insularis (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Africa and North America and the role of high-altitude windborne migration in invasive insects. NeoBiota, 96, 173–189. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.96.130615
  40. Nishida, G.M. (2002) Hawaiian Arthropod Checklist. Fourth edition. Hawaii Biological Survey, Bishop Museum, iv + 313 pp.
  41. Oman, P.W. (1949) The Nearctic leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). A generic classification and check list. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington, 3, 1–253.
  42. Pinedo-Escatel, J.A., Rodríguez, E.B. & Nah-Ramos, S.A. (2024) Cicadélidofauna (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) de Yucatán: nuevos registros para México, distribución geográfica, notas y especies de importancia económica. Dugesiana, 31 (1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.32870/dugesiana.v31i1.7301
  43. Powell, E.C., Deeter, L.A., Moore, M.R., Ahmed, M.Z. & Miller, D.R. (2024) Taxonomy, hosts, and distribution of an emerging invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus miruku (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), in Florida. Florida Entomologist, 107 (s1), 20240024. https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2024-0024
  44. Schifani, E., Giannetti, D. & Grasso, D.A. (2024) Toward sustainable management of ant-hemipteran mutualism in agricultural settings: a comparison of different approaches. Crop Protection, 175, 106468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2023.106468
  45. Shorthouse, D.P. (2010) SimpleMappr, an online tool to produce publication-quality point maps. Available from: https://www.simplemappr.net (accessed 08 July 2022)
  46. Stål, C. (1864) Hemiptera mexicana enumeravit speciesque novas descripsit. (Continuatio). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 25, 49–86.
  47. Styrsky, J.D. & Eubanks, M.D. (2006) Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274 (1607), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.3701
  48. Talamas, E.J., Bremer, J.S., Moore, M.R., Bon, M.-C., Lahey, Z., Roberts, C.G., Combee, L.A., McGathey, N., van Noort, S., Timokhov, A.V., Hougardy, E. & Hogg, B. (2021) A maximalist approach to the systematics of a biological control agent: Gryon aetherium Talamas, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 87, 323–480. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.87.72842
  49. Trivellone, V., Forte, V., Filippin, L. & Dietrich, C.H. (2021) First records of the North American leafhopper Gyponana mali (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) invading urban gardens and agroecosystems in Europe. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2021.011
  50. Zahniser, J.N., Halbert, S.E., Moore, M.R., Mottern, J.L. & Beuzelin, J.M. (2023) Balclutha jafara (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): integrative identification of a species introduced in the Western Hemisphere, and notes on other Balclutha. Zootaxa, 5361 (4), 526–554. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5361.4.4. PMID: 38220743.
  51. Zahniser, J.N. & Nartey, R. (2024) Curtara insularis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): New Synonymy and Correction of the Type Locality. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 126 (1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.126.1.62

How to Cite

Hendrix, S.V., Halbert, S.E., Willmott, M.J., Moore, M.R., Zenoble, M.D. & Bartlett, C.R. (2026) Redescription of Gyponana germari (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a Neotropical species recently adventive in the continental USA, with notes on its distribution, ecology, and behavior. Zootaxa, 5828 (2), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.9