Bibliography on beautiful insects, Mexican treehopper, Membracis Mexicana

 

While looking at the seed pods of the Cassia fistula tree in our Mayan ethnobotanical garden I noticed lots of white-dust-coated insects. I assumed these were wild cochineal, as I doubt we have the domesticated niij scale insects from Rabinal here. Our garden is in Guatemala City at 1500 meters elevation.

 

Once we moved the branch to our photo studio inside the office building, we soon learned from all the biology students who work for us, that these were not cochineal at all, but a very common "plague", namely Periquito de nanche, Torito del cafeto, Membracis Mexicana.

 

The several sizes, shapes, adornments, and colors were remarkable.

 

Even though everyone told us this insect is a plague, we do not hurt them, kill them, and definitely don't spray them with pesticide. They are welcome to live in our research garden. Frankly I would list them as among the most interesting insects I have seen in 54 years in Guatemala. I definitely look forward to learning more about them.

 

Cassia fistula is not a native tree but is found all over Guatemala, Honduras, etc.

 

BOOKS, ARTICLES, PDFs on Periquito de nanche, Torito del cafeto

• ALBERTESON, J.L., and C.H. DIETRICH
• 2005
• Systematics and phylogeny of the Neotropical treehopper subfamily Nicomiinae (Hemiptera, Membracidae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, Vol. 22, No. 1, pages 231-283.
  
  www.researchgate.net/publication/238445158_Systematics_and_phylogeny_of
  the_Neotropical_treehopper_subfamily_Nicomiinae_Hemiptera_Membracidae

• GUEVARA CHAVEZ, F.
• 2010
• Primer estudio de la biodiversidad entomologica en area representativa del bosque seco de Jalapa, en Guatemala. Proyecto: FODECYT 083-2006.
  
  http://glifos.concyt.gob.gt/digital/fodecyt/fodecyt%202006.83-a.pdf

• GOMEZ ORELLANA, R.E., R.E. JEORGE FERMAN, L. HERNANDEZ LOVATO, J.M. SERMENO CHICAS, and M.R. PANIAGUA CIENFUEGOS
• 2008
• Guia ilustrada de insectos asociados al arbol de nance (Byrsonima crassifolia L.) en los Municipios de La Palma, departamento de Chaltenango y Quetzaltepeque, departamento de La Libertad, El Salvador, C.A.
  
  https://bdigital.zamorano.edu/bitstream/11036/3989/1/01.pdf

• LIN, CHUNG-PING
• 2006
• Social behavior and life history of membracine treehoppers. Journal of Natural History, Vol. 40, No, 32-34, pages 1887-1907.
  
  http://web.ntnu.edu.tw/~treehopper/lib/publications_lib_pdf/lin_2006.pdf

• MOREIRA, V.S.S., and K. DEL-CLARO
• 2005
• The outcomes of an Ant-Trehopper association on Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill: increased membracid fecundity and reduced damage by chewing herbivores. Neotropical Entomology, Vol. 34, No. 6, pages 881-887.
  
  www.scielo.br/pdf/ne/v34n6/28206.pdf

• MEDINA-TORRES, R., P. JUAREZ-LOPEZ, S. SALAZAR-GARCIA, and R. VALDIVIA-BERNAL
• 2013
• Estudio de las principales plagas del nanche (Byrsonima crassifolia L.), en Nayarit, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agricolas, Vol. 4,No. 3, pages 423-433.
  
  www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/remexca/v4n3/v4n3a7.pdf

• ROJA, L., C. GODOY, P. HANSON, C. KLEINN, and L. HILJE
• 2001
• Hopper (Homoptera: Auchernorrhyncha) diversity in shaded coffee systems of Turrialba, Costa Rica. Agroforestry Systems, Vol. 53, pages 171-177.
  
  http://ag.udel.edu/delpha/9765.pdf

• RUIZ-MONTIEL, C., P.I. DOMINGUEZ-ESPINOSA, R. FLORES-PEREDO, and C.P. ILLESCAS-RIQUELME
• 2014
• Insects associated with soursop (Annona muricata L.) in Veracruz, Mexico. Southwestern Entomologist, Vol. 39, No. 2, pages 367-374.
  
  www.researchgate.net/profile/Carlos_Illescas_Riquelme/publication/280989017
  Insects_Associated_with_Soursop_Annona_muricata_L_in_Veracruz_Mexico
  /links/56b0095408ae9ea7c3adb0e3/Insects-Associated-with-Soursop-Annona-muricata-L-in-Veracruz-Mexico.pdf

• SALAS-ARAIZA, M.D., E. del CASTILLO-SILVA, R. RAMIREZ-MALAGON, and O. MARTINEZ-JAIME
• 2008
• Insectos asociados al injerto (Psittacantus calyculatus). Pages 682-686.
  
  www.entomologia.socmexent.org/revista/entomologia/2008/EF/682-686.pdf

• VIDAL LEZAMA, E., N. A. VIDAL MARTINEZ, and L. VIDAL HERNANDEZ
• 2015
• Anonaceas, plantas antiguas, estudios recientes, parte 2. Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo.
  
  http://fitotecnia.chapingo.mx/adjuntos/memorias/memorias%202015%20
  version%20impriible.pdf

 

Posted April 5, 2017.