Fulgora laternaria

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Fulgora laternaria
Fulgora laternaria.JPG

Fulgora laternaria

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Schnabelkerfe (Hemiptera)
Subordination : Pointed-head cicadas (Fulgoromorpha)
Family : Real lantern bearer (Fulgoridae)
Genre : Fulgora
Type : Fulgora laternaria
Scientific name
Fulgora laternaria
( Linnaeus , 1758)

Fulgora laternaria , sometimes called "lantern bearer" in German, is a species of cicada from tropical South and Central America. The species was mistakenly assigned luminosity in the past. It is striking because of its size and because of the bizarre head extension, which is reminiscent of a reptile when viewed from the side.

features

Fulgora laternaria reaches a body size of 65 to 105 millimeters and is therefore unusually large for a cicada. The basic color is yellow-brown with a diffuse, dark pattern and small white spots that are due to wax deposits. The forewings ( Tegmina ) are somewhat translucent, opaque, with numerous cross veins in the tip part, which divide almost round cells. The hind wings have a conspicuously large eye-spot in the anterior half, which has a white markings in the center, reminiscent of a pupil. In front of the eyes, the head has a large, bubble-shaped, somewhat elongated extension that narrows towards the ends, the shape of which, when viewed from above, has been compared to a peanut, this has a small tooth at the base on each side. Their length is about 28 millimeters. The appearance in side view was compared to the head of an alligator with teeth and false eyes.

Head extension (side view): the "alligator head"

The species can be distinguished from the other seven species of the genus by the shape of the head extension.

distribution

The species lives in tropical South America east of the Andes and in Central America, so in Brazil, Peru, Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica.

Biology and way of life

Despite the striking body shape and the resulting long popularity of the species, its way of life has only been poorly researched. The species lives, like all species of the genus, in the trunk area and in the canopy of deciduous tree species in the tropical rainforest . Females also lay their egg clutches here, which are surrounded by a foam-like, hardening mass. The nymphs live in the same habitat as the adults. Presumably there is only one generation a year ( monovoltin ). The adults are nocturnal; at night they occasionally fly into artificial light sources.

The following tree species are specified as host species for the animals: Simarouba amara (Marupá, Fam. Simaroubaceae), Zanthoxylum sp. (Fam. Rutaceae), Hymenaea oblongifolia and Hymenaea coubaril (Guapinol, Fam. Fabaceae). All infected species have either bitter resin or milky sap. The animals strikingly prefer single trees of the kind on which they can sometimes be found for many years in a row, while most of the other individuals remain uninhabited.

The function of the conspicuous extension of the head could lie in avoiding enemies as a form of mimicry . When viewed from the side, the animal resembles tree-living lizards, for example Plica plica , with which it occurs together. It is possible that this is why they are mistaken for conspecifics by the lizards and therefore ignored when hunting. The eye-spots on the hind wings serve to avoid enemies. The insect is quite well camouflaged when viewed from above and resembles the lichen coverings on tree trunks. If a bird does discover it anyway, the eyespots are suddenly presented to frighten the attacker.

History of research, popular myths

Fulgora laternaria became known in Europe through the illustration in the famous work Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (1705) by Maria Sibylla Merian . However, the species was already illustrated and described by N. Grew in 1681.

Colored copper engraving from Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, illustration XLIX

In the description of Merian there is also the indication that the head extension of the species has luminosity. This erroneous statement has been passed on from one work to the next for centuries by copying. The species owes the popular name "lantern bearer" to the scientific genus and species names ("Fulgora" is the Latin name of the goddess responsible for lightning). The legend probably goes back to the British researcher Nehemiah Grew , who misunderstood a statement in Thomas Muffet's "Insectorum theatrum" (1634). The statement has meanwhile been refuted beyond any doubt, according to a biochemical investigation Fulgora does not have the enzymes required for bioluminescence .

In South America, the conspicuous species is well known among the population and is the subject of numerous myths to this day. The stories told include a .: The species carries a deadly poison, which kills both the plants on which it suckles as well as people and animals that come too close to it. The poisonous sting is the proboscis of the animals, with which they actually pierce the phloem for nutrition . It is particularly feared that the animals would stab at random because they are blind. The only way a person stung by the cicada can save life is to have sexual intercourse within 24 hours. People with excessive sexual appetite are said to be "picado par la machaca", stung by the lantern bearer. The popularity of the species is evident from the numerous Brazilian trivial names , the most important of which go back to the Tupí-Guaraní languages . The appearance of the cicadas is often associated with snakes.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Carl von Linné as Cicada laternaria . It was by resolution of ICZN the type species of the genus Fulgora explains Linnaeus, 1767 to maintain the stability of the name used. The genus Fulgora includes 8 species, possibly 10, plus three fossils . Synonyms for Fulgora laternaria are Fulgora servillei Spinola, Fulgora phosphorea Müller. The misspelling Fulgora lanternaria was widespread at times.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Lois B. O'Brien (1988): New World Fulgoridae, Part I: Genera with elongated head processes. Great Basin Naturalis Memoirs 12: 135-170. download
  2. ^ A b Charles L. Hogue: Latin American Insects and Entomology. University of California Press 1993. ISBN 0-520-07849-7 . p.239 / 240.
  3. ^ Charles L. Hogue (1984): Observations on the plant hosts and possible mimicry models of "Lantern Bugs" (Fulgora spp.) (Homoptera: Fulgoridae). Revista Biología Tropical 32 (1): 145-150.
  4. ^ FF Tippmann, 1978 "Permit me to illuminate the world" A story of literature about one of the strangest animals. Journal of the Österr. Entomologists, 29 (3/4), 123-139
  5. ↑ Eralde Medeiros Costa-Neto & Josue Marques Pacheco (2003): "Head of snake, wings of butterfly, and body of cicada": impressions of the lantern-fly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in the village of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology 23 (1): 23-46.
  6. ^ ICZN 1954: Opinion 322. Validation, under the plenary powers, of the generic name Fulgora Linnaeus, 1767 (class Insecta, order Hemiptera) and designation for the genus so named of a type species in harmony with current nomenclatorial practice. Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 9 (13): 185-208. digitized online
  7. ↑ Fulgora in Thierry Bourgoin (2013) FLOW (Fulgoromorpha Lists on The Web): a world knowledge base dedicated to Fulgoromorpha. Version 8. Accessed August 12, 2014

Web links

Commons : Fulgora laternaria  - Collection of images, videos and audio files