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Endless forms most wonderful: four new cavernicolous planthopper species (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae and Meenoplidae) from the Canary Islands

datacite.subject.fosCiências Naturais::Ciências da Terra e do Ambiente
dc.contributor.authorHoch, Hannelore
dc.contributor.authorLópez, Heriberto
dc.contributor.authorNaranjo, Manuel
dc.contributor.authorAguín-Pombo, Dora
dc.contributor.authorOromí, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorAguin-Pombo, Dora
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-22T13:51:34Z
dc.date.available2025-09-22T13:51:34Z
dc.date.issued2025-03-28
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>The Canary Islands harbour a rich and diverse fauna of obligate subterranean arthropods (i.e. troglobionts). Among the insect taxa which have repeatedly undergone the evolutionary switch from life on the surface to underground environments are the Fulgoromorpha, or planthoppers: Cixiidae and Meenoplidae. Previously, a total of 13 troglobitic planthopper species have been described from El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Here we describe three new troglobitic cixiid species: <jats:italic>Cixius palmirandus</jats:italic><jats:bold>sp. nov.</jats:bold> from La Palma, <jats:italic>Cixius theseus</jats:italic><jats:bold>sp. nov.</jats:bold> from El Hierro and <jats:italic>Tachycixius gomerobscurus</jats:italic><jats:bold>sp. nov.</jats:bold> from La Gomera, and one new meenoplid species: <jats:italic>Meenoplus skotinophilus</jats:italic><jats:bold>sp. nov.</jats:bold> from El Hierro. <jats:italic>Tachycixius gomerobscurus</jats:italic><jats:bold>sp. nov.</jats:bold> is the first record of a subterranean adapted Fulgoromorpha on La Gomera. With now 17 documented species of strictly hypogean planthoppers, the Canary Islands hold the highest number of subterranean planthoppers of any region worldwide, representing ca. ¼ of all known species. We provide a key to all subterranean planthopper species known from the Canary Islands as well as information on their habitat, distribution, ecological classification and conservation status. As all highly specialized, narrow range troglobitic planthopper species must be regarded as vulnerable, if not endangered, climate change poses a major risk of extinction. We hypothesize on island colonization and subterranean speciation underlying taxonomic diversity and high endemicity. We conclude that the currently observed zoogeographic patterns imply the existence of an ancient fauna which is now extinct.</jats:p>eng
dc.identifier.citationHoch H, López H, Naranjo M, Aguín-Pombo D, Oromí P (2025) Endless forms most wonderful: Four new cavernicolous planthopper species (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae and Meenoplidae) from the Canary Islands. Subterranean Biology 51: 61–101. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.51.144111
dc.identifier.doi10.3897/subtbiol.51.144111
dc.identifier.issn1314-2615
dc.identifier.issn1768-1448
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/7398
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherPensoft Publishers
dc.relation.ispartofSubterranean Biology
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectConservation
dc.subjectLava tubes
dc.subjectMesovoid shallow substratum
dc.subjectRoot feeders
dc.subjectSubterranean adaptation
dc.subjectTroglobionts
dc.subjectTroglomorphy
dc.subject.
dc.subjectFaculdade de Ciências da Vida
dc.titleEndless forms most wonderful: four new cavernicolous planthopper species (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae and Meenoplidae) from the Canary Islandseng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.titleSubterranean Biology
oaire.citation.volume51
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameAguin-Pombo
person.givenNameDora
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-4471-7105
person.identifier.scopus-author-id6508294703
relation.isAuthorOfPublication20d302e6-9681-4b6a-a6d9-c25be5f48d20
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery20d302e6-9681-4b6a-a6d9-c25be5f48d20

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