Darnini
Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843
Genus Guides
2Darnini is a tribe of treehoppers ( Membracidae) characterized by pronounced pronotal modifications that produce bizarre, often grotesque body shapes. The tribe is largely Neotropical in distribution and includes such as Stictopelta, Cyphotes, and Hypheodana. Members of this tribe exhibit the exaggerated morphological specializations typical of many membracids, with pronotal extensions that may function in , mimicry, or .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Darnini: /dɑrˈniːnaɪ/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
Darnini can be distinguished from other membracid tribes by specific pronotal morphologies, though precise diagnostic characters require examination. The tribe belongs to Darninae, one of several membracid subfamilies restricted to the New World (excepting the primitive Centrotinae). identification relies on examination of pronotal shape, horn development, and genitalic structures.
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Distribution
Largely Neotropical. Documented from Mexico (Oaxaca, Puebla), Colombia, Peru, and Argentina. The tribe is part of the New World radiation of Membracidae, which began during Tertiary isolation approximately 65 million years ago.
Similar Taxa
- SmiliiniBoth tribes exhibit pronounced pronotal modifications, but Smiliini includes many -mimicking forms such as Poppea setosa, whereas Darnini show different pronotal architectures.
- CentrotinaePrimitive distinguished from Darnini and other derived subfamilies by the exposed scutellum, which is not covered by the expanded pronotum.
More Details
Taxonomic composition
The tribe includes multiple , with Stictopelta being well-represented in collections from Mexico and the southern United States. Recent taxonomic work has described new including Cyphotes colombiensis from Colombia and Hypheodana sakakibarai from Peru.