Pupating in bubbles: Spumacinctus gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) from the Neotropical region, with a key to saltatorial genera
Abstract
Spumacinctus gen. nov. is described as a new saltatorial genus of Scirtidae, comprising three species: Spumacinctus mindu gen. et sp. nov., and Spumacinctus porcicaudalis gen. et sp. nov. from the Brazilian Amazon, and Spumacinctus championi (Picado, 1912) comb. nov., a species previously placed in Scirtes Illiger, 1807 from Costa Rica. We also describe the last instar larvae of the two new species, obtained by rearing larvae in laboratory conditions to produce both male and female adults. Bionomic observations are also provided, including a peculiar mode of pupation in which the pupa is surrounded by foam. An identification key (adults and larvae) to the saltatorial genera of Scirtidae from the Neotropical region is also presented.
References
Balzani P., Nencioni A., Grillini M., Masoni A., Zuri F., Picchi M.S., Frizzi F., Sacchetti P., Cantini C. & Santini G. 2023. Spittlebug invisibility cloak: experimental tests on the antipredatory effect of the froth of Philaenus spumarius. Bulletin of Insectology 76 (1): 21–28.
Benetti C.J. & Jorge G. 2026. Scirtidae in Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil. PNUD. Available from http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/128349 [accessed 24 Apr. 2026].
Bradford T.M., Ruta R., Cooper S.J.B., Libonatti M.L. & Watts C.H.S. 2022. Evolutionary history of the Australasian Scirtinae (Scirtidae; Coleoptera) inferred from ultraconserved elements. Invertebrate Systematics 36 (4): 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS21053
Campos R.E. & Fernández L.A. 2011. Coleopterans associated with plants that form phytotelmata in subtropical and temperate Argentina, South America. Journal of Insect Science 2: 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.011.14701
Cooper S.J.B., Watts C.H.S., Saint K.M. & Leijs R. 2014. Phylogenetic relationships of Australian Scirtidae (Coleoptera) based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences. Invertebrate Systematics 28: 628–642. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS13046
Cornara D., Saponari M., Zeilinger A.R., de Stradis A., Boscia D., Loconsole G., Bosco D., Martelli G.P., Almeida R.P.P. & Porcelli F. 2017. Spittlebugs as vectors of Xylella fastidiosa in olive orchards in Italy. Journal of Pest Science 90 (2): 521–530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-016-0793-0
Del Campo M.L., King J.T. & Gronquist M.R. 2011. Defensive and chemical characterization of the froth produced by the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata. Chemoecology 21: 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-010-0059-x
Epler J.H. 2010. The Water beetles of Florida and Identification Manual for the Families Chrysomelidae, Curculionidar, Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Elmidae, Gyrinidar, Haliplidae, Helophoridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, Noteridae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae and Scirtidae. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee.
Friedenreich C.W. 1883. Pentameria bromeliarum, eine pentamere Halticidae. Entomologische Zeitung XLIV: 140–144.
Greeney H.F. 2001.The insects of plant-held waters: a review and bibliography. Journal of Tropical Ecology 17: 241–260. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026646740100116X
Guilbeau B.H. 1908. The origin and formation of the froth in spittle-insects. The American Naturalist 42: 783–798. https://doi.org/10.1086/279010
Hannappel U. & Paulus H.F. 1991. Some undetermined Helodidae larvae from Australia and New Zealand: fine structure of mouthparts and phylogenetic position. In: Zunino M., Bellés X. & Blas M. (eds) Advances in Coleopterology. Asociación Europea de Coleopterología, Barcelona.
Hoch H., Pingel M., Voigt D., Wyss U. & Gorb S. 2024. Adhesive properties of Aphrophoridae spittlebug foam. J. R. Soc. Interface 21: e20230521. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2023.0521
Jorge G., Libonatti M.L., Benetti C.J. & Hamada N. 2019. Description of the mature larva and pupa of Ora semibrunnea Pic (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) with notes on its biology. Zootaxa 4551 (1): 53–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4551.1.3
Jorge G., Benetti C.J., Libonatti M.L., Cortês E.A. & Hamada N. 2025. Marsh beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) of the Amazon biome: integrative collecting techniques, information of immatures’ habitats, and a rearing method under laboratory conditions, along with new species records. Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences 97 (4): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202520241396
Kawada R. & Buffington M.L. 2006. A Scalable and Modular Dome Illumination System for Scientific Microphotography on a Budget. PLoS ONE 11 (5): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153426
Klausnitzer B. 1980. Eine neue Art der Gattung Cyphon Paykull von der Cocos-Insel (Coleoptera, Helodidae). Reichenbachia 18: 77–79.
Klausnitzer B. 2009. Insecta: Coleoptera: Scirtidae. Süβwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa. Bd. 20/17. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg.
Klausnitzer B. 2012. Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Prionocyphon L. Redtenbacher 1858 sensu lato (Coleoptera, Scirtidae) aus Südamerika (181. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Scirtidae). Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (2): 1177–1194.
Knab F. 1913. Larvae of Cyphonidae (Coleopt.) in Bromeliaceae. The Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 24: 54–55.
Kovac D. & Klausnitzer B. 2020. A new species of Exochomoscirtes Pic, 1916 from Malaysia (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scirtidae) with biological notes on the bamboo-inhabiting members of the genus. Contributions to Entomology 70 (1): 167–180. https://doi.org/10.21248/contrib.entomol.70.1.167-180
Kovac D., Pont A.C. & Deeming J.C. 2023. Atherigona culicivora, new species (Insecta: Diptera: Muscidae), a bamboo shoot-fly feeding on mosquito larvae. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71: 583–595. https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2023-0044
Lawrence J.F. 2016. 10.4 Scirtidae Fleming, 1821. In: Beutel R.G. & Leschen R.A.B. (eds) Handbook of Zoology. Coleoptera, Beetles: 213‒223. Institute of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, Jena, Germany.
Lawrence J.F., Zhou Y.-L., Lemann C., Sinclair B. & Ślipiński A. 2021. The hind wing of Coleoptera (Insecta): morphology, nomenclature and phylogenetic significance. Part 1. General discussion and Archostemata–Elateroidea. Annales Zoologici 71: 421–606. https://doi.org/10.3161/00034541ANZ2021.71.3.001
Libonatti M.L. 2014. A revision of the genus Ora Clark, 1865 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) in Argentina (part I)—descriptions of new species. Zootaxa 3884 (1): 27–44. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3884.1.2
Libonatti M.L. 2015. A revision of the genus Ora Clark, 1865(Coleoptera: Scirtidae) in Argentina (part II)—redescriptions, updated distributions and a key to species. Zootaxa 3985 (1): 69–97. https://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3985.1.4
Libonatti M.L. 2017. Notes on some South American species of Scirtes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). Annales Zoologici 67 (2): 349–368. https://doi.org/10.3161/00034541ANZ2017.67.2.012
Libonatti M.L., Jorge G., Archangelsky M. & Michat M.C. 2018. The last instar larva and pupa of Ora depressa (Coleoptera: Scirtidae), a marsh beetle with underwater pupation. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58: 441‒455. https://doi.10.2478/aemnp-2018-0034
Liria J. 2007. Fauna fitotelmata en las bromelias Aechmea fendleri André y Hohenbergia stellata Schult del Parque Nacional San Esteban, Venezuela. Revista Peruana de Biología 14: 33–38.
Louton J., Gelhaus J. & Bouchard R. 1996. The aquatic macrofauna of water-filled bamboo (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Guadua) internodes in a Peruvian lowland tropical forest. Biotropica 28: 228–242. https://doi.org/10.2307/2389077
Mestre L.A.M., Aranha J.M.R. & Esper M.L.P. 2001. Macroinvertebrate fauna associated to the bromeliad Vriesea inflata of the Atlantic Forest (Paraná State, Southern Brazil). Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 44: 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-89132001000100012
Montero G., Feruglio C. & Barberis I.M. 2010. The phytotelmata and foliage macrofauna assemblages of a bromeliad species in different habitats and seasons. Insect Conservation and Diversity 3: 92–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-4598.2009.00077.x
Muller G.A., Name F.T., Pacheco F.C.L. & Marcondes C.B. 2010. Analysis of an alternative method for the study of bromeliad-associated fauna in plants with different foliar organization. Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences 82 (4): 903–906. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0001-37652010000400012
Nadein K., Kovalev A. & Gorb S.N. 2022. Jumping mechanism in the marsh beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). Scientific Reports 12 (15834): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20119-5
Nyholm T. 1972. Zur Morphologie und Funktion des Helodiden-Aedoeagus (Col.). Entomologica scandinavica 3: 81–119.
Nyholm T. 2002. Scirtes japonicus Kiesenwetter and its allies, with description of Scirtes ussuriensis n. sp. (Coleoptera, Scirtidae). Entomologische Blätter für Biologie und Systematik der Käfer 98 (1): 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1649/1077.1
Ospina-Bautista F., Estévez-Varón J.V., Betencur J. & Realpe-Rebolledo E. 2004. Estructura y composición de la comunidad de macro invertebrados acuáticos asociados a Tillandsia turneri Baker (Bromeliaceae) en un bosque alto andino colombiano. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (Nueva Serie) 20: 153–166.
Picado C. 1912. La larve du genre Scirtes. Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France 37: 315–319.
Picado C. 1913. Les broméliacées épiphytes considérées comme milieu biologique. Bulletin scientifique de la France et de la Belgique 47: 215–360 + pls. VI-XXIV.
Ruta R. 2010. Two new species of Prionocyphon Redtenbacher from Taiwan (Coleoptera: Scirtidae), with notes on Prionocyphon, Mescirtes Motschulsky and Prionoscirtes Champion from East and Southeast Asia. Zootaxa 2402 (1): 52–60. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2402.1.2
Ruta R. & Yoshitomi H. 2010. Revision of the genus Exochomoscirtes Pic (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae). Zootaxa 2598 (1): 1–80. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2598.1.1
Scott H. 1912. A contribution to the knowledge of the fauna of Bromeliaceae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 10: 424–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931208693256
Stribling J.B. & Young D.K. 1990. Description of the larva and pupa of Flavohelodes thoracica (Guérin-Meneville) with notes on a phytotelma association (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 92 (4): 765–770.
Watts C.H.S. 2014. The larvae of some Australian Scirtidae (Coleoptera) with a key to known genera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 138 (1): 1–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2014.10887191
Watts C.H.S., Cooper S.J.B. & Saint K.M. 2017. Review of Australian Scirtes Illiger, Ora Clark and Exochomoscirtes Pic (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) including descriptions of new species, new groups and a multi-gene molecular phylogeny of Australian and non-Australian species. Zootaxa 4347 (3): 511–532. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4347.3.5
Whittaker J.B. 1970. Cercopid spittle as a microhabitat. Oikos 21: 59–64. https://doi.org/10.2307/3543839
Yanoviak S.P. 1999. Community structure in water-filled tree holes of Panama: effects of hole height and size. Selbyana 20: 106–115. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41760012
Yoshitomi H. 2005. Systematic revision of the family Scirtidae of Japan, with phylogeny, morphology and bionomics (Insecta: Coleoptera, Scirtoidea). Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology Monographic Series 3: 1–212.
Zwick P. 2008. Das Tibiotarsalorgan, ein neues Merkmal larvaler Scirtidae (Coleoptera). Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte 52: 51–54.
Zwick P. 2011. Some Scirtidae (Coleoptera) from Palawan (the Philippines), mainly from phytotelmata. Aquatic Insects 33 (3): 233–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650424.2011.614257
Copyright (c) 2026 Gabrielle Jorge, María Libonatti, Cesar Benetti, Neusa Hamada
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Copyright Notices
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are NOT PERMITTED to post their submitted work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on personal websites) prior to publication, as it may lead to nomenclatural issues.
