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| Amblysellus tenochtitlanum Pinedo-Escatel, Blanco-Rodriguez & Aponte-Mejia, 2025 |
Abstract
Urban parks within large metropolises hold valuable resources broadly useful for insects and may even harbor previously undiscovered species. Such parks also offer excellent opportunities to engage urban residents in citizen science activities that may not only foster greater appreciation for nature but also lead to new scientific discoveries. An example, reported here, is a new grass feeding leafhopper species of the genus Amblysellus, A. tenochtitlanum sp. n., found through a citizen science workshop in urban forests of Mexico City and its surroundings. The morphology of the new taxon is extensively detailed and illustrated. An updated key to all known species of Amblysellus in Mexico is also provided. Data retrieved from the workshops were used to evaluate the conservation status of the new species and its congeners following IUCN criteria, using museum specimens and published literature. We discuss the importance of involvement between citizen scientists and academia for insect surveys not only to provide educational opportunities but also to yield new data relevant to the conservation of poorly known species.
Keywords: Deltocephalinae, Deltocephalini, Public parks, Threatened species
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| Habitus of Amblysellus tenochtitlanum sp. n., male and female. a, b Dorsal and lateral aspect of female; c, d dorsal and lateral aspect of male. Scale bar 1 mm |
Amblysellus tenochtitlanum Pinedo-Escatel, Blanco-Rodríguez, and Aponte-Mejia, sp. n.
Etymology. This species is named for the main region where the Mexica (Aztecs) empire was distributed known as “Tenochtitlan”. After a century of expansion of Mexica domains, the city had become the most populated and richest area in Mesoamerica. Epithet based on the main distribution of organisms studied. Gender for the new taxa name is neuter.
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| Forests habitats were Amblysellus tenochtitlanum sp. n. was found. a, b Parque Estatal Sierra de Guadalupe; c, d Bosque San Juan de Aragón |
Jorge Adilson Pinedo-Escatel, Edith Blanco-Rodriguez and Olivia Esperanza Aponte-Mejia. 2025. Urban Forests as Refuges for Resilient Species: A New Species of Amblysellus Sleesman (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Central Mexico. Biologia. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11756-025-01874-y [10 February 2025]
