Lasiacantha luritja, Cassis & Symonds, 2011

Cassis, Gerasimos & Symonds, Celia, 2011, Systematics, biogeography and host plant associations of the lace bug genus Lasiacantha Stål in Australia (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae) 2818, Zootaxa 2818 (1), pp. 1-63 : 37-39

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2818.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10538915
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039187D9-670E-FF82-A8DB-E11BE5BA4615
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Lasiacantha luritja
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lasiacantha luritja , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3a View FIGURE 3 , 4g & h View FIGURE 4 , 5 View FIGURE 5 , 7a View FIGURE 7 , 10 View FIGURE 10 , 13c View FIGURE 13 )

Holotype. ♂, AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: ~ 38 km N of Lasseter Hwy on Luritja Rd, 24.92 ° S 132.2809 ° E, 593 m, 02 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Wall, ex Eremophila freelingii F.Muell. (Myoporaceae) , det. NSW Herbarium NSW 666292 (193243) ( NTM).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: ~ 38 km N of Lasseter Hwy on Luritja Rd, 24.92 ° S 132.2809 ° E, 593 m, 02 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Wall, ex Eremophila freelingii F.Muell. (Myoporaceae) , det. NSW Herbarium NSW 666292, 3 m (13665, 13187, 13188), 4 f (13664, 13183–13185) ( AM); 1 km S of Henbury Craters Nature Reserve, 24.56668 ° S 133.1234 ° E, 457 m, 29 Oct 2001, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Wall, ex Eremophila freelingii F.Muell. (Myoporaceae) , det. NSW Herbarium NSW 658410, 1 f (13123) ( AM); 33 km E of Alice Springs on Ross Hwy, 23.73335 ° S 134.1536 ° E, 555 m, 25 Oct 2001, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Wall, ex Amyema maidenii (Blakely) Barlow (Loranthaceae) , det. NSW Herbarium NSW 658336, 1 f (13116), ex Eremophila freelingii (Myoporaceae) , det. NSW Herbarium NSW 658335, 15 m (13089–13103), 12 f (13111–13115, 13117–13122, 13653) ( AM); 5 km S of Aileron, 22.8 ° S 133.35 ° E, 5 Apr 1981, M. Malipatil and J. Hawkins, 1 f (00193266) ( NTM); Trephina Gorge, Grevillea Gorge, 23.53333 ° S 134.4 ° E, May 1995, G Cassis, ex Eremophila sp. (Myoporaceae) , det. field ID, 4 m (17386–17389), 13 f (17390– 17402) ( AM).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Trephina Gorge, Grevillea Gorge, 23.53333 ° S 134.4 ° E, May 1995, G Cassis, ex Eremophila sp. (Myoporaceae) , det. field ID, 2 larvae (17403, 17404) ( AM).

Diagnosis. Lasiacantha luritja is recognised by the following combination of characters: mottled colouration of dorsum, golden orange brown to red brown and dark brown ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ); pronotal carinae orange brown, paler than disc ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ); major setiferous tubercles on pronotum and hemelytra moderately elongate, terminal seta at least half length of tuberculate base ( Fig. 10a, c–d, f View FIGURE 10 ); costal area with setiferous tubercles extending to posterior hemelytral margin ( Fig. 10f View FIGURE 10 ); carinate margins of discoidal area with major setiferous tubercles, posterior angle with clump of setiferous tubercles ( Fig. 10f View FIGURE 10 ); pronotum with woolly and hairlike setae ( Fig. 10c, d View FIGURE 10 ); hemelytra with woolly and hairlike setae ( Fig. 10f View FIGURE 10 ); woolly setae elongate, curly, creamy gold ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ); hairlike setae moderately elongate ( Fig. 10a, c–d View FIGURE 10 ); abdominal venter with straight, pale, short, scalelike setae ( Fig. 10h View FIGURE 10 ); cephalic spines elongate, medial spine forked( Fig. 10a–b View FIGURE 10 ); collum columnar, subequal to medial carina; paranota three areolae wide ( Fig. 10c–d View FIGURE 10 ); costal area mostly two areolae wide, three posteriorly ( Fig. 10f View FIGURE 10 ); areolae on hemelytra all subequal, large ( Fig. 10f View FIGURE 10 ); sternal carinae divergent, metasternal carinae more widely separated.

Description. Medium size, macropterous ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ); males 2.99–3.15, females 2.81–3.22. COLOURATION. Dorsum golden orange brown to red brown and dark brown, mottled. Head: dark brown, almost black; cephalic spines medium brown, sometimes bicoloured with dark brown apex; bucculae orange brown; labium orange brown, apex dark brown; antennae mostly orange brown, AIV distal club darker red brown. Pronotum: disc dark brown, almost black or red brown, diminishing posteriorly to golden orange brown; paranota mottled, red brown and orange brown; collum orange brown, slightly darkened at apex; carinae orange brown, medial carina with a darker red brown stripe medially. Thoracic pleura and sterna: variable from red brown to dark brown almost black, supracoxal lobes slightly paler; sternal carinae orange brown. Legs: mostly orange brown, basal three quarters of femur slightly darker; tarsi red brown, tarsal claw black. Hemelytra: mottled/patchy orange brown and red brown to dark brown; darker patches banded on costal area, at posterior angle of discoidal area, medially in discoidal and sutural areas. Abdomen: variable from red brown to dark brown. VESTITURE. Head: dense distribution of elongate, curly, creamy gold, woolly setae; absent in longitudinal rows between occipital and medial spines; antennae with minor setiferous tubercles, pale colour, AI–AII with single row of setiferous tubercles with moderately elongate curved terminal seta, AIII setiferous tubercles with greatly elongate with straight terminal seta. Pronotum: paranota margins with moderately elongate major setiferous tubercles, terminal seta at least half length of tuberculate base; keel of collum and pronotal carinae rarely also with major setiferous tubercles; collum, paranota and pronotal carinae with moderately elongate, hairlike setae; disc with dense distribution of elongate, curly, creamy gold, woolly setae, same setae as head. Thoracic pleura and sterna: pleura with dense distribution of elongate woolly setae as on dorsum, less dense on supracoxal lobes; mesosternum with sparse distribution of short scalelike setae. Legs: minor setiferous tubercles, terminal seta pale colour, elongate, erect, bristlelike; slightly shorter and thickened at base of femora. Hemelytra: costal margins with major setiferous tubercles as on paranota, extending to posterior margin of hemelytra; major setiferous tubercles on carinate margins of discoidal area and cubitus + R+M vein, more clumped (aggregated) at anterior angle of discoidal area; moderately dense distribution of hairlike setae, same as pronotum, on costal, subcostal and discoidal areas; discoidal area at wing base with few woolly setae; white microtrichae absent. Abdomen: moderately dense distribution of short, straight, silvery, scalelike setae. STRUCTURE. Head: spines elongate; frontal spines parallel, longer than AI; medial spine forked; occipital spines strongly curved outwards, extending past outer margin of eye; labium moderate length, extending to anterior margin of metasternum; antennae, AI short and subequal to AII, AIV with compact base before clavate apex. Pronotum: disc slightly convex; collum columnar, uniformly broad, vertically projected, sub-equal in height to medial carina; carinae moderately elevated, one areole wide, medial carina with extra one to three areolae medially; lateral carinae thickened; paranota rounded semi-circular, three areolae wide. Thoracic sterna: sternal carinae straight, metasternal carinae wider than mesosternal carinae. Hemelytra: areolae large, subequal size over entire hemelytra; costal area two areolae wide, three posteriorly; subcostal area two areolae wide; discoidal area three areolae wide; sutural area four areolae wide. Male genitalia: pygophore subquadrate; narrowing posteriorly; rounded and slightly flattened posterior margin; dorsal opening strongly concave, rounded ( Fig. 10g View FIGURE 10 ); parameres with sensory lobe rounded, weakly expanded ( Figs 10g View FIGURE 10 , 13c View FIGURE 13 ); distal u-shaped endosomal sclerite with shallow cleft, basal branches very short. MEASUREMENTS. Ranges for 5 ♂ and 5 ♀ are given in Table 6.

Fifth instar larva. See Fig. 7a View FIGURE 7 ; body length 2.11 mm; colouration overall medium brown to dark brown, lateral margins of paranota and abdominal tergites paler orange brown, head, cephalic spines and abdomen medially dark brown, marginal dorsal processes dark brown, medial dorsal processes bicoloured, yellow brown basally and dark brown apically; dorsum with sparse distribution of pale, linear, moderately short, cuticular outgrowths, with a slightly bulbous apex; cephalic spines greatly elongate, medial spine forked basally, occipital spines with elongate dorsal branch; pronotum with two medial pairs of dorsal processes, one pair on partially formed collum, second pair medial; paranota rounded; lateral margins of pronotum, forewing buds and abdominal tergites with dorsal processes; abdominal T1–3 with medial paired dorsal processes, T4, 7, 8 & 10 with single medial dorsal process; all dorsal processes greatly elongate, with tapering apex, and mostly glabrous, with a moderate distribution of short, pale, setiferous setae.

Host plant. Collected on Eremophila freelingii ( Fig. 4h View FIGURE 4 ), an unidentified Eremophila species , and Amyema maidenii , with the latter a likely sitting record.

Distribution. This species is known from five localities in central Australia, both east and west of Alice Springs ( Figs 3a View FIGURE 3 , 4g View FIGURE 4 ). Interestingly, one Inoma species , Inoma arrernte Cassis and Symonds, 2008 , is also known from this locality but from a different host Anemocarpa saxatilis (Asteraceae) .

Etymology. After the Luritja people, the Indigenous Australians on whose traditional lands the type locality is found.

Remarks. Lasiacantha luritja and L. pilbara are the only two species with columnar shaped collum, which is not greatly enlarged, and no higher than the medial carina. Lasiacantha luritja is easily distinguished from L. pilbara by its golden to orange brown colouration, lack of white microtrichiae on hemelytra, thin pronotal carinae, broader paranota with larger areolae, areolae large over entire hemelytra, and metasternal carinae more widely separated than mesosternal carinae. The hairlike setae in this species are not as elongate as in other species with very fine, apically hooked, hairlike setae.

Additionally, the woolly setae on the head and pronotum is the same in the above two species, whereas in other Clade 3 species it tends to be slightly longer, less curly and more upright on pronotum than on the head. Lasiacantha luritja fifth instar larvae can be distinguished from those of L. aureolus as follows: overall colouration darker; dorsal processes are more greatly elongate, with a tapering apex, with moderate distribution of longer setiferous setae (these setiferous setae on dorsal processes in L. aureolus are very sparse and very short), and marginal dorsal processes on pronotum and abdominal tergites being unicolourous—all dark brown. See also remarks for L. aureolus .