Lasiacantha, Stal, 1873

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 : 17-18

Key to Australian species of Lasiacantha

1 Macropterous; costal margins at least biseriate; paranota not expanded laterally beyond costal margins of hemelytra. 2

- Brachypterous; costal margins uniseriate or biseriate; paranota expanded, often reaching beyond costal margins of hemelytra1........................................................................................ 5

2 Medial spine divided, collum conical ( Fig. 8a, b )....................................................... 3

- Medial spine undivided, collum subtriangular ( Fig. 11a, d ).............................................. 12

3 Collum enlarged, higher than medial pronotal carina.................................................... 4

- Collum not greatly enlarged, subequal or shorter than medial pronotal carina in height.........................11

4 Paranota four areolae wide; sternal carinae divergent; uniformly medium to dark brown (NT)............ ephemera

- Paranota two or three areolae wide; sternal carinae parallel; usually bicoloured............................... 5

5 Pronotum with hairlike and elongate woolly setae present; pronotal collum and carinae smooth, without setiferous tubercles...................................................................................... 6

- Pronotum with only short woolly setae present; pronotal collum and carinae with setiferous tubercles present; ex Eremophila sp. (WA)............................................................................. darwini

6 Hemelytra with erect, hairlike setae only............................................................. 7

- Hemelytra with decumbent woolly setae only; ex Eremophila longifolia (NT) .......................... inaquosa

7 Abdominal sternites with minute scalelike setae ( Fig. 8f ); mesosupracoxal lobes with short, straight, somewhat flattened scalelike setae ( Fig. 8c ); woolly setae on pronotum bright gold; overall generally golden brown in colouration, discoidal and subcostal areas golden brown anteriorly and posteriorly; ex Eremophila sp. (NT)................... aureolus

- Abdominal sternites with short, scalelike setae ( Figs 9h , 10h ); mesosupracoxal lobes with short woolly (very slightly thickened) setae ( Figs 9e , 10e ); woolly setae on pronotum creamy gold or silver; generally strongly bicolourous, usually with cream or white patches anteriorly and posteriorly on the discoidal and subcostal areas..................... 8

8 Hemelytra with patches of white fuzzy microtrichiae anteriorly and posteriorly on discoidal and subcostal areas, sometimes quite reduced; pronotum with thickened lateral carinae, which also possess silvery microtrichiae............ 9

- Hemelytra without patches of white fuzzy microtrichiae, but a paler cream colour anteriorly and posteriorly on discoidal and subcostal areas; pronotum without thickened lateral carinae, woolly setae creamy golden; ex Eremophila clavata (WA) ................................................................................... dysmikos

9 Pronotal collum uniformly dark brown, sometimes slightly paler brow right at base; cephalic spines elongate, occipital spines extending to outer margin of eye and strongly curved............................................. 10

- Pronotal collum bicolourous, basal half creamy white, apical half dark brown; cephalic spines short, occipital spines extending only to inner margin of eye and weakly curved; ex Eremophila sp. (WA)....................... nipha

10 Femora uniformly golden brown, concolourous with tibiae, at most very slightly darker than tibia; pronotal collum moderately enlarged and tapering apically; pronotal woolly setae silver; ex Eremophila clavata (WA) ........ eremophila

- Femora mostly dark brown, significantly darker than tibiae; pronotal collum greatly enlarged and broad apically; pronotal woolly setae silver or creamy gold; ex Frankenia sp. (QLD)....................................... quilpie

11 Pronotum with sparse distribution of moderate length hairlike setae, unthickened lateral carinae; hemelytra with mostly woolly setae, setiferous tubercles present on all veins of discoidal area, discoidal area without any white patches; ex Eremophila freelingi (NT) ..................................................................... luritja

- Pronotum with dense distribution of elongate hairlike setae, thickened lateral carinae; hemelytra with hairlike setae, setiferous tubercles present only at posterior angle of discoidal area, discoidal area with white patches; ex Eremophila sp (WA)..................................................................................... pilbara

12 Costal area and posterior half of paranota with very short major setiferous tubercles with recurved terminal setae; costal area uniformly biseriate, areolae uniform and of moderate size (SA)............................ aemula (Drake)

- Costal area and posterior half of paranota with short major setiferous tubercles with straight terminal setae; costal area triseriate, or if mostly biseriate with irregularly shaped and mostly large areolae............................. 13

13 Cephalic spines, golden brown, paler than head; pronotal carinae mostly uniformly dark brown or at least medially ( Fig. 6 )........................................................................................... 14

- Cephalic spines, darker, concolourous with remainder of head; pronotal carinae uniformly pale golden brown ( Fig. 6 ) (QLD).................................................................................... vittata

14 Costal area uniformly triseriate, areolae small, uniformly shaped, brown fasciae directed slightly anteriorly from costal margin; ex Eremophila mitchelli (QLD) ........................................................ serraseta

- Costal area predominantly biseriate, areolae large, irregularly shaped, brown fasciae directed slightly posteriorly from costal margin; ex Eremophila dempsteri (WA) discordis Drake

15 Grayish species; costal margins biseriate; paranota only weakly expanded beyond costal margin of forewings; ex grass ............................................................................................. 16

- Medium brown species; costal margins uniseriate; paranota strongly expanded beyond costal margin of forewings.. 18

16 Collum strongly directed anteriorly, reaching head in dorsal view, paranota three areolae wide................. 17

- Collum vertical, not greatly enlarged, not covering head, paranota two areolae wide; ex Poa sp. (NSW).... kosciuszko

17 Collum covering most of head; areolae of both rows of costal area subequal in shape; areolae in discoidal area small; medial carina of pronotum at most very slightly elevated higher than lateral carinae; ex grass (NSW, QLD) graminicola

- Collum partially covering head; lateral-most row of costal area with elongate areolae, wider than medial row; areolae in discoidal area large, particularly medially; medial carina of pronotum significantly elevated higher than lateral carinae; ex litter and moss (ACT, TAS)................................................................ gingera

18 Cephalic spines short, shorter than AI, all straight (QLD).......................................... windorah

- Cephalic spines elongate, longer than AI; occipital spines outcurved laterally (WA).................. leai (Hacker)

Figures

FIGURE 6. Photographs of Australian Lasiacantha species: L. graminicola sp. nov. (habitus and lateral), L. gingera sp. nov, L. kosciuszko sp. nov., L. leai sp. nov, L. windorah sp. nov., L. discordis sp. nov. (habitus and lateral), L. vittata sp. nov. and L. serraseta sp. nov.. Scale = 1mm. Plate 2 of 2.

FIGURE 8. Lasiacantha aureolus sp. nov. (a) head dorsal (♀, 30 µm); (b) pronotum dorsal (♀, 100 µm); (c) mesepimeron and metepisternum (♀, 30 µm); (f) hemelytra (♀, 100 µm); (g) pygophore dorsal (♂, 30 µm); (h) abdomen ventral (♀, 100 µm). Scales in brackets, measured in µm.

FIGURE 9. Lasiacantha inaquosa sp. nov. (a) head dorsal (♀, 30 µm); (b) head ventral (♀, 30 µm); (c) head lateral (♀, 30 µm); (d) pronotum dorsal (♀, 100 µm); (e) mesepimeron and metepisternum (♀, 30 µm); (f) hemelytra (♀, 100 µm); (g) pygophore dorsal (♂, 30 µm); (h) abdomen ventral (♀, 100 µm). Scales in brackets, measured in µm.

FIGURE 10. Lasiacantha luritja sp. nov. (a) head dorsal (♂, 30 µm); (b) head lateral (♂, 30 µm); (c) pronotum dorsal (♂, 100 µm); (d) pronotum dorsal (♀, 100 µm); (e) mesepimeron and metepisternum (♂, 30 µm); (f) hemelytra (♂, 100 µm); (g) pygophore dorsal (♂, 30 µm); (h) abdomen ventral (♀, 100 µm). Scales in brackets, measured in µm. Abbreviations: FS, frontal spine; MS, medial spine; OS, occipital spine; Bu, bucculae; PD, pronotal disc; Co, collum; Pa, paranota; MC, medial carina; LC, lateral carina; PL, posterior lobe; SG, scent gland; R+M, radius and media vein; Cu, cubitus vein; CoA, costal area; ScA, subcostal area; SuA, sutural area; DiA, discoidal area; RP, right paramere; LP, left paramere; Py, Pygophore; SgP, subgenital plate.

FIGURE 11. Lasiacantha serraseta sp. nov. (a) head dorsal (♀, 30 µm); (b) head ventral (♀, 100 µm); (c) head lateral (♀, 100 µm); (d) pronotum dorsal (♀, 100 µm); (e) mesepimeron and metepisternum (♀, 30 µm); (f) hemelytra (♀, 100 µm); (g) pygophore dorsal (♂, 30 µm); (h) abdomen ventral (♀, 100 µm). Scales in brackets, measured in µm.