Monomalpha fletcheri Emeljanov, 2000

Löcker, Birgit, 2020, Revision of the Australian planthopper genus Monomalpha Emeljanov with the description of the new genus Latissima (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae: Cixiini), Zootaxa 4858 (3), pp. 375-393 : 379-383

Monomalpha fletcheri Emeljanov, 2000

( Figs 1 B-F, 3, 9, 13A)

Monomalpha fletcheri Emeljanov, 2000: 16 .

Types (examined). Holotype, 1 ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: Lord Howe Island , UV light, 4.vii.1991 (L. Wilson) (ASCT00216147 ASCU) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data except for 9.vii.1991 (ASCT00180151 ASCU) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 17.vii.1991 (ASCT00216145 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for 23.x.1991 (ASCT00180011 ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Lord Howe Island , 24-29.ii.1992 (G.R. Brown) (ASCT00216148 ASCU) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 28- 31.v.1991 (ASCT00216146 ASCU) .

Notes: Three additional paratypes (2 ♂ and 1 ♀) from Lord Howe Island are listed in the original description as being deposited in the ASCU collection but have not yet been returned to that collection and were therefore not available for examination.

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, NSW: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Northern Slope of Mt Lidg- bird, swept from grass and shrubs, 13.ix.1975 (K.J. Lambkin) ( QM) ; 1 ♂, Lord Howe Island , Southern face of Mt Lidgbird, at base of summit tabletop, 31.34.37S 159.05.04 E, beating, ex Cyathea robusta , 26.xi.2000 (P. Fle- mons & J. Tarnawski) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , 30.x.1991 (G.R. Brown) (ASCTHE016986 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for 25.vii.1991 (L. Wilson) (ASCTHE017006 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for Palm Nursery , 13.viii.1991 (L. Wilson) (ASCT00179992 ASCU) ; 2 ♂, 4 ♀, Lord Howe Island , ex malaise trap, 6.vii.1992 (G.R. Brown) (♂ ASCT00180149, ASCT00180150, ♀ ASCT00191503-ASCT00191506 ASCU) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 20.viii.1992 (ASCTHE007746 ASCU) ; 4 ♂, 3 ♀, Lord Howe Island , ex UV light, 18.vi.1991 (G. Brown) (♂ ASCT00191507,ASCT00180013, ASCT00191509, ASCTHE031056; ♀ ASCT00216149-ASCT00216151 ASCU) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same data except for 18.ix.1991 (♂ ASCT00180147, ASCT00180148; ♀ ASCT00180038 ASCU) ; 2 ♀, same data except for 24.ix.1991 (ASCT00216152, ASCT00216152 ASCU) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data except for 12.vii.1991 (L. Wilson) (♂ ASCT00180152; ♀ ASCT00180010 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for 2.vii.1991 (AS- CTHE016991 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for 1.viii.1991 (ASCT00180026 ASCU) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , “Get Up Place” trail to Mt Gower, 31.34.58S 159.04.52E, ex Elaeocarpus costatus , beating, 28.xi.2000 (C. Reid & H. Smith) ( AMS) ; 3 ♀, same data except for ex Cassinia tenuifolia (AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Mt Gower, bottom of ridge N of igloo, 31.35.05S 159.04.34E, yellow pan trap, 17.xi.2001 (C. Reid & P. Flemons) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Mt Gower walking trail, 31.35.08S 159.04.45E, ex Bubbia howeana , beating, 28.xi.2000 (M. Elliott & N. Plunkett-Cole) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , North Hummock (trail to Intermediate Hill), 31.32.54S 159.04.58E, ex Drypetes deplanchei , beating, 3.xii.2000 (P. Flemons, J. Tarnawski) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Mt Gower Summit, nr lookout, 31.35S 159.04E ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Mt Gower summit, 31.35.15S 159.04.27E, 850 m, ex Cyathea sp., 5.xii.2000 (C. Reid) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , NE Slope of Mt Gower, 15.ix.1975 (K.J. Lambkin) ( QM) ; 1 ♀, Lord Howe Island , Mt Eliza-Pulpit Rock Area, swept in grass and ferns, 14.ix.1975 (K.J. Lambkin) ( QM) .

Colour. Head, thorax including legs and abdomen light brown, sometimes pronotum slightly paler, tergites sometimes slightly darker. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins concolorous with cells or slightly darker (crossveins and some sections of longitudinal veins sometimes darker). Legs light brown. Abdomen mid brown. Morphology. Body length: ♂ 4.3–4.8 mm; ♀ 4.2–5.0 mm.

Head: Vertex 0.8–1.0 x as long as wide; slightly wider at base than at apical carina or about the same; subapical carina v- or u- shaped; lateral carinae slightly elevated; median carina of vertex covering 1/2 to 1/3 of entire length of basal compartment, carina sometimes engraved into disc instead of elevated; angle formed by caudal border of vertex more or less rectangle or acute. In dorsal view head including eyes slightly narrower than pronotum. Frons 0.9–1.2 x as long as wide; maximum width of frons no more than twice apical width; median carina on frons complete, weakly developed; lateral carinae of frons in facial view convex, rectilinear apically. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part just reaching lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with weakly developed or evanescent median carina and well developed or evanescent lateral carinae. Anteclypeus with weakly developed or evanescent median and lateral carinae. Median carina on anteclypeus slightly higher elevated than on postclypeus, or about the same.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum acutely angled. Forewing 3.1–3.3 x longer than wide; costal margin with 25–28 tubercles; tubercles of forewing concolorous with veins in most areas, slightly in contrast with paler coloured veins near apex of forewing; crossvein r-m 1 distinctly basad of fork MP1+2 and MP3+4; transverse veinlet m-cu 1, where it inserts at CuA, distinctly basad of transverse veinlet r-m 1; transverse veinlet m-cu 1, where it inserts at MP3+4, distinctly basad of transverse veinlet r-m 1; icu, where it inserts at CuA, slightly distad of or at same level as apex of clavus; RP bifid; additional subapical cell between branches of RP absent; MP1+2 bifid, rarely unforked; CuA1 apically unforked; CuA2 bifid; crossvein m-cu 2 (delimiting subapical cell C4) more or less at same level as crossvein icua (delimiting subapical cell C5); subapical cell C5 moderately or distinctly longer than subapical cell C4. Hind leg: tibia with 1–4 small to large lateral spines and 6 apical spines, spines grouped in sets of 3 spines, without a distinct gap; 1 st tarsomere with 7 apical teeth and no platellae, fourth tooth (counted from outside) shorter (= protruding less far towards second hind tarsomere) than third tooth; 2 nd tarsomere with 6 (rarely 7) apical teeth, no platellae but up to 3 very fine setae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 9 D-E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 9 F-G. Aedeagus ( Figs 9 A-C): Phallotheca dorsally with two short spines (a) and (b); left laterally with a long spine (c) and a medium sized spine (d); right laterally with a long, in ventral view slightly s-shaped spine (e). Phallotheca with a slightly sclerotised, ventral ridge, ending in two small, pointed processes far apart from each other. Flagellum without spines.

Diagnosis. This species shares the arrangement of teeth on the 1 st hind tarsomere with M. gratiosa : the fourth tooth (counted from outside) is shorter (= protruding less far towards second hind tarsomere) than the third tooth ( Figs 3F , 5F ). Emeljanov (2000) fittingly calls this character state: “…of which the distinctly shorter second and fourth teeth belong to the second row.” Monomalpha fletcheri , however, can be distinguished from M. gratiosa by the distribution (Lord Howe Island for the former, eastern mainland Australia for the latter), by the proportions of the frons ( M. fletcheri : frons about as long as wide in widest part; M. gratiosa : frons at least 1.5x longer than wide in widest part) ( Emeljanov 2000), by the distinction of the carinae on the frons (carinae sharper in M. gratiosa ) ( Emeljanov 2000), the shape of the male genital styles (apical portion deeply emarginate in M. fletcheri , very shallowly emarginate in M. gratiosa ) and the forking of MP1+ 2 in the forewing (unforked in M. gratiosa ; mostly bifid, rarely unforked in M. fletcheri ). For details on how to separate this species from M. stenocara see Diagnosis section of M. stenocara .

Remarks. A further three males resembled M. fletcheri , but showed some differences in the length and curvature of the spines on the aedeagus. Because all three specimens are abnormally pale coloured, and one of them shows signs of being parasitised by a dryinid wasp, these differences are considered to be aberrations until further material proves otherwise. These males, collected at Lord Howe Island, are located at the AMS.

Distribution: NSW (endemic to Lord Howe Island).

Associated plant records: Bubbia howeana , Cassinia tenuifolia , Drypetes deplanchei , Elaeocarpus costatus , Sphaeropteris robusta , Sphaeropteris sp.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Female genitalia: A Monomalpha gratiosa; B–F Monomalpha fletcheri.

FIGURE 3. Monomalpha fletcheri: A–B habitus (A holotype); C–E head and thorax; F hind tarsi; G hind tibia.

FIGURE 5. Monomalpha gratiosa (holotype). A habitus dorsal; B habitus lateral; C–E head and thorax; F hind tibiae and tarsi. Photos courtesy of Dr Olívia Evangelista (ANIC). Used with permission.

FIGURE 9. Monomalpha fletcheri: A aedeagus left lateral; B aedeagus ventral; C aedeagus right lateral; D–E anal tube; F–G genital styles.