Olonia aschei, Constant, 2024

Constant, Jérôme, 2024, Revision of the Eurybrachidae XVIII. The Australian genus Olonia Stål, 1862: Four new species, new records and biological data (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), European Journal of Taxonomy 941 (1), pp. 1-51 : 15-21

Olonia aschei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8030AB10-1DED-494E-95C4-D0B168F48049

Figs 6B – 10

Diagnosis

The species can be recognized by the following combination of characters:

(1) hind wings with orange marking moderate to absent ( Figs 7E , 9E );

(2) pro- and mesofemora and tibiae largely dark brown ( Figs 7A–B , 9A–B );

(3) anal tube of male spatulate with posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 8E );

(4) centroventral part posteriorly narrowing into an elongate process sinuate (incurved) in ventral view, the distal half nearly straight in ventral view, with apical point gently curved posteroventrad ( Fig. 8A–B );

(5) laterodorsal part of gonostyli strongly curved lateroventrad, reaching about half-length of centroventral part ( Fig. 8A–C );

(6) medium size: 7–9 mm.

Differential diagnosis

The closest species is O. lindae sp. nov. from which O. aschei sp. nov. differs by the sinuate processes of the centroventral part of the gonostyli (straight in O. lindae ) and the strongly curved processes of the laterodorsal part of the gonostyli, pointing laterad (moderately curved and directed posterolaterad in O. lindae ).

Etymology

The species epithet is a patronym dedicated to Dr Manfred Asche who collected part of the paratypes series together with Dr Hannelore Hoch.

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA • ♂; Queensland, Chillagoe ; 17°08′55″ S, 144°31′43″ E; 7–11 May 2022; elev. 400– 500 m; J. Constant and L. Semeraro leg.; Leopold III Funds exped.; QM.

Paratypes AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; RBINS • 1 ♀; Chillagoe , around hospital; 12 Mar. 1997; M. Asche and H. Hoch leg.; Au97-35; MFNB • 1 ♀; Chillagoe Caves National Park, Haunted Tower ; 12–13 Mar. 1997; M. Asche and H. Hoch leg.; Au97-36, 38; sweeping shrubs; MNFB • 1 ♀; Chillagoe, Royal Arch ; 13 Jun. 1987; M. Asche and H. Hoch leg.; A17; MNFB • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; RBINS .

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 1): 7.1 mm; ♀ (n = 5): 8.0 mm (7.5–8.7); BV/LV = 4.3; BF/LF = 1.66; LP+LM/BT = 0.6; Ltg/BTg = 2.3; LW/BW = 1.75.

Male

HEAD ( Fig. 7A–D ). Vertex slightly concave with anterior and posterior margins parallel, curved; medium to dark brown; median carina absent. Posterior part of head with yellowish markings. Frons uniformly dark brown. Genae brown to black with yellowish markings along anterior margin behind lateral expansion of frons. Clypeus elongate, entirely medium to dark brown. Labium dark brown, surpassing mesocoxae. Antennae black-brown; scape short, ring-shaped; pedicel subcylindrical, slightly narrowing towards apex.

THORAX ( Fig. 7A–D ). Pronotum dark brown; slightly wrinkled; 2 small impressed points on disc slightly marked. Lateral fields of prothorax coloured as pronotum. Mesonotum dark brown; yellowish at apex of scutellum and in middle of anterior margin; median and peridiscal carinae weakly marked; median carina ending before scutellum; slight impression before scutellum. Red ventrally. Tegulae brown.

TEGMINA ( Fig. 7A, C ). Medium to dark brown; yellowish marking on vein A1 at midlength of clavus; marked with dark brown or black along costal margin, more broadly so on posterior half and along posterior margin; darker, median, irregular marking at distal ⅔; triangular white marking on costal margin on nodal line; some small white spots at apicosutural angle. Costal and sutural margins subparallel; costal margin slightly sinuate; apical margin obliquely rounded.

POSTERIOR WINGS ( Fig. 7E ). Dark brown, paler on anal area and progressively darker on apical half; orange-brown marking in middle portion between veins CuP and A1; triangular white marking at apicocostal angle, extending on 2 cells. Margin of anal area slightly sinuate; sutural margin with 1 slight cleft, cubital one nearly not marked.

LEGS ( Fig. 7A–D ). Pro- and mesocoxae dark brown, paler apically. Pro- and mesofemora black variegated with yellowish brown, distal portion darker. Pro- and mesotibiae dark brown, with three obsolete, paler rings. Pro- and mesotarsi black-brown with basal half of third tarsomere paler. Metacoxae reddish; metafemora reddish, dark brown distally. Metatibiae brown, darker towards apex, with three lateral spines paler basally, and 9 apical black-brown spines. Metatarsi brown with a ventral row of 6 black spines on first tarsomere. Metatibiotarsal formula: (3) 9/6/0.

ABDOMEN. Bright red with genital segments black-brown.

MALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 8 ). Posterior margin of pygofer (Py) in lateral view strongly sinuate, roundly projecting at dorsal ⅓, rather broad ventrally ( Fig. 8A–B ). Anal tube (An) spatulate, 2.0 times as long as broad, laterally constricted at level of epiproct (ep), slightly curved ventrally in lateral view; lateral margins slightly curved ventrally on apical ⅔; apical margin rounded ( Fig. 8A–E ). Gonostyli (G) fused on basal ¼ of length of centroventral part (cvp) and projecting posteriorly ( Fig. 8A–F ). Centroventral part of gonostyli moderately broad and dorsoventrally flattened on basal ¼, then bulged and strongly sinuate dorsad, then caudad in lateral view; narrowing into an elongate process sinuate (incurved) in ventral view, the distal half nearly straight in ventral view, with apex pointed and gently curved posteroventrad ( Fig. 8A–B ). Laterodorsal part (ldp) of gonostyli robust and strongly curved lateroventrad, reaching about half-length of centroventral part, with apex reaching under the level of centroventral part in lateral view; lateral process (lp) elongate, about as long as spoon-shaped process (ssp), projecting laterally and slightly curved anteriorly ( Fig. 8B, D–E ). Dorsal portion of phallobase (dpp) with hooked process on each side, directed mesocaudad in dorsal view, progressively narrowing from base to apex, straight in basal ⅔, then abruptly upcurved in lateral view and with apex pointing dorsally ( Fig. 8G–I ). Ventral portion of phallobase widening from base towards apex, trilobed in dorsal view, with median lobe surpassing phallus ( Fig. 8I ). Phallus dorsoventrally flattened, rather broad, with apical margin emarginate in middle ( Fig. 8G–I ). Connective (cv) elongate and narrow, without tectiductus ( Fig. 8G–H ).

Female

Similar to male but hind wings with orange-brown marking in middle portion between veins CuP and A1 absent or very weakly marked ( Fig. 9 ).

Distribution and biology

The species is currently recorded from a single location, Chillagoe in tropical Queensland, in the Einasleigh Upland Savanna bioregion ( Fig. 6B ). The specimens were collected in March, May and June. They are cryptic when sitting on the stems of their herbaceous host plants ( Fig. 10A–D ).

The specimens collected in May 2022 were collected from a Malvaceae , Waltheria indica L. in open woodland area ( Fig. 10E–F ) and from sweeping an area covered in potential host plants belonging to the Fabaceae ( Neptunia major ( Fig. 5A–C ) and Vigna vexillata ( Fig. 5D–F )) and to the Malvaceae ( Sida atherophora ( Fig. 5G–I )), where specimens of O. albomarginata sp. nov. were also collected.

Figures

Fig. 6. Olonia spp., distribution maps. A. Olonia albomarginata sp. nov., O. guillaumei Constant, 2018, O. lindae sp. nov. and O. rubicunda (Walker, 1851). B. Olonia aschei sp. nov., O. jackiei sp. nov. and O. picea Kirkaldy, 1906.

Fig. 10. Olonia ashei sp. nov., live specimens, habitat and host plant, Chillagoe, 8–10 May 2022. A–B. Male. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C–D. Female on stem of Waltheria indica L. (Malvaceae). C. Laterodorsal view. D. Lateroventral view. E. Habitat. F. Waltheria indica.

Fig. 7. Olonia aschei sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (QM). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Habitus, perpendicular view of frons. E. Posterior wing.

Fig. 9. Olonia ashei sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RBINS). A–D. Habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view. D. Perpendicular view of frons. E. Posterior wing.

Fig. 8. Olonia ashei sp. nov.,holotype, ♂ (QM), terminalia.A–F. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli.A. Left lateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Dorsolateral view. D. Caudal view. E. Dorsal view. F. Laterodorsal view. G–K. Aedeagus and connective. G. Laterodorsal view. H. Lateral view. I. Dorsal view. J. Ventral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.

Fig. 5. Host plants and habitat ofOlonia albomarginata sp. nov., Chillagoe, 9 May 2022.A–C. Neptunia major (Benth.) Windler (Fabaceae). A. Entire plant. B. Leaves. C. Seedpods. D–F. Vigna vexillata (L.) A.Rich. (Fabaceae).D. Stems and leaves. E. Underside of leaf. F. Seedpod. G–I. Sida atherophora Domin (Malvaceae). G. Stem with flowers and leaves. H. Flower. I. Seedpods. J–K. Habitat. J. Dominated by N. major. K. Dominated by S. atherophora and V. vexillata.