Myopsalta atrata (Goding & Froggatt, 1904)

Emery, Nathan J., Emery, David L. & Popple, Lindsay W., 2015, Redescription of Myopsalta atrata (Goding and Froggatt) and Description of Two New Species of Myopsalta Moulds (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Central Western New South Wales, Records of the Australian Museum 67 (6), pp. 185-199 : 186-192

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3853/j.2201-4349.67.2015.1646
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D4D32C-FFFE-FFAD-3F43-F3DDFC5FFCD4
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Myopsalta atrata (Goding & Froggatt, 1904)
status

Treatment

Myopsalta atrata (Goding & Froggatt, 1904) View in CoL

Figs 1–4 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 View Figure 3 View Figure 4

Melampsalta atrata Goding & Froggatt, 1904: 566 View in CoL , 638–639; Hahn, 1962, 8; Stevens & Carver, 1986: 264.

Notopsalta atrata View in CoL .— Dugdale, 1972: 861, 864, fig. 23; Moulds, 2005: 395–397, 399, 417–419, 421, 425, figs 56–59, 62, table 1.

Myopsalta atrata View in CoL .— Moulds, 2012: 18–21, 24, 151–154, table 1, fig. 28; Sanborn, 2014: 582–583, 798.

Not Notopsalta atrata View in CoL .—Ewart, 1988: 183, 191, 194, 198–199, fig. 10A, plate 3F; Moulds, 1990: 160, 169, plate 19, figs 7, 7a; Ewart, 1998: 54–57, figs 1–2; Chambers et al., 2001: 380; Popple & Strange, 2002: 22, 29, table 1; Emery et al., 2005: 102–107, tables 1–3; Shiyake, 2007: 8, 108, 110, fig. 189.

Type material. Lectotype (hereby designated): 1♂, [handwritten] “ Type / Melampsalta atrata , G. & F. ♂ Australia ” / [typeset] “on permanent loan from Macleay Museum, University of Sydney ” ( ANIC 32-007852 About ANIC ) . Paralectotype: 1♂, [handwritten] “ Melampsalta atrata, God & Frogg, N. S. Wales / Melampsalta atrata, Godg , type”/ [typeset] “ W.W. Froggatt collection” ( ANIC 32-007858 About ANIC ) .

Other material examined: 1♂, Wises Track , Royal National Park, NSW, 34 ° 06'59"S 151 ° 03'30"E, 29.xi.2003, N. & D. Emery & L. Popple, recorded ( LP) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, same location, 13.ii.2005, S. & D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 6♂♂, same location, 14–25.x.2006, S., N. & D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 1♂, same location, 1.xi.2006, D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 15♂♂, same location, 20–28.x.2007, N. & D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 2♂, 1♀, same location, 31.x.2007, D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 2♂♂, same location, 20.x.2009, D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 3♂♂, same location, 1.xi.2009, N. & D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 1♂, same location, 20.xi.2011, N. & D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 6♂♂, Towlers Track ,Ku-rin-gai Chase National Park, NSW, 33 ° 37'33"S 151 ° 16'39"E, 6.xi.2011, D. Emery GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Waratah Track , Ku-rin-gai Chase National Park, NSW, 33 ° 38'12"S 151 ° 15'05"E, 3.x.2012, D. Emery (all DE) GoogleMaps ; 1♀, Gonera Ridge , Royal National Park, NSW, 28.ix.1969, G. Daniels ( AM K307495 ) .

Additional observations (audio recordings). NEW SOUTH WALES: Waratah track, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, 33°38'13"S 151°15'13"E, 29.x.2011, B. Smith; Towlers Bay track, Ku-rin-gai Chase National Park , 33°37'22"S 151°16'13"E, 5.xi.2011, B. Smith;Wisemans Ferry, 33°23'03"S 150°59'46"E, 7.xi.2011, B. Smith; Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park , 33°39'46"S 151°09'40"E, 30.ix.2013, B. Smith GoogleMaps .

Description. Goding & Froggatt (1904, p. 639) described Melampsalta atrata from 3 males as: “Wholly black, with the following exceptions: an obsolete narrow middle stripe on pronotum, lateral and posterior borders of mesonotum and front side of tympana red; below black, chest red-lined; opercula broad, short, broadly rounded, black, the apical border solid yellow; basal segment of abdomen pale red; legs marked with red. Tegmina short, costal margin black; separated from radial vein, the space between and paracostal marginal space red; the costa broadly rounded; veins red, interior ulnar vein and those surrounding basal area black; basal membranes red. Wings with venation reddish-black; interior vein of anal area broadly reddish-fuscous. Long. corp. 12 mm.; exp. teg. 30 mm.”

The revised description, with first documentation of the female, is given below.

Male ( Figs 1 View Figure 1 A–B, E–F, 2A).

Head including outer margins of eyes slightly wider than mesonotum; largely black, with small ochraceous triangular markings anterior and posterior to ocelli, apex directed anteriorly over postclypeus, ocelli red; postclypeus black, black transverse grooves, lateral margins ochraceous; anteclypeus black; rostrum black, with length reaching midway between middle and posterior coxae; eyes black; antennae black, supra-antennal plates black.

Thorax mainly black. Pronotum black with anterior margin ochraceous, narrow central ochraceous stripe in middle third; pronotal collar shiny black with lateral margins rounded, wider than mesonotum. Mesonotum black; cruciform elevation wider than long, black with lateral ridges ochraceous, lateral depressions ochraceous; metanotum black, lighter along dorsal ridge, ochraceous posterior margin on midline.

Legs. Coxae black, with black lateral fascia; coxofemoral joints dull orange; femora variably striped black and ochraceous longitudinally; femoral primary spine black, erect; two smaller distal spines; femoro-tibial joints dull orange; tibiae ochraceous; spines on fore and mid legs black, translucent apically; tarsi ochraceous with black markings; fore claws black, mid and hind claws ochraceous with black tips.

Wings. Fore wing with 8 apical cells, costal veins ochraceous with black anterior margins, becoming black distally from the node; pterostigma mottled red-orange; basal cell translucent; forewings veins M and CuA fused before meeting basal cell, vein 2A+3A black, CuP+1A orange at base, fused posteriorly, other veins black at base, becoming ochraceous posteriorly; fore wing basal membranes translucent brown; hind wing plaga mottled orange-red medially, mottled black centrally, becoming hyaline posteriorly, with six apical cells.

Opercula prominent, spatulate, anterior half black, ochraceous and rounded posteriorly, clearly not meeting at base. Meracanthus small, black at base with edges and tip ochraceous, pointed, partly overlapping opercula.

Timbals ( Fig. 2A View Figure 2 ) with five distinct long ribs; long ribs 1–3 brown dorsally, much paler ventrally and becoming lighter brown laterally, spanning across height of timbal; long rib 4 brown, narrowing medially in ventral half; long rib 5 brown, comparatively shorter; long ribs 1–3 fused dorsally along basal spur, separated ventrally; timbal dome brownish, extending over half width of timbal; apodeme pit oval-shaped, grey and small.

Abdomen slightly wider than thorax; tergite1 black with posterior orange ridge, shorter than other tergites; tergite 2 completely black; tergites 3–7 black with intersegmental membranes orange; tergite 8 black, posterior and lateral areas orange. Sternite I black, sternites II–VIII orange with black mottling on anterior margins, more marked centrally, sternite VIII orange with whitish pubescence. Epipleurites 2–7 orange with black anterior margins.

Genitalia ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ). Pygofer orange-brown, dorsal beak brown, anal styles yellowish, extended as far as dorsal beak; upper lobe of pygofer less extended than dorsal beak, with apex rounded; basal lobe less produced than upper lobe, rounded with inner surface fused to pygofer. Uncus orange-brown, reddish posteriorly; in lateral view beak-like and stumpy; lobes in ventral view small, with tapered lateral termination, medial lobe small, ovoid; claspers with apices gradually tapering laterally to an acute termination. Aedeagus with pseudoparameres extending well beyond theca; endotheca short, stumpy, fleshy; ventral support terminating at apex of endotheca.

Female ( Figs 1 View Figure 1 C–D).

Head including outer margins of eyes slightly wider than mesonotum; black, with thin ochraceous line along posterior half of midline extending to ocelli, small ochraceous triangular marking anterior to ocelli, apex directed anteriorly over postclypeus; ocelli pink-red; postclypeus black, ochraceous laterally and posteriorly, black transverse banding; anteclypeus black anteriorly, ochraceous posteriorly; rostrum black, with length reaching midway between middle and posterior coxae; eyes black; antennae black, supra-antennal plates black.

Thorax black with anterior margin ochraceous, narrow central ochraceous stripe in middle third; pronotal collar shiny black with lateral margins rounded, wider than mesonotum. Mesonotum black; cruciform elevation wider than long, black with lateral ridges ochraceous, lateral depressions ochraceous; metanotum ochraceous with black posterior ridges.

Legs with coxae black anteriorly, joint margins orange, with black lateral fascia; coxofemoral joints dull orange; femora variably striped black and ochraceous longitudinally; femoral primary spine black, erect; femoro-tibial joints dull orange; tibiae ochraceous; spines on legs translucent to black; tarsi ochraceous with black markings; fore claws black, mid and hind claws ochraceous with black tips.

Wings with fore wing with 8 apical cells, costal veins ochraceous with black anterior margins, becoming black distally from the node; pterostigma mottled red-orange; basal cell clear; forewings veins M and CuA fused before meeting basal cell, vein 2A+3A black, CuP+1A orange at base, fused posteriorly, other veins black at base, becoming ochraceous posteriorly; hind wing plaga mottled ochraceous, becoming brown clear posteriorly with bright orange posterior margin, six apical cells.

Abdomen as wide as thorax, with tergite1 black with orange ridge curved posteriorly from anterior margin, shorter than other tergites, tergite 2 completely black, tergites 3–7 black with orange posterior margins extending to epipleurites, tergite 8 black anteriorly, posterior and lateral areas orange. Sternite I black, sternites II–VIII orange to orange-brown with black mottling on anterior margins, most prominent medially. Abdominal segment 8 black centrally, ochraceous laterally, dorsal beak brownish. Epipleurites 2 – 7 orange with black anterior margins. Spiracles ochraceous. Ovipositor ochraceous-brown at base, becoming black at tip, extending up to 0.5 mm beyond posterior termination of abdomen.

Measurements (in mm; range with mean in parentheses: 10 males, 2 females). Body length: male 11.5–14.0 (12.9); female (incl. ovipositor) 15.2–15.3 (15.2). Fore wing length: male 13.5–16.2 (15.2); female 16.7–16.8 (16.7). Forewing width: male 5.0–5.8 (5.5); female 5.8–5.9 (5.9). Head width: male 3.9–4.5 (4.2); female 3.8–3.9 (3.9). Pronotum width: male 4.0–4.6 (4.3); female 4.2–4.3 (4.2). Abdomen width: male 4.1–4.7 (4.4); female 4.5–4.6 (4.6).

Distinguishing features. Myopsalta atrata can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by having conspicuous orange posterior tergite margins and predominantly orange to orange-brown sternites on all specimens ( Fig. 1B,D,F View Figure 1 ). By comparison, other Myopsalta species have brown to black posterior tergite margins and pale brown to brown sternites with variable (i.e. weak to extensive) black markings ( Figs 6B View Figure 6 , 9B View Figure 9 ) Females can also be distinguished from other Myopsalta species by the length of the ovipositor sheath, which extends <0.5 mm beyond the apex of the abdomen. In contrast, ovipositors in females of other congeneric species extend> 1 mm beyond the apex of the abdomen.

Calling song ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). Myopsalta atrata has a fairly simple, repetitive call, with each phrase comprising a long initial syllable sequence of syllables (1.8– 3.8 s total duration; all statistics, n = 2 recordings) followed by a much shorter, condensed syllable sequence or macrosyllable when coalesced (7–8 syllables, 0.06– 0.085 s duration) ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). The repetition rate of syllables in the initial syllable sequence begins at approximately 8 Hz and rapidly increases as the sequence progresses, reaching up to between 44 and 77 Hz near the climax. A period of silence occurs at the end of each phrase, which may last from 400 ms to several seconds in duration. Close examination of the syllable structure reveals that each syllable actually comprises a single loud pulse, followed by a weaker echo, thought to represent the “in–out” buckling produced by a single action of the timbals.

The duration of each phrase ranges between 3 and 9 seconds. Available recordings indicate a highest amplitude frequency plateau between 12 and 18 kHz, and a dominant frequency of approximately 17 kHz ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ).

Distribution, habitat and behaviour. Myopsalta atrata is known only from coastal sandstone areas around Greater Sydney (part of the Hawkesbury Sandstone region) where populations occur in open heathland dominated by shrubs and small trees ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Cicadas typically emerge in early October and persist until early December. From 09:00–15:00 in sunlight, solitary males call briefly from the tops of small shrubs <1 m high before moving at regular intervals. From a similar height; females emit audible wing-flicks to attract males for courtship. It is not known whether this species is attracted to light.