Chidaea punctata, Löcker & Holzinger, 2019

Löcker, Birgit & Holzinger, Werner E., 2019, Revision of the Australian planthopper genus Chidaea Emeljanov with a redescription of Cixius sidnicus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae), Zootaxa 4691 (5), pp. 401-443 : 429-431

Chidaea punctata sp. nov.

( Figs 14 , 29 , 31B )

Zoobank Registration:

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:693650D8-1AD0-4749-A5EA-97E7087676AF

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, Qld : Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha Hilltopping, 27º 29’S, 152º 57’E, 170m, 16.ix.1997 (J. Skevington) ( QM T244828 , formerly UQIC) . Paratypes, Qld: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( QM, formerly UQIC) ; 1 ♂, Gurgeena Plateau , 25º 27’S, 151º 22’E, open forest, F.I.T. 7266, 22.viii.–10.x.1998 (G.B. Monteith) ( QM) ; 3 ♀, Willowburn , 14.ix.1920 (J.A. Beck) ( QM, formerly UQIC) ; 1 ♂, Brisbane , 21.ix.1923 ( SAMA) ; 3 ♀, Brisbane , 5.xi.1941 (H.H[acker]) ( QDPI) .

Etymology. Named after the characteristic spots on the forewing.

Colour. Head and pronotum mid or dark brown with distinctly contrasting pale carinae. Mesonotum mid or dark brown laterally, central area between carinae often much paler; carinae pale, often concolorous with central area. Forewings light brown with 3 distinct mid to dark brown spots on each wing (near y-fork in claval area, near CuA1 and CuA2 fork and on MP basad of MP1+2 and MP3+4 fork) with all 6 spots together forming a distinct ushaped pattern; forewing with darker patches near crossveins; forewing veins varying in colour from light to mid or dark brown, tubercles concolorous with veins; pterostigma light brown. Body and legs light, mid or dark brown.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.7–5.9 mm; ♀, 6.4–7.9 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.0–2.6 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering almost entire length of basal compartment of vertex; absent or reduced to a very short section in basal compartment. Frons 1.0–1.2 x longer than wide; position of maximum width more or less around centre of frontoclypeal suture; lateral carinae of frons in facial view slightly s-shaped, almost straight apically. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part reaching at least lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with median carina well developed. Anteclypeus with median carina well developed. Rostrum just not reaching hind coxae.

Thorax: Median carina of pronotum extremely well developed. Hind margin of pronotum obtuse. Mesonotum with median carina evanescent; lateral carinae weakly developed. Forewing 3.2 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border weakly developed; costal margin with 1–4 indistinct tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP slightly basad of or at same level as fork CuA1 and CuA2; tubercles of forewing dark, only slightly darker than veins; ScP+RA apically bifid; RP trifid; additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP1+2 and MP3+4 trifid; 12 apical cells; 6 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 9 apical teeth and no platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 13–15 apical teeth and 11–13 platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 29 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 29 F–G. Aedeagus ( Figs 29 A–C): Phallotheca below midlength with a bifurcate ventral process; phallotheca left laterally with a strongly curved spine (a); phallotheca right laterally with a long spine (b), partly concealed by phallotheca; in lateral view both spines in middle section strongly to moderately curved inwards; in ventral view phallotheca in middle section distinctly bulging left laterally, concealing about half of spine (a).

Diagnosis. A u-shaped pattern of six dark brown spots on the forewings (three on each forewing) is a distinctive feature of this species.A weakly developed form of this pattern can be found in Ch. carinata (more strongly developed in females). Chidaea punctata shares a number of features with Ch. carinata such as a longer median section of pronotum compared to other species of Chidaea , a well developed median carina on pronotum, strongly developed carinae on head and pronotum that are clearly contrasted in colour to adjacent areas. Both species, however, can easily be separated by the presence ( Ch. carinata ) and absence ( Ch. punctata ) of platellae on the first tarsomere.

The male genitalia of this species resembles Ch. dickinsonorum in the length and arrangement of spines. Both species can be separated by the shape of the phallotheca in ventral view. In Ch. punctata the phallotheca is bulging extensively left lateral, thereby concealing about half of spine (a) in ventral view. In Ch. dickinsonorum the phallotheca bulges only slightly (if at all), thereby only marginally concealing small parts of spine (a). Further, in Ch. punctata the middle section of both spines is more strongly curved inwards in ventral view. In Ch. dickinsonorum spines are generally much straighter. These two species also differ in the length of spine (b). In Ch. punctata this spine is much longer almost reaching the tip of the bifurcate ventral process.

The bulging phallotheca (ventral view) is a feature shared with Ch. bobadeenensis and Ch. belairensis , however these species can easily be distinguished from Ch. punctata by the presence of platellae on the first hind tarsomere (absent in Ch. punctata ).

Distribution: Qld.

Remarks. Interestingly, the female specimens from Willowburn were collected in the same collecting event as males of Ch. carinata , however due to the absence of platellae on the first hind tarsomere they can be assigned to Ch. punctata .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Chidaea punctata: A habitus dorsal; B habitus right lateral; C–E head.

FIGURE 29. Chidaea punctata: A aedeagus left lateral; B aedeagus ventral; C aedeagus right lateral; D–E anal tube; F–G genital styles.

FIGURE 31. Known distribution of Chidaea species.