Chidaea armidalensis, 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 : 409-411

Chidaea armidalensis sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 18 , 31B )

Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:44C0753A-8656-42FF-9BE6-1FF2868AFB72

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: New England Uni [versity], Armidale, 18.xi.1971 (C.W. Frazier) ( ASCU ASCTHE016825 ) . Paratypes, ACT: 2 ♂, Black Mtn, on Euc [alyptus] blakelyi , 15.i.1971 (S.M. Khan) ( ANIC); 1

♂, Black Mountain , 35.16S, 149.06E, Acacia buxifolia , ix.1989 (C. Reid) ( ANIC) . NSW: 1 ♂, 2km W of Thirlmere Lakes NP, 25.ix.1988 (G.R. Brown & M.A. Terras) ( ASCU) ; 3 ♂, Orange , Cadia Valley Gold Mine, Tunbridge Wells Farm, Four Mile Creek Road, 33 º38.S, 149 º12’E, sticky trap, 21.xi.2003 (H. Löcker & L. Pilkington) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, 4 N Bateman [s] Bay , 12.x.1956 (E.F. Riek) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, Cambewarra , 12.xii.1985 (D.J. Scambler) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Warrumbungle NP, White Gum Lookout , - 31.3023S, 149.0351E, sticky trap, 23.x.2004 (D.J. Bickel) ( AMS) ; 1 ♂, Orange , summit of Young Man Canobolas, 28.xii.2017 (S. Loecker) ( ASCU) . Tas : 1 ♂, Hobart (Lea) ( TAIC) ; 3 ♂, Site 147 Warra LTER site [W of Geeveston], malaise trap, 14.i.1998 (R. Bashford) ( ASCU) ; 4 ♂, same data except for Site 59 ( ASCU) ; 3 ♂, same data except for Site 663, 12.xii.1997 ( ASCU) ; 7 ♂, Celer [y] Top is[lands], Bathurst Harbour, 43[º]22[‘]S, 146[º]09[‘]E, 4.xii.1990 (I.D. Naumann) ( ANIC) . Vic : 1 ♂, 1.6km SW Halls Gap Grampians NP, 37º 08’ 31”S, 142º 30’ 13”E, malaise [trap], dry ravine in dell Eucalyptus , 27.ix–2.x.2001 ( CNH J.D. & J.S. Lambkin, N.T. Starick) ( ANIC) ; 1♂, Delley’s Dell , 4km SSW of Halls Gap, Grampions NP, 37:11S 142:31E, 30.xi.1992 (Moulds, McEvey, McAlpine) ( AMS) ; 1 ♂, Hall’s Gap , Grampian Ra. W., 2.i.1966 (T. Weir) ( QM, formerly UQIC) .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, NSW: 1 ♀, Cambewarra , 12.xii.1985 (D.J. Scambler) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♀, Orange , Cadia Valley Gold Mine, Tunbridge Wells Farm, Four Mile Creek Road, 33 º38.S, 149 º12’E, sticky trap, 21.xi.2003 (H. Löcker & L. Pilkington) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♀, New England Uni [versity], Armidale, 18.xi.1971 (C.W. Frazier) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♀, 4 N Bateman [s] Bay , 12.x.1956 (E.F. Riek) ( ANIC) . Tas : 5 ♀, Site 147 Warra LTER site [W of Geeveston], malaise trap, 14.i.1998 (R. Bashford) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♀, same data except for Site 663, 12.xii.1997 ( ASCU) .

Notes. The females listed under ‘Other material examined’ have been associated with this species because they have been collected in the same collecting event as males of that species. However, because there are no diagnostic external features to differentiate between Ch. armidalensis and Ch. dayi , which is also known from New South Wales and Tasmania, there remains the possibility that some of these females may be Ch. dayi .

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Armidale.

Colour. Head mid brown, dark brown or black with paler carinae; post- and anteclypeus often slightly darker than frons. Pronotum light brown, often with darker patches. Mesonotum mid or dark brown with concolorous or paler carinae. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins light brown, concolorous with cells. Pterostigma, crossveins and apical parts of veins often slightly darker. Legs light or mid brown, abdominal sternites usually darker.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.1–6.4 mm; ♀, 6.4–6.9 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.1–3.0 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering 1/3–3/4 of basal compartment of vertex; absent in apical compartment. Frons 1.0–1.2 x longer than wide; position of maximum width more or less around centre of frontoclypeal suture or distinctly dorsad; lateral carinae of frons in facial view convex, rectilinear apically or convex, evenly rounded. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part reaching at least lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with median carina well developed or evanescent. Anteclypeus with median carina moderately developed or evanescent. Rostrum reaching hind coxae.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum rectangular. Mesonotum with median carina moderately developed, evanescent near posterior end; lateral carinae moderately developed. Forewing 3.1–3.8 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 8–12 tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP basad, slightly distad or at same level as fork CuA1 and CuA2; tubercles of forewing dark or pale, concolorous with veins; ScP+RA apically bifid or unforked; RP trifid; additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 present; MP1+2 trifid; MP3+4 trifid (rarely bifid); 11–12 apical cells; 7 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 8–9 (rarely 10) apical teeth and no platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 10–11 (rarely up to 13) apical teeth and 8–9 (rarely up to 11) platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 18 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 18 F–G. Aedeagus as in Figs 18 A–C. Phallotheca near base with a bifurcate ventral process at the end of a long ventral ridge; left lateral with a sclerotised ridge; phallotheca ventrally with a strongly curved spine (a) with a large base, tip of spine (a) directed right laterad; right lateral with a long, straight spine (b), in ventral view mostly concealed by phallotheca.

Diagnosis. This species resembles Ch. bobadeenensis in having a strongly curved (at least in dorsal/ventral view) spine (a) and a straight spine (b), however in Ch. armidalensis spine (a) arises ventrally in the centre of phallotheca whereas in Ch. bobadeenensis this spine arises left laterally and runs near the flagellum (endosoma) and is entirely concealed by the phallotheca. Chidaea armidalensis resembles Ch. wilarra , Ch. dickinsonorum , Ch. dayi and Ch. pulyonna in certain external features. See diagnosis section of Ch. pulyonna for details.

Distribution: ACT, NSW, Tas, Vic.

Associated plant records: Acacia buxifolia , Eucalyptus blakelyi , Eucalyptus sp.

Remarks. In some specimens aedeagal spine (a) is more strongly curved than illustrated in Figs 18 A–B.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Chidaea armidalensis: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 18. Chidaea armidalensis: 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.