Macrotristria monteithi, Moulds, 2022

Moulds, M. S., 2022, Macrotristria monteithi sp. n., a large new cicada from central Queensland with a small distribution (Cicadoidea, Cicadidae, Macrotristriini), Zootaxa 5200 (3), pp. 291-295 : 291-293

Macrotristria monteithi sp. n.

( Figs 1–6 )

Zoobank identifier: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8F863F31-0214-4DF6-80C4-D6DF0B051258

Types. Holotype male (genitalia prep. MA2), Mt Moffatt N.P., Top Moffatt Camp, (25.068°S, 148.053°E, 740m), 13–15.xii.1987, Monteith, Thompson, Yeates, registration No. QMT258281 ( QM) . Paratypes as follows: QUEENSLAND : 1 female, Rangers Stn, Mt Moffatt Sect., Carnarvon Nat. Pk , 25°01′06″S 147°57′08″E, 24.xii. 2005, 720m, G. & A. Daniels, Eucalyptus populnea woodland ( DE) . 1 female, Rangers HQ, Mt Moffatt NP, 13–15.i.2005, L. Popple, mv lamp, 060-0001 ; 2 females, Carnarvon NP, Qld , 25°03′31″S 148°14′15″E, 24.xii.2000, C. Eddie, 060-0002, 060-0003 ( LP) . 1 female, same data as holotype ; 10 females, Rangers Stn, Mt Moffatt Sect., Carnarvon Nat. Pk , 25°01′06″S 147°57′08″E, 24.xii. 2005, 720m, G. & A. Daniels, Eucalyptus populnea woodland ; 1 female, Carnarvon Gorge , ca 25°S 148°E, 12.xii.1998, M. Leppens & S.F. McEvey, 13811 ; 1 female, 08.AU.QL.CVG.06, Carnarvon Gorge , 25°03.736′S 148°14.145′E, 400m, 27.xii.2008, Hill, Marshall, Moulds, Owen ( MSM) . 1 female, same data as holotype ; 11 females, Rangers Stn, Mt Moffatt Sect., Carnarvon Nat. Pk , 25°01′06″S 147°57′08″E, 24.xii. 2005, 720m, G. & A. Daniels, Eucalyptus populnea woodland 12 males, 4 females, Carnarvon Gorge , 8– 12.xii.1985, J. Moss & A. Ewart ( QM) .

Additional photographic record. A photograph of a specimen on iNaturalist, recorded from the southern end of Expedition Range, Lonesome National Park, 25.492°S 148.832°E, 5.ii.2022, Michael Cunningham (https://www. inaturalist.org/observations/106229557).

Distribution and habitat ( Fig. 4 )

Known only from the vicinity of Carnarvon Gorge, nearby at Mt Moffatt (both of which are in Carnarvon National Park), and Lonesome National Park at the southern end of the Expedition Range. There are records from the last three weeks of December, mid January and early February but it is likely adults occur at other times, particularly following summer rains. At times it is a common species. Adults are found in open woodland dominated by Eucalyptus . Most specimens in collections have been taken at light.

Etymology. Named for Dr Geoff Monteith of the Queensland Museum who has contributed enormously to our understanding of the Australian insect fauna both through his research and tireless field work. He was a collector of one of the first known specimens of this species and although he has been previously recognised by eponyms of species in many families this is the first cicada named in his honour.

Adult description

Male ( Figs 1, 2 , 5, 6 ). Head light orange; black surrounding ocelli extending to back of vertex except for a small light orange spot at midline; a broad black band from lateral ocelli to anterior of vertex between supra-antennal plate and eye; ventrally with a black band from supra-antennal plate to eye, much narrowed towards eye. Postclypeus light orange dorsally, often a little paler ventrally; a broad black band along anterior margin dorsally extending ventrally along midline around a small orange patch at most anterior part of postclypeus. Anteclypeus pale orange, boldly marked black along much of midline. Rostrum with mentum light brown; labium black; reaching beyond apices of hind coxae.

Thorax with pronotum light orange and black with the pronotal collar paler orange tending yellowish brown and very narrowly edged black along paranotum; anterior margin narrowly edged light orange; midline with a light orange key-hole shaped fascia not quite reaching pronotal collar; a light orange patch between paramedian and lateral fissures and between lateral fissures and lateral margin of pronotal collar. Mesonotum light yellowish tending a little orange in some specimens with sharply defined black markings; submedian sigilla black; lateral sigilla black basally and along outer half with the black continuing to wing groove; scutal depressions black with the black merging between them and projected forwards in a lanceolate spike to reach between the submedian sigilla; cruciform elevation reddish brown; wing grooves black.

Wings hyaline. Forewing venation black except for light yellowish brown costa; venation forming bases of apical cells 2–7 infuscated black; distal ends of longitudinal veins forming apical cells 1–7 infuscated black with distal half of CuA 1 entirely infuscated; basal cell weakly tinted light brown, opaque on anterior half; basal membrane bright reddish orange. Hindwing venation pale orange to yellow except for reddish orange plaga not quite reaching end of vein 3A.

Legs dark brown to black with distal ends of tibiae distinctly tipped pale orange; meracantha pale yellow and long and slender.

Abdomen with tergites black; sternites brown. Timbal covers black fading to brown anteriorly. Opercula black fading to light yellowish brown around distal margin; meeting, rounded and just extending a little beyond distal margin of tympanal cavity.

Genitalia ( Figs 5, 6 ) pygofer broad in ventral view, slender in lateral view; basal lobes very long and slender, finger-like and terminating in a rounded apex. Uncus short, its apex rounded with a weak apical indentation. Theca long, tubular, its apex square-cut; bearing a single long subapical cercus.

Female ( Fig. 3 ). Colouration and markings similar to male. Abdominal segment 9 black dorsally; light yellowish brown laterally extending to but not including dorsal beak and with a small black streak sublaterally near base. Ovipositor sheath distally black, projecting just beyond anal styles.

Measurements. Range and mean (in mm) for 10 males, 10 females (includes smallest and largest specimens): Length of body (including head): male 43.5–46.0 (44.4); female (including ovipositor) 43.5–48.6 (46.2). Length of forewing: male 54.8–60.7 (57.6); female 54.0–62.1 (58.7). Width of head (including eyes): male 17.0–19.6 (18.5); female 17.9–19.7 (18.8). Width of pronotum (across lateral angles): male 16.8–18.3 (17.4); female 16.9–20.1 (18.6).

Song unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Macrotristria monteithi sp. n. (1) holotype male in dorsal view, genitalia removed; (2) holotype male in ventral view, genitalia removed; (3) paratype female in dorsal view, Rangers HQ, Mt Moffatt National Park, L. Popple.

FIGURES 4–6. (4) distribution of Macrotristria monteithi sp. n.; locality records indicated by black circles and the type locality circled; (5) Macrotristria monteithi sp. n., male genitalia in lateral view, holotype; (6) same, ventral view, holotype.