Calipsalta viridans, Moulds & Marshall, 2022

Moulds, Max & Marshall, David C., 2022, New genera and new species of Western Australian cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), Zootaxa 5174 (5), pp. 451-507 : 488-491

Calipsalta viridans sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E54D5F06-432A-4728-A3C7-3AD9F4DA8553

( Figs 10 , 45–47 )

Synonymy. “false hermannsburgensis” Marshall et al. 2016: fig. 2.

Etymology. From the Latin verb virido meaning to make or become green, and pertaining to the colour of this species.

Types. Holotype male (Simon Lab. voucher 06.AU.WA.BMS.01), Great Northern Hwy , ~ 88 km SE of Broome, Western Australia, 18°14.326’S 122°25.764’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( WAME 113466 ) (WAM) . Paratypes as follows: WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 2 females, AU.WA. SFC, 74 km W of Sandfire Rdhouse , 30 m, 19°55.828’S 120°25.082’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 female, Hidden Valley , Kununurra, 15.736°S 128.743°E, 23.iii.2021, S. Ong (DE). 2 males,AU.WA.SHN, 27 km N of Shay Gap, NNE of Marble Bar , 20°13.861’S 120°12.523’E, 18.i.2010, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 7 males (1 Simon Lab. voucher 10.AU.WA. GNE.01), 3 females, 100 km SE [of] Fitzroy Crossing, Great Northern Hwy , 18°44.829’S 126°08.442’E, 309 m, 21.i.2010, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 female (Simon Lab. voucher 06.AU.WA. ROE.01), roadhouse ~ 34 km E of Broome , 53 m, 17°51.030’S 122°30.059’E, 8.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 female (Simon Lab voucher 06.AU.WA. ROE.01), roadhouse, ~ 35 km E of Broome , 53 m, 17°51.030’E, 122°30.059’E, 8 Feb. 2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 male (Simon Lab. voucher 10.AU.WA. DEH.03), De Grey R. xing, Shay Gap Rd, ~ 85 km NNE of Marble Bar , 20°37.279’S 120°04.226’E, 18.i.2010, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 2 males, 6 females, AU.WA. SFC, 74 km W of Sandfire Rdhouse , 30 m, 19°55.828’S 120°25.082’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 8 females, 50 km SW of Sandfire Flat, between Broome and Port Headland, 15.ii.1977, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 2 males (1 genitalia prep. CI 140), 3 females, 40 km W of Warburton , 26°13’S 126°19’E, 29.xii.1995, M.S. & B.J. Moulds & K.A. Kopestonsky ( MSM). 2 females, AU.WA. SFC, 74 km W of Sandfire Rdhouse , 30 m, 19°55.828’S 120°25.082’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 male, Wuggubun Indig. Community, 15°57’40”S 128°22’28”E, 7.ii.2020, S. Ong ; 1 male, Durack, 16°01’41”S 128°25’09”E, 8.ii. 2020, S. Ong ; 1 male, 1 female, Great Northern Highway , 16.064°S 128.410°E, 23.i.2020, S. Ong ; 1 male, Valentine Springs Road, 15.673°S 128.666°E, 17.xii.2020, S. Ong ( LP). 2 females, AU.WA. SFC, 74 km W of Sandfire Rdhouse , 30 m, 19°55.828’S 120°25.082’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( PH). 1 male, 3 females, AU.WA. SFC, 74 km W of Sandfire Rdhouse , 30 m, 19°55.828’S 120°25.082’E, 9.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( WAME 113467-113470 ) ; 3 females, 50 km SW of Sandfire Flat, between Broome and Port Headland, 15.ii.1977, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( WAME 113471-113473 ) ( WAM). NORTHERN TERRITORY: 1 male, 1 female, 26°09’S 130°35’E, 56 km W. of Amata, Musgrave Ranges, S.A., 20–21.i.1982, D.C.F. & B.G. F. Rentz & R. Honeycutt , Stop 14 ( ANIC).

Distribution and habitat ( Fig. 45 ). Arid and semi-arid regions of Western Australia and north-eastern South Australia. Records from Western Australia fall within the north-eastern quarter of the State south to 74 km west of Sandfire Roadhouse at the western edge of the Great Sandy Desert and to Warburton near the northern edge of the Great Victoria Desert. From South Australia the only record is from near the western end of the Musgrave Ranges. From Western Australia most records are from between Broome and Sandfire Flat. Elsewhere in Western Australia there are several records from around Kununurra (S. Ong) and from 100 km south-east of Fitzroy Crossing. No doubt the species occurs in many other localities including in the Northern Territory but by inhabiting these remote regions and possibly with a sporadic appearance, the species is not often encountered. There are records from mid December to mid February. Associated with herbaceous plants, not spinifex.

Adult description. Male ( Fig. 46 ). Green, but often tending partly or entirely yellow or light brownish on discoloured dried specimens. Head, including postclypeus and anteclypeus, green; antennae brown except for partly green scape; rostrum brown, reaching to about mid length of mid coxae. Thorax green, the mesonotum with submedian and lateral sigilla pale brown to varying extent. Forewing venation green, without infuscations; basal membrane pale brown. Hindwing venation green; without infuscations; plaga white. Legs green with tarsi tending pale greenish brown; meracanthus short, broad, similar in colour to opercula. Opercula pale yellowish, almost colourless. Abdomen green except for pale yellowish brown sternite VIII. Timbals with cavity broadly rounded along posterior margin (also partly weakly ridged in some specimens); with three long ribs spanning the the timbal membrane and joined at their dorsal ends, and usually two short ribs in anterior membrane.

Male genitalia ( Figs 46a–b ). Pygofer green; basal lobes well developed but in lateral view mostly hidden; upper lobes broad, in lateral slightly upturned, apex broadly rounded; dorsal beak very wide and confluent with pygofer margin. Claspers in lateral view gently curved along upper margin, straight along lower margin, bluntly pointed, with a wide overhanging rim along upper margin, in ventral view broad, tapering to a bluntly pointed apex, not diverging along their inner margins, their apices abutted. Aedeagus trifid, the pseudoparameres about the length of thecal shaft, pointed, barely diverging in dorsal view; ventral support well developed (about half the length of pseudoparameres). Basal plate in dorsal view gently incurved across distal margin with rounded ‘ears’ slightly backturned.

Female ( Fig. 10 ). Similar to male. Green becoming a little pale orange ventrally. Ovipositor sheath distally pale green, terminating about level with anal styles and dorsal beak.

Measurements. Range and mean (in mm) for 10 males, 10 females (includes smallest and largest of available specimens). Length of body (including head): male 17.8–20.6 (19.3); female (including ovipositor) 18.9–21.9 (20.3). Length of forewing: male 20.0–22.7 (21.6); female 20.6–23.4 (22.1). Width of head (including eyes): male 5.3–6.1 (5.7); female 5.5–6.5 (5.9). Width of pronotum (across lateral angles): male 6.2–7.2 (6.8); female 6.6–7.8 (7.2).

Distinguishing features. Light green cicadas in life. The forewings are not infuscated, the venation is green, and the rostrum reaches about mid length of the mid coxae. Forewing veins M and CuA are either fused at the basal cell for a short distance or unfused but abutted together. The male genitalia have pseudoparameres that are about half the length of the thecal shaft and a ventral support that is about half the length of the pseudoparameres. The female ovipositor sheath is light brown in life and terminates about level with the anal styles and caudal beak.

Calipsalta viridans sp. n. differs from C. fumosa sp. n. in lacking forewing subapical infuscations. It might also be confused with Erempsalta hermannsburgensis that is also green, without wing infuscations, and inhabits an arid environment. Calipsalta viridans sp. n. differs from Erempsalta hermannsburgensis in having a rostrum that only reaches to mid length of the mid coxae whereas in E. hermannsburgensis it reaches the bases of the hind coxae.

Song ( Figs 47a–d ). Recordings were examined from the type locality and the WA.GNE and WA.SHN paratype localities.

The male calling song consists of a train of sharp clicks or doublets that oscillates between slower and faster click rates at about 1.8–1.9 cycles/s and ends, after a brief silent gap of 0.02– 0.036 s, with an isolated syllable lasting about 0.025 s. The entire phrase may last less than one second or up to nearly a minute. Click rates vary from 110–65/s. Most sound energy is found within the range 9–16 kHz, with a peak around 12 kHz. There is no frequency modulation.

The song of Calipsalta viridans sp. n. can be distinguished from those of its congeners and that of Pedana hesperia sp. n. by its much slower rate of oscillation between fast- and slow-pulse sections, which is 2/s or less in C. viridans and> 4/s in the other species.

Figures

FIGURE 47. Calipsalta viridans sp. n., male calling song. (47a, b) oscillogram and spectrogram of ending portion of song phrase and beginning of the next, from the holotype male (30°C); (47c) further detail of pulses at end of phrase; (47d) example of pulses within a phrase from the WA.GNE paratype locality (temperature not recorded, warm conditions).

FIGURES 8–14. (8) Erempsalta hermannsburgensis (Distant, 1907), male; (9) Calipsalta fumosa gen. et sp. n., male; (10) Calipsalta viridans gen. et sp. n., female; (11) Calipsalta brunnea gen. et sp. n., male; (12a) Pyropsalta patula sp. n., male; (12b) Pyropsalta patula sp. n., female; (13a) Pyropsalta amnica sp. n., male; (13b) Pyropsalta amnica sp. n., female; (14a) Pyropsalta rhythmica sp. n., male (14b) Pyropsalta rhythmica sp. n., female.

FIGURES 45–46. Calipsalta viridans sp. n. (45) distribution; (46a) male genitalia in lateral view; (46b) same in ventral view.