Platypleura poorvachala, Kunte, 2017

Kunte, Krushnamegh, 2017, A new species of Platypleura Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae) from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India, Zootaxa 4311 (4), pp. 523-536 : 527-535

Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov.

( Figures 1–9 ; Table 1; Image 2)

Etymology. poorvachala is amalgamation of two Sanskrit words: poorva =east, and achala =mountains. We name this speCies poorvachala beCause it oCCurs in the Eastern Ghats mountains of peninsular India.

Description of the male holotype (UASB01219049; Figure 1 A): Forewings ( Figure 3 ) 25mm in length, with 8 apiCal Cells, and no signifiCant differenCe between the dorsal and ventral surfaCes. Basal 1/3rd wing (from the anterior side); basal Cell, radial Cell, proximal part of 3rd ulnar Cell from the nodal line, proximal part of medial Cell (mc) from the nodal line, Cubital Cell (cuc), and Clavus, are opaque and brownish in appearanCe. InfusCation is seen along the nodal line (starting from n until CuA2); the proximal and distal parts of 1 st and 2nd ulnar Cells are infusCated, leaving a patCh of hyaline area in the middle; infusCation is seen in the middle along with the extremities of the 3rd ulnar Cell, leaving hyaline patChes in between the infusCated areas; the junCtions of ulnar Cells to their Corresponding apiCal Cells (1st to 5th) and the junCtions of mc, cuc to their Corresponding apiCal Cells (6th to 8th) are infusCated, too; on the distal side, at the junCtions of ambient veins of ulnar Cells to marginal area is infusCated. At these junCtions, a slight spillover is seen in the marginal area. The infusCation produCes two lateral Continuous patChes on forewings. The first one is distal to the opaque area, merging with the latter on the side, leaving a small hyaline patCh in the middle. The seCond infusCated patCh leaves hyaline areas in between the first one to itself and distal area of apiCal Cells. Nodal line is distally Convex in the 3rd ulnar Cell and medial Cell. A slight dilation is seen between Costa (C) and radius+subCostal vein (R+Sc). C and R+Sc are greenish in appearanCe. Ambient veins appear Convex in marginal area. Veins are oChraCeous-brown. Dilation of subCostal membrane is seen from near the node, dilation gradually inCreasing Closer to the base of the wing. DentiCulation is seen along the apex of Costal membrane from its base until the node, and Continues further through the length of subCostal vein (Sc) till the junCtion of RA1and SC. Costal membrane is uninterrupted. It merges with the junCtion of marginal area at the subCostal and radius anterior vein. Apex of the wing is opposite to the 2nd apiCal Cell. Marginal area is hyaline and uneven, whiCh makes it appear wavy. Wings are Covered with numerous miCrotriChia.

Hindwings ( Figure 4 ) 14mm in length, with 6 apiCal Cells, and no signifiCant differenCe between the dorsal and ventral surfaCes. They are opaque and indoChine. Distal end of Costal Cell (cc), radial Cell, medial Cell (mc) and the proximal end of their Corresponding apiCal Cells (1st to 5th) are blaCk. The distal end of all the apiCal Cells, Cubital Cell 1, Cubital Cell 2, anal Cell 1, anal Cell 2, anal lobe are blaCk. In the 1st to 4th apiCal Cells the lateral margins are also blaCk, thus making the blaCk Colour Continuous, leaving indoChine Colored Central area. Proximal side of the cc and mc are grey. Claval fold, anal Cell 1, anal lobe (anal Cell 2/ vannus, jugal fold, anal Cell 3/ jugum) are grey as well. Ambient veins appear Convex in marginal area. Marginal area (ma) is greyish; ma and wing margin is uneven, whiCh makes it appear wavy. Veins are indoChine-Colored.

Head— dorsal side — inCluding eyes is slightly wider than the base of pronotum (pro). It is oChraCeous in appearanCe. There are three prominent blaCk transverse and short longitudinal fasCiae. Of the three transverse fasCiae, the first fasCia is Continuous, ConneCting the pediCels through supra-antennal plate and dorsal part of the postClypeus (pc). The seCond fasCia is the broadest, Covering major portion of the vertex. It beComes thiCker, giving it a blobby appearanCe in the middle where the oCelli are situated. The third fasCia is between the eye-pronotum junCtions. Of the three longitudinal fasCiae, one on epiCranial suture is slightly broader than lateral oCelli and has two parallel fasCiae on both sides of the epiCranial suture. Antennae are olivaCeous. JunCtions of pediCel and flagella of antenna are brownish, but the tips of the flagella are blaCk.

Length Width Anterior side of the head is partly hairy. pc is blaCk. Eight pairs of olivaCeous transverse grooves are present, among whiCh seven are well developed. Gena is olivaCeous and lorum is blaCk. Extremities and median ridge of anteClypeus is olivaCeous, the rest is blaCk. The entire length of rostrum reaChes 1 st sternite and is olivaCeous with a blaCk tip.

Thorax— dorsal side ( Figure 5 ) — Pronotum (pro) is oChraCeous with several blaCk markings. There is a slight dorso-median elevation. An obConiCal blaCk mark is present on the anterior median. Two disCal blaCk spots are present on the posterior median, adjoining to ambient fissure of pro. Paramedian fissures (pf), lateral fissures (lf) are blaCk. pf almost touChes the dorso-median elevation. A blaCk fasCia branChes out posteriorly Close to the middle of pf. But in lf, it merges with the lateral sides of ambient fissure of pro. Pronotal collar (pc) is olivaCeous. Interiors of the lateral angles of the pc (la) are blaCkened. Lateral angles of pc are horizontally dilated. Lateral margin lm anterior to la is half in length of lm posterior to la of pc. The extent of the pc is wider than the head and abdomen. Mesonotum is oChraCeous but appears blaCk due to presenCe of sigilla. Submedian sigilla (ssig) and lateral sigilla (lsig) are blaCk. ssig are anteriorly situated, semi ovoid and not fused. lsig anteriorly broad, tapers posteriorly and merges with disCal blaCk spots in sCutal depression due to whiCh it appears to be Continuous. An oblong or Cone-shaped blaCk mark is present on the median, between ssig. CruCiform elevation is olivaCeous. Metanotum is olivaCeous exCept for the grooves present adjaCent to the CruCiform elevation are blaCk.

Thorax— ventral side — is olivaCeous and waxy. The areas of basisternum, episternum and epimeron are blaCk. OperCulum is olivaCeous, extending to posterior end of the 2nd sternite. Legs ( Figure 6 ) are hairy and olivaCeous. Tarsus, tibia and femur are partly spiny. 3rd tarsus is brown and pretarsal Claw tips are blaCk. In Fore legs primary and seCondary spines of fore femur are rather rudimentary and CharaCterized by the presenCe of spur. Hind legs are CharaCterized by the presenCe of tibial spur and tibial Comb.

IMAGE 1 . Habitat at the type locality of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. at Nagalapuram , Andhra Pradesh, India.

Abdomen— dorsal side — is primarily blaCk. The 8th tergite inCluding pygofer is brownish. Only a small part of 1 st tergite in dorso-median area is visible. Timbals are invisible, Covered Completely by olivaCeous timbal Covers. The lateral junCtions of 1st to 7th tergites are olivaCeous. Posterior and lateral sides of tergites are Covered by hairs whiCh are oChraCeous and golden, respeCtively. A series of fossae are present on the lateral sides of the 2nd to 8th tergites ( Figure 7 ).

Abdomen— ventral side — is primarily blaCk and waxy. The visible area of 2nd tergite between the operCula is olivaCeous; lateral ends are blaCk. Posterior junCtions of eaCh tergite and sternite are olivaCeous, giving it a striped appearanCe. Posterior half and the 8th sternite are olivaCeous.

IMAGE 2. Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. in life.

Male genitalia ( Figure 8 ) pygophore oblong, with tapering ends. The basal lobes of pygophore are small whereas the upper lobes are rather elongated. Dorso-posterior anal styles are prominent with a tapered ventromedian unCus segment. The tips of the bifurCated unCus are reCurved inward and pointed. There are no lateral proCesses of the unCus. The aedeagus is slender, approx. 3.4mm in length. It has a short basal plate and a hinge region with a CylindriCal theCa and a distal portion.

Description of paratypes. Morpho-taxonomiC features of the female paratype (allotype, NCBS-AW141) are largely similar to the holotype. Female is CharaCterized by presenCe of an ovipositor ( Figure 9 ) and absenCe of tymbals, whiCh are Common features of CiCadidae . Female speCimen is slightly larger in size and less melanistiC. The morpho-taxonomiC features of other male paratypes (UASB01219050, NCBS-AW141 and NCBS-PT550) are in agreement with the male holotype with minor phenotypiC variations ( Figure 1 ).

Ecology and distribution. Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. is Currently known only from two loCalities (Nagalapuram and Jagamarla, both near Chittoor) in the southern Eastern Ghats, a loosely ConneCted mountain Chain in peninsular India. The speCies is Common but not abundant. Male Call has not been reCorded but is known to be feeble. Many other eCologiCal aspeCts of this speCies remain poorly known. As new information on this speCies is generated, it will be made available on the CiCadas of India website (http://www.indianCiCadas.org/sp/ 567/Platypleura-poorvaChala).

Note on the tribal placement of Platypleura : Tribe-level phylogeny suggests that Hamza ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) —the type-speCies of the tribe Hamzini Distant, 1905 —is nested within the monophyletiC tribe Platypleurini . Thus, Platypleurini SChmidt 1918 and Orapini Boulard 1985 were suggested to be synonyms of the older and available Hamzini Distant, 1905 ( PriCe 2010). Following this suggestion, the Platypleurini was synonymized with Hamzini by Lee (2014). Therefore, we have treated Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. under Hamzini .

MAP 1. Nagalapuram, the type locality; and Jagamarla , Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India, the second known locality of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type specimens of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. A millimeter-scale is at the bottom. Top images show dorsal sides and bottom images show ventral sides of the same specimens, with specimen codes, type labels and sex shown in the centre.

FIGURE 2. A comparison of sympatric (A-F), possibly sympatric (G), and morphologically similar but allopatric Hamzini (H – I) with Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. Location of specimens: A, B, E, F: NCBS research collections, C, D, G, H, I: Benjamin W. Price (copyright Natural History Museum, London), J: Entomology Department, University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK). A ten-millimeter scale is given with each species.

FIGURE 3. Forewing venation and markings of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. (male holotype UASB 01219049).

FIGURE 4. Hindwing venation and markings of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. (male holotype UASB 01219049).

FIGURE 5. Head and thorax of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. (male holotype UASB 01219049).

FIGURE 6. Legs of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. A: foreleg, B: hindleg, C: enlarged portion of hindleg showing tibial comb and tarsus (male paratype UASB 01219050).

FIGURE 7. Fossae on the dorsolateral sides of abdomen (male paratype NCBS-AW 142).

FIGURE 8. Male genitalia of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. (paratype, UASB 01219050). A: lateral view with intact operculum, B: dorsal view, C: ventral view, D: operculum.

FIGURE 9. Ovipositor of Platypleura poorvachala sp. nov. (paratype, NCBS-AW 141). A: lateral view, B: ventral view.