Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) Walker, 1858

Constant, Jerome, 2008, Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Zootaxa 1898, pp. 41-54 : 46-48

Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) n. comb.

Figs. 2–23 , 26–28 .

Eurybrachys sanguiflua Walker, 1858: 330 .

Platybrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) : Stål, 1862: 488. Platybrachys insignis Distant, 1892: 282 n. syn.

Platybrachys insignis Distant, 1892 : Kirkaldy, 1906: 444. Platybrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) : Kirkaldy, 1906: 444. Platybrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) : Hacker, 1924: 39. Platybrachys insignis Distant, 1892 : Metcalf, 1956: 55. Platybrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858) : Metcalf, 1956: 57.

Etymology. sanguiflua (Latin) : from sanguis, blood and flua, derivated from fluere, to flow; means bleeding. The name is assumed to refer to the bright red colour of the body, legs and base of the hind wings. - insignis (Latin) , remarkable, conspicuous. The name is assumed to refer to the whitish apical spots of the hind wings.

Types examined

- Lectotype ♂ of Eurybrachys sanguiflua Walker, 1858 , present designation: [Moreton Bay (on the reverse) 57, 130] [Type] [ Eurybrachys sanguiflua .] dissected, genitalia in glycerine (BMNH). Coordinates of Moreton Bay: 27°15'S 153°15'E.

Note: the last label was cut from Walker's (1858) book.

- Paralectotype Ψ of Eurybrachys sanguiflua Walker, 1858 : [Moreton Bay (on the reverse) 57, 130] (BMNH).

- Lectotype ♂ of Platybrachys insignis Distant, 1892 , present designation: [Peak Downs] [Type] [ insignis Dist. ] [Distant Coll. 1911-383] both fore legs missing, dissected, genitalia in glycerine (BMNH). Coordinates of Peak Downs: 22°56'S 148°05'E.

Note: four females from the same origin in the Distant's collection (BMNH) have been examined. One of them bears a label [ sanguiflua Walk. ] from Distant's handwriting and 2 of them have been identified as C. limbourgi . Distant (1892) does not mention the number of specimens he examined and only the hereabove listed male matches the size (expanded tegmina, 22 mm) mentioned in the description, females being much larger. For those reasons, none of those four females is here recognized as paralectotypes.

Other material examined (15 ♂, 33 Ψ, 1 ex.). Queensland: 1 ♂, 3 Ψ: no data, H. Hacker [USNM]; 1 Ψ: Brisbane (27°30'S 153°01'E), A.M. Lea [SAM]; 3 Ψ: idem, Illidge [AMS]; 2 ♂, 3 Ψ: idem, H. Hacker [USNM]; 1 Ψ: idem, 21.iii.1953, A.G. Barrie [UQIC]; 1 Ψ: idem, 03.iii.1951, G. Saunders [UQIC]; 1 ♂: idem, 08.ii.1922, H. Hacker [USNM]; 1 Ψ: idem, 08.iii.1926, H. Hacker [QM]; 2 Ψ: idem, 26.xii.1924, H. Hacker [QM]; 2 ♂, 5 Ψ: idem, 27.iv.1924, H. Hacker [QM; 1♂, 1 Ψ: QDPI]; 1 ♂: idem, 27.iv.1924, H. Hacker [QM]; 1 ♂: idem, 15.iii.1956, H.J. Lavery [RBINS]; 1 Ψ: idem, 15.iii.1956, J. Martin [RBINS]; 1 Ψ: idem, 20.xii.1959, J. Martin [UQIC]; 1 ♂: idem, 20.iv.1940, V.B.D. Skerman [UQIC]; 2 Ψ: Burleigh (= Burleigh Heads) (28°06'S 153°27'E), xi.1923 [SAM]; 1 ♂, 1 Ψ: Burleigh Heads, C.P. Ledward [ANIC]; 1 ♂: Grovely (27°28'S 152°58'E), 28.ii.1966, J.H. Bassett, at light [QDPI]; 2 ♂, 3 Ψ: Mt Cootha, Brisbane (27°29'S 152°58'E), 06.iv.1924, H. Hacker [QM; 2 Ψ: USNM]; 2 Ψ, 1 ex (only right wings left): idem, 11.v.1924, H. Hacker [USNM]; 1 ♂: idem, 16.iii.1924, H. Hacker [QDPI]; 1 ♂: idem, 23.iv.1924, H. Hacker [QM]; 1 ♂: Nudgee, Brisbane (27°22'S 153°05'E), 22.xi.1924, H. Hacker [QM]; 2 Ψ: Peak Downs [BMNH]; 1 Ψ: Stradbroke Island (27°35'S 153°28'E), 5.xii.1913, H. Hacker [BMNH].

The following females are attributed to C. sanguiflua on the basis of morphometrical and colour characters indicated in diagnosis: New South Wales: 1 Ψ: 6 miles NE Bullawa Creek, E. Narrabri (30°19'S 149°50'E), 6.iv.1951,Key & Chinnick [ANIC]; 1 Ψ: Glossodia (33°31'S 150°49'E), near Sydney, 12.i.1981, D. James [ASCU]; Queensland: 1 Ψ: Cooloola N.P., near freshwater lake (26°12'S 153°03'E), 21.iv.1981, G.R. Brown [ASCU]; 1 Ψ: Frenchville (DW16) (23°21'S 150°33'E), 100 m, 21.iii.1991, K. Williams & R.

Raven [QM]; 1 Ψ: Isla Gorge N.P., NE cnr (25°10'S 150°01'E), 240m, 22.ix-15.xii.1997, Vine scrub, interception trap, Monteith & Cook [QM]; 1 Ψ: Moranbah (22°02'S 148°03'E), 5 km S, 240 m, 20.xii.1997 - 26.iv.1998, pitfall trap, Bendee Scrub, G.B. Monteith [QM]; 1 Ψ: Mt Bassett (26°25'S 148°55'E), 3,4 km NNE, 500 m, 5.iii.2002, Monteith, Cook & Wright [QM]; 1 Ψ: Mt Tamborine (= Hendersons Knob) (27°55'S 153°10'E), 10.x.1979, J.F. Donaldson [QDPI]; 2 Ψ: Rannes (24°07'S 150°07'E), 21.xi.1947, K.R. Norris [ANIC]; 1 Ψ: Redland Bay (27°37'S 153°19'E), 3.ii.1941, A.F. Smith [UQIC]; 1 Ψ: Sapphire (23°28'S 147°43'E), 7.x.1991, in house, L. Kempson [QDPI]; 1 Ψ: Sunnybank (27°35'S 153°03'E), 10.ix.1947, J.W. Littler [UQIC]; 1 Ψ: Virginia (27°23'S 153°04'E), 20.iii.1927, J.A. Beck [UQIC]; 5 Ψ: Cunnamulla (28°04'S 145°41'E), x.1941, N. Geary [AMS]; 1 Ψ: idem, 5.xi.1940 [RBINS]; 1 Ψ: idem, 2.xi.1940 [AMS]; 1 Ψ: Bringalily Creek, Inglewood (28°11'S 151°12'E), 20.iv.1910, H. Tryon [QDPI]; 1 Ψ: near Dogwood R. crossing, 28km W of Condamine (26°56'S 150°08'E), 19.xii.1987, M.S. & B.J. Moulds [ASCU]; 1 Ψ: Rockhampton (23°23'S 150°30'E), i.1923 [SAM].

Diagnosis. The males can be identified by examination of the genitalia. The females have tegmina broader (LTg/BTg less than 2.40), with costal margin slightly rounded and white spots of hind wings more developed than in C. limbourgi . Identification of females is always more sure when males have been captured together with them.

Description. LT: ♂ (n = 4): 13.1 mm (12.0–14.2); Ψ (n = 30): 13.6 mm (12.0–15.3).

Head: frons variegated, green (living females) (fig. 18), grey-olivaceous to brown-olivaceous (males and collection females); lateral sides of head paler; vertex dark brown with disc yellow-brown to olivaceous; clypeus and labium reddish brown; antennae brown; ratio BV/LV = 4.1–5.0; BF/LF = 2.0.

Thorax: tegulae, pro- and mesonotum dark brown; metanotum and ventral face bright red; ratio LP+LM/ BT = 0.86; LM/LP = 2.6.

Tegmina: brown with irregular, whitish to pale greyish markings, sometimes suffused with pale greenish; markings forming postero-costal patch and transverse band on basal third of corium, sometimes extending to clavus; veins suffused with red basally, sometimes suffused with greenish on disc (figs. 26–28); ratio LTg/ BTg = ♂: 2.5, Ψ: 2.31 (2.22–2.38).

Hind wings: brown with base bright red; whitish spot apically at each angle; spots smaller in females, often fused in a sinuate band in males (figs 26–27).

Legs: bright red with tibiae and tarsi darker, brownish; spines of hind legs brown to blackish.

Abdomen: bright red with genitalia testaceous.

Genitalia ♂: lateral process of gonostyli pointed and placed basally in lateral view (fig. 6), placed ventrally in ventral view; gonostyli in ventral view with internal margins well separated on most of length and external margin strongly emarginate near apex (fig. 7); aedeagus with dorsal margin sinuate and ventral margin strongly concave apically in lateral view, showing small teeth apically and ventrally (figs. 9, 10).

Biology. The species has been observed by Mr. Peter Chew (pers. com., 2008) on March 30th, 2008 on the trunk of Acacia disparrima M.W. Mc Donald & Maslin (Fabaceae) at Karawatha Forest near Brisbane. The specimens were hiding in cracks of the stringy bark of those trees ( Fig. 22 ), where their colour gives them perfect camouflage ( Figs. 16, 21 ). Females were at about 1 metre high, males at about 2 metres, all facing downwards (figs 16, 20, 21). When disturbed ( Fig. 17 ), they quickly walked up towards the tree top ( Fig. 18 ), and jumped only when touched. One nymph ( Fig. 19 ) was observed on the same tree as the adults and is attributed to this species. As the distribution range of Acacia disparrima is limited to coastal Queensland, it is clear that C. sanguiflua feeds on more than one species of Acacia . Acacia disparrima is a member of the Acacia aulacocarpa group and further investigation would be interesting to know if C. sanguiflua lives only on species of that group. One specimen has also been caught at light trap. The species seems widely distributed in SE Queensland and quite common around Brisbane.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 5. Chewobrachys sanguiflua. 2, frons, normal view. 3, labium, ventral view. 4, hind tarsus, ventral view. 5, first hind tarsomere, ventral view, detail of apex.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Chewobrachys sanguiflua, genitalia ♂. 6, pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli, left lateral view. 7, pygofer and gonostyli, ventral view. 8, anal tube, dorsal view. 9, phallic complex, dorsal view. 10, phallic complex, left lateral view. An: anal tube; G: gonostyli; Py: pygofer. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 15. Chewobrachys sanguiflua, genitalia Ψ. 11, left lateral view. 12, ventral view (external). 13, gonocoxa VIII, dorsal view. 14, anal tube, dorsal view. 15, posterior vagina, dorsal view. A VII: abdominal segment VII; AT: anal tube; AV: anterior vagina; BC: bursa copulatrix; Gp: gonoplac; Gx VIII: gonocoxa VIII; Gy IX: gonapophysis IX; PV: posterior vagina; Sp: spermatheca. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 22. Chewobrachys sanguiflua at Karawatha Forest (Brisbane). 16 – 18, female on Acacia disparrima. 19, nymph on A. disparrima. 20 – 21, male on A. disparrima. 22, biotope with detail of trunk of A. disparrima. (photos Peter Chew, Brisbane, Australia).

FIGURE 23. Distribution map. Chewobrachys limbourgi, C. sanguiflua and unidentified females of Chewobrachys in Australia.

FIGURES 24 – 28. 24, Chewobrachys limbourgi ♂, dorsal view. 25, C. limbourgi Ψ, dorsal view. 26, C. sanguiflua ♂, dorsal view. 27, C. sanguiflua Ψ, dorsal view. 28, C. sanguiflua Ψ, left lateral view.