Punia kolos, Moulds, 2020

Moulds, M. S., 2020, A revision of the Australian cicada genus Punia Moulds, 2012 (Cicadidae Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 4860 (1), pp. 101-115 : 105-106

Punia kolos sp. n.

( Figs 1–2 , 19–25 )

Types. Holotype male, South Alligator R. x-ing, SSW of Cooinda, 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( NTM) . Paratypes as follows: NORTHERN TERRITORY: 1 male, South Alligator R . x-ing, SSW of Cooinda, 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( AE). 1 male, 1 female, Katherine, 27.xi.1967, W.J.M. Vestjens ( ANIC). 1 male, South Alligator R . x-ing, SSW of Cooinda, 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds (DE). 8 males (3 genitalia preps C62, PU7 , PU29 ), 1 female, South Alligator R . x-ing, SSW of Cooinda, 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( MSM). 1 male, South Alligator R . x-ing, SSW of Cooinda, 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( LP). 1 male, South Alligator R . x-ing, SSW of Cooinda , 26.xii.1986, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( SAM) .

Distribution and habitat ( Fig. 25 ). Top End of the Northern Territory where it is known only from Katherine and the South Alligator River crossing north-west of Pine Creek township. The distribution given by Moulds (1990) includes other Punia species. Adults have been taken from late November to mid January, the only exception being one of the type series, which is labelled as having been taken on 12th July, a record that requires confirmation. Adults inhabit grass, tending brown rather than green.

Male ( Figs 1 , 19–24 ). Head light yellowish brown with dark brown or blackish patch surrounding or almost surrounding ocelli and a dark brown band extending to supra-antennal plates; lora light yellowish brown. Postclypeus with a broad central brown or blackish area ventrally that extends to dorsal surface. Anteclypeus with a narrow black midline. Rostrum reaching apices of mid coxae; light yellowish brown basally, otherwise black or nearly so. Antennae dark brown to black except for light yellowish brown scape. Thorax with pronotum light yellowish brown extensively suffused brown except for light yellowish brown pronotal collar. Mesonotum light yellowish brown; submedian and lateral sigilla dark brown to black, the lateral sigilla always darkest; scutal depressions marked brown or black. Wings ( Figs 23–24 ) hyaline, the venation very pale and almost colourless except for blackish veins near apex that are very weakly infuscated (those forming sides of apical cells and the ambient vein); forewing basal membrane whitish to very pale grey; hindwing plaga following veins 2A and 3A whitish. Legs light yellowish brown, sometimes in places slightly darker brown. Meracantha light yellowish brown. Opercula whitish. Timbals with three long ribs spanning timbal membrane and fused dorsally. Abdomen light yellowish brown with tergites 3–6 predominantly translucent pale yellow laterally; dorsal midline dark brown to black, wide on tergites 1 and 2, tapering distally on tergite 3, narrowest on tergites 4–6, a littler wider on 7; tergites 6–8 also blackish sublaterally often extending to cover the greater part of segments 7 and 8; tergites 2–7 narrowly edged pale yellow to pale light yellowish brown along posterior margin, tergite 8 less distinctly so; sternites pale yellow to almost white except for sternites VI–VIII sometimes with dark brown or blackish suffusion.

Genitalia ( Figs 19–22 ). Pygofer dorsal beak absent or ill-defined and confluent with pygofer margin; basal lobe large, in lateral view tending triangular; upper pygofer lobe broad, flat, with a well developed accessory tooth curving inwards and no longer than the length of the lobe. Uncus very short, broad, gradually tapering to a broadly rounded apex that projects only a little beyond anal tube. Claspers much reduced, their short apices tending rodlike and close to the apex of uncus. Aedeagus with endotheca gently curved, sclerotized to apex; pseudoparameres lateral of endotheca, a little longer than endotheca, flat, becoming a little wider before gently curving downwards to a pointed apex.

Female ( Fig. 2 ). Similar to male but with less intense dark markings and without translucent sides to abdomen. Abdomen lacking a black dorsal midline but sometimes with a reddish dorsal hue; abdominal segment 9 pale yel- lowish brown with or without an indistinct black or brown band either side of midline slightly turned outwards distally and not reaching distal margin, sometimes also with indistinct black or brown suffusion along anterior margin; ovipositor sheath yellowish brown to black, clearly extending a little beyond apex of abdomen.

Measurements. Range and mean (in mm) for 10 males and 2 females (includes largest and smallest males). Length of body: male 3.7–10.6 (9.9); female (including ovipositor) 10.1–10.3 (10.2). Length of forewing: male 9.6–11.1 (10.8); female 11.8–12.2 (12.0). Width of head (including eyes): male 2.2–2.7 (2.5); female 2.6–2.8 (2.7). Width of pronotum (across lateral angles): male 2.3–2.9 (2.7); female 2.5–2.8 (2.7).

Etymology. From the Greek kolos , meaning curtailed, shortened, and pertaining to the much reduced male uncus and claspers in this species.

Distinguishing features. Distinguished from all other species of Punia in having, in combination, forewing veins M and CuA both very pale and the postclypeus almost entirely brown or mainly so except for a narrow pale border following ventral margin. The male genitalia are distinctive and differ from all other Punia species in having the claspers much reduced and contracted towards the uncus with their pointed apices barely discernible (distinct in other Punia species) and very close to the uncus. Care should be taken not to confuse P. kolos with small brown specimens of P. limpida that differ from P. kolos in having the brown pigmentation on the postclypeus covering no more than half its surface, and always with a broad pale lateral border, never a narrow even border extending around entire length of ventral margin.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Punia species, adults in dorsal view. (1) kolos sp.n., male; (2) kolos sp.n., female; (3) limpida sp.n., male, brown form; (4) limpida sp.n. male, green form; (5) limpida sp.n. female; (6) hyas sp.n., male; (7) hyas sp.n., female; (8) queenslandica sp.n., male; (9) queenslandica sp.n., female; (10) minima (Goding & Froggatt, 1904), male.

FIGURES 11–24. Punia species, 11–22 male genitalia, 23–24 male wings. (11) minima (Goding & Froggatt, 1904), lateral; (12) minima (Goding & Froggatt, 1904), ventral; (13) hyas sp.n., lateral; (14) hyas sp.n., ventral; (15) limpida sp.n., lateral; (16) limpida sp.n., ventral; (17) queenslandica sp.n., lateral; (18) queenslandica sp.n., ventral; (19) kolos sp.n., lateral; (20) kolos sp.n., ventral; (21) kolos sp.n., aedeagus, lateral; (22) kolos sp.n., basal plate, dorsal; (23) kolos sp.n., forewing; (24) kolos sp.n., hindwing. at anal tube; ath accessory tooth of upper pygofer lobe; bl basal lobe of pygofer; bp basal plate; c costa; cl clasper; CuA cubitus anterior vein; db dorsal beak; en endotheca; M median vein; ps pseudoparamere; th theca; un uncus.

FIGURES 25–29. Distribution of Punia species.