Drymopsalta acrotela, Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013

Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013, New species of Drymopsalta Heath Cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, with overview of genus, Zootaxa 3620 (1), pp. 1-42 : 15-19

Drymopsalta acrotela sp. nov.

( Figs 4 C–D, 5, 6, 13D–E, 15, 17C–D, Plate 3, Tables 2 , 4)

Material. Holotype: 3 QM T183038, AUSTRALIA, Litchfield N.P. Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, L. Popple, D. Emery. 13°12.261'S 130°42.785'E, 323-0006. PS1950. (QM).

Paratypes: NORTHERN TERRITORY: 43 1Ƥ AUSTRALIA, NT, Litchfield N.P., Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, L.Popple, D.Emery, 13°12.261'S 130°42.785'E, 323-0003, 0 0 0 4, 0 0 0 5, 0 0 0 7, 0010; 43 1Ƥ AUSTRALIA, N.T., Litchfield N.P., Buley Rockhole, 27.xii.2008, L.Popple, D.Emery, 13°05.845'S 130°47.031'E, 323-0013, 0 0 14, 0 0 15, 0 0 16, 0 0 19 (all LWP); 53 1Ƥ Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, D.Emery & L.Popple; 63 2Ƥ Buley Rockhole, 27.xii.2008, D.Emery & L.Popple (all DE); 23 AUSTRALIA, NT, Litchfield N.P., Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, L.Popple, D.Emery, 13°12.261'S 130°42.785'E, 323-0008, 0 0 0 9, 0011; 13 AUSTRALIA, N.T., Litchfield N.P., Buley Rockhole, 27.xii.2008, L.Popple, D.Emery, 13°05.845'S 130°47.031'E, 323-0018 (all AE); 1Ƥ AUSTRALIA, Litchfield N.P. Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, L. Popple, D. Emery. 13°12.261'S 130°42.785'E, 323- 0 0 11, PS1951. (QM). 23 12.28°S 132.58°E, NT, Jabaluka lagoon, 14km N. of Mudginberry HS, 13.xi.1972; 13 12.25°S 132.58°E, NT, 1km N. of Cahills Crossing (East Alligator R.), 8.xi.1972, Upton, M.S.; 23 12.25°S 132.58°E, NT, 1km N. of Cahills Crossing (East Alligator R.), 3.xi.1972, Upton and Barrett; 13 12.17°S 133.20°E, NT, Nourlangie, 11km S. by W. of Nimbuwah Rock, 1.xi.1972, Upton and Barrett (ANIC). 13 AUSTRALIA, NT, Litchfield N.P., Tolmer Falls, 26.xi.2008, L.Popple, D.Emery, 13°12.261'S 130°42.785'E, 323-0012 (BMNH).

Description. Male. ( Figs 4 C–D, 5, Plate 3A). Head. Supra-antennal plate brown; vertex black grading to brown anteriorly and medially, including area around ocelli and along posterior segment of epicranial suture; black on frons, genae and mandibular plate black, covered by prominent silver pubescence; ocelli pale pink; compound eyes dark brown; postclypeus pale brown medially, around margins and dorsally, becoming dark brown paramedially on and between transverse ridges; anteclypeus pale brown, black centrally; rostrum brown grading to black apically, reaches hind coxae; antennae brown, paler distally.

Thorax. Pronotum with pale to medium brown central fascia, splaying out along anterior and posterior margins; variable black and brown markings adjacent to oblique fissures, remaining pronotal areas predominantly paler sandy brown. Mesonotum with dark brown to black submedian sigillae and black lateral sigillae; remaining colouration medium brown; cruciform elevation sandy yellow along and between lateral arms, pale brown medially, black between anterior arms, and small area of black between posterior arms; yellow along and adjacent to wing grooves, with conspicuous silver pubescence; metanotum pale sandy-yellow, brown dorsally at midline.

Wings. Fore wing costal vein translucent, R+Sc vein pale brown, remaining venation brown, paler proximal to mesonotum; basal membrane off-white to very pale grey. Hind wing venation very pale yellow-brown proximal to mesonotum, grading to dark brown apically; white plaga around margin of apical cell 3, extending along margin of 3A and weakly vein 2A, with weak small brown infuscation in area of plaga in anal cell 3; 5 apical cells.

Legs. Fore and mid coxae, trochanters, femora and tibiae pale sandy brown with darker brown broad fasciae developed along lateral and dorsally faces; tarsus dominantly sandy yellow with brown claws; hind legs predominantly pale sandy yellow to brown; spines of fore femora dark brown to black.

Operculum. Pale yellow, distally becoming darker yellow, yellow-brown towards crest, and brown adjacent to crest and on meracantha, with conspicuous silver pubescence; tending to be rhombohedral-shaped, roughly parallel sided, acutely angular between distal and medial margins, and rounded weakly between distal to lateral margins; medial, distal and lateral margins otherwise relatively uncurved; meracantha spike prominent, overlapping opercula plate.

Timbals. 4 long ribs; rib 4 shorter than ribs 1 to 3, otherwise as in diagnosis.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 sandy-yellow to pale brown between timbals; tergite 2 with diffuse deep brown to black patches along anterior-dorsal margins, extending laterally as a narrow anterior margin, remaining colour pale sandy brown; auditory capsule dark brown to black, which extend slightly ventrally; tergites 3 to 8 black dorsally, grading to variable brown laterally, further grading into diffuse darker brown areas ventro-laterally; remaining colouration brown of varying intensity, becoming slightly paler posteriorly on each tergite; posterior and ventral margins and intersegmental membranes pale sandy brown. Sternite II pale yellow-brown, with patches of darker brown ventrally adjacent and in medial depression; remaining sternites pale sandy brown, with very faint darkening medially; yellow along posterior margins and intersegmental membranes.

Genitalia. Pygofer dominantly medium brown, sandy brown along posterior margins; in ventral outline, relatively parallel lateral margins, rounded along anterior margin; dorsal beak sharp and well defined, shorter than for D. hobsoni ; upper lobes rounded apically, slightly longer than for D. hobsoni ; basal lobes in ventral view elongated, narrowing apically in finger-like shape; claspers elongated, tending acutely rounded apically, extending well outside pygofer in lateral view; uncus in lateral view short, roughly triangular shaped; pseudoparameres similar in length to endotheca.

Female (Plate 3B).

Head. Very similar to male in colouration, including ocelli, anteclypeus and rostrum.

Thorax. Pronotum predominantly pale to medium brown with scattered irregular black markings around paramedian and lateral fissures; medium brown, well defined central fascia splaying out along anterior and posterior margins. Mesonotum with black to deep brown submedial and lateral sigilla; remaining colouration sandy brown to brown, including arms of cruciform elevation; deep brown colouration between anterior and posterior cruciform elevation arms; pale yellow-silver pubescence adjacent to wing grooves and lateral sigilla.

PLATE 3. Drymopsalta acrotela sp. nov. A, Holotype male, PS1950; B, female, PS1951; both from Tolmer Falls, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory; body lengths 9.5 and 12.2 mm, respectively.

Wings. As in male.

Legs. Fore legs sandy brown with conspicuous broad longitudinal brown fasciae, best developed on trochanters, femurs, tibiae and tarsi; mid and hind legs similar, but typically paler in colour. Abdomen. Viewed dorsally, similar in width to pronotum, gently tapered posteriorly towards and including tergite 9; tergites 1 to 8 similar in colour to male, sometimes slightly paler; tergite 9 pale sandy brown with a pair of well defined, dark brown dorso-lateral longitudinal fasciae extending approximately three-quarters of tergite length from anterior margin, the black stigma located at their posterior terminations; sternites uniformly pale sandy-brown. Ovipositor sheaths extend 1.2–1.5 mm beyond termination of abdominal tergites.

Measurements. N= 133 3Ƥ. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: 3 8.9–9.9 (9.3); Ƥ 11.0–12.2 (11.5). FWL: 3 10.3–12.0 (11.3); Ƥ 12.4–13.2 (12.9). HW: 3 3.2–3.5 (3.4); Ƥ 3.5–3.6 (3.5); PW: 3 2.8–3.2 (3.0); Ƥ 3.2–3.4 (3.3). AW: 3 2.8–3.3 (3.1); Ƥ 3.1–3.2 (3.1). FWL/WR: 3 2.89–3.13 (2.99); Ƥ 2.93–3.14 (3.03).

Distribution, habitat and behaviour ( Fig. 6 ). Currently known from sandstone plateaus and escarpments in Litchfield National Park south of Darwin and the eastern section of Kakadu National Park. Observations in Litchfield suggest that the species is associated with a Callitrix sp. that grows in soils derived from sandstone. Like other species in the genus, adults are wary and difficult to locate. Populations tend to be relatively localised in areas of suitable habitat.

Etymology. From the Greek acros, meaning "top" and telos, meaning "end", referring to the distribution of the species being restricted to the Top End of the Northern Territory.

PLATE 4. Drymopsalta daemeli (Distant) . A, male, PS1955; B, female, PS1954; both from Wises Track, Royal National Park, via Audley, N.S.W.; body lengths 9.8 and 10.8 mm, respectively.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov., pygofer and male genitalia. A, lateral view; B, ventral view. Specimen locality as in Fig. 3. Length of pygofer 1.5 mm. Drymopsalta acrotela sp. nov., pygofer and male genitalia. C, lateral view; D, ventral view. Specimen from Litchfield National Park, Tolmer Falls, Northern Territory. Length of pygofer 1.44 mm.

FIGURE 6. Distribution records of the four described Drymopsalta species from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Inset shows the distribution of D. daemeli in N. S. W. (after Moulds, 2012).