Abricta brunnea ( Fabricius, 1798 )

Moulds, M. S., 2003, An Appraisal of the Cicadas of the Genus Abricta Stål and Allied Genera (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae), Records of the Australian Museum 55, pp. 245-304 : 259

Abricta brunnea ( Fabricius, 1798)

Figs. 19, 37, 38, 40a,b

Tettigonia brunnea Fabricius, 1798: 517 ; Fabricius, 1803: 18, 43; Donovan, 1820: [4]; Zimsen, 1964: 291.

Cicada brunnea .– Germar, 1830: 42; Burmeister, 1835: 182; Walker, 1850: 230; Dohrn, 1859: 75.

Tibicen brunnea .– Stål, 1861: 618.

Tibicen (Abricta) brunneus .– Stål, 1866: 26; Atkinson, 1886: 187; Distant, 1892a: 131; Kirby, 1893: 178; Melichar, 1904: 26.

Tibicen brunneus .– Stål, 1870: 8; Atkinson, 1885: 157; Atkinson, 1886: 188.

Abricta brunnea .– Karsch, 1890: 121; Karsch, 1891: 348; Distant, 1905a: 27; Distant, 1906: 130; Orian, 1954: 235; Orian, 1956: 651; Mamet, 1957: 73; Metcalf, 1963: 205–206; Boulard, 1979: 28–30 , 31, 33, 35, 44, 45; Duffels & van der Laan, 1985: 234; Boulard, 1990: 209, 210.

Types. Two presumed syntype males ( UZMC, ex University of Kiel collection), one labelled brunnea (apparently in Fabricius’ hand) and “ TYPE ” (red, machine-printed label); the other specimen is unlabelled .

Lectotype designation. Fabricius (1798) described this species without stating the number of specimens examined, recording only the locality and collector as “in Isle de France Dom. Daldorff”. However, five years later Fabricius (1803) listed two specimens as being in his collection at the University of Kiel. Zimsen (1964) listed both specimens as now being in UZMC (see above). It is reasonable to assume that Fabricius may have based his description on both these specimens. To clarify the identity of the species and follow the apparent intentions of Fabricius the male labelled “Type” is here designated lectotype and the other paralectotype.

Material examined. Type as above and the following. MAURITIUS: 1♀, 1837, Desjardins ; 13, 1838, Desjardins; 13, 1901, Ch. Alluaud; 13, 60, Ray. Mamet, Coll. R . Mamet ; 13, Reduit, R . Mamet , Coll. R . Mamet (all labelled Ile Maurice and det. Michel Boulard, 1978) ( MNHP) .

Description

Male ( Figs. 19, 37, 38, 40a). Head. Black or nearly black but sometimes partly dark ferruginous, usually with a small ochraceous spot on dorsal midline against posterior margin. Postclypeus glossy black with a narrow muddy pale yellow margin extending sometimes partially to dorsal region. Anteclypeus glossy black. Rostrum black with basal region brown or dull yellow; reaching bases of hind coxae. Antennae brown to nearly black. Bearing some indistinct silver pubescence, more obvious below. Thorax. Pronotum ochraceous with ferruginous markings; a broad ferruginous fascia on midline, spreading laterally at its posterior end against pronotal collar and to a slightly smaller degree at its anterior end, the shape of this fascia somewhat variable between individuals; broken ferruginous patches following pronotal grooves and transversely between first and second grooves; also a narrow ferruginous border around ochraceous area, broadening laterally; pronotal collar ferruginous. Mesonotum dark ferruginous with much of dorsal region often tending brown with a dorsal pair of dark ferruginous obconical markings based on anterior margin, and sometimes a much larger lateral pair of similar obconical markings; cruciform elevation usually brown, sometimes dark ferruginous. Thorax below brown rather than dark ferruginous and usually bearing obvious silver pubescence. Wings. Hyaline, usually with a faint brownish tint. Fore wing basal cell tinted golden brown; venation brown with much of costal margin ferruginous; basal membrane orange basally becoming blackish, sometimes almost entirely black. Hind wing plaga muddy white to brown, very broad along 3A almost to its distal end and along inner margin, these two almost meeting, also very narrow plaga along 2A to or near to its distal end; venation brown. Legs. Brown, variable in tone both on individuals and between individuals. Opercula. Light yellowish brown; extending to or just beyond margins of tympanal cavities, never quite meeting; usually covered to a large degree by fine silver pubescence. Abdomen. Tergites ferruginous brown, usually dark. Sternites similar in colour to tergites but sternites III–VI usually with a narrow, orange-brown distal margin. Abdomen above and below often with silver pubescence. Tymbals ( Fig. 19). Bearing 14 long ribs, otherwise as for generic description. Genitalia ( Figs. 37, 38). Pygofer ferruginous; upper pygofer lobes in lateral and ventral views small and rounded; secondary upper pygofer lobes in lateral view sharply pointed and lying just below upper lobes, in ventral view conical with apex rounded; basal lobes in lateral view barely visible, in ventral view broad, angular with slightly rounded apex. Uncal lobes terminating in thick-set, down-turned lobes, in ventral view tapering to a blunt point. Conjunctival claws directed ventrally, very small, claw-like, simple.

Female ( Fig. 40b). Colour and markings similar to male. Abdominal segment 9 ferruginous brown. Ovipositor sheath dark ferruginous, extending almost 1 mm beyond distal end of dorsal beak.

Measurements. n = 333, 1♀ (includes all available specimens). Length of body: male 19.9–21.5 (21.0); female 24.0. Length of fore wing: male 26.0–28.0 (27.1); female 29.8. Width of head: male 7.1–7.5 (7.3); female 8.2. Width of pronotum: male 7.0–7.6 (7.4); female 8.2.

Distribution. Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Records from Italian Somaliland ( Melichar, 1904) and Bengal ( Stål, 1866; Atkinson, 1885) are probably erroneous as they are based on single records from localities far removed from records of positive origin.