Monomalpha stenocara, Löcker, 2020

Löcker, Birgit, 2020, Revision of the Australian planthopper genus Monomalpha Emeljanov with the description of the new genus Latissima (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae: Cixiini), Zootaxa 4858 (3), pp. 375-393 : 386-387

Monomalpha stenocara sp. nov.

( Figs 6 , 11 , 13A )

Zoobank registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11A1BBE1-0F51-41B7-9401-6EE238ADCCC9

Types. Holotype, 1 ♂, AUSTRALIA, Qld : GS2 Mt Edith, 17.06S 147.37E, 1050m, malaise trap, 29.ix.-31.x.1995 (L. Umback) ( ANIC 20 011168).

Etymology. The Greek term ‘stenos’ means ‘narrow’ and ‘kara’ means ‘head’, ‘face’. Named after the narrow head (vertex and frons).

Colour. Head light brown apart from slightly darker areas in apical compartment of vertex and in the smooth, raised area between vertex and frons. Pronotum light brown, mesonotum mid brown. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins concolorous with cells or slightly darker (crossveins and some sections of longitudinal veins sometimes darker). Legs light brown. Abdomen mid brown.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 4.6 mm.

Head: Vertex 1.4 x longer than wide; distinctly wider at base than at apical carina; subapical carina v-shaped; lateral carinae strongly elevated; median carina of vertex covering about 3/4 of entire length of basal compartment; angle formed by caudal border of vertex more or less rectangle. In dorsal view head including eyes distinctly narrower than pronotum. Frons 1.5 x longer than wide; maximum width of frons about twice apical width, steadily broadening; median carina on frons complete, moderately developed; lateral carinae of frons in facial view sinuate, slightly s-shaped. Frontoclypeal suture slightly semicircular, bent upwards, median part not reaching lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with well-developed median and lateral carinae. Anteclypeus with weakly developed median carina; lateral carinae absent. Median carina on anteclypeus about as highly elevated as on postclypeus.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum obtusely angled. Forewing 3.3 x longer than wide; costal margin with 22–25 tubercles; crossvein r-m 1 distinctly basad of or at same level as fork MP1+2 and MP3+4; tubercles of forewing concolorous with veins or slightly in contrast with paler coloured veins; transverse veinlet m-cu 1, where it inserts at CuA, distinctly distad of transverse veinlet r-m 1; transverse veinlet m-cu 1, where it inserts at MP3+4, distinctly distad of transverse veinlet r-m 1; icu, where it inserts at CuA, distinctly distad of apex of clavus; RP bifid; additional subapical cell between branches of RP present; MP1+2 bifid; CuA1 and CuA2 apically unforked; CuA1 and CuA2 apically unforked; crossvein m-cu 2 (delimiting subapical cell C4) distinctly distad of crossvein icua (delimiting subapical cell C5); subapical cell C5 about the same length as subapical cell C4. Hind leg: tibia with 3 small to large lateral spines and 6 apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 7 apical teeth and no platellae, fourth tooth (counted from the outer side) longer (= protruding further towards second hind tarsomere) than third tooth; 2 nd tarsomere with 7 apical teeth, no platellae but 3 very fine setae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 11 C-D. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 11 E-F. Aedeagus ( Figs 11 A- B): Phallotheca dorsally with a short spine (a) and ventrally with a long, curved, bifurcate spine (b). Phallotheca ventrally with a slightly sclerotised ventral ridge near base. Flagellum without spines.

Diagnosis. Just like M. gratiosa this species occurs in Queensland. However, M. stenocara is hitherto only recorded from northern Queensland, whereas M. gratiosa inhabits southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Monomalpha stenocara can be separated from the other two species in Monomalpha by the arrangement of apical teeth on the 1 st hind tarsomere. In M. gratiosa and M. fletcheri the apical teeth seem to be arranged in two rows, with the fourth tooth (counted from outside) shorter (= protruding less far towards second hind tarsomere) than the third tooth ( Figs 3F , 5F ). In M. stenocara all spines are arranged in one row with the fourth tooth (counted from the outer side) longer (= protruding further towards second hind tarsomere) than the third tooth ( Fig. 6E ). Further, M. stenocara has 7 apical teeth on the 2 nd hind tarsomere ( Fig. 6E ) whereas the two other species usually have 6 apical teeth (rarely 7).

Distribution: Qld.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Monomalpha fletcheri: A–B habitus (A holotype); C–E head and thorax; F hind tarsi; G hind tibia.

FIGURE 5. Monomalpha gratiosa (holotype). A habitus dorsal; B habitus lateral; C–E head and thorax; F hind tibiae and tarsi. Photos courtesy of Dr Olívia Evangelista (ANIC). Used with permission.

FIGURE 6. Monomalpha stenocara (holotype): A habitus; B–D head and thorax; E hind tarsi.

FIGURE 11. Monomalpha stenocara (holotype): A aedeagus left lateral; B aedeagus ventral; C–D anal tube; E–F genital styles.

FIGURE 13. Known distribution of: A Monomalpha; B Latissima.