Yoyetta enigmatica, Popple & Emery, 2020
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.3853/j.2201-4349.72.2020.1765 |
|
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B4BECFF5-5972-4F1B-819A-380798AE9082 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CDB1D916-07EE-440C-98C4-D8FD8B95D212 |
|
taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:CDB1D916-07EE-440C-98C4-D8FD8B95D212 |
|
treatment provided by |
Felipe |
|
scientific name |
Yoyetta enigmatica |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Yoyetta enigmatica View in CoL sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CDB1D916-07EE-440C-98C4-D8FD8B95D212
Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 4B View Figure 4 , 5B View Figure 5 , 6B View Figure 6 , 8–11 View Figure 8 View Figure 9 View Figure 10 View Figure 11
Holotype ♂, “Dawson Springs. 2 km ” / “E of Mt Kaputar summit” / “N.S.W. 1400m ” / “ 12 Dec. 1987 ” / “ S. & B. Underwood ” ( AM K.570298) . Paratypes — NEW SOUTH WALES: 1♂, N(ew) E(ngland). Nat Pk N.S.W., Pt Lookout, 5200 FT, 6.xii.1964, C. W. Frazier, University of New England coll. Donated 1983 ; 1♂, Ebor Reserve , 25.xi.1964, E. T . Giles, ex. nymph, University of New England coll. Donated 1983 ( ANIC) ; 1♂, Ebor N.S.W., 10.i.[19]16 [no collector] ( QM) ; 3♂♂, same data as holotype ; 1♂, Tubrabucca, Upper Hunter Dist. , 18.xii.1975, G. Daniels ( MSM) . QUEENSLAND: 1♂, Daves Creek , Lamington NP, 28.2226°S 153.2098°E, 12.xii.2017, L. W. Popple, Pop 511-0001 ( LWP) GoogleMaps .
Etymology. From Latin, meaning “baffling” or “inexplicable”. It refers to this species’ habit of spontaneously appearing and calling in flight for a short time before disappearing again as if it was never present. It is a very difficult cicada to observe, let alone capture.
Distribution, habitat and seasonality. Known only from mountainous areas above approximately 800 m altitude on the Queensland–New South Wales border at Springbrook and in Lamington National Park in the Daves Creek area. It is also known from Mt Kaputar in inland northern New South Wales, from Dawson Springs (type locality) near the summit. Specimens have also been collected from around Ebor in the New England Tableland east of Armidale and from Tubrabucca in the Upper Hunter district of central New South Wales ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). Populations appear to be associated with ash eucalypts ( Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus ). In Queensland, it is associated with Eucalyptus approximans subsp. codonocarpa at Daves Creek and with E. oreades at Springbrook. It occurs in open forest and montane heath ( Fig. 8C, D View Figure 8 ). All specimens have been taken in December or January; however, aural observations and recordings have been made between mid-October and late-January.
Calling song. The calling song of this species consists of repeated echemes emitted both when stationary and in flight ( Figs 9 View Figure 9 , 10 View Figure 10 ). When stationary, the echemes are produced in bouts, with pauses between each bout. When in flight, the echemes are emitted for longer periods and continue until the insect becomes stationary. In average weather conditions, the calling song is produced predominantly in flight. Each echeme has a duration of 0.09– 0.15 s and is separated by a silent gap of 0.21– 0.31 s (i.e. echemes are produced at a rate of 2 or 3 per second; n = 13 recordings from three sites). The calling song has a dominant frequency of 7.6–9.4 kHz and a high amplitude plateau spanning approximately 6.5–13.0 kHz. Males have been observed to be attracted to simulated female wing-flick responses, when these are timed precisely after each echeme (LWP, pers. obs., 12 December 2017).
Morphology. Male ( Figs 4B View Figure 4 , 5B View Figure 5 , 6B View Figure 6 , 8 View Figure 8 A–B, 11). Head slightly narrower than mesonotum, black, covered with conspicuous dark brown to black pubescence, sometimes with dark brown areas along lateral margins, adjacent to compound eyes; ocelli pink; dorsal side of postclypeus mainly black, dark brown along midline and lateral margins; ventral side of postclypeus black with dark brown lateral and posterior margins; anteclypeus shiny black; rostrum brown at base, becoming dark brown to black at apex, barely extending to proximal margins of hind coxae; lora black with dark reddish brown lateral margins, gena black; eyes dull grey-brown; antennae black, supra-antennal plates black, with base of pedicels ochraceous.
Thorax predominantly dark brown to black, cover in prominent dark brown to black pubescence. Pronotum dark brown with black areas either side of midline and along fissures or entirely black; pronotal collar dark brown to black, lateral angles black. Mesonotum dark brown to black; submedian and lateral sigilla black; cruciform elevation arms black, lateral depressions brown or dark brown. Metanotum shiny black.
Legs. Coxae mainly dark orange-brown or black; fore coxae with black areas on interior outer sides and black longitudinal stripes on inner sides; mid and hind coxae a mixture of dark orange-brown and black or almost entirely black; coxal joints and membranes orange to dull orange-brown; basisterna black; trochanters diffuse orange-brown to black; meracantha small, narrow, orange, black at base, pointed, minimally overlapping opercula; anterior side of fore femora black with an orange longitudinal stripe, posterior side orange with a black longitudinal stripe; femoral spines erect, orange-brown to dark orange-brown, darker apically; mid and hind femora mainly orange-brown or black, always partly black on anterior side; fore tibiae a mixture of black and orange-brown or completely black; mid tibiae orange brown or black; hind tibiae mainly orange-brown or dull brown, sometimes black at base; tarsi orange-brown to dark orange-brown (fore tarsi darkest); claws dark brown to black, black at tips.
Wings with fore wing costal veins dark brown to black, or ochraceous at base, grading to dark reddish-brown distally; pterostigma mottled dark reddish-brown and black; basal cells translucent to transparent, partly pale brown; basal membranes orange; CuP+1A grey-brown; other venation dark brown to black; with eight apical cells; hind wing plagas opaque white; anal lobes transparent; with six apical cells.
Opercula ( Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ) covering abdominal cavity, spatulate, following body axis ventrolaterally, depressed centrally, variably black on basal quarter, otherwise orange-brown, clearly separated.
Timbals ( Fig. 5B View Figure 5 ) with five distinct long ribs; long ribs 1–4 extending across surrounding membrane and fused dorsally along basal spur; long rib 5 independent of basal spur, comparatively shorter, extending ventrally across half of membrane; large ridged dome on posterior timbal plate extending across three-quarters of timbal; apodeme pit ovalshaped and conspicuous.
Abdomen. Tergite 1 black, with orange-red membranes sometimes visible along anterior margin; tergite 2 black; tergites 3–7 black with orange posterior margins that are particularly prominent on lateral sides of tergite 7; tergite 8 black, grading to diffuse dark reddish-brown over posterior half ( Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Epipleurites dark orange-brown, orange on posterior margins. Sternite II mainly black, tending orange laterally and along posterior margin; sternite III–VI dull orange, pale and brighter on posterior margin; sternite VIII dull orange, with dark orange-brown pubescence.
Genitalia ( Fig. 11 View Figure 11 ). Pygofer shiny black; upper lobes mainly black, apices orange; basal lobes dark orange-brown to black; dorsal beak mainly black, dark brown along posterior margin, anal styles reddish-orange. Uncus reddishbrown; lobes in lateral view beak-like with rounded apex; claspers weakly divided, with apices diverging and directed ventrally. Aedeagus with pseudoparameres extending along approximately 2/3 length of theca; theca recurved ventrally at around 120°, with broken transparent flange shown adjoining a weak hook at strongest point of recurvature, this flange broadest along ventral margin, narrower than width of theca; remainder of theca is long, with>30% of theca extending apically beyond strongest point of recurvature; apex recurved another 90° with tip directed dorsally, terminally acute, with a limited array of short spines.
Female unknown.
Measurements (in mm; 9 males). Body length: 21.7–25.0 (23.4). Fore wing length: 27.4–30.0 (28.7). Fore wing width: 9.1–10.4 (9.9). Head width: 6.1 (6.3). Pronotum width: 6.5–7.5 (7.0). Abdomen width: 6.5–7.4 (6.9).
Distinguishing features. The calling song of Y. enigmatica sp. nov. is unlike any other in the Yoyetta abdominalis species group. However, more broadly within the genus Yoyetta , the calling song of this species is closely similar to that of Y. repetens Emery, Emery & Popple ( Y. tristrigata species group). Like Y. enigmatica , Y. repetens produces echemes in bursts when stationary across a broad frequency spectrum (between approx. 6–12 kHz). However, unlike Y. repetens , Y. enigmatica predominantly calls during prolonged, meandering flights ( Y. repetens will also call in flight, but only briefly when flying directly between singing stations). The echemes produced by Y. enigmatica sp. nov. are also usually longer than those produced by Y. repetens . The two species are allopatric in distribution so there would be limited opportunity for confusion.
Within the Y. abdominalis species group, Y. enigmatica sp. nov. is morphologically closest to Y. subalpina Emery, Emery & Popple , Y. grandis Emery, Emery & Popple , Y. regalis Emery, Emery & Popple and Y. douglasi sp. nov. in which both sexes have an extensively opaque, bold, white hind wing plaga and the males have black abdominal tergites with conspicuous narrow, orange or yellow posterior margins. Males can be easily distinguished from Y. grandis by having orange fore wing basal membranes (cf. pale grey or pale orange) and predominantly orange-brown opercula (cf. pale cream). They can be distinguished from Y. regalis and Y. douglasi by the lack of conspicuous bold black central markings on sternites III–VII. Finally, they can be distinguished from Y. subalpina by the much longer theca (>30% of theca extending apically beyond strongest point of recurvature, which is distinctly terminally acute (cf. short and blunt).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.