Xosopsaltria brachyptera, Sanborn, Allen F. & Villet, Martin H., 2016

Sanborn, Allen F. & Villet, Martin H., 2016, Two new species of Xosopsaltria Kirkaldy, 1904, with a key to the species of South African pygmy bladder cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Tettigomyiini), Zootaxa 4092 (2), pp. 195-206 : 196-200

Xosopsaltria brachyptera n. sp.

( Figs 1–3 )

Xosopsaltria n. sp. Phillips, Sanborn & Villet 2002: 31. Xosopsaltria n. sp. Sanborn, Phillips & Villet 2003: 349, Table 1. Xosopsaltria n. sp. Sanborn 2013: 668.

Type material. Holotype. SOUTH AFRICA “Tissue sample MHV0208 / Bloukrantz Pass / EC RSA / 33°23’37”S 26°42’32”E / 4 JAN 2005 / M.H. Villet” male (AMGS). Paratypes. “MHV0208 / Bloukrantz Pass / EC RSA / 33°23’37”S 26°42’32”E / 4 JAN 2005 / M.H. Villet” 4 males, 1 female (AMGS); “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / R67 S of Grahamstown / 33° 24.67’ S 26° 44.00’ E / 18 Dec 2001 / M. Villet, coll.” 8 males (AFSC); “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / R67 S of Grahamstown / 33° 24.67’ S 26° 44.00’ E / 18 Dec 2001 / M. Villet, coll.” 2 males (AFSC); “ SOUTH AFRICA E. Cape Prov. / R67 N of Bathurst / 33° 24.67’ S 26° 44.00’ E / 20 Dec 2001 / A. Sanborn, coll.” 3 males (AFSC); “Blaawkranz Pass / EC RSA / 33°23’38”S 26°42’35”E / 23 DEC 2001 / A. Sanborn” 1 male (AMGS); “Glenton Farm / EC RSA / 33°24’39”S 26°44’02”E / 20 DEC 2001 / A. Sanborn” 2 males (AMGS); “MHV1593 / Aloe Ridge Farm / EC RSA / 33°21’57”S 26°39’37”E / 309 m / 28 NOV 2009 / J.M. Midgley” 3 males (AMGS).

Etymology. The species is named for its relatively short fore wings. It is the only known Xosopsaltria whose fore wings do not extend to the posterior of the abdomen when they are in their resting position against the body.

Measurements (mm). Male, N = 13, mean (range). Length of body: 14.82 (14.0–16.0); length of fore wing: 10.56 (9.9–11.1); width of fore wing: 4.65 (4.5–4.8); length of head: 1.79 (1.7–1.9); width of head including eyes: 2.71 (2.5–2.8); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 4.25 (3.9–4.5); width of mesonotum: 3.60 (3.4– 3.8). Female, N = 1, Length of body: 10.2; length of fore wing: 5.9; width of fore wing: 2.9; length of head: 1.6; width of head including eyes: 2.5; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 3.8; width of mesonotum: 3.3.

Diagnosis. All other known species of Xosopsaltria have fore wings that reach to or beyond the posterior terminus of the abdomen when they are in their resting position. The short fore wings of the new species, reaching only to abdominal segment 7, make it easy to distinguish from the currently known species of the genus.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Ground color castaneous, markings tawny and ochraceous. Live specimens become progressively darker as they age.

Head: Head narrower than mesonotum; dark castaneous with black fascia extending from median eye angle to posterior of head medial to posterior cranial depression, connecting laterally to black posterior to eye; anterior and medial margins of supra-antennal plate black. Ocelli rosaceous; eyes tawny. Gena black, leaving dark castaneous spot on anterior margin of vertex. Lorum black. Lorum and gena with long silvery pile. Postclypeus dark castaneous, lateral margin ochraceous; centrally sulcate, with ten transverse grooves. Anteclypeus dark castaneous; covered with long silvery pile. Mentum and labium dark castaneous, midline ochraceous; tip dark castaneous, reaching to mesotrochanters. Antennae black except for ochraceous annulus on distal scape.

Thorax: Dorsal thorax dark castaneous, almost black in some paratypes. Pronotal scutes dark tawny; collar dark castaneous, lighter medial to lateral angle; anterior margin of lateral angle with black marks. Mesonotum dark castaneous; parapsidal sutures ochraceous; tawny in depression anterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation; in medial wing groove, mark extending onto lateral cruciform elevation between anterior and posterior arms; cruciform elevation dark castaneous; one paratype with ochraceous fasciae in sigillae. Metanotum castaneous, lighter anterolaterally. Thoracic sterna ochraceous laterally, dark castaneous medially, with ochraceous marks proximal to legs on trochantin 2, meron 2, epimeron 2, basisternum 3, and trochantin 3. Lateral regions tawny or dark castaneous, reduced or more expansive in some paratypes. Silvery pile in wing groove, between arms of cruciform elevation, and on posterior metanotum and sterna.

Wings: Fore and hind wings hyaline, with eight and five apical cells, respectively. Venation black. Infuscation in all cells, denser along all veins. Basal membrane of fore wing grayish, black distally. Venation of hind wing tawny basally, black distally with similar infuscation to fore wing, small ochraceous areas on basal radius anterior and radius posterior + median veins. Anal cell 3, anal cell 2 along anal vein 3, and proximal half of anal cell 1 grayish.

Legs: Legs dark castaneous, distal segments lighter. Coxae dark castaneous with lateral ochraceous region distally; trochanters dark castaneous with distal ochraceous annulus; femora dark ochraceous striped with castaneous. Fore femur with black spines connected by black mark along femur margin; primary spine oblique; secondary spine largest, upright; tertiary spine oblique; apical spine very small, upright. Tibial spurs and comb tawny with castaneous tips. Fore tarsi dark castaneous; middle tarsi tawny basally; hind tarsi tawny.

Operculum: Male operculum semicircular, not reaching to posterior of timbal cavity, medial margin extending to middle of posterior coxa; ochraceous, light castaneous or tawny in some paratypes, with a black transverse mark posterior to meracanthus, black posterior margin and light castaneous spot on lateral base; covered with short silvery pile. Meracanthus short, slightly pointed, dark castaneous, lateral margins of point ochraceous.

Abdomen: Abdominal tergites castaneous, anterior and posterior margins ochraceous. Tergites 1 and 2 dark with very small ochraceous bands. Anterior ochraceous band increasing in size posteriorly from tergite 3–8. Epipleurites ochraceous anteriorly and posteriorly, center castaneous. Sternite I dark castaneous. Sternite II dark castaneous medially, ochraceous laterally. Sternites III–VI ochraceous anteriorly and posteriorly with transverse castaneous middle, dark region expanding in some paratypes. Sternites VII–VIII ochraceous anteriorly, castaneous posteriorly. No pile. Timbal cover absent. Timbal white with three variably-sized ribs and a black mark on posterior of apodeme pit. Timbal ribs and timbal plate slightly darker than remaining timbal.

Genitalia: Male pygofer castaneous, posterolateral spots ochraceous, posterior margin lighter; distal shoulder curved, reaching to rounded posterior margin; dorsal beak lacking; basal lobes flattened laterally, bluntly triangular at apex; anal styles tawny with ochraceous base, with long golden pile. Uncus lobes very short, castaneous, with long golden pile radiating dorsally; claspers castaneous, arching dorsally, bent at approximately right angle at median uncus, expanding laterally and folding under toward black, rounded terminus, forming a canal at midline for castaneous aedeagus.

Female ( Fig. 2 ). Ground color tawny, markings castaneous.

Head: Head distinctly narrower than mesonotum; tawny darker on frons. Ocelli rosaceous; eyes tawny. Gena black, leaving dark castaneous spot on anterior margin of vertex. Gena and lorum blackish with long silvery pile. Postclypeus tawny; distinctly bulbous; medially sulcate on dorsal and ventral surfaces; with ten transverse grooves housing fine black setae. Anteclypeus fuscous, with long silvery pile. Mentum castaneous. Labium reaching to mesotrochanters, tawny, darker laterally and apically. Antennae dark castaneous.

Thorax: Dorsal thorax tawny. Pronotal coloration fairly uniform except for slightly darker lines running parallel to median sulcus. Mesonotum tawny, midline, cruciform elevation and a marking laterad of anterior end of parapsidal suture dark castaneous. Metanotum fuscous. Thoracic sterna tawny, blackened around coxal cavities. Thoracic pleura tawny. Silvery pile in wing groove, between arms of cruciform elevation, and on posterior metanotum and sterna.

Wings: Fore wing hyaline, with seven or eight apical cells; hind wings hyaline, with four or five apical cells; apical cells of left and right wings sometimes asymmetrical and distorted by brachyptery. Venation tawny, darker on costal and anal veins. Basal membrane of fore wing grayish, blackened distally. Anal cell 3, anal cell 2 along anal vein 3, and proximal half of anal cell 1 grayish.

Legs: Legs dark castaneous, distal segments lighter. Coxae blackish castaneous with lateral ochraceous region distally. Trochanters castaneous. Femora tawny. Fore femur with tawny spines; primary spine oblique, pointed; secondary spine upright; tertiary spine oblique; apical spine very small, upright. Tibial spurs and comb tawny with castaneous tips. Fore tarsi dark castaneous; middle tarsi tawny basally; hind tarsi tawny.

Operculum: Female operculum reduced, not reaching to posterior of tympanal cavity; rounded in ventral view, medial margin extending to middle of posterior coxa; tawny; covered with short silvery pile. Meracanthus very short, slightly pointed, blackish basally and paler apically.

Abdomen: Abdominal tergites generally tawny with posterior margins and auditory capsule fuscous, but tergites 8 and 9 fuscous with posterior margin tawny; each tergite with a blackish spot mesad of lateral margin; lateral margins blackened. Sternite I dark castaneous. Sternite II and III castaneous anteriorly, ochraceous posteriorly. Sternites IV–VI castaneous anteriorly, blackened posteriorly. Tergite 9 with long silvery pile on dark areas on lateral margins.

Genitalia: Ovipositor valves not extending beyond tip of abdomen; tawny, ventral margins darker, becoming piceous apically. Ovipositor amber; apices not visible within valves.

Distribution. Upper Kowie River catchment, South Africa ( Fig. 3 ).

Notes on the biology of the species. The species is associated with the Albany Coastal Belt vegetation type of the Albany Thicket biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). Males call from grasses (e.g. Panicum sp.) and weedy plants in open areas between bushclumps and in adjacent pastures.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Xosopsaltria brachyptera n. sp.: A, holotype male; B, paratype male dorsum; C, paratype male operculum; D, paratype male timbal; E, paratype male lateral view of genitalia; F, paratype male posterior view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 1 cm; B, 5 mm; C, 2 mm; D – F, 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Xosopsaltria brachyptera n. sp.: A, paratype female; B, paratype female fore femur; C, paratype female lateral view of genitalia; D, paratype female ventral view of genitalia; E, paratype female operculum. Scale bar: A, 1 cm;; B, 1 mm; C – D, 2 mm; E, 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Distributions of (○) Xosopsaltria brachyptera n. sp. and (●) Xosopsaltria vitripennis n. sp. Roads and town are marked in grey.