Aacanthocnema casuarinae (Froggatt)

Taylor, Gary S., Jennings, John T., Purcell, Matthew F. & Austin, Andy D., 2011, A new genus and ten new species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera: Triozidae) from Allocasuarina (Casuarinaceae) in Australia, Zootaxa 3009, pp. 1-45 : 13

Aacanthocnema casuarinae (Froggatt)

Figs 6–13 , 16–18 , 136 ; Tables 1–8

Trioza casuarinae Froggatt, 1901: 284 –285, pl. xv fig. 11, pl. xvi fig. 27.

Aacanthocnema casuarinae (Froggatt) , Tuthill and Taylor 1955: 252 –253, fig. 22.

Types. AUSTRALIA, New South Wales: Type series: 2 3, 1Ƥ (dried) Manly, Froggatt, 22.ix.1894, Casuarina , Type W.W.F. 1901 (ANIC); 13 (slide) [fore wing, hind leg, parameres, aedeagus], same data except Aacanthocnema casuarina (Frogg.) (Type series), body in spirit [specimen in ethanol not seen] (ANIC); nymphs (dried, slide) Type W.W.F. 1901 (ANIC); 73, 4Ƥ (dried), same data (ANIC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: 2Ƥ (dried), McGarr's Creek, Sydney ( ANIC); 1Ƥ (dried), Mittagong ( ANIC); 33, 3Ƥ (dried), Sydney ( ANIC); 53, 9Ƥ (dried), Sweetwater, Kain ( ANIC); 5 3, 6 Ƥ (slide), Tolwong, NNE Nettiga (AM). Tasmania: 1 3, 1 Ƥ (slide) E Queenstown ( ANIC).

Description. Adult ( Figs 6–12 ). Colour [from dried specimens]: Male: general colour ochraceous to dark brown. Vertex dark brown; genal processes white to pale cream; antennal segments 1–2 brown to dark brown; segment 3 brown, darker apically; segments 4–10 progressively dark brown to black; pronotum with a pair of dark brown to black longitudinal submedial stripes; mesopraescutum darker laterally; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum dark brown; wings clear except for brown infuscation along veins R+M+Cu, M, M1+2, M3+4, Cu, Cu1a, Cu1b and distal portion of Rs; legs with dorsal dark brown infuscation; distal tarsal segments dark brown to black; abdominal tergites dark brown to black; proctiger, subgenital plate and parameres brown to dark brown. Female: as for male, except paler: vertex with a pair of brown markings in vicinity of fovea; pronotum with a pair of brown to dark brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesopraescutum with a pair of brown submedial markings; mesoscutellum with a pair of orange-brown to brown longitudinal stripes; proctiger brown with dark brown infuscation in proximity to circum-anal pore ring and dark brown to black at apex; subgenital plate with dark brown apex.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 1.33–1.47 times width of head; genal processes moderately long, 0.65–0.84 times length of vertex, conical, apices separated, little-divergent; anterior margin of vertex rounded from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex with distinct medial suture; pronotum with prominent anterior, medial node; thorax weakly arched, head wider than pronotum and mesoscutum, fore wings elongate with broadly rounded apex; Rs short, terminating well short of wing apex; vein M1+2 terminating little short of wing apex; cell m1 short, broadly triangular, m1 cell value 0.93–1.42; cell cu1 short triangular, cu1 cell value 1.15–1.52; vein Cu1a strongly arched (veins Cu1a and M proximal at closest point); radular areas elongate in cells m1 and m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Figs 16–17 ; proctiger without lateral expansions; parameres short, broad basally from lateral aspect, weakly curved inward towards apices. Female terminalia as in Fig 18 ; proctiger broadly rounded, dorsal margin rather flat from lateral aspect; subgenital plate short, broadly rounded, triangular from lateral aspect.

Nymph ( Fig 13 ): Measurements and ratios as in Tables 6–7 . Body brown with dark brown markings. Eyes reddish brown; head with submedial dark brown markings in vicinity of fovea; thorax with meso-and metathoracic depressions dark brown to black; lateral margins of fore wing pads dark brown; caudal plate with dark brown infuscation submedially and delineating margins of abdominal tergites. Body elongate; anterior margin of head rounded; dorsum of body with a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; caudal plate narrow with hind margin rounded.

Distribution. Recorded from Sydney and adjacent localities in the Blue Mountains. Two specimens from a single locality near Queenstown in montane western Tasmania are tentatively attributed to Aa. casuarinae ( Fig. 136 ).

Host plant. Froggatt (1901) recorded the host as Casuarina distyla (junior synonym of Allocasuarina distyla (Vent.) L. Johnson ). Allocasuarina distyla occurs as a dioecious shrub 1–3 m high in tall heath on sandstone ridges from Port Stephens to east of Cooma in south-western New South Wales. Specimens of Aa. casuarinae collected from Eucalyptus simmondsi (junior synonym of E. ambigua A.Cunn ex DC.) in Tasmania were undoubtedly from nearby Allocasuarina , although A. distyla is not recorded from Tasmania ( Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. Aacanthocnema casuarinae is very close morphologically to Aa. burckhardti (see Comments under Aa. burckhardti for diagnoses).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 13. Aacanthocnema casuarinae (Froggatt): (6), habitus, male (dorsal aspect); (7), habitus, female (dorsal aspect); (8), habitus, male (lateral aspect); (9), habitus, female (lateral aspect); (10), fore wing, male; (11), fore wing, female; (12), head (dorsal aspect); (13), nymph (dried). Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 18. Aacanthocnema burckhardti sp. nov. and Aa. casuarinae (Froggatt): Aa. burckhardti: (14), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (15), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); Aa. casuarinae: (16), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (17), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (18), female terminalia (lateral aspect). Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 136 – 137. Distribution for species of Aacanthocnema in Australia: (136),, Aa. burckhardti sp. nov.;, Aa. casuarinae (Froggatt);, Aa. dobsoni (Froggatt); (137),, Aa. huegelianae sp. nov.;, Aa. luehmannii sp. nov.;, Aa. torulosae sp. nov.