Acanthocasuarina verticillatae Taylor

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 : 39-44

Acanthocasuarina verticillatae Taylor , sp. nov.

Figs 119–126 , 133–135 , 139 ; Tables 1–8

Types. AUSTRALIA, South Australia: Holotype: 1 3 (slide) Kangaroo Island, West Bay Rd, 35º53.414'S 136º33.515'E, G.S. Taylor & J.T. Jennings, 9.ii.2008, swept from Allocasuarina verticillata , ABCL 2008 514 (SAMA). Paratypes: 11 3, 12 Ƥ, (slide) same data as holotype (ANIC, QMBA, SAMA, WINC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, South Australia: from Allocasuarina verticillata : 1 Ƥ (dried) 10 km N Ardrossan ( WINC); 3 3, 4 Ƥ 3.5 km E Callington ( WINC); 1 3, 5 Ƥ (dried) Cooks Hill, 15 km E Mt Pleasant ( WINC); 3 Ƥ (dried) Dawesley-Kanmantoo ( WINC); 3 3, 3 Ƥ (dried) 4.2 km S Edithburgh ( WINC); 2 Ƥ S Edithburgh ( WINC); 1 Ƥ Hindmarsh Island ( WINC); 2 3, 2 Ƥ KI, Baudin CP ( WINC); 1 Ƥ KI, Harveys Return ( WINC); 10 3, 14 Ƥ KI, Lathami CP ( WINC); 3 3. 6 Ƥ KI, Muston Lookout ( WINC); 7 3, 8 Ƥ KI, Vivonne Bay ( WINC); KI, 1 km S Snellings Beach ( WINC); 11 3, 8 Ƥ KI, E Stokes Bay ( WINC); 2 3, 5 Ƥ KI, 1 km S Stokes Bay ( WINC); 5 3, 1 Ƥ KI, 1 3 5 km W Vivonne Bay ( WINC); 3 3, 3 Ƥ (dried), 4 nymphs (1 slide), 13 3, 10 Ƥ KI, West Bay Rd ( WINC); 4 3, 10 Ƥ KI, Western R. ( WINC); 1 Ƥ KI, Willoughby Rd ( WINC); 2 3, 5 Ƥ Mt Barker- Murray Bridge ( WINC); 4 3, 5 Ƥ (dried) 4 Ƥ Mt Barker, summit ( WINC); 1 Ƥ, (dried) 15 km E Mt Pleasant ( WINC); 2 Ƥ (dried), 1 Ƥ 3 km W Port Giles ( WINC); 2 Ƥ 5 km WSW Port Giles ( WINC); 1 Ƥ Spring Gully CP ( WINC); 1 3, 3 Ƥ (dried) Urrbrae ( WINC); 2 3, 2 Ƥ Wool Bay ( WINC); 1 3 1 km W Wool Bay ( WINC); 1 Ƥ 10 km N Victor Harbor ( WINC); 1 Ƥ YP, Lake Fowler ( WINC); 1 3, 4 Ƥ YP, Parsons Beach ( WINC). Tasmania: from Allocasuarina verticillata : 1 3, 1 Ƥ (slide) Domain, Hobart ( ANIC); from undet. Allocasuarina : 1 3, 1 nymph (slide) 2 km NW Seven Mile Beach ( ANIC).

Description. Adult ( Figs 119–125 ). Colour: Male: general colour pale cream to orange-brown with dark brown to black markings. Vertex pale with a pair of dark brown longitudinal submedial stripes in vicinity of fovea; genal processes dark brown to black; antennal segments 1–2 dark brown to black; segment 3 ochraceous, darker apically; segments 4–10 dark brown to black; pronotum pale with a pair of dark brown to black submedial stripes; mesopraescutum edged dark brown to black; mesoscutum with two pairs of brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesoscutellum light orange-brown; wings clear; wing veins R+M+Cu with whitish colouration merging to pale grey-brown in vicinity of trifurcating veins, R, M and Cu, all wing veins conspicuously dark brown to black distally; abdominal tergites dark brown to black; proctiger and subgenital plate orange-brown; parameres dark brown to black distally; proximal segment of aedeagus brown, distal segment brown with pale cream coloured apex; legs with dorsal grey-brown infuscation; tarsi dark brown to black. Female: as for male, except proctiger with proximal and dorsal brown markings and pale in vicinity of circum-anal pore ring; subgenital plate with anterior brown markings; proctiger and subgenital plate with dark brown to black apices.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 1.33–1.57 times width of head; genal processes moderate in length, conical, apices separated, divergent; anterior margin of vertex angled submedially from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex with medial suture; pronotum with prominent anterior, medial node; thorax weakly arched, head distinctly wider than pronotum and mesoscutum, fore wings elongate with broadly rounded apex; Rs long, mostly straight except distally, terminating well short of wing apex; vein M1+2 terminating short of wing apex; cell m1 short, broadly triangular, m1 cell value 0.88–1.25; cell cu1 moderately long, triangular, cu1 cell value 0.74–1.00; radular areas thin, elongate in cells m1, m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Figs 133–134 ; proctiger without lateral expansions; parameres short with bulbous basal lobe, narrowing to thin incurved apices. Female terminalia as in Fig. 135 ; proctiger short with dorso-posterior margin sharply angled from lateral aspect and a distinctly upturned apical hook; subgenital plate broad, triangular from lateral aspect.

Nymph ( Fig. 126 ): Measurements and ratios as in Tables 6–7 . Body light orange-brown with brown markings. Eyes reddish brown; head with anterior margin brown and submedial brown spots; thorax with submedial brown markings and lateral margins of wing pads with light brown infuscation; caudal plate with dark brown markings submedially and delineating margins of abdominal tergites, lateral margins with brown infuscation. Body elongateovate [head and body curved laterally (perpendicular to longitudinal axis of body) to fit cylindrical branchlets of host: consequently slide-mounted specimens are considerably ‘flattened’ and appear broader than when live]; anterior margin of head notched medially; dorsum of body without a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; meso-and metathorax without depressions; caudal plate with hind margin narrowly rounded.

Etymology. Named after the host plant, Allocasuarina verticillata .

Distribution. Recorded from Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island in South Australia and from near Hobart in Tasmania ( Fig. 139 ).

Host plant. Recorded from drooping sheoak, Allocasuarina verticillata (Lam.) Johnson. Allocasuarina verticillata occurs as a 4–10 m tree in grassy woodland to rocky sea-coasts and dry rocky hills and ridges inland, from central New South Wales, Victoria, northern and eastern Tasmania, and southern South Australia, including Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas and Kangaroo Island ( Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. See Comments under Ac. acutivalvis for diagnoses.

Figures

FIGURES 119 – 126. Acanthocasuarina verticillatae sp. nov.: (119), habitus, male (dorsal aspect); (120), habitus, female (dorsal aspect); (121), habitus male (lateral aspect); (122), habitus female (lateral aspect); (123), fore wing, male; (124), fore wing, female; (125), head, male (dorsal aspect); (126), nymph (dorsal aspect). Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 127 – 135. Acanthocasuarina muellerianae sp. nov., Ac. tasmanica sp. nov. and Ac. verticillatae sp. nov.: Ac. muellerianae: (127), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (128), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (129), female terminalia (lateral aspect); Ac. tasmanica: (130), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (131), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (132), female terminalia; Ac. verticillatae: (133), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (134), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (135), female terminalia (lateral aspect). Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 138 – 139. Distribution for species of Acanthocasuarina in Australia: (138),, Ac. acutivalvis sp. nov.,, Ac. campestris sp. nov.; (139),, Ac. diminutae sp. nov.; Ο (arrowed), Ac. muellerianae sp. nov.;, Ac.; tasmanica sp. nov.;, Ac. verticillatae sp. nov.