Dilacreon (Dilacreon) akethe Löcker, 2010

Löcker, Birgit, Fletcher, Murray J. & Gurr, Geoff M., 2010, Taxonomic revision of the Australian Eucarpiini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 2425, pp. 1-31 : 9-10

Dilacreon (Dilacreon) akethe Löcker , sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 13 )

Types. Holotype 3, AUSTRALIA, Qld: Lockerbie, Cape York, 6.–10.vi.1969, (G.B. Monteith) (QM T.156364, originally from UQIC). Paratypes, Qld: 13, 1Ƥ, same data as holotype (UQIC).

Etymology. The term ‘ akethe ’ means ‘uncovered, exposed’ in Eastern Arrernte, an aboriginal language spoken in the region around Alice Springs ( Thieberger & McGregor, 1994) and refers to the shape of the anal tube (large parts of the anal style and 11th abdominal segment are visible in lateral view).

Colour. Head, thorax and abdomen light brown. Forewings light brown except for slightly darker crossveins and some slightly darker marks near apex of forewing.

Morphology. Body length: 3 4.4–4.7 mm; Ƥ 4.9 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.6–3.9 times wider than long; with indistinct median carina. Frons 1.0 times as long as wide; frons distinctly visible in dorsal view. Rostrum slightly surpassing hind coxae.

Thorax: Mesonotum with lateral carinae evenly curved as in Fig. 3 A. Forewing 2.5–2.7 times longer than wide; with about 26–30 tubercles on costa; Sc+R fused, forming common stem Sc+R, M emerging separately from basal cell or Sc+R+M fused, forming very short common stem; Sc+R forking at same level as fork CuA1+CuA2; position of crossvein R-M at same level as fork MA-MP.

Male genitalia: Anal tube ( Figs 13 C, D), slightly asymmetrical in dorsal view, apical lobes rounded in lateral view. Genital styles as in Figs 13 E, F, with inner side of basal arm bearing small tooth. Ventromedian process of pygofer triangular as in Fig 13 E. Aedeagus as in Figs 13 A, B. Phallotheca dorsally with very short spine (a) directed caudad; right laterally with very long spine (b) and left laterally with very long spine (d). Flagellum right laterally with short spine (c) situated above midlength of flagellum and left laterally with short, less sclerotised spine (e).

Remarks. This species is very similar in external appearance to D. (D.) ispi . Even the male genitalia closely resemble those of D. (D.) ispi but D. (D.) akethe can be distinguished from that species by the presence of two spines “d” and “e” on the left side of the aedeagus (only one spine “d” in D. (D.) ispi ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dilacreon (Dilacreon) akethe: A habitus lateral (paratype); B dorsum (paratype); C face (paratype). Scalebar 1 mm applies to figure A.

FIGURE 13. Dilacreon (Dilacreon) akethe: A, B aedeagus (holotype), (A) left lateral (B) right lateral; C, D anal tube (holotype); E, F genital styles (holotype).