Drymopsalta hobsoni, Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013

Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013, New species of Drymopsalta Heath Cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, with overview of genus, Zootaxa 3620 (1), pp. 1-42 : 10-14

Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 4 A–B, 6, 13A–C, 14, 16A, 17A–B, Plate 2, Tables 2 , 4)

Material. Holotype: 3 QM T183037, Heath, laterite plateau, 8.8km WSW R.(Robert) Wicks Res. Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 22.xi.2006, A.E. 28°18.09'S 151°03.91'E, PS1948. (QM).

Paratypes: 13 Bringalily S.F., 4.5km S.W. R.[Robert] Wicks Res.Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., heath, A.E., 25.x.2006, 28°18.47'S 151°07.12'E; 13 As previously, 26.x.2006, recorded; 13 As previously, 27.x.2006; 73 As previously, 28.x.2006; 13 As previously, 29.x.2006; 13 ~ 5km S.W. R.Wicks Res. Stn., ~ 20km NE Inglewood, S.Q., 18.xi.2006, 28°18.35'S 151°06.18'E; 13 Heath, laterite plateau, 8.8km WSW R.Wicks Res. Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 19.xi.2006, A.E., 28°18.09'S 151°03.91'E; 33 As previously, 20.xi.2006; 103 1Ƥ As previously, 21.xi.2006; 13 1Ƥ as previously, in cop; 33 As previously, 22.xi.2006; 23 5.1km S.S.W. R.Wicks Res. Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 22.xi.2006, heath, A.E., 28°18.06'S 151°06.09'E; 13 Heath, laterite plateau, 8.8km WSW R.Wicks Res.Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 19.xii.2006, A.E., 28°18.09'S 151°03.91'E, recorded; 33 1Ƥ 5km SW R.Wicks Res.Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., A.E., heath, 19.xi.2007, 28°18.06'S 151°06.09'E; 13 As previously, 20.xi.2007; 53 3Ƥ As previously, 14.xii.2007; 23 2Ƥ Laterite plateau, 9km WSW R.Wicks Res. Stn., Bringalily S.F., via Inglewood, S.Q., A.E., 14.xii.2007, heath, 28°18.10'S 151°03.89'E; 2Ƥ Inglewood S.F., north entrance, 4.4km S. of R.Wicks Res. Stn.Rd., via Inglewood, S.Q., heath, A.E., 18.xii.2007, 28°19.75'S 151°09.41'E. (all AE); 23 AUSTRALIA QLD, Bringalily State Forest, 26.x.2006, Kunzea, L. W. Popple, A. Ewart , 28°18’30”S 151°07’06”E, 323-0001 to 323-0002 (both LWP); 1Ƥ 5km SW R.Wicks Res.Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., A.E., heath, 19.xi.2007, 28°18.06'S 151°06.09'E, PS1949 (QM). 13 Heath, laterite plateau, 8.8km WSW R.Wicks Res. Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 20.xi.2006, A.E., 28°18.09'S 151°03.91'E (BMNH); 13 Heath, laterite plateau, 8.8km WSW R.Wicks Res. Stn., via Inglewood, S.Q., 20.xi.2006, A.E., 28°18.09'S 151°03.91'E (ANIC).

Description. Male. ( Figs 3 , 4 A–B, Plate 2A, Table 4). Head. Supra-antennal plate black, brown adjacent to pedicels; vertex and frons black with brown medial areas adjacent to anterior ocellus and compound eyes; pale greenish-brown, broadly triangular fascia extending and widening posteriorly along epicranial suture from near median ocellus to pronotal margin; genae and mandibular plates predominantly shiny black, covered by short silvery pubescence, longer on mandibular plate; ocelli pink to rose-red; compound eyes dark brown; postclypeus sandy brown with transverse ridges shiny black to deep brown; postclypeus with pale brown anterio-medial fascia, extending dorsally to frons and terminating close to median ocellus; anteclypeus shiny black; rostrum brown grading to black apically, extending beyond mid coxae, but only barely reaching anterior margins of hind coxae; antennae black with pale sandy-brown apices.

Thorax. Pronotum usually black, in some specimens with brown areas between paramedian and lateral fissures, covered with short silvery pubescence; pale-medium brown broad central fascia extending from anterior margin, splaying out posteriorly against the pale brown to reddish brown pronotal collar; black spots commonly present at anterior and posterior terminations of central fascia; lateral angles of pronotal collar black and ampliate.

Metanotum pale sandy brown. Mesonotum with submedial sigillae short and coalesced, or nearly coalesced medially; in some specimens, a narrow black fascia extends posteriorly from coalesced submedial sigillae, broadening abruptly into, and filling area between anterior arms of cruciform elevation (including scutal depressions), and extending as a narrow black fascia posteriorly across cruciform elevation to its posterior margin; lateral sigillae black, roughly triangular extending just beyond, and adjacent to anterior cruciform elevation arms, and into area between lateral cruciform elevation arms; diffuse black between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, including scutal depression; margins of wing grooves, most of cruciform elevation, areas surrounding lateral sigillae and between submedial and lateral sigillae pale to medium brown; mesonotum with sparse short silvery pubescence, more strongly developed near wing grooves.

PLATE 2. Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov. A, holotype male, 8.8 km WSW Robert Wicks Research Station, Bringalily State Forest, via Inglewood, S. Queensland, PS1948; B, female, 5 km SW R. Wicks Research Station, Bringalily State Forest, PS1949; body lengths 9.7 and 12.1 mm respectively.

Wings. Hyaline. Fore wing costal vein translucent, remaining venation brown, paler proximally to mesonotum; basal membrane colour pale grey-brown. Hind wing venation pale brown; white plaga around margin of anal cell 3, extending along margins of veins 3A and weakly 2A, with weak brown infuscation within area of plaga; 6 apical cells.

Legs. Fore coxae pale brown with relatively localized lozenge shaped black fascia on lateral and anterior faces; mid and hind coxae pale sandy-brown with conspicuous black, often irregular, fasciae on anterior faces and less extensively on lateral faces; fore and mid-trochanters and femora sandy-brown with extensive brown colouration on anterior faces; hind femora and trochanters similar but paler; fore and mid tibiae and tarsi medium to dark brown; hind tibiae and tarsi pale sandy brown with small discontinuous brown patches; claws brown, darker apically. Spines of fore femora black.

Opercula. Predominantly pale sandy to sandy-brown covered in short silvery pubescence; black adjacent to, and partially around crest and on meracantha; meracantha spikes prominent, usually overlapping opercula plate; tending to be rhombohedral-shaped, roughly parallel sided, acutely rounded between distal and medial margins, and broadly rounded between distal and lateral margins; distal, lateral and medial margins otherwise only weakly curved; distal opercula margins not quite reaching to anterior margin of sternite II in lateral view.

Timbals. 4 long ribs; rib 4 shorter than ribs 1 to 3, otherwise as in diagnosis.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 dominantly sandy-brown to pale reddish brown between timbals; other tergites with dorsal bands of irregular black colouration anteriorly, extending along ventro-lateral anterior margins, although in some specimens the ventro-lateral black and dorso-lateral black areas appear to be separated due to dorso-lateral development of patches of dense silvery pubescence; in tergite 2, the black colouration extends across the auditory capsules subdorsally overlapping sternite II; the anterior black areas grade into broad areas or bands of reddishbrown colouration extending from the dorsal areas of each tergite ventrally to, and across the ventro-lateral tergite margins (except tergite 2); on each tergite, these reddish-brown zones grade posteriorly to sandy-brown colouration, also including the intersegmental membranes. Sternite II black dorsally, grading to brown medioventrally, with black colouration adjacent to, and within the medial depression; sternites III to VII predominantly brown to pale reddish-brown to medium brown, yellow along intersegmental membranes; weak although distinct narrow darker medial areas on sternites III to V, giving appearance of darker fascia along abdominal venter; sternite VIII pale brown.

Genitalia. Pygofer dominantly black dorsally, pale sandy-brown laterally; in ventral view outline slightly narrowed towards, and flattened along anterior margin; dorsal beak sharply defined, prominent; upper lobes short, tending acutely rounded apically; basal lobes well developed, relatively short and wide, acutely terminated; claspers elongated, narrowed and rounded apically, extending well outside pygofer in lateral view; uncus small and pointed in lateral view, much shorter than claspers; pseudoparameres clearly longer than endotheca.

Female. (Plate 3B). Similar to male in colouring and patterning.

Head. Supra-external plates, vertex, genae, mandibular plates, anteclypeus as in male, with more extensive black colouration, noting the pale brown medial fascia extending from postclypeus, dorsally across frons and vertex, to central pronotal fascia; rostrum extends just beyond mid-coxae. Thorax. Pronotum and mesonotum as in male, one difference being the slight shorter lateral sigilla, and the more extensive black colouration in area between anterior arms of cruciform elevation. Legs. Similar in colouration and markings to male.

Abdomen. Black colouration covering much of dorsal and submedial areas of tergites, extending dorsolaterally, but not reaching dorso-lateral tergite margins; remaining areas of tergites extending submedially to dorsolateral black areas, and to the dorso-lateral margins, are pale-brown to reddish-brown, becoming darker in submedial to lateral areas towards tergite 7; tergite 9 with a pair of submedial black fascia which merge posteriodorsally, and extend anteriorly to, and along anterior margin of tergite, thinning ventrally, nearly reaching ventral tergite margin; remaining colouration sandy-brown, becoming brown dorsally; sternites uniformly pale brown, in some specimens slightly darker medially. Ovipositor sheath extending 0.5 to 1.0 mm beyond apex of tergite 9.

Measurements. N= 163 10Ƥ. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: 3 8.4–10.7 (9.6); Ƥ 9.7–12.3 (11.1). FWL: 3 9.5–11.4 (10.6); Ƥ 11.2–12.7 (11.8). HW: 3 2.8–3.4 (3.1); Ƥ 2.9–3.5 (3.3); PW: 3 2.3–2.8 (2.6); Ƥ 2.5–3.1 (2.9). AW: 3 2.5–3.0 (2.8); Ƥ 2.5–3.1 (3.0). FWL/WR: 3 2.64–2.88 (2.77); Ƥ 2.75–2.94 (2.84).

Distribution, habitat and behaviour ( Fig. 6 ). Known only from the Bringalily and Inglewood State Forests, north and northeast of Inglewood, southern Queensland. This species occurs in low heath, including Kunzea opposita F. Muell. , both within the understorey of the open forests and as open heathland. It occurs widely within these two forest areas, although the paratypes are restricted to a few specific locations. A very small and very cryptic species within the usually dense heath vegetation, flies readily, with a soft and high frequency song (see below), often difficult to locate.

Etymology. Named after Mr Rod Hobson, who organised and arranged the initial survey at Bringalily State Forest that led to the discovery of this new species. Mr Hobson has also contributed passionately to furthering the understanding of Queensland's natural history, particularly in the Darling Downs region.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov., Bringalily State Forest, 8.8 km WSW of Robert Wicks Research Station, via Inglewood, southern Queensland. A, lateral abdomen view; B, fore and hind wings; C, timbal (posterior margin at right, dorsal edge at top); D, left operculum. Scale bars 1 mm, except wings (3 mm).

FIGURE 4. Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov., pygofer and male genitalia. A, lateral view; B, ventral view. Specimen locality as in Fig. 3. Length of pygofer 1.5 mm. Drymopsalta acrotela sp. nov., pygofer and male genitalia. C, lateral view; D, ventral view. Specimen from Litchfield National Park, Tolmer Falls, Northern Territory. Length of pygofer 1.44 mm.

FIGURE 6. Distribution records of the four described Drymopsalta species from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Inset shows the distribution of D. daemeli in N. S. W. (after Moulds, 2012).