Aacanthocnema huegelianae 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 : 20-22

Aacanthocnema huegelianae Taylor , sp. nov.

Figs 29–36 , 40–42 , 137 ; Tables 1–8

Types. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: Holotype: 13 (slide) 15 km S Northampton, 28º28.413'S, 114º38.090'E, G.S. Taylor & J.T. Jennings 2.xii.2008, Allocasuarina huegeliana , ABCL 2008 618 (WAMA). Paratypes: 10 3, 9 Ƥ (slide), 3 3, 3 Ƥ (dried), 201 3, 209 Ƥ, 14 nymphs, same data as holotype (ANIC, QMBA, WAMA, WINC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: on A. huegeliana : 1 3 22 km W Brookton ( WINC); 19 3, 25 Ƥ, 7 nymphs 27 km W Brookton ( WINC); 95 3, 66 Ƥ, 3 nymphs 37 km N Bunbury ( WINC); 17 3, 37 Ƥ 30 km N Geraldton ( WINC); 63 3, 66 Ƥ, 3 nymphs Kalbarri Rd ( WINC); 10 3, 10 Ƥ 59 km S Merredin ( WINC); 5 3, 2 Ƥ, 1 nymph Mt Walker ( WINC); 11 3, 12 Ƥ 11 km N Narrogin ( WINC); 20 nymphs (5 slides), 5 nymphs (dried) 16 3, 13 Ƥ, 41 nymphs Pingelly ( WINC).

Description. Adult ( Figs 29–35 ). Colour: Male: general colour ochraceous with orange-brown to dark brown markings. Vertex pale with a pair of orange-brown spots in vicinity of fovea, and a thick black transverse line on anterior margin; genal processes pale cream with pale grey infuscation towards apices; antennal segments 1–2 pale cream to ochraceous; segment 3 darker apically; segments 4–10 progressively dark brown to black; pronotum with a pair of pale brown lateral spots; mesopraescutum with a pair of short broad triangular markings confluent with anterior margin; mesoscutum with two pairs of orange-brown to brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesoscutellum ochraceous; wings clear; legs pale with dorsal brown infuscation; fore- and mid-tarsi dark brown to black; hind basitarsi with dorsal infuscation, distal segment of hind tarsi dark brown to black; abdominal tergites dark brown; anterior face of proctiger dark brown, paler laterally; subgenital plate ochraceous; parameres with brown to dark brown apices; proximal segment of aedeagus dark brown to black, distal segment pale. Female: As for male, except with slightly paler markings; longitudinal stripes on mesopraescutum and mesoscutum orange-brown; proctiger with dark brown to black infuscation confluent with lateral margins of circum-anal pore ring, paler laterally and posteriorly; subgenital plate pale with brown infuscation laterally.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 0.89–1.19 times width of head; genal processes moderately long, 0.66–0.77 times length of vertex, conical with rounded apices; anterior margin of vertex very broad, flat from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex very short, broad, with weak medial suture; pronotum with moderate anterior, medial node; thorax weakly arched, head much wider than pronotum and little wider than mesoscutum; fore wings short with broadly rounded apex; Rs short, 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 1.00–1.13; cell cu1 short triangular, cu1 cell value 0.72–1.00; vein Cu1a weakly arched; radular areas prominent, elongate triangular in cells m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Fig 40–41 ; proctiger short broad, without lateral expansions; parameres short, parallel-sided, strongly incurved towards apices. Female terminalia as in Fig. 42 ; proctiger short, broad with angular dorso-posterior margin from lateral aspect; subgenital short, broadly rounded, triangular from lateral aspect.

Nymph ( Fig 36 ): Measurements and ratios as in Tables 6–7 . Body brown with dark brown markings. Eyes dark brown; head with submedial dark brown markings in vicinity of fovea; thorax with dark brown submedial spots anteriorly, meso-and metathoracic depressions shiny dark brown with irregular dark brown markings between them, and posteriorly (together forming an irregular submedial stripe); fore wing pads with a longitudinal dark brown infuscation; caudal plate with a series of dark markings medially and laterally, and delineating margins of abdominal tergites. Body elongate-ovate; anterior margin of head broad; dorsum of body with a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; caudal plate short, broad with hind margin broadly rounded.

Etymology. Named after the host plant, A. huegeliana .

Distribution. Recorded from Bunbury to Kalbarri in coastal and subcoastal Western Australia and throughout the inland “wheat-belt” region to Narrogin and Merredin in south-western Western Australia ( Fig. 137 ).

Host plant. Recorded from Allocasuarina huegeliana (Miq.) L.Johnson (rock sheoak). Allocasuarina huegeliana occurs as a 4–10 m tree associated with granite outcrops, from Murchison River to Newman Rock in western and south-western Western Australia ( Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. Aacanthocnema huegelianae is very close morphologically to Aa. dobsoni , Aa. luehmannii and Aa. torulosae (see Comments under Aa. dobsoni for diagnoses).

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 36. Aacanthocnema huegelianae sp. nov.: (29), habitus, male (dorsal aspect); (30), habitus, female (dorsal aspect); (31), habitus male (lateral aspect); (32), habitus female (lateral aspect); (33), fore wing, male; (34), fore wing, female; (35), head (dorsal aspect); (36), nymph (dorsal aspect). Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 37 – 42. Aacanthocnema dobsoni (Froggatt) and Aa. huegelianae sp. nov.: Aa. dobsoni: (37), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (38), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (39), female terminalia (lateral aspect); Aa. huegelianae: (40), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (41), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (42), 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.