Yoyetta tristrigata (Goding & Froggatt)

Emery, Nathan J., Emery, David L. & Popple, Lindsay W., 2015, A redescription of Yoyetta landsboroughi (Distant) and Y. tristrigata (Goding and Froggatt) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) and description of four new related species, Zootaxa 3948 (3), pp. 301-341 : 323-326

Yoyetta tristrigata (Goding & Froggatt)

( Figures 2 , 4 , 13–15 )

Melampsalta tristrigata Goding & Froggatt, 1904 , 653-4.

Cicadetta tristrigata Moulds 1990 , 151; Emery et al., 2005, 101, 108-9, Tables 1–3. Yoyetta tristrigata Moulds 2012 , 23, 237-8; Sanborn, 2014: 556.

Lectotype (here designated): ♂ Kuranda Qld, i.1904, F. P. Dodd, W. W. Froggatt collection ( ANIC) ( Fig.13 F); Other material examined: QUEENSLAND: 1♂ Kuranda,QLD., Dodd, Jan [19]04; 4♂ Australia Qld, Yeppoon, 31.xii.1992, J. Bugeja; 1♂ same data as lectotype, ii.1904; 2♂ Kuranda N. Q., 7.i.1962, Carne & Britton; ( ANIC); 1♂ same location as previous (MM); 4♂ 1♀ Qld: 23°10’S 150°41’E, Bondoola, 1.5km NW. 22.i.2001, 60m, D.J. Cook, mv light; 1♂ NEQ, 16°36’S 145°20’E, Kingfisher Lodge, Julatten, 400m, 22–24.xi.1998, C. J. Burwell, 50012; 1♂ 7km W. of Abergowrie N.E. Qld, ANZSES Basecamp, 24.xii.1986, S. Hamlet (all QM); 8♂ 2♀, 1 km N. Mt Molloy, NE Qld, Rifle Creek, A. E., 15.xii.1999, 16°40.04’S 145°19.71’E; 2♂ same data as previous, recorded; 7♂ 1♀, Rifle Creek, MT Molloy, NEQ, open woodland, A. E., 24.i.2003, 16°39.89’S 145°19.68’E; 1♂ same data as previous, recorded (all AE); 6♂ 2♀ Rifle Ck., Mt. Molloy, QLD, 16° 39.57S 145° 19.42E, 6.i.2008, D. Emery & L. Popple; 6♂ 1♀ Kingfisher Lodge, Julatten, QLD, 16° 34.46S 145° 20.14E, 6.i.2008; D. Emery & L. Popple; 4♂ 3♀ Rifle Ck., Mt.Molloy, QLD, 16° 39.57S 145° 19.42E, 16–17.i.2009, D. Emery; 1♂ 30Km W Mt Garnet, QLD, 16° 39.57S 145° 19.42E, 14.ii.2010, J. Hasenpusch; 1♂ Mandalay, QLD, 20° 11.49S 148° 44.37E, 10.i.2013, S.Pearson; 1♂ Clohesy River, QLD, 16° 93.91S 145° 60.91E, 16.i.2012, B. Gray & J. Walker (all DE); 1♀ Archer’s Ck, Mt Garnet Rd, 28.xii.1972, N.Q., J. T. Moss, 279-0001; 6♂ 1♀ Cathu State For[est], N. of Mackay, Qld, 3.xii.1981, J. T. Moss, 479-0002 to 479-0008; 4♂ Australia Qld, Flaggy Creek, Herberton, 29.xii.2006, L. Popple, M. & A. McKinnon, 479- 0 0 0 9 to 479-0012; 6♂ Australia Qld, Kingfisher Park Lodge, 16°35’41”S 145°20’23”E, 5.i.2008, mv lamp, L. Popple, D. Emery, 479-0013 to 479-0018; 1♂ 1♀ Australia Qld, Rifle Creek, Mount Molloy, 16°40’00”S 145°19’41”E, 6.i.2008, open forest, L. Popple, D. Emery, 479-0019 to 479-0020 (all LWP); 3♂ Ashton collection (307081, -082, -084); 1♂ 2♀ “Lotus Downs nr Marlborough, Qld. 6.xii.1961, McAlpine & Lossin (307038, -040, - 041); 1♀ Lindeman Island, Whitsunday Group, Qld., xii.1928, Mel Ward ( K58949 ) (all AM).

Description. Male ( Figures 2 D, 13A–B, 14). Head approximately as wide as mesonotum; mainly dull dark brown black, a brown to ochraceous central triangular fascia posterior to ocelli, sometimes extending to area adjacent to eyes; ocelli pink, sometimes faded; postclypeus dorsally ochraceous, tending dark brown to black ventrally, including transverse grooves, with orange-brown to brown lateral and reddish-brown posterior margins, rounded laterally; lorum a mixture of dark brown and orange-brown; genae dark brown to black; anteclypeus black to ochraceous, sometimes with with orange-brown anterior margin; rostrum ochraceous, black apex, extending to the posterior edge of hind coxae; eyes variably dark brown to brown; antennae black, supra-antennal plates brown to ochraceous.

Thorax predominantly ochraceous to brown. Pronotum with median fascia ochraceous to brown, not reaching pronotal collar, surrounded by variable black coloration of variable extent, this colouration also present along paramedian and lateral fissures and lateral half of posterior margin; pronotal collar brown to ochraceous. Mesonotum mainly brown to ochraceous, submedian and lateral sigilla variably mottled dark ochraceous and black; cruciform elevation and adjacent lateral depressions pale brown to orange-brown, sometimes with a faint dark brown line expressed medially; scutal depressions and surrounds black; metanotum pale brown, dark brown laterally, sometimes with areas of dark brown along extreme posterior margin.

Legs with coxae dark brown to brown proximally, ochraceous to brown over central portion paler distally; coxal joints orange; femora brown to ochraceous, darker on inner surface, with weak dark brown fasciae; tibiae variably brown to orange-brown, with spines variably dull ochraceous and dark brown at tips; tarsi brown to ochraceous; claws ochraceous.

Wings with fore wing costal veins brown to orange-brown, pterostigma with ochraceous mottling, basal membranes bright orange, vein 2A and 3A dark brown, other veins ochraceous tending to dark brown posteriorly, with eight apical cells; hind wing plaga orange-brown at base, becoming transparent towards apical third, with six apical cells.

Opercula small, spatulate, following body axis ventrolaterally, depressed centrally; dark brown at base, orange-brown over remainder; widely separated. Meracanthus small creamy, rounded, dark brown at base, with apex overlapping opercula.

Timbals ( Figure 2 D) with five distinct long ribs; long ribs 1–4 spanning timbal membrane, rib 4 narrowing medially; rib 5 comparatively shorter, extending ventrally across two-thirds of timbal; all long ribs fused dorsally along basal spur; large ridged dome on posterior timbal plate extending across two-thirds of timbal; apodeme pit oval-shaped and conspicuous.

Abdomen with tergite 1 mainly black, brown at dorsal margin of timbals; tergite 2 orange-brown medially with variable dull brown midline more pronounced anteriorly, grading to black at extreme posterior margins and along lateral edges; tergites 3–7 yellow-brown to orange with distinct dark brown central markings extending over anterior four-fifths; tergite 8 ochraceous to dark brown, tending orange-brown towards posterior. Pygofer black with slightly orange apex. Sternite I dark brown to black with ochraceous to brown margins, orange-brown within tympanal cavity; sternite II dark brown anteriorly grading to brown or dull orange-brown towards posterior; sternites II–VI dull yellow-brown; sternite VII brown to orange- brown; sternite VIII dark to brown anteriorly fading to orange-brown posteriorly, with matching pubescence.

Genitalia ( Figure 14 ). Pygofer mainly dark brown to black; dorsal beak black, anal styles light brown; upper lobe dark brown, brown towards apex; basal lobe pale brown, in lateral view much less produced than upper lobe. Uncus orange-brown, in lateral view beak-like and prolonged; lateral lobes in ventral view weakly expressed, rounded laterally; claspers clearly divided, with apices gradually tapering laterally. Aedeagus with pseudoparameres not extending as far as theca; theca recurved ventrally at 180° towards apex, with transparent flanges along margin of recurvature, smooth on dorsal half, broadly serrated along remainder,> 2x diameter of theca; apex sclerotised, with abrupt ventrally-directed termination showing conspicuous ornamentation.

Female ( Figure 13 C–D). Generally more robust in appearance than male specimens.

Head similar to male; postclypeus sometimes exhibits a greater degree of reddish- brown colouration centrally.

Thorax identical to male.

Abdomen similar to male; tergites dark orange-brown, with dusky lateral edges; tergite 8 orange brown with contrastingly dark brown markings across anterior lateral and dorso-lateral areas and with small dark brown spot on lateral posterior; dorsal beak medium to dark brown. Sternites I–II, mainly dark brown to black, sternite II with areas of brown colouration laterally; sternites III–VII dull yellow-brown; sternite VIII dark brown anteriorly, fading to brown posteriorly, with matching pubescence. Ovipositor ochraceous, tending to black towards apex, barely extending beyond apex of abdomen.

Measurements (in mm; range with mean in parentheses: 12 males, four females). Body length: male 15.6–18.2 (17.0); female 17.3–18.6 (18.1). Fore wing length: male 20.4–22.1 (21.1); female 24.4–25.9 (25.4). Head width: male 4.3–5.0 (4.6); female 5.3–5.8 (5.6). Pronotum width: male 4.0–4.6 (4.2); female 4.9–5.3 (5.1). Abdomen width: male 4.3–5.0 (4.5); female 4.6–5.3 (5.0).

Distinguishing features. Yoyetta tristrigata can be distinguished from other Yoyetta species by the combination of dominantly pale brown to orange-brown coloration over and surrounding the cruciform elevation with contrasting brown (or rarely bright ochraceous) mesonotum with mottled dark ochraceous and black sigilla. Additionally, in the male genitalia, the endotheca is uniquely short and sharply directed ventrally near the apex, with a series of large spines clustered at the point of ventral recurvature. The dorsal bodies of Y. aaede (Walker) , Y. abdominalis (Distant) , and Y. denisoni (Distant) are distinctly black and the prominent, white plaga on the hind wing of these three species as well as Y. hunterorum (Moulds) , is absent from Y. tristrigata . It is distinguished from Y. fluviatilis sp.nov., Y. incepta (Walker) , Y. landsboroughi and Y. nigrimontana sp.nov., by possessing fore wings with length of> 22 mm. It differs from Y. hunterorum (Moulds) and Y. celis by the predominately orange colouration of the tergites. Y. celis has a more greenish-brown coloration and possesses 2 distinct black spots in the scutal depressions, whereas Y. tristrigata exhibits a broad area of dark brown coloration anterior to the cruciform elevation. In addition, the ovipositor of female Y. tristrigata specimens does not extend beyond the abdomen (c.f. Y. celis ).

The orange-brown coloration of Y. tristrigata distinguishes it from the darker variants of Y. repetens sp. nov., while the structure of the thecal apex is distinct for each species. The two species are geographically separated in eastern Australia. It is difficult to distinguish macroscopically between Y. tristrigata and Y. cumberlandi sp. nov., but differences in the structure of the thecal apex and geographical distribution are helpful diagnostics for both species.

Distribution, habitat and behaviour. Distributed in central and northern Queensland coastal and tableland regions from Mount Molloy south to Yeppoon and Marlborough ( Figure 4 ). Adults typically occur on the trunks and upper limbs of eucalypts, including Eucalyptus tereticornis . Males begin calling whilst stationary and continue to call conspicuously in flight. Records span from November to March.

Calling song. The call of this species is typically composed of repeated macrosyllables ( Figure 15 ). Upon a detailed examination, each macrosyllable comprises a two to four syllables (8–12 ms duration, n = 7 recordings). These are followed by a silence of 75–290 ms. Each sequence consists of between two and nine (typically four) macrosyllables, lasting for 350–500 ms duration. The sequences are often repeated is fairly regular succession. When producing repeated sets of these macrosyllable sequences, a brief period of silence (185–400 ms duration) punctuates each sequence.

The repetition rate of macrosyllables ranges from 3.3 to 11.8 Hz. The frequency spectrum of the calling song ranges from 6.5 to 17 kHz, with highest energy between 11 and 15 kHz, and a dominant frequency around 13 kHz ( Figure 15 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photos of male left timbals, with dorsal edge at left and posterior margin at bottom: (A) Yoyetta landsboroughi (Distant), St. Marys (33 ° 50 ’ S 150 ° 45 ’ E); (B) Yoyetta fluviatilis sp. nov., Roma (26 ° 33 ’ S 148 ° 47 ’ E); (C) Yoyetta nigrimontana sp. nov., Canberra (35 ° 16 ’ S 149 ° 06 ’ E); (D) Yoyetta tristrigata (Goding & Froggatt), Mt. Molloy (16 ° 40 ’ S 145 ° 19 ’ E); (E) Yoyetta repetens sp. nov., St. Marys (33 ° 50 ’ S 150 ° 45 ’ E); (F) Yoyetta cumberlandi sp nov., Prospect (33 ° 48 ’ S 150 ° 54 ’ E). Scale bars represent 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Map of central and eastern mainland Australia showing the geographical distribution of Y. landsboroughi (Distant) (open triangles), Y. fluviatilis sp. nov. (closed circles), Y. nigrimontana sp. nov. (open squares), and Y. tristrigata (Goding & Froggatt) (open circles).

FIGURE 13. Yoyetta tristrigata (Distant) (A) male, Mt. Molloy (16 ° 40 ’ S 145 ° 19 ’ E), dorsal habitus, BL 16.4 mm; (B) male, ventral habitus; (C) female, Mt. Molloy, dorsal habitus, BL 17.7 mm; (D), female, ventral habitus; (E) male, Julatten (16 ° 35 ’ S 145 ° 20 ’ E), BL 17.3 mm; (F) male lectotype, Kuranda (ANIC), BL 17.2 mm.

FIGURE 14. Yoyetta tristrigata (Distant): illustration of male pygofer and internal genitalia; (a), viewed laterally from the left; (b), viewed ventrally; (c), aedeagus; and, (d), apex of theca. Characters as depicted in Figure 3. Specimen from Rifle Creek, Queensland (16 ° 40 ' S 145 ° 20 ' E).

FIGURE 15. Male calling song structure of Yoyetta tristrigata (Distant), illustrated in waveform plot form. Each lower plot is expanded from the one above, to illustrate the finer temporal structure of each song comparison. The spectrogram at the bottom of the figure displays song frequency. This specimen was captured at Rifle Creek (16 ° 40 ' S 14 ° 520 ' E) and recorded in an open container by A. Ewart using RS 4 (see Materials and Methods).