Calamister Kirkaldy

Löcker, Birgit, 2014, Taxonomic revision of Calamister Kirkaldy, 1906 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 3878 (1), pp. 89-96 : 90-91

Genus Calamister Kirkaldy

Calamister Kirkaldy, 1906: 402

Type species: Calamister obscurus Kirkaldy , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Calamister is endemic to Australia. It can be distinguished from all other genera of Australian Cixiini by the following character. In Calamister CuA2 either ends well before it reaches the margin of the forewing ( Figs 1 , 3 B) or it reaches the margin but with slightly reduced thickness. In all other Australian Cixiini CuA2 reaches the margin in its entire thickness. For more details see Remarks section of Calamister .

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 4.3–5.3 mm; ♀ 4.7–5.7 mm.

Head: Vertex widest at base, narrowest at subapical carina and widening again towards apical carina; at level of basal emargination 1.2–1.4 x wider than at subapical carina; angle formed by caudal border of vertex broadly obtuse. Frons not visible in dorsal view; without median ocellus; maximum width no more than 2x apical width; position of maximum width distinctly dorsad of centre of frontoclypeal suture; median carina complete but evanescent near frontoclypeal suture, unforked; lateral carinae slightly elevated; lateral carinae in facial view convex, rectilinear apically. Frontoclypeal suture slightly semicircular, bent upwards, median part not reaching lower margin of antennal scape. Rostrum very short, reaching mid coxa or mid femur but not reaching hind coxa.

Thorax: Pronotum much wider than head (including eyes); median carina present but inconspicuous; submedian/lateral carinae short, not following contour of eyes; angle formed by hind margin of pronotum rectangular to slightly obtuse. Mesonotum with well developed median and lateral carinae. Forewing surpassing tip of abdomen by far; no concavity at costal border; tubercles on costal margin in single row; tubercles on forewing running along veins, never within cells, concolorous with veins; pterostigma more or less triangular; transverse veinlet M3+4 to Cu1a much shorter than M3+4 from M fork to this veinlet and much shorter than transverse veinlet r-m; transverse veinlet M3+4 to Cu1a inserting at M3+4 distad of r-m; icu inserting at CuP very distad of apex of clavus; RP apically bifid; MA apically bifid; CuA1 apically unforked; CuA2 ending well before it reaches margin of wing or fading (reaching margin of wing with reduced thickness); nodus of y-vein more or less central within clavus to basad; distance from base of pterostigma to apex of forewing longer than width of forewing at level of clavus. Hind leg: tibia without lateral spines, with 6 apical spines, all in one row, without a gap, outermost spine distinctly larger than other spines; 1st tarsomere generally with 7 apical teeth and no platellae; 2nd tarsomere in general with 8 apical teeth and 4 platellae; the 4 platellae are situated in the middle flanked by two teeth without platellae on each side.

Male genitalia: Anal tube symmetrical in caudal view. Ventromedian process of pygofer triangular.

Female genitalia: Ovipositor sword-shaped; wax plate large, circular or oval-shaped; anal tube trapezoid.

Distribution. NSW, Qld.

Remarks. The following character state has been observed in Calamister Kirkaldy but not in any other Australian cixiid: In most specimens of Calamister CuA2 ends well before it reaches the margin of the forewing ( Figs 1 , 3 B). In some specimens of C. obscurus it reaches the margin but with slightly reduced thickness. Further studies on a worldwide scale are needed to clarify if this character state is unique within Cixiidae .

In case this character is not unique within Cixiidae Calamister can be distinguished from all other Cixiini by the following combination of characters: median carina of frons unforked; submedian/lateral carinae short, not following contour of eyes; rostrum very short (not reaching hind coxae); icu inserting at CuP very distad of apex of clavus; second hind tarsomere usually with 8 apical teeth and 4 platellae.

No host plants are known for this genus. The male holotype and the female paratype of C. cougalensis were collected in a rainforest. Two females of C. obscurus have been collected by beating understorey plants in a Coastal blackbutt (Eucalytpus pilularis) forest.

Calamister is restricted to the easterly parts of Queensland and NSW. Further collecting may, however, increase its known distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Calamister cougalensis: forewing.

FIGURE 3. Calamister cougalensis: A habitus; B forewing with CuA 2, highlighted by arrow; C – D head. Scale bar 1 mm.