Chidaea wilarra, Löcker & Holzinger, 2019

Löcker, Birgit & Holzinger, Werner E., 2019, Revision of the Australian planthopper genus Chidaea Emeljanov with a redescription of Cixius sidnicus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae), Zootaxa 4691 (5), pp. 401-443 : 433-436

Chidaea wilarra sp. nov.

( Figs 16 , 30 , 31D )

Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:49CCCC44-4D5F-4EB8-865B-460910583956

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: Barren Ground [s], 16.xi.1958 (C.E. Chadwick) ( ASCU ASCT00180039 ) . Paratypes, NSW: 1 ♂, same data as holotype ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Clyde Mountain (near top of highway pass), 28.xii.1994 (A. Sundholm, R. De Keyzer) ( ANIC) .

Etymology. The term ‘wilarra’ means ‘moon or crescent’ in Yindjibarndi, an Aboriginal language spoken in Western Australia ( Thieberger & McGregor 1994). Named after the crescent-shaped aedeagal spines.

Colour. Entire specimen with a reddish brown tinge. Vertex mid or dark brown with slightly paler carinae. Frons mid brown, slightly darker near frontoclypeal suture; carinae concolorous or only slightly paler. Post- and anteclypeus darker than frons, dark brown to black with concolorous carinae. Pronotum light brown to reddish brown. Mesonotum slightly darker than pronotum, mid brown with concolorous carinae. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins concolorous light brown. Legs and body light brown.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.9–6.6 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.2–2.3 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering 1/3–3/4 of basal compartment of vertex; absent in apical compartment. Frons 1.0–1.1 x longer than wide; position of maximum width distinctly dorsad of centre of frontoclypeal suture; lateral carinae of frons in facial view convex, rectilinear apically or convex, evenly rounded. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part just or just not reaching lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with median carina well developed. Anteclypeus with median carina moderately developed or evanescent. Rostrum reaching hind coxae.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum obtusely angled or rectangular. Mesonotum with median carina moderately developed, evanescent near posterior end; lateral carinae moderately developed. Forewing 3.3–3.5 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 24–25 tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP basad of fork CuA1 and CuA2; tubercles of forewing dark or pale, concolorous with veins; ScP+RA apically bifid or unforked; RP trifid; additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP1+2 and MP3+4 trifid; 12 apical cells; 6 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 8 apical teeth and no platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 10 apical teeth and 8 platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 30 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 30 F–G. Aedeagus ( Figs 30 A–C): Phallotheca narrow, near base with a bifurcate ventral process on a prominent stalk that is strongly curved in lateral view; phallotheca left laterally with a medium sized, strongly curved (sickle-shaped) spine (a) that is partly concealed by the phallotheca in ventral view; phallotheca with a slightly longer, strongly curved (sickle-shaped) spine (b) that arises ventro-laterally. Aedeagal spines not reaching bifurcate ventral process.

Diagnosis. Chidaea wilarra shares the following combination of characters with Ch. armidalensis , Ch. dickinsonorum , Ch. dayi and Ch. pulyonna : absence of platellae on the first hind tarsomere and tubercles on the forewing that are concolorous with veins. See diagnosis section of Ch. dayi and Ch. pulyonna for details on how to differentiate these species from Ch. wilarra .

Both, Ch. wilarra and Ch. dickinsonorum have spine (b) arising a little bit further down the aedeagus shaft (closer to base of aedeagus) than spine (a) and its tip also reaching further down. This gives the aedeagus an asym- metrical appearance which resembles a person with uneven shoulders. These two species can be distinguished by the curvature of spine (b): in Ch. wilarra both spines are about equally strongly curved, whereas in Ch. dickinsonorum spine (a) is strongly curved whilst spine (b) is almost straight in lateral view. These species also differ in the insertion of spine (b): in Ch. wilarra spine (b) arises ventro-laterally, in Ch. dickinsonorum laterally.

Distribution: NSW.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Chidaea wilarra: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 30. Chidaea wilarra: A aedeagus left lateral; B aedeagus ventral; C aedeagus right lateral; D–E anal tube; F–G genital styles.

FIGURE 31. Known distribution of Chidaea species.