Chidaea orangensis, 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 : 425-427

Chidaea orangensis sp. nov.

( Figs 12 , 27 , 31C )

Zoobank Registration:

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:84BDC46E-69C7-4AD2-8A28-C498ECF5D2BF

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: Orange , Moulder Park, ex Callistemon pityoides , xii.2017 (B. Löcker) ( ASCU ASCTHE026529 ) . Paratypes, NSW: 1 ♂, Orange, Moulder St , xii.2017 (B. Löcker) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Orange, Moulder Park , xii.2017 (B. Löcker) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Orange, Moulder Park , ex Casuarina , 8.xi.2018 (B. Loecker) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♂, New England Uni [versity] Armidale , 18.xi.1971 (C.W. Frazier) ( ASCU) ; 4 ♂, Armours Ck , 35º 23’S, 150º 14’E, sweeping, 2.xi.1987 (L. Hill) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Sandy Flat , 20km S of Tenterfield, 30.x.1987 (D.J. Scambler) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Legume , 4.x.1964 (P. Kerridge) ( QM, formerly UQIC) ; 3 ♂, Putty , xi.1964 (J. Evans) ( ASCU) . Qld : 1 ♂, Acacia Ridge, Brisbane , at light, 30.ix.1966 (E.C. Dahms) ( QM) ; 1 ♂, Victoria Pt Brisbane , 11.ix.1954 (T. Woodward) ( QM, formerly UQIC) ; 1 ♂, Woody Island , 9.ix.1953 (E.J. Reye) ( QM) ; 1 ♂, Baffle Cr [ee]k, light on flowers M[acadamia] integrifolia, N3335, 12329, 15.viii.1969 (D.A. I[ronside]) ( QDPI) ; 1 ♂, Brisbane , xii.1925 ( SAMA) ; 1 ♂, Mt Molloy, Bakers Rd, 3.8km from Highway , 16º40’S, 145º16E, 385m, Stop 19, 25.iv.2013 (D.C.F. Rentz) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Eprapah , 11.ix.1954 (M. Wilson) ( QM) ; 6 ♂, Penrith Island , 2– 3.viii,1969 (H. Heatwole) ( AMS) ; 3 ♂, Enoggera , 15.ix.1941 (H. Hacker) ( QDPI) . SA: 1 ♂, Loxton , ex sticky trap, 14.x.– 29.x.2004 (P. Magarey) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 16.ix–28.ix.2004 ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 29.ix–14.x.2004 ( ASCU) . Vic : 9 ♂, Hattah-Kulkyne NP, 16.8km ENE Hattah Chalka Creek (dry creek), 34º 43’ 01”S, 142º 21’ 53”E, malaise trap, 23.ix–4.x.2001 ( CNH J.D. & J.S. Lambkin & N.T. Starick) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, Gol Gol , ex sticky trap in vinyard, 12.v.1999 ( VAIC) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 28.ix.1999 ( VAIC) ; 1 ♂, same data except for 5.x.1999 ( VAIC) .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, NSW: 2 ♀, Orange, Moulder St , Fraxinus angustifolia , xii.2017 (B. Loecker) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♀, Orange, Moulder Park , ex Casuarina , 8.xi.2018 (B. Loecker) ( ASCU ASCT00183059 , ASCT00183060 ) ; 2 ♀, N[ew] E[ngland] University Armidale , 18.xi.1971 (C.W. Frazier) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♀, Armours Ck , 35º 23’S, 150º 14’E, sweeping, 2.xi.1987 (L. Hill) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♀, Putty , xi.1964 (J. Evans) ( ASCU) . Qld : 1 ♂, 8.2km E of Mungallala , 26º 27’ 50”S, 147º 37’ 29”E, 560m, ex Cassinia sp., 98-07, 31.x.1998 (Schuh, Cassis, Silveira) ( AMS) ; 6 ♀, Penrith Island , 2– 3.viii,1969 (H. Heatwole) ( AMS) ; 2 ♀, Mt Molloy, Bakers Rd, 3.8km from Highway , 16º40’S, 145º16E, 385m, Stop 19, 25.iv.2013 (D.C.F. Rentz) ( ASCU) ; 2 ♀, Victoria Pt Brisbane, 11.ix.1954 (T. Woodward) ( QM, formerly UQIC). Vic : 10 ♀, Hattah-Kulkyne NP, 16.8km ENE Hattah Chalka Creek (dry creek), 34º 43’ 01”S, 142º 21’ 53”E, malaise trap, 23.ix–4.x.2001 ( CNH J.D. & J.S. Lambkin & N.T. Starick) ( ANIC) ; 2 ♀, Gol Gol , ex sticky trap in vineyard, 12.v.1999 ( VAIC) .

Notes. The male specimen from Qld excluded from the type series shows the characteristics of Ch. orangensis , but has the left lateral aedeagal spine shaped slightly different. The females listed under ‘Other material examined’ have been associated with this species because they have been collected in the same collecting event as males of that species. However, because there are no diagnostic external features to differentiate between Ch. orangensis and Ch. algida , and these two species have an overlapping distribution range, there remains the possibility that some of these females may be Ch. algida . These two species have been found to live in close proximity, e.g. of four male specimens, collected by Hacker in Enoggera and mounted on one cardboard, three specimens were Ch. orangensis and one turned out to be Ch. algida . Further, three different species have been collected at the University of New England campus in Armidale ( Ch. orangensis , Ch. crassa and Ch. armidalensis ).

Etymology. This species was found in the first author’s backyard. Named after the type locality Orange, NSW.

Colour. Entire specimen including carinae light brown, rarely with darker patches. Pronotum slightly darker than head and pronotum. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins light brown, concolorous with cells. Pterostigma, crossveins and apical parts of veins often slightly darker.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.7–6.7 mm; ♀ 6.6–8.2 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.1–2.9 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering 1/3 to full length of basal compartment of vertex; absent in apical compartment. Frons 1.0–1.2 x longer than wide; position of maximum width more or less around centre of frontoclypeal suture or distinctly dorsad; lateral carinae of frons in facial view convex, rectilinear apically. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part reaching at least lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with median carina well developed, moderately developed or evanescent. Anteclypeus lacking median carina. Rostrum surpassing hind coxae.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum acutely angled or rectangular. Mesonotum with moderately developed median and lateral carinae. Forewing 3.0–3.4 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 8–22 indistinct tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP basad (rarely distad) of fork CuA1 and CuA2; tubercles of forewing dark or pale, concolorous with veins; ScP+RA apically bifid (sometimes unforked); RP trifid; additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP1+2 trifid (rarely bifid), MP3+4 forking into 3 or 4 branches; 10–11 (rarely 12) apical cells; 6 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 (rarely 5 or 7) apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 11–14 apical teeth and 6–9 (rarely 10) platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 11–13 (rarely 10 or 14) apical teeth and 9–12 platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 27 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 27 F–G. Aedeagus as in Figs 27 A–C. Phallotheca near base with a bifurcate ventral process; phallotheca very narrow; dorsally with two, strongly curved spines (a,b), mostly concealed by phallotheca in ventral view (only the base of each spine visible).

Diagnosis. This species is unique within Chidaea in that the tips of both spines are concealed by the phallotheca in ventral view. Chidaea bobadeenensis and Ch. belairensis are a bit similar in ventral view, having the tip of spine (a) entirely concealed and only a small portion of the tip of spine (b) visible. However they can easily be distinguished from Ch. orangensis in having the base of spines concealed by a more or less transparent section of the phallotheca, whereas in Ch. orangensis the bases of both spines are visible in ventral view. Further, Ch. orangensis and Ch. bobadeenensis can easily be separated by the shape of the phallotheca (in Ch. bobadeenensis it is asymmetrical and much wider apically; in Ch. orangensis it is narrow and symmetrical). Further, in Ch. orangensis

spines are equally curved and represent a mirrored image of each other, whereas in Ch. bobadeenensis , spine (a) is usually more strongly curved than spine (b), so the dorsal view appears asymmetrical.

Distribution: NSW, Qld, SA, Vic.

Associated plant records: Callistemon pityoides , Cassinia sp., Casuarina sp., Fraxinus angustifolia .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Chidaea orangensis: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 27. Chidaea orangensis: 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.