Chidaea etelis, 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 : 422-424

Chidaea etelis sp. nov.

( Figs 10 , 25 , 31D )

Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:231EE0BB-5698-446C-A060-31807DA80002

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, WA: Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP, 20.xi.1986 (G.R. Brown) ( ASCU ASCTHE016982 ) . Paratypes, WA: 1 ♂, Point Rd Campground , Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP, 34º 05’ 37’S, 115º 00’ 59”E, 50m, Pimelea sylvestris , (98-L13), 2.xii.1998 (G. Cassis) ( AMS) ; 1 ♂, Mt Chudalup , S of Northcliffe, karri forest, pan trap, 10.xi.1991 (D. Bickel) ( AMS) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Porongorup NP, Yate Flats , 9.xi.1987 (M.E. Irwing & E.I. Schlinger) ( CAS) ; 1 ♂, F[ield] T[rip] 55, 348-1 [5.8 miles west of Pemberton , ex karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor (F. Muell., 1863)) ], 24.xi.1960 (M.M.H. Wallace) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, 6 km E of Yellowdine , 31.18S 119.44E, 10.x.1981 (I.D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in copula), Pimelia , near Pemberton, 5.x.1970 (D.H. Colless) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, Warren NP, near Pemberton , 16.xii.1970 (G.A. Holloway, H. Hughes) ( AMS) ; 1 ♀, 9 mi WSW of Fraser Range HS., Key’s field notes, Trip 156, Stop 4351.7, 12.x.1968 (Britton, Upton, Balderson) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, Walyunga NP, 40km NE of Perth , 26–29.x.1987 (Mike E. Irwin) ( CAS) ; 1 ♀, Karri Gully , SW of Nannup on Brockman Hwy, 8.xi.1987 (Mike E. Irwin, Evert, I. Schlinger) ( CAS) .

Other material examined. WA: 1 ♂, possibly Mt Chudalup , S of Northcliffe, karri forest, pan trap, 10.xi.1991 (D. Bickel) ( AMS) ; 1 ♂, Walunga NP, 40km NE of Perth , 26–29.x.1987 (Mike E. Irwin) ( CAS) .

Notes. One specimen from WA had no locality data attached. But because it was part of the material from the Australian Museum and mounted in the same way as the specimen from Mt Chudalup, it is assumed to be from that location. The male specimen from Walunga NP is excluded from the type series because its male genitalia are damaged.

Etymology. ‘Etelis’ is the Greek term for a fish. Named after the fish-like shape of the phallotheca in ventral view.

Colour. Head mid brown or dark brown with pale carinae. Pronotum light brown, often with dark patches. Mesonotum mid brown or dark brown; carinae concolorous or paler; central area of mesonotum (in between carinae) often paler. Forewings light brown or whitish, veins light brown to whitish, concolorous with cells; tubercles dark brown in distinct contrast with light coloured veins. Pterostigma, crossveins and apical parts of veins slightly darker. Legs and body light brown or mid brown (rarely dark brown).

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 4.7–5.6 mm; ♀ 5.7–7.2 mm.

Head: Vertex 1.9–2.4 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering about 1/2 to entire length of basal compartment of vertex; absent in apical compartment. Frons 1.0–1.1 x longer than wide; position of maximum width more or less around centre of frontoclypeal suture or slightly dorsad; lateral carinae of frons in facial view convex, rectilinear apically or sinuate, s-shaped. Frontoclypeal suture strongly semicircular, bent upwards, median part reaching at least lower margin of antennal scape. Postclypeus with median carina well developed, sometimes evanescent near anteclypeus. Anteclypeus with median carina well developed or evanescent. Rostrum reaching or surpassing hind coxae.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum obtusely angled, acutely angled or rectangular. Mesonotum with median carina moderately to weakly developed, evanescent near posterior end; lateral carinae moderately developed. Forewing 3.2–3.7 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 14–19 tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP distinctly basad; tubercles of forewing dark, distinctly contrasted to paler coloured veins; ScP+RA apically bifid or unforked; RP bifid or trifid; additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP1+2 trifid (rarely bifid); MP3+4 bifid or trifid (rarely 4 branches); 11–12 apical cells; 6 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 (rarely 5) apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 9–10 apical teeth and 4–5 platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 9 (rarely 10) apical teeth and 7 (rarely 8) platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 25 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 25 F–G. Aedeagus as in Figs 25 A–C. Phallotheca with spines (a,b) about equal in length and curvature, not reaching bifurcate ventral process. In ventral view spines mostly concealed by phallotheca apart from apical section (1/3 to 1/5 of length of spine visible). Phallotheca in ventral view symmetrical, widest in apical quarter, narrowest in the section between tip of spines and bifurcate ventral process. Bifurcate ventral process situated about half way between base of phallotheca and midlength.

Diagnosis. Phallotheca in ventral view symmetrical, shaped like a fish reaching its greatest width in the apical quarter.

This species shares the following combination of characters with Ch. crassa , Ch. bobadeenensis , Ch. kimbaensis and Ch. sidnicus : dark, contrasting tubercles on the forewing and platellae on the first hind tarsomere. In Ch. etelis large parts of spine (a) are concealed by the phallotheca in ventral view (only the tip of the spine is visible), whereas in Ch. crassa all and in Ch. kimbaensis most of spine (a) is visible in ventral view. In Ch. bobadeenensis , however, spine (a) is entirely concealed in ventral view (although it appears that the base is visible, it is covered by a thin layer of phallotheca). In Ch. bobadeenensis and Ch. etelis the phallotheca is wide apically. Both species can easily be distinguished by the curvature of spine (a) in dorsal view: in Ch. etelis both spines are about equally curved, whereas in Ch. bobadeenensis spine (a) is more strongly curved than spine (b). Further, in Ch. etelis the section of phallotheca tapering into the bifurcate ventral process is symmetrical, in Ch. bobadeenensis asymmetrical.

Distribution: WA.

Associated plant records: Eucalyptus diversicolor , Pimelea sylvestris .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Chidaea etelis: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 25. Chidaea etelis: 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.