Chidaea dickinsonorum, 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 : 420-422

Chidaea dickinsonorum sp. nov.

( Figs 9 , 24 , 31B )

Zoobank Registration:

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:86DB3897-2D58-49CF-8F21-A11CD2A3B480

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: Dawsons Spring , Mt Kaputar NP, 150:10E, 30:17S, 1420m, 1–10.xii.1987 (G.R. Brown) ( ASCU ASCTHE016801 ) . Paratypes, NSW: 2 ♂, same data as holotype ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Nelsons Bay , Port Stephens, on leaves of Doryanthes excelsa , 27.viii.1920 (A. Musgrave) ( BMNH) . Qld : 1 ♂, National Park, 25.x.1923 (H. Hacker) ( QM) ; 1 ♂, Nagarijoon Falls , Lamington NP, sweeping shrubs, 28.x.1955 (T.E. Woodward) ( QM, formerly UQIC) .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, NSW: 1 ♀, Dawsons Spring, Mt Kaputar NP, 150.10E, 30.17S ,

1420m, 30.xi–10.xii.1987 (G.R. Brown) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♀, same data except for 1.–10.xii.1987 ( ASCU) . Qld: 1 ♂, [Lamington] National Park, 25.x.1923 (H. Hacker) ( QM) .

Notes. One male specimen collected by H. Hacker has been excluded from the type series, because it appears that aedeagal spine (b) has its tip broken off. 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. dickinsonorum , Ch. dayi , Ch. armidalensis and Ch. wilarra , and due to all these species occurring in New South Wales, there remains the possibility that some of these females may not be Ch. dickinsonorum .

Etymology. Named after the first author’s friends Sandra and Bailey Dickinson to honour their great interest in insects.

Colour. Vertex mid or dark brown with paler carinae. Frons mid brown, dark brown or black with paler carina (lateral carinae palest near frontoclypeal suture). Post- and anteclypeus usually darker than frons with slightly paler carinae. Pronotum light brown, with dark patches. Mesonotum midbrown, dark brown or reddish brown with concolorous or slightly paler carinae. Forewings light brown, tubercles and veins light or mid brown, concolorous with cells. Pterostigma, crossveins and apical parts of veins often slightly darker. Body and legs light or mid brown.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.5–6.1 mm; ♀ 6.7–7.3 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.2–2.5 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering 1/3–3/4 of basal compartment of vertex; absent in apical compartment. Frons 1.0–1.2 x as long as 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 moderately to well developed, sometimes evanescent near frontoclypeal suture. Anteclypeus with median carina moderately developed, evanescent or absent. 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 3.1–3.4 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 12–19 tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP slightly basad, slightly distad or at same level as 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 or present; MP1+2 trifid (rarely bifid); MP3+4 trifid; 10–12 apical cells; 6–7 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 9–13 apical teeth and no platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 12 (rarely 13) apical teeth and 10 (rarely 8 or 11) platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 24 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 24 F–G. Aedeagus as in Figs 24 A–C. Phallotheca narrow, near base with a bifurcate ventral process; phallotheca with spine (a) moderately to strongly curved, arising left lateral; spine (b) almost straight, arising right lateral; spine (b) inserts slightly further down the aedeagus shaft than spine (a) and its tip also reaches further down; in ventral view only small parts of spine (b) and sometimes spine (a) concealed by phallotheca. Aedeagal spines not reaching bifurcate ventral process.

Diagnosis. This species shares several features with Ch. wilarra , Ch. dayi , Ch. armidalensis and Ch. pulyonna . See diagnosis section of Ch. wilarra and Ch. pulyonna for further information. There is some resemblance in male genitalia between this species and Ch. bobadeenensis and Ch. crassa , however these species can be easily separated from Ch. dickinsonorum by the presence ( Ch. crassa , Ch. bobadeenensis ) or absence ( Ch. dickinsonorum ) of platellae on the first hind tarsomere. For further details see diagnosis section of Ch. bobadeenensis . The male genitalia of this species closely resembles Ch. punctata . For details of how to separate these two species see diagnosis section of Ch. punctata .

Distribution: NSW, Qld.

Associated plant records: Doryanthes excelsa .

Remarks. One specimen from Mt Kaputar collected on 1.x.1966 (located at ASCU ASCTHE016822) has similar male genitalia to Ch. dickinsonorum , however the length of spines is the exact opposite to Ch. dickinsonorum , with spine (a) being longer than spine (b). The genitalia is different to the specimens from the Brisbane area. Currently this specimen is labelled as Chidaea sp.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Chidaea dickinsonorum: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 24. Chidaea dickinsonorum: 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.