Chidaea bobadeenensis, 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 : 413-414

Chidaea bobadeenensis sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 20 , 31A )

Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D3219004-A1D5-4D72-9889-B9614D1619E4

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, NSW: Bobadeen Aboriginal Lease , 17km NE of Ulan, near Goulburn River, 1.–2.x.2005 (H. & B. Löcker) ( ASCU ASCTHE 030119) . Paratypes, NSW: 1 ♂, same data as HT ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, in woodland, 10km NE of Ulan , 32º 13’S, 149º 50’E, 1.x.2005 (M.J. Fletcher) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Shoalhaven S.F., Nowra , Acacia falcata , (coll. code FT03, vial H1337), viii.2000 (Nigel Andrew) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, same data except for (coll. code FT05, vial H1344) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, same data except for Acacia longifolia , (coll. code SH15, vial H2971) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, same data except for (coll. code SH11, vial H2964) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, Windsor , Mitchell Park, Cattai NP, Acacia falcata , (coll. code MP04, vial H2842), viii.2001 (Nigel Andrew) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, Benandarah S.F., Batemans Bay , Acacia binervata , (coll. code IR12, vial 1854), x.2000 (Nigel Andrew) ( NENH) ; 1 ♂, Hornsby , (H.33), 3.x.1917 ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, Auburn nr Sydney, 33º 14’E, 150º 45’S [coordinates as given on specimen label, see notes below], 8.x.1987 (G.R. Brown) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Ryde , 25.x.1903 (W.B. G[urney]) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, King Falls near Appin, sweeping in bush, 10.x.1964 (M.I. Nikitin) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Broulee , 2.ix.1969 (E.F. Riek) ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, Sydney , (Helms Collection) ix.1905 ( BPBM) ; 1 ♂, Royal NP, site iv, on Angophora , 20.ix.1981 (B.J. Loudon) ( ASCU) ; 1 ♂, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP, 19.ix.1970 (G. Daniels) ( AMS) .

Notes. The coordinates of the specimen from Auburn appear incorrect. Even after swapping the obviously mis-typed ‘E’ and ‘S’ they still do not refer to a location in Auburn. A potential locality where they may have been collected are the Auburn Botanic Gardens (33º 51’S, 151º 01’E)—these coordinates were used for the creation of distribution maps for this species. The specimens from the Bobadeen Aboriginal Lease were collected as part of a Community Biodiversity Survey organised by the National Parks Association of NSW.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Bobadeen Aboriginal Lease near Ulan.

Colour. Head mid brown, dark brown or black with paler carinae. Pronotum light brown, with darker patches. Mesonotum mid to dark brown with paler carinae; central area of mesonotum (in between carinae) often lighter coloured. Forewings light brown or whitish sometimes with a few dark patches, veins light brown or whitish, concolorous with cells, tubercles dark, in distinct contrast with lighter coloured veins. Pterostigma, crossveins and apical parts of veins often slightly darker. Body and legs light brown or mid brown.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 5.6–6.9 mm.

Head: Vertex 2.1–2.7 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 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. Anteclypeus with median carina moderately developed or evanescent. Rostrum reaching or surpassing hind coxae.

Thorax: Hind margin of pronotum acutely angled or rectangular. Mesonotum with median carina weakly to moderately developed, evanescent near posterior end; lateral carinae moderately developed. Forewing 2.8–3.4 x longer than wide; concavity at costal border absent; costal margin with 19–22 tubercles; fork of ScP+RA and RP distinctly basad of fork CuA1 and CuA2; tubercles of forewing dark, distinctly contrasted to paler coloured veins; ScP+RA apically bifid; RP trifid (rarely 4 branches); additional subapical cell between branches of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP1+2 trifid (rarely bifid); MP3+4 trifid; 11–12 apical cells; 6 subapical cells. Hind leg: tibia with 6 (rarely 7) apical spines; 1 st tarsomere with 10–12 (rarely 13) apical teeth and 5–6 (rarely up to 9) platellae; 2 nd tarsomere with 9–11 apical teeth and 7–9 platellae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube as in Figs 20 D–E. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 20 F–G. Aedeagus as in Figs 20 A–C. Phallotheca highly sclerotized, especially on left lateral side where it forms a ridge that ends in a bifurcate ventral process near base of phallotheca; phallotheca wide in apical half, slightly narrower in basal half; phallotheca asymmetrical, especially near bifurcate ventral process; phallotheca left lateral with a long spine (a), strongly curved in dorsal view, almost straight in lateral view, entirely concealed by phallotheca in ventral view (basal part of the spine concealed by a very thin, transparent layer of the phallotheca); right lateral with a long, almost straight spine (b).

Diagnosis. In Ch. bobadeenensis aedeagal spine (a) is distinctly longer than spine (b). This condition is also present in Ch. dickinsonorum , Ch. wilarra and Ch. dayi . However the latter three have tubercles on the forewing that are concolorous to veins and lack platellae, whereas Ch. bobadeenensis has dark contrasting tubercles and possesses numerous platellae on the first hind tarsomere (usually 5–6).

Chidaea bobadeenensis shares the wide phallotheca with Ch. crassa , for details on how to distinguish these two species see diagnosis section of Ch. crassa . Chidaea bobadeenensis resembles Ch. orangensis in having the aedeagal spines mostly or entirely concealed in ventral view, see diagnosis section of Ch. orangensis for details. Chidaea bobadeenensis shares the dark, contrasting tubercles on the forewing and the presence of platellae on the first tarsomere with Ch. orangensis , Ch. kimbaensis and Ch. etelis . See diagnosis section of these species for further details on how to distinguish these species.

Distribution: NSW.

Associated plant records: Acacia binervata , Ac. falcata , Ac. longifolia , Angophora sp.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Chidaea bobadeenensis: A habitus; B–D head.

FIGURE 20. Chidaea bobadeenensis: 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.