Revision of the Australian species of Aka White, 1879 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new genus
Author
Löcker, Birgit
text
Zootaxa
2015
3956
2
199
223
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3956.2.3
5dd27599-4955-4417-a887-5497706a61d6
1175-5326
246048
7926BAC8-2480-4AD3-A7ED-30554A29C49A
Aka gwana
sp. nov.
(
Figs 3
A–C, 7A, 10)
Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:06E87AA3-58B5-4325-BCA5-A77F6C8B0F99
Types
.
Holotype
, ♂,
AUSTRALIA
, Tas:
Mt Michael,
710m
, u.v.l.,
24.x.1990
(T. Semmens) (TAIC 145562).
Paratypes
,
1 ♂
, same data as
holotype
; 1 ♀, Mt Barrow summit,
1280m
, UVL,
25.i.1990
(L. Hill) (TAIC).
Etymology.
The term „
gwana
“ means „goanna“ in Torres Strait Creole, an indigenous language spoken in Queensland (
Thieberger & McGregor 1994
). Named after the long, forked spine on the apex of flagellum which resembles the forked tongue of a goanna.
Diagnosis.
This species can be distinguished from all other Australian
Aka
by the presence of more than two spines on the flagellum.
Colour.
Vertex mid brown, carinae paler, with a whitish spot where subapical carinae meet lateral borders of vertex or vertex entirely light brown. Face light to mid brown, darker near vertex; carinae concolorous; frons often with a whitish spot at each lateral end of frontoclypeal suture. Pro- and mesonotum brown with slightly paler carinae; pronotum either paler than mesonotum or both the same colour but lateral parts darker. Forewings light brown to whitish, mottled with darker spots; veins concolorous with cells; tubercles darker, in distinct contrast to cells; pterostigma whitish. Abdominal sternites light brown. Legs light brown with a few darker marks.
Morphology.
Body length: ♂
4.2–4.3 mm
; ♀
5.1–5.6 mm
.
Head: Vertex 1.3–1.4 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering about 3/4 of basal compartment of vertex. Frons 1.2–1.3 x longer than wide; maximum width no more than
2x
apical width; position of maximum width distinctly dorsad of centre of frontoclypeal suture; median carina forked in basal (near frontoclypeal suture) third to half of frons. Median ocellus present (indistinct). Anteclypeus with very indistinct median carina. Subapical segment of rostrum 1.3–1.7 x longer than apical segment.
Thorax: Mesonotum with indistinct sublateral carinae. Forewing 2.9–3.3 x longer than wide; costal margin with 8–11 distinct tubercles; tubercles aligned alongside veins, but reaching to some extent into cell area; tubercles large, dark, in distinct contrast to cells; many tubercles bearing very long setae; Sc+R+M near basal cell fused, forming a minute common stem Sc+R+M; fork of ScRA+
RP
distinctly basad, slightly basad or at same level as fork CuA1+CuA2; distance tegula to ScR+M fork distinctly (about ½ to ¾) shorter than distance between this fork and ScRA+
RP
fork; position of r-m moderately basad of fork MA+MP; fork MA+MP situated around apical 1/3 of forewing; icu slightly distad of apex of clavus;
RP
apically bifid; MA bifid; MP unforked; nodus of y-vein more or less in centre of clavus; y-vein with A1 moderately elevated; 7 apical cells.
Hind
leg: 1st tarsomere with 7 apical teeth; 2nd tarsomere with 7–8 apical teeth and 4–5 fine setae.
Male genitalia: Anal tube (
Figs 10
C,D) apically slightly indented, forming two rounded lobes. Pygofer as in
Fig. 10
E. Genital styles apically rounded, laterally produced resembling the beak of a bird as in
Figs 10
F,G. Aedeagus (
Figs 10
A,B): Phallotheca left laterally with spines (a,b) and right laterally with a curved spine (c). Base of phallotheca ventrally with 2 small sclerotised teeth. Flagellum near base with 3 sclerotised spines (d,e,f), apically widening into a large disc which gives rise to a long, bifurcate spine (g).
Remarks.
In one of the specimens the CuA1+CuA2 fork is in an unusual position near the apex of the forewing, therefore the ScRA+
RP
fork is distinctly basad in this specimen.