A redescription of Yoyetta landsboroughi (Distant) and Y. tristrigata (Goding and Froggatt) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) and description of four new related species
Author
Emery, Nathan J.
Author
Emery, David L.
Author
Popple, Lindsay W.
text
Zootaxa
2015
3948
3
301
341
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3948.3.1
42b6faac-12fa-4e79-84ea-11726ba12b29
1175-5326
232382
84F7C95D-2CDD-4700-A3E5-16EAAE53ABDD
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp. nov.
(
Figures 2
,
4
,
6–9
)
Cicadetta landsboroughi
;
Ewart,
1998
:
61
,
Fig.
15
b;
Popple and Strange,
2002
:
30
. Species near
Cicadetta landsboroughi
;
Ewart and Popple,
2001
: 57
, 65,
Fig.
4
D.
Holotype
: ♂ Maranoa river, Mitchell, Qld,
24
.xi.
2005
(MUV), L. Popple & N. Hando, T
228765
(
QM
).
Paratypes
: QUEENSLAND:
1
♂
Millerran Qld,
21
.x.
1990
, T. A. Lambkin;
1
♂
Condamine Qld,
28
.x.
1992
, T. A. Lambkin (both
ANIC
);
1
♀ same data as
holotype
, T
228766
;
5
♂
2
♀ SEQ:
25
°
27
’S
150
°03’E
, Taroom District, Boggomoss 21,
10.xi.
1996
, C. J. Burwell, S. Evans, at light
130
;
1
♂
same location as previous,
12–14
.i.
1997
, C. J. Burwell,
201
;
2
♂
SEQ:
25
°
27
’S
150
°02’E
, Taroom District, Boggomoss 8,
12.xi.
1996
, C. J. Burwell, S. Evans,
137
;
2
♂
same location as previous,
11
. Xi.
1996
, 131;
1
♂
1
♀ same location as previous, at light,
141
;
1
♀ SEQ:
25
°
29
’S
150
°08’E
, Taroom District, Prices Ck nr Boggomoss
30
, at light,
14
.xi.
1996
, C. J. Burwell, S. Evans,
152
;
3
♂
SEQ:
25
°
27
’S
150
°03’E
, Taroom District, Boggomoss 21,
11.xi.
1996
, C. J. Burwell, S. Evans,
136
;
1
♂
R[ockhamp]ton,
24
.xi.
1922
; (all
QM
);
2
♂
1
♀ Walgett N.S.W.,
30
.xii.
1971
, B. Cantrell;
3
♀ Moree N.S.W.,
20
.xii.
1971
, B. Cantrell;
1
♂
6
♀,
4km
E. Goondiwindi,
19
.x.
1986
, C.E. Hagan (all
UQIC
);
3
♂
Chinchilla, Qld., T.W. Gamble (
307069
-071);
2
♀ Cunnamulla, Qld.,
x.
41
,N. Geary (
307068
, -072) (
AM
);
1
♂
2
♀, Rockwood, Chinchilla,
2
.x.
1983
;
4
♂
1
♀, Condamine, on river banks, on
E. tessellaris
,
2
.x.
1983
;
1
♂
, Boggomoss, Taroom S Qld,
24
°
27.42
’S
150
°01.33’E
,
29
.ix.
1997
;
1
♂
Dalby SEQ,
xi.
1990
, J. Wood;
2
♂
1
♀,
5.2 km
S. Charleville SWQ, Mulga,
8
.xii.
2000
, A. E, I. Rattray,
26
°
26.86
’S
146
°
14.54
’E
;
1
♂
, Charleville, SWQ, Bailey Bar Caravan Park,
7
.xii.
2000
, A. E., I. Rattray,
26
°
24
’S
146
°
15
’E
;
1
♀, nr Milroy Hsd, nr Adavale SWQ,
i.
2000
, J. Nowland,
26
°03’S
144
°
21
’E’
;
1
♀, Dam, Milroy Hsd, –
70 km
N. Quilpie SWQ, Gidyea, A. E., I. R., J. N.,
10
.i.2000
,
26°02.85’S
144
°
20.81
’S
;
5
♂
, ~
30 km
N. Quilpie SWQ, Bulloo River Xing,
11
.ix.
2000
, A. E.,
26
°
20.49
’S
144
°
18.42
’E
;
1
♂
, same data as previous, recorded;
8
♂
1
♀, Warrego R. crossing, Charleville, open woodland,
19
.x.
1998
, light, Ewart,
26
°
24.04
’S
146
°
14.05
’E
;
1
♂
, same location as previous,
17
.xi.
1998
, A. E., recorded;
1
♂
, Glebe Weir,
30 km
NE Taroom S Qld,
2
.x.
1999
, A.E.,
25
°
27.85
150
°02.00’E
;
1
♂
, same data as previous, recorded;
7
♂
, Cooper Ck Xing, NE Windorah SWQ,
5
.ix.
2000
, A. E.,
25
°
22.20
’S
142
°
44.55
’E
;
2
♂
, same data as previous, recorded (all
AE
);
17
♂
3
♀ Maranoa river, Mitchell, Qld,
24
.xi.
2005
(MUV), L. Popple & N. Hando;
2
♂
Roma QLD,
19
.x.2011
, 26°
33.48
S
148
°
47.15
E
,
300m
,
19
.x.
2011
, N., C.& D. Emery (all
DE
);
1
♂
Australia
Qld, Gordon Park, Oakey,
20
.x.
2013
, L. W. Popple,
27
°
26
'
24
"S
151
°
43
'01"E
,
477
-0054;
1
♂
2
♀ Balonne River,
Surat
SCQ,
19
.xii.
2001
, L. Popple, A. Strange,
477
-0012 to
477
-0014;
1
♂
Barakula S.F. via Miles SEQ,
29
.xi.
1999
, J. Moss, L. Popple,
477
- 0007;
3
♂
1
♀ Condamine River, Yandilla,
11km
E. Millmerran, SEQ,
3
.xii.
2001
, J. Moss, L. Popple,
477
-0008 to
477
-0011;
1
♂
Weir,
2km
W. of Gayndah, SEQ,
2
.xi.
2002
, L. Popple, S. Billington,
477
-0028;
12
♂
1
♀ Cooper Ck crossing E. Windorah, SWQ,
5
.ix.
2000
, L. Popple, A. Ewart,
477
-0015 to
4770027
;
1
♂
Australia
Qld,
25
°
36
'
49
"S
151
°
15
'
57
"E
, Mundubbera district (prpty),
27
.x.
2005
, L. W. Popple, citrus
477
-0029;
12
♂
3
♀
Australia
Qld, Maranoa River, Mitchell,
24
.xi.
2005
, L. Popple, N. Hando, mv lamp,
477
-0030 to
477
-0044;
1
♂
1
♀
Australia
Qld, Beardmore Dam, via St George,
11
.xii.
2005
, L. W. Popple, mv lamp,
27
°
54
'
26
"S
148
°
38
'
54
"E
,
477
-0045 to
477
- 0046;
2
♂
2
♀ Glebe Weir, Dawson R. via Taroom,
4–5
.xii.
1999
J. Moss, L. Popple, Mv lamp,
477
-0003 to
477
- 0006;
1
♂
Australia
Qld, Eidsvold Caravan Park,
24–25
.xi.
2006
, mv lamp, L. Popple & A. McKinnon,
25
°
22
'06"S
151
°07'
25
"E
,
477
-0047;
1
♂
Australia
Qld, Mundubbera (north),
8
.i.
2007
, L. Popple and J. Hereward, at light,
25
°
35
'03"S
151
°
18
'
14
"E
,
477
-0048;
1
♂
1
♀
Australia
Qld, Burnett River Ceratodus,
29
.ix.
2012
, L. Popple & A. McKinnon,
25
°
17
'02"S
151
°08'
24
"S
,
477
-0051 to
477
-0052 (all
LWP
);.
NEW
SOUTH
WALES
:
1
♂
Kinchega NP,
11–13
.x.
1980
, N.W. Rodd (
307198
);
1
♂
Eloneta (Elenora),
NSW
,
14
.ii.
68
, P.A. Robinson (
307040
);
2
♂
Kinchega NP, N.S.W.,
32
°
33
S;
142
°
12
E,
28
.x.
1995
, Schuh & Cassis (307010, 307058);
2
♂
2
♀
15
Km WNW Narrandera, N.S.W.,
34
°
43
S
146
°
28
E,
23
.xi.
1992
, McAlpine, McEvoy & Moulds (
307063
-066);
1
♂
Bogan River nr Peak Hill, N.S.W.,
16
.x.
1991
, J. Thompson, S. Cowan (
307006
);
1
♂
Bourke, N.S.W., D. Francois (
307050
);
1
♂
“Watercourse, Moree N.S.W.,
xi.
1933
, A. Musgrave (all
AM
);
1
♂
1
♀
16km
E. of Hay, N.S.W.,
11
.xii.
1978
, M.S. & B.J. Moulds (both
QM
);
6
♂
9
♀
Macquarie
River, Dubbo, N.S.W.,
32
°
15.32
S
148
°
35.21
E
,
3
.xi.
2007
, C.& D. Emery;
2
♂
Gilgandra Caravan Park, N.S.W.,
23
.x.
2013
, S. Wilson (all
DE
);
2
♀
Australia
N.S.W., Moree district,
17
.x.
2010
, L.G. Cook,
29
°
28
'00"S
149
°
51
'00"E
,
477
-0049 to
477
-0050;
3
♂
1
♀
Australia
, N.S.W., Gilgandra Caravan Park,
23
.x.
2013
, S. Wilson,
477
-0055 to
477
-0058;
2
♂
2
♀
Australia
N.S.W.,
Macquarie
River, Dubbo,
3
.xi.
2007
, C. & D. Emery,
478
-0008 to
478
- 0011; (all
LWP
). VICTORIA:
1
♂
Gippsland Victoria,
28
.i.
1907
, W. W. Froggatt collection (
ANIC
);
1
♂
Nhill Vict.
31
.xii.
1964
(
QM
);
2
♀ Gippsland, Vic., C. French (
307080
);
1
♂
2
♀ Gippsland, Vic.,
10
.i.
1911
, H. Ashton,(
307073
, -074, -083) (all H. Ashton coll.,
AM
).
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
:
1
♂
Murray R. S. A., F.R. Zeitz,
I.
1984
,
SAMA
Database No.
20
- 0
14568
(
SAM
);
1
♂
34
°
44
'
55
"S
140
°
34
'
28
"E
, SA, Cockatoo Lake,
25
.xi.
2011
, B. T. Haywood,
477
-0053 (
LWP
). NORTHERN TERRITORY:
1
♀ Alice Springs N.T.,
ix.
1992
, light, F. Patterson, L
802
(
ANIC
).
Description. Male
(
Figures 2
,
6
A–B, E–F,
7
).
Head
approximately as wide as mesonotum; principally brown or dull black, with area surrounding ocelli consistently dark brown to black, a central brown or orange-brown triangular marking with apex immediately posterior to ocelli, small ochraceous triangular spots between ocelli and eyes (conspicuous in darker specimens); ocelli pink; postclypeus ochraceous to brown above, dark brown to black ventrally and along transverse grooves, medium-brown to reddish-brown along lateral and posterior margins, with a brown triangular marking present centrally, apex facing posteriorly; lorum and genae dark brown to black; anteclypeus variable from reddish brown to shiny black with anterior margin orange; rostrum ochraceous anteriorly, extending into dark brown or black posteriorly, with length reaching the posterior edge of hind coxae; eyes red to reddish-brown; antennae black, supra-antennal plates black.
FIGURE 6
.
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp.nov.
, (A) male holotype, Mitchell (26°29’S 147°59’E), dorsal habitus, BL 15.4 mm; (B) male holotype, Mitchell, ventral habitus; (C) female, Mitchell, dorsal habitus, BL 16.5 mm; (D), female, Mitchell, ventral habitus; (E) male, Dubbo (32°15’S 148°35’E), dorsal habitus, BL 16.0 mm; (F) male, Dubbo, ventral habitus; (G) female, Dubbo, dorsal habitus, BL 16.2 mm; (H) female, Dubbo, ventral habitus.
FIGURE 7
.
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp.nov.
, illustration of male pygofer and internal genitalia; (a), viewed laterally from the left; (b), viewed ventrally; (c), aedeagus; and, (d), apex of theca. Characters as depicted in Figure 3. Specimen from Mitchell, Queensland (26°29’S 147°59’E).
Thorax
mainly ochraceous to dark brown. Pronotum may be either mainly brown (northern specimens) or variably dark brown to black (southern specimens), in both cases with paramedian and lateral fissures tending dark brown or black, central longitudinal fascia brown, narrowly proximally and distally and not quite reaching anterior or posterior margins, surrounding area dark brown to black; pronotal collar brown (northern specimens) to dark brown (southern specimens) sometimes tending to black at lateral angles in the darkest specimens. Mesonotum ochraceous to dark reddish-brown; submedian and lateral sigilla dark brown to shiny black, cruciform elevation orange-brown to dark brown, sometimes black along median ridge, with area between lateral margins and wing grooves orange-brown to brown; scutal depressions dark brown to black; wing grooves brown to black. Metanotum brown in northern specimens or black in southern specimens.
Legs
. Coxae with outer side black to dull brown, orange on margins, and with inner side orange-brown to brown, tending dark brown on margins; fore femora outer side with orange-brown with dark brown to brown longitudinal fasciae, inner side black to dark brown or brown with dark brown margins; mid and hind femora dark brown or dull orange-brown, paler on inner side; tibiae orange-brown or pale brown, mottled in some specimens; spines on fore and mid legs brown to black, orange-brown or ochraceous on hind legs; tarsi orange-brown to brown at base, becoming darker towards claws.
Wings
with fore wing costal veins ochraceous, fine black anterior margins, becoming more ochraceous posteriorly, pterostigma brown to orange-brown, basal membranes bright orange, with small dark brown spot at base; vein M black to dark brown, other veins ochraceous to brown, with eight apical cells; hind wing plaga brown at base, becoming transparent towards apical third, orange on medial margin, with
6
apical cells.
Opercula
following body axis ventrolaterally, broadly sickle-shaped, depressed centrally, dark brown to black anteriorly and medially, becoming medium to pale brown posteriorly, clearly separated. Meracanthus small, narrow, ochraceous, pointed, overlapping half of opercula.
Timbals
(
Figure
2
B) with five distinct long ribs; long ribs
1–4
extending across timbal membrane, rib
4
narrowing slightly in medial area; rib
5
comparatively shorter, extending across three quarters of the timbal membrane; all long ribs fused dorsally along basal spur; large ridged dome on posterior timbal plate extending over half-width of timbal; apodeme pit oval-shaped and conspicuous.
Abdomen
with tergite
1
dark brown to black; tergite
2
mainly black with diffuse ochraceous areas on the dorsolateral sides; tergites
3–6
orange with distinct black marking across dorsal midline and diffuse dark-brown to black mottling extending laterally along posterior edges, which, in darker examples melds to dense mottled black markings on extreme lateral margins. Tergite
8
dark brown to black. Sternite I dark brown to black under opercula, orange over much of tympanal cavity; sternite II dark brown to black, orange at posterior margin; sternites III–VII light orange-brown to yellow-brown, sternite VII sometimes displaying a diffuse black spot on median posterior; sternite VIII shiny dark-brown, becoming paler posteriorly, with golden pubescence.
Genitalia
(
Figure
7
). Pygofer mainly dark brown to black; dorsal beak brown, anal styles yellowish; upper lobe dark brown or sometimes contrastingly pale brown; basal lobe dark brown. Uncus orange-brown; in lateral view beak-like and stumpy; lobes in ventral view bulbous, with rounded lateral termination; claspers clearly divided, with apices gradually tapering laterally. Aedeagus with pseudoparameres not extending as far as theca; theca recurved ventrally at
120
° towards apex, with transparent flanges along margin of recurvature, these smooth dorsally, becoming finely serrated ventrally, approximately equal to width of theca; apex extended, transparent, sclerotised, spine-like, with conspicuous dorsal ornamentation.
Female
(
Figure
6
C–D, G–H).
Head
and
thorax
identical to male and equally variable with southern specimens tending to be much darker than northern specimens.
Abdomen
with tergite
1
mainly dark brown to black; tergite
2
dark brown to black on anterior margin, orangebrown over remainder; tergites
3–7
orange-brown with prominent black markings along dorsal midline, widening towards posterior margins, abruptly orange at margin, and with soft brown to black triangular markings on lateral edge, apices facing anteriorly; tergite
8
brown to dark brown, sometimes with faint ochraceous band over dorsolateral third, diminishing dorsally and laterally; abdominal segment
9
dark brown to black with orange to brown triangular marking along dorsal midline, which, in paler specimens, often extends posteriorly and laterally. Ovipositor dark brown, black at tip, barely extending beyond apex of abdomen. Anal styles orange to orangebrown, ovipositor sheath dark brown to black.
Measurements
(in mm; range with mean in parentheses:
12
males
,
12
females
). Body length: male 15.0–
16.9
(16.0); female
15.4–16.9
(
16.4
). Fore wing length: male
15.1–18.7
(18.0); female
19.1– 20.7
(
19.6
). Head width: male
3.9–4.7
(
4.4
); female
4.5–5.3
(
4.9
). Pronotum width: male
3.6–4.1
(
3.9
); female
4.1–4.5
(
4.3
). Abdomen width: male
4.1–4.4
(
4.3
); female 4.0–
4.9
(
4.7
).
Etymology.
A Latin adjective meaning “of a river”, referring to this species affinity with riverine habitats.
Distinguishing features.
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp. nov.
, can be distinguished from
Y. aaede
(Walker)
,
Y. abdominalis
(Distant)
, and
Y. denisoni
(Distant)
by possessing fore wings with length of <
22 mm
. It differs from
Y. hunterorum
(Moulds)
and
Y. incepta
(Walker)
by the predominately orange colouration of the tergites. It can be differentiated from
Y. celis
(Moulds)
,
Y. cumberlandi
sp. nov.
and
Y. repetens
sp. nov.
in having a head width of <
5 mm
. Males and females can be distinguished from
Y. nigrimontana
sp.nov.
by having dark brown to dull orangebrown rather than black to dark ochraceous fore and mid tibiae. Males can be distinguished from
Y. landsboroughi
and
Y. tristrigata
(Goding and Froggatt)
using the following combination of characters: (
1
) compound eyes red (at least in fresh specimens), (
2
) timbal long rib
4
continuous and narrowing only slightly in median area, (
3
) theca with transparent serrated flanges <
2
x
its width, and (
4
) apical spine of theca, including base, with ornamentation. Females can be distinguished from
Y. tristrigata
by having a fore wing length of <
22 mm
. They can be distinguished from paler individuals of
Y. fluviatilis
(northern New South
Wales
and Queensland) by the extensive black (rather than brown) colouration on the thorax. It is not possible to differentiate reliably between females of the darkest specimens of
Y. fluviatilis
(which occur south from Gilgandra in New South
Wales
) and females of
Y. landsboroughi
. However, notably, live females of
Y. fluviatilis
consistently have red eyes, which can aid in identification; however this attribute does not always preserve authentically in dried material.
FIGURE 8
. Male calling song structures of
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp.nov.
, illustrated in waveform plot form. Each lower plot is expanded from the one above, to illustrate the finer temporal structure of each song comparison. The spectrogram at the bottom of the figure displays song frequency. This specimen was captured in Charleville (26°24'S 146°14'E) and recorded in an open container by A. Ewart using RS4 (see Materials and Methods).
FIGURE 9
. Waveform plots illustrating the male calling song of
Yoyetta fluviatilis
sp.nov.
, from six different localities, including: (i) Charleville (26°24'S 146°14'E), (ii) Glebe Weir (25°27'S 150°02'E.), (iii) Oakey (27°26'S 151°43'E), (iv) Yandilla (27°51'S 151°21'E), (v) Bulloo River via Quilpie (26°20'S 144°18'E) and (vi) Cooper Creek via Windorah (25°22'S 145°45'E). Durations of the main calling song elements are provided above each subfigure. Recordings (i), (ii), (v) and (vi) were made by A. Ewart in an open container using RS5. Recordings (iii) and (iv) were made in the field by LWP using RS3 and RS2 respectively (see Materials and Methods).
Distribution, habitat and behavior.
Widespread distribution through inland Queensland, New South
Wales
, Victoria and South
Australia
in association with the Murray-Darling and Lake Eyre drainage basins (
Figure
4
). A population also occurs near the coast at Gippsland and a single specimen has also been taken at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Adults often emerge in large numbers after rainfall. They typically emerge on grasses and then gradually move up the trunks of eucalypts, especially River Red Gum (
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
). Individuals, including calling males, tend to remain sedentary on the trunks and upper branches of trees, unless disturbed.
Occasionally, calling males will continue calling when flying briefly between singing stations. Records span from September to January.
Notes on geographical variation.
Specimens from the southern part of the range (south from Gilgandra in New South
Wales
) tend to exhibit darker colouration than specimens from further north.
Calling song.
The typical call of this species has simple repetitive phrases, each comprising a short, noncoalesced, syllable sequence followed by a macrosyllable (
Figure
8
). The syllable sequence contains
14–32
syllables (each
5–10
ms duration,
2–4
pulses,
n
=
18
recordings), with a silence between
4 to 31
ms between each syllable. The sequence of syllables is followed by a period of between
20
and
150
ms of silence. This is then followed by the macrosyllable, which comprises
4 to 8
syllables (
45–90
ms duration). A second period of silence then follows (
250–500
ms duration), which completes each phrase.
Figure
9
shows a comparison of the song structure of
Y. fluviatilis
across the southern Queensland portion of its geographical distribution (no recordings were available from other states). While some variation is apparent between individual recordings, the distinctive structure of the call is demonstrated to be quite consistent across this wide area (distance of over
900 km
).
Anecdotal behavioural observations by LWP indicate that the macrosyllable acts as a cue for female response; however, this behaviour has not yet been captured in any recordings. The female wing flick response is expected to occur during the second period of silence at the end of each phrase.
Occasionally males produce an anomalous variation of the typical call in which the macrosyllable is not produced. In these instances the silence following each short rattle is approximately
250
ms in duration.
The phrase duration in the typical call ranges from
650 to 1475
ms. The typical repetition rate of syllables in the short rattle ranges from 25.0 to
111.1
Hz. The frequency spectrum of the calling song ranges between
5.5
and
17
kHz, with highest energy between
10
and
16
kHz, and a dominant frequency of approximately
13
kHz (
Figure
8
).