Systematics, biogeography and host plant associations of the lace bug genus Lasiacantha Stål in Australia (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae) 2818 Author Cassis, Gerasimos Author Symonds, Celia text Zootaxa 2011 2011-04-13 2818 1 1 63 https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2818.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.2818.1.1 1175­5334 5289063 Lasiacantha graminicola , sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 3b , 6 , 12e –f, 13f , 14c ) Holotype . ♂ , AUSTRALIA : Queensland : Lake Broadwater via Dalby , 27.35 ° S 151.1 ° E , 19–22 Nov 1985 , Dvac (199271) ( QDPI ). Paratypes . AUSTRALIA : New South Wales : Banyabba Nature Reserve , 29.38°S 152.99777°E , 84 m , 05 Dec 2009 , Matthew Binns , ex. sweeping grass, 1 m (17851), 1 f (17852) ( UNSWIC ) . Queensland : Greenbank , 27.71666°S 152.95°E , 28 Feb 1965 , T. Weir , 1 m (192982) ( UQIC ); Lake Broadwater via Dalby, 27.35°S 151.1°E , 20 Sep 1985 , D-vac, 1 f (199276) ( QDPI ), 19–22 Nov 1985 , D-vac, 5 m (199267–199270, 199272), 3 f (199273– 199275) ( QDPI ). Diagnosis. Lasiacantha graminicola ( Fig. 6 ) is recognised by the following combination of characters: dorsum pale brown, with some mottled dark brown patches; dense covering of white microtrichae; major setiferous tubercles on pronotum and hemelytra short, terminal seta elongate, much longer than tuberculate base; keel and surface of collum, pronotal carinae with major setiferous tubercles; costal area with setiferous tubercles extending to posterior hemelytral margin; carinate margins of discoidal area with major setiferous tubercles, posterior angle without clump of setiferous tubercles; pronotum and hemelytra with moderately elongate hairlike setae, uniformly, densely distributed; abdominal venter with short, straight, silvery, porrect, hairlike setae; cephalic spines moderately elongate, frontal spines shorter than AI, medial spine straight; AIV with compact base collum columnar, higher than medial carina, projected anteriorly and covering entire head; paranota three areolae wide; costal area two areolae wide, all areolae subequal size; areolae in subcostal, discoidal and sutural areas smaller than in costal area; sternal carinae with metasternal carinae weakly concave but close to equal width to mesosternal carinae. Description. Medium size, brachypterous ( Fig. 6 ); males 2.86–3.17, females 2.92. COLOURATION. Dorsum pale brown, with some mottled dark brown patches; dense covering of white microtrichae, making appearance grey brown at first glance. Head: dark brown; spines and bucculae pale brown to red brown; labium basal half orange brown, apical half darker red brown; antennae, AI–AII red brown, AIII–AIV orange brown. Pronotum: disc red brown, diminishing posteriorly to stramineous brown; paranota slightly mottled, stramineous with small dark brown patches; collum mostly red brown to dark brown, base pale brown; carinae mixed, stramineous with red to dark brown along most of dorsal edge, rarely unicolourous. Thoracic pleura and sterna: pleura red brown, supracoxal lobes slightly paler; mesosternum dark brown; sternal carinae orange to red brown. Legs: mostly orange brown, basal three quarters of femur slightly darker; tip of tarsi and tarsal claw red brown. Hemelytra: mostly pale brown, costal area mottled with dark brown patches; also dark brown patches medially and posteriorly on carinate margins of discoidal area. Abdomen: red brown, sometimes slightly darker. VESTITURE. Dorsum uniformly covered with dense distribution of moderately elongate, silvery, hairlike setae and white microtrichae. Head: adpressed, pale elongate woolly setae present; antenniferous tubercles with minor setiferous tubercles, terminal seta greatly elongate; antennae with minor setiferous tubercles, pale, AI–AII setiferous tubercles in multiple rows with moderately elongate curved terminal seta, AIII setiferous tubercles with greatly elongate straight terminal seta. Pronotum: paranota margins with short major setiferous, terminal seta much longer than tuberculate base; keel and surface of collum, and pronotal carinae also with major setiferous tubercles. Thoracic pleura and sterna: pleura with hairlike setae as on dorsum; supracoxal lobes with elongate, scalelike setae. Legs: dense distribution of minor setiferous tubercles; terminal seta pale, elongate, erect, bristlelike. Hemelytra: costal margins with major setiferous tubercles as on paranota, extending to posterior margin of hemelytra; major setiferous tubercles on carinate margins of discoidal area and cubitus + R+M vein, not clumped (aggregated) at posterior angle of discoidal area; hairlike setae distributed over entire hemelytra. Abdomen: dense distribution of short, silvery, porrect, hairlike setae. STRUCTURE. Head: spines moderately elongate; frontal spines parallel, shorter than AI; medial spine straight; occipital spines weakly curved outwards, extending well past outer margin of eye; labium moderate length, extending to metasternum; antennae, AI elongate and twice length of AII, AIV with compact base and weakly clavate apex. Pronotum: disc flat; collum columnar, uniformly broad, anteriorly projected over whole of head, much higher than medial carina; carinae moderately elevated, all one areole wide; lateral carinae unthickened; paranota expanded, semi-circular, three areolae wide. Thoracic sterna: metasternal carinae sinuous to slightly concave, close to same width as mesosternal carinae, both straight. Hemelytra: areolae very small, subequal size over entire hemelytra, excluding costal area with areolae large; costal area two areolae wide, both rows of areolae equal size; subcostal area three areolae wide; discoidal area four areolae wide; sutural area three areolae wide. Male genitalia: pygophore subquadrate; strongly tapered, rounded posteriorly; broadly cleft posterior margin; dorsal opening shallow, concave ( Fig. 12e–f ); parameres with sensory lobe angular, weakly expanded ( Fig. 13f ); distal u-shaped endosomal sclerite with shallow cleft, basal branches short ( Fig. 14c ). MEASUREMENTS. Ranges for 5 ♂ and 2 ♀ are given in Table 6 . Host plant. Swept from grass. Distribution. Known from three localities in southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales , inland from the coast on the Great Dividing Range ( Fig. 3b ). Etymology. In reference to the grass dwelling habit of this species, after the Latin for grass graminis and inhabitant cola . Remarks. See remarks for L. gingera for differential diagnosis.