Pauropsalta sinavilla, Owen & Moulds, 2016

Owen, Christopher L. & Moulds, Max S., 2016, Systematics and Phylogeny of the Australian Cicada Genus Pauropsalta Goding and Froggatt, 1904 and Allied Genera (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettini), Records of the Australian Museum 68 (4), pp. 117-200 : 165-167

Pauropsalta sinavilla n.sp.

Fig. 29 , Pl. 3

Pauropsalta sinavilla Owen et al., 2015: 263 , nomen nudum.

Types. Holotype male, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, Western Australia, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall; ( WAM) . Paratypes —WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( AE) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( AM) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( AJE) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( ANIC) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( DE) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( JO) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( LP) . 1♂ (genitalia prep. PAU 314), Fortescue , 21.ii.1985, K. & E. Carnaby ; 12♂♂ (two genitalia preps. PAU 309 and PAU 335; two molecular vouchers 09.AU.WA.HOU.15 and 09.AU.WA.HOU.16; GenBank accessions: KM377173 , KM377305 , KM377428 , KM377602 , KM668250 ) , 4♀♀, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ; 1♂, Sherlock River , 22.ii.1985, K. & E. Carnaby ( MSM) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( NHM) . 1♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240' E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( PH) . 12♂♂, House Ck , c. 60 km E of Nanutarra roadhouse, 22°27.970'S 116°02.240'E, 13.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ( WAM) .

Distribution ( Fig. 29 ). Western Australia where it is known only from three localities in the far north west of the State between the Ashburton and Sherlock Rivers. Sometimes a locally common species. There are records for the last two weeks of February only.

Habitat. Adults call from high up in smooth-bark eucalypts.

Description

Male (Pl. 3). Head wider than lateral margins of pronotal collar but wider than lateral margins; dominantly black with muddy yellow spot at posterior midline. Postclypeus jet black with light brownish orange markings; a light brownish orange mark on midline around most anterior portion; lateral and posterior margins light brownish orange; transverse ridges and central groove distinct, central groove and outer portion of transverse grooves light brownish orange. Anteclypeus jet black. Rostrum black, occasionally tending brown proximally, reaching to or just beyond apices of mid coxae. Antennae brown. Supra-antennal plates light brownish orange.

Thorax. Pronotum black with orange to light brownish orange markings; center of pronotum with orange to light brownish orange patches variable in extent between individuals; fascia along midline orange to light brownish orange, usually extending from head towards or almost to pronotal collar; a transverse orange to light brownish orange marking dorsally abutting anterior margin of pronotal collar usually constricted at midline; pronotal collar orange to light brownish orange; lateral angles tending black; lateral margin not, or barely, ampliate. Mesonotum primarily black with orange to light brownish orange markings; usually an orange to light brownish orange marking on either side from, or near, anterior arms or the cruciform elevation to pronotum between lateral and submedian sigilla, this marking projecting inwards to varying degrees but rarely meeting; sometimes midline orange to light brownish orange; lateral margins usually edged orange to light brownish orange; cruciform elevation orange to light brownish orange, sometimes partly muddy orange, anterior arms usually with distal ends black, posterior arms sometimes partly black. Metanotum black at hind wing base, remainder orange to light brownish orange, sometimes black near dorsal midline.

Legs. Fore legs mostly brownish black but with a orange to light brownish orange fascia to varying degrees along anterior length of femora, sometimes an orange to light brownish orange fascia along lateral exterior of femora; femora with spines always black; pretarsal claws black. Mid and hind legs brown to brownish orange; coxae with proximal margin edged orange; orange to light brownish orange along anterior and exterior length of femora; tibiae and tarsi brownish orange tending light brown. Meracanthus proximally brown tending orange distally.

Wings. Hyaline. Fore wing with fused stem of veins M and CuA not complete, the veins abutted rather than fused as one; venation brown; basal membrane orange. Hind wing with 5 apical cells; venation mostly brown except for pale yellowish brown 2A, 3A, and r-m; plaga muddy white to pale brown; black infuscation on wing margin at distal end of vein 2A and a little adjoining plaga.

Opercula. For the most part reaching or slightly extending beyond distal margin of tympanal cavity; widely separated; flat other than a low rounded swelling of epimeron 3; orange to light brownish orange, sometimes partly brown on epimeron 3.

Timbals with four long ribs spanning the width of timbal membrane and one much shorter anterior rib on dorsal half and one much shorter anterior rib terminating before the upper end of adjacent intercalary rib.

Abdomen. Tending round in cross section with epipleurites marginally reflexed inwards. Tergites mostly orange to light brownish orange with black or dark brown markings. Tergite 1 black or dark brown; tergite 2–7 orange to light brownish orange with anterior dorsal margin boldly marked black or dark brown to varying degrees; tergite 8 black or dark brown with orange posterior margin. Sternite I–VII mostly orange with black or dark brown around midline to varying degrees; sternite VIII orange to muddy orange.

Genitalia ( Fig. 29 ). Pygofer upper lobe long and broad, in lateral view gradually tapering to a rounded apex. Basal lobe a flap-like lobe adjacent to upper pygofer lobe, distally bi-lobed, each lobe somewhat similar in size, one partly hidden behind the other. Secondary basal pygofer lobe small, in lateral view narrow and linear with its rounded apex hidden within pygofer. Median lobe of uncus wider than long with a rounded apex. Claspers claw-like, short, broad in dorsal view, concave below, the very short bluntly pointed apices diverging outwards.Aedeagus with pseudoparameres extending to about length of endotheca, slender, flattened in cross section, arched high above endotheca but with their apices returning to about level of endotheca, in dorsal view the distal portion of each flattened and considerably expanded inwardly, this flattened broadly triangular, apically pointed. Endotheca exceptionally slender, gently curved downwards in a sweeping arc but almost straight, nearly parallel sided, circular in cross-section, apex steeply angled backwards on ventral side and with a small dorsal crest that is broadly triangular and somewhat resembling the dorsal fin of a shark in shape.

Female (Pl. 3). Similar to male.Abdominal segment 9 orange to light brownish orange, with a black or dark brown fascia on either side of midline extending distally from the anterior margin but not reaching posterior margin; often a dark brown to black suffused patch below subdorsal fascia variable in extent between individuals. Caudal beak very small, barely discernible. Ovipositor sheath long, extending some 1.5–2.0 mm beyond apex of abdomen; dark brown to black.

Measurements. Range and mean (in mm) for 10♂♂ and 4♀♀; includes smallest and largest of available specimens. Length of body: male 15.5–18.8 (17.3); female 16.0–18.8 (17.3). Length of fore wing: male 17.3–20.5 (19.5); female 18.6–21.6 (19.5). Width of fore wing: male 6.0–7.2 (6.7); female 6.2–7.2 (6.7). Ratio length/width of fore wing: male 2.7–3.1 (2.9); female 2.7–3.0 (2.9). Width of head (including eyes): male 4.4–5.0 (4.8); female 4.6–5.2 (4.9). Width of pronotum (across lateral angles): male 4.8–5.4 (5.2); female 4.9–5.6 (5.2).

Distinguishing features

A distinctive species within Pauropsalta and allied genera (those species with an infuscation on wing margin at the distal end of hind wing vein 2A), the males of which have an abdomen that is clearly wider than the thorax and rounded in cross section so that the epipleurites are not flexed inwards, and a pygofer with a poorly developed caudal beak that is obtuse in dorsal view rather than sharply pointed. Females have a protruding ovipositor sheath but lack a dorsal beak on abdominal segment 9.

Pauropsalta sinavilla is closely allied to Pauropsalta katherina from which it differs not only in its prominent orange and black colouring ( Pau. katherina is substantially black) but males have a much more rounded abdomen in cross section, that of Pau. katherina being reflexed at the epipleurites.

The male genitalia have remarkable pseudoparameres that arch high above the endotheca and terminate in front of the endothecal gonopore, a feature shared only with Pau. katherina . The male genitalia clearly differ from those of Pau. katherina in having serrations along the apical margin of the pseudoparameres, a feature absent in Pau. katherina .

Etymology. For the Latin sina - meaning irritated or grumpy, which resembles the general tone of this species song, and the Latin - villa for house because it is found near House creek, WA.

Song ( Fig. 29 ). The song is composed of a series of echemes. Each is less than 2 s in length. Echemes occur at a rate of c. 1 per second. The song ranges in frequency from 2–16 kHz.

Figures

Figure 29.Pauropsalta sinavilla n.sp. (A) male genitalia, lateral view (genitalia prep PAU 335);(B) male genitalia, ventral view (genitalia prep PAU 335); (C) waveform of male calling song recorded from c. 60 km east of Nanutarra, c. 59 km east of Northwest Coastal Hwy on road to Tom Price, House Creek rest area, WA; (D) spectrogram of male calling song; (E) species distribution map.