Drymopsalta wallumi, Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013

Ewart, A. & Popple, L. W., 2013, New species of Drymopsalta Heath Cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, with overview of genus, Zootaxa 3620 (1), pp. 1-42 : 5-10

Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 , 6 , 9–12 , 16 B, Plate 1, Tables 1 , 4)

Material. Holotype: 3 QM T183036, Bokarina, remnant wallum heath (near Kawana Anglican Church), Ewart, 11.x.1998, 26°45.05'S 153°07.44'E, PS1941 (QM).

Paratypes: S outheast Q ueensland: 13 Currimundi Lake Env. (Conservation) Park, Caloundra, S.E.Q., 7.xi.1999, A.E., 26°45.81'S 153°07.77'E, recorded; 13 As previously, 29.xii.1999; 23 As previously, 26.ix.2001, recorded; 13 As previously, 2.x.2004; 13 As previously, 24.x.2004; 13 As previously, 3.xi.2007, recorded; 13 As previously, 20.xii.2011; 13 Bokarina, remnant wallum heath (nr. Kawana Anglican Church), 11.x.1998, Ewart, 26°45.05'S 153°07.44'E, recorded; 13 Woodgate N.P., S.E.Q., 0.8km NW jct Burrum Pt Campground Rd., 3.xii, 2007, A.E., heath, 25°08.81'S 152°35.70'E; 13 Woodgate N.P., S.E.Q., ~ 1km NNE Walkers Pt township, 3.xii.2007, A.E., 25°09.89'S 152°35.41'E, recorded; 113 1Ƥ Woodgate Beach Township, S.E.Q., Frizzells Rd., 0.7km from jct, A.E., disturbed heath, 4.xii.2007, 25°05.63'S 152°32.76'E; 33 Tinnanbar, N. Tin Can Bay, 6.1km SW Tinnanbar village, wallum heath, A.E., 5.xii.2009, 25°47.79'S 152°55.20'E, recorded (AE); 43 Woodgate, SEQ, 26.ix.1998 – 3.x.1998, L. Popple, J. Moss, 318-0001 to 318-0004; 13 AUSTRALIA; QUEENSLAND, 26°07'S 152°29'E, Woodgate N.P., via Childers, 12.x.2003, L.Popple, C. Duran, 318-0013; 13 AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND, Woodgate NP, 26°07'S 152°29'E, 14.xi.2005, L.W.Popple, N.Hando, recorded, Leptospermum , 318-0016; 23 AUSTRALIA, Queensland, Runaway Bay, SEQ, 28.ix.2003, L.W. & W. Popple, 318-0010, 0011; 33 2Ƥ AUSTRALIA QLD, Pine Ridge CP, Runaway Bay, 21.xii.2009, L. Popple, A. McKinnon, 27°54’05”S 153°23’37”E, 318-0018, 0 0 19, 0 0 20, 0 0 21 (LWP). 1Ƥ AUSTRALIA; QUEENSLAND, 26°07'S 152°29'E, Woodgate N.P., via Childers, 12.x.2003, L.Popple, C. Duran, 318-0014, PS1952; 13 Woodgate Beach Township, S.E.Q., Frizzells Rd., 0.7km from jct, A.E., disturbed heath, 4.xii.2007, 25°05.63'S 152°32.76'E, PS1953; 13 1Ƥ QLD: 25°47'S 152°56'E, Tinnanbar, 3.3 km SW, 9.xii.2002, 10m, at light, C.J.Burwell & S.G.Wright, OF (open forest), scribbly gum, [QM]51109; 13 QLD: 25°47'S 152°58'E, Tinnanbar, 2.5 km S, 8.xii.2002, at light, C. Burwell & S. Wright, heath, 10m, [QM]51112 (all QM). 13 QLD: Bundaberg, xi.1972, 24.52°S 152.21°E, Frauca H.; 13 Tinnanbar, N. Tin Can Bay, 6.1km SW Tinnanbar village, wallum heath, A.E., 5.xii.2009, 25°47.79'S 152°55.20'E (ANIC). 13 Tinnanbar, N. Tin Can Bay, 6.1km SW Tinnanbar village, wallum heath, A.E., 5.xii.2009, 25°47.79'S 152°55.20'E, (BMNH).

Description. Male. ( Figs 1 , 2 , Plate 1A, Table 4)

Head. Supra-antennal plate and vertex black with diffuse dark brown patches adjacent to pedicels, and extending posteriorly from pedicels, and adjacent to median ocellus; mandibular plates and genae black, covered by conspicuous silvery-yellow pubescence; small triangular fascia, pale greenish-brown, extending and widening posteriorly from near median ocellus to pronotal margin along the epicranial suture; ocelli pink to rose-red; compound eyes dark brown. Postclypeus predominantly pale reddish-brown, pale sandy-brown along margins, with medial black colouration along, but not between the transverse ridges, the black becoming more extensive dorsally, extending on to dorsal surface and frons; a dorso-medial pale brown spot extending on to dorsal surface; anteclypeus shiny black; rostrum brown, darker apically; antennae dark brown, grading to pale sandy-brown apically.

Thorax. Pale reddish-brown to brown anterior margin; relatively broad central pale brown fascia which splays out along the reddish-brown pronotal collar, and partially extends along ventro-lateral margins; small black spots occurring at anterior and posterior ends of central fascia; lateral margins of pronotal collar ampliate; dorsal areas of pronotum black adjacent to central fascia, along the lateral and paramedian fasciae, and weakly ventro-laterally; medium brown between paramedian and lateral fissures and in area posterior to lateral fissures. Metanotum pale sandy-brown. Mesonotum with submedial sigillae black and short, fused anteriorly, with rounded posterior terminations; lateral sigillae black, sharply defined, elongated and triangular in shape, extending to apices of anterior arms of cruciform elevation, sometimes extending to posterior arms; remaining areas of mesonotum pale brown to reddish-brown, becoming pale brown in and around wing grooves; area between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, including scutal depressions, black; cruciform elevation pale brown to reddish-brown; mesonotum with sparse silvery-yellow pubescence, more extensive adjacent to wing grooves.

PLATE 1. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. A, holotype male, Bokarina, near Kawana, Sunshine Coast, SE Queensland, PS1941; B, female, Woodgate National Park, via Childers, SE Queensland, PS1952; body lengths 11.6 and 12.2 mm, respectively.

Wings. Fore wing costal vein translucent, remaining venation mostly pale to medium brown, darker brown proximally along M vein; basal membrane grey-brown. Hind wing venation pale to medium brown, with off-white opaque plaga around margins of anal cell 3, adjacent to vein 3A and weakly vein 2A; weak brown infuscation within plaga of anal cell 3; 5 to 6 apical cells.

Legs. Coxae and trochanters predominantly pale brown with irregular black fasciae on anterior, lateral and posterior faces; fore femora pale to medium brown with dark brown longitudinal fascia developed on posterior, dorsal and especially anterior faces; mid and hind femora similar, but dark brown longitudinal fasciae thinner and best developed on anterior faces; tibiae and tarsi patchy light and dark brown; claws brown, darker apically; spines of fore femora black.

Opercula. Predominantly pale sandy-brown, with slightly variable intensity, covered by silver pubescence; area around and adjacent to crest, and within meracantha black; meracanthus spike prominent, overlapping opercula; roughly rhombohedra shaped; the distal, medial and lateral margins gently curved.

Timbals. 4 long ribs; rib 4 shorter than ribs 1 to 3, otherwise as in diagnosis.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 brown to reddish-brown between timbals; tergite 2 with broad black irregular area dorsally along anterior margin, extending and narrowing along anterior margin submedially, expanding around and over auditory capsules, and further ventrally to anterior margins of sternite II; remaining and mostly posterior areas on tergite 2 are reddish-brown, becoming yellow along intersegmental membranes; tergites 3 to 8 with dorsal to submedial black areas along anterior areas of each tergite, with more diffuse patches of black colouration laterally on each tergite, not extending to dorso-lateral margins; on tergites 3 to 6, these lateral black areas often do not appear to join with the dorsal black areas due to dorso-lateral development of dense silvery pubescence (as in Fig. 1 A); remaining colouration of tergites medium brown to chestnut reddish-brown, grading to yellow-brown along the dorso-lateral margin of tergites 3 to 6, and yellow-brown along intersegmental membranes. Sternite II pale brown, black anterio-laterally and in and around median depression; sternites III to VII bright reddish-brown, with somewhat diffuse black medial triangular black areas, pointed anteriorly, becoming weaker and smaller towards sternite VII, not present on sternite VIII, these giving an overall appearance of a weak median fascia along abdominal venter; intersegmental membranes pale yellow.

Genitalia. ( Fig. 2 ). Pygofer black dorsally, including beak; pale brown laterally and along posterior margin towards dorsal beak; in ventral view outline, sub-rectangular with flattened anterior margin; dorsal beak in lateral view sharply defined and relatively long; upper lobes short, acutely rounded apically; basal lobes in ventral view moderately long, with narrowed rounded termination; claspers in lateral view strongly elongated, bluntly rounded apically, extending well beyond pygofer margins; uncus in lateral view much shorter than claspers, acutely rounded apically; pseudoparameres clearly longer than endotheca.

Female. (Plate 1B). Very similar to male in general colouring and patterning.

Head. Supra-antennal plate and vertex predominantly black, brown along anterior margins, more diffuse adjacent to median ocellus; small but clearly demarcated pale greenish-brown, triangular fascia, extending and widening posteriorly from near median ocellus along epicranial suture to pronotal margin; genae and mandibular plates black, covered by conspicuous silvery-yellow pubescence; anteclypeus black with pale greenish-brown ventro-medial spot; rostrum brown, black apically, extending to anterior margin of hind coxae; postclypeus predominantly pale brown, tending pale reddish-brown ventrally with development of black medial colouration along and between transverse ridges, becoming more extensive on dorsal surface towards frons; pale-brown dorsomedial spot extending on to anterior surface as a fascia, and further across frons to median ocellus.

Thorax. Pronotum as in male; submedial sigilla relatively short, fused medially, with a diffuse and relatively weak darker fascia extending posteriorly to, and infilling area between the anterior arms of cruciform elevation; lateral sigilla black, sharply defined, the posterior terminations just extending into area between lateral arms of cruciform elevation; colouration between and immediately surrounding sigilla pale-medium brown, pale greenishbrown along ventro-lateral margins and adjacent to wing grooves; cruciform elevation pale greenish-brown.

Legs. Very close to male in colouration and markings, with a slight increase in the extent of pale sandy-brown colouration.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 pale brown, black ventro-laterally; tergite 2 with narrow dorsal to submedial black area along anterior tergite margin and black on and immediately adjacent to auditory capsules; remaining colouration medium reddish-brown; tergites 3 to 8 with dorsal black patches along anterior margins, and more diffuse black patches ventro-laterally, but not reaching the ventro-lateral margins; remaining colouration predominantly medium reddish-brown, pale yellowish along intersegmental membranes, and tending paler brown along and adjacent to ventro-lateral margins; tergite 9 with pair of black submedial fasciae, incorporating the stigma, extending from the anterior to the posterior margins, fusing close to the posterior margin; remaining colouration reddish-brown dorsally, paler brown laterally with a localised black spot on posterior-lateral area. Sternite II pale sandy-brown with diffuse black around medial depression; sternites III to VII pale to medium brown, yellowish along intersegmental membranes, with median darker, diffuse roughly triangular areas, each pointing anteriorly, giving the appearance of a weak medial fascia along abdominal venter. Ovipositor sheath extending 0.5 to 0.8 mm beyond apex of tergite 9.

Measurements. N= 193 5Ƥ. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: 3 9.1–11.5 (10.5); Ƥ 11.0–13.3 (12.5). FWL: 310.9–12.4 (11.8); Ƥ 12.1–13.8 (13.4). HW: 3 3.2–3.6 (3.4); Ƥ 3.5–3.9 (3.7). PW: 3 2.7–3.1 (3.0); Ƥ 3.0–3.4 (3.3). AW: 3 2.9–3.4 (3.2); Ƥ 3.3–3.5 (3.4). FWL/WR: 3 2.55–2.78 (2.70); Ƥ 2.80–3.02 (2.86).

Distribution, habitat and behaviour ( Fig. 6 ). Confined to the coastal wallum heathlands of southeastern coastal Queensland, a habitat which has suffered extensive destruction due to development. Leptospermum species are a dominant heath component and this cicada tends to occur where these plants are present. Collected specimen locations extend from Bundaberg southwards to near Hollywell on the Gold Coast. It is expected to extend beyond these limits within the appropriate habitats. These are elusive cicadas due to their very small size, cryptic colouration which blends into the heath vegetation, their soft, high frequency songs (see below), and the fast flight and wary nature of the males in particular.

Etymology. Named after the coastal wallum heathland environment in which this species inhabits throughout its distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov., Bokarina, near Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast, southeast Queensland. A, lateral abdomen view; B, fore and hind wings; C, timbal (posterior margin at right, dorsal edge at top); D, left operculum. Scale bars 1 mm, except wings (3 mm). Terminology for selected wing veins and cells are shown (after Moulds 2012): 2 A, 3 A anal veins 2 and 3; a 1, a 5, a 8 apical cells 1, 5 and 8; ac 1, ac 2, ac 3 anal cells 1, 2 and 3; bc basal cell; cc costal cell; cuc cubital cell (FW); cuc 1, cuc 2 cubital cells 1 and 2, (HW); CuA cubitus anterior vein; M median vein; m medial crossvein; mc medial cell; r radial crossvein; RA radius anterior vein; rc radial cell; r-m radiomedial crossvein; RP radius posterior vein; u 1, u 3 ulnar cells 1 and 3. Terminology for the opercula is shown (after de Boer, A. J., 1999; note that the crest is described fully by the author as ‘ crest around distolateral corner of basal part of operculum’).

FIGURE 2. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Male pygofer and genitalia. A, C, lateral views, B, D, ventral views. A, B, from Currimundi Conservation Park, near Caloundra, southeast Queensland; C, D, from Woodgate Beach Township, Hervey Bay, southeast Queensland. Lengths of pygofers 1.6 and 1.57 mm, respectively.

FIGURE 6. Distribution records of the four described Drymopsalta species from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Inset shows the distribution of D. daemeli in N. S. W. (after Moulds, 2012).

FIGURE 9. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Waveform plots of normal calling songs, from; A, B, Currimundi Conservation Park, near Caloundra, in situ open net recording; B, time expanded segment of a single chirp (see A); C, D, Woodgate National Park, in situ field recording; D, time expanded segment of a single chirp (shown in C). Recordings filtered to 15 kHz (A) and 11 kHz (C). The definition of the R 1 / R 2 ratio parameter is shown in A.

FIGURE 10. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Waveform plots of normal calling songs, from; A, B, Tinnanbar, southern Hervey Bay, in situ field recording; B, time expanded segment of a single chirp (see A); C, D, Pine Ridge Conservation Park, near Hollywell, Gold Coast, in situ field recording; D, time expanded segment of a single chirp (shown in C). Recordings filtered to 11 kHz.

FIGURE 11. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Waveform plots of anomalous song, characterised by variable tick numbers in the chirps, and the absence of intervening single ticks. A, segment showing a sequence of chirps; B and C, progressive time expanded plots of a single chirp (B) and finer details within the chirp. Woodgate National Park, northern Hervey Bay, in situ field recording, filtered to 12 kHz.

FIGURE 12. Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Amplitude spectra. A, B, D, E, extended sets of multiple phrases within the normal calling song (17 – 40 seconds of recordings used in analyses), and C, anomalous song. A, from Currimundi Conservation Park; B, C, Woodgate National Park; D, Tinnanbar; E, Pine Ridge, near Hollywell. The horizontal bars indicate the high amplitude frequency envelope of each spectrum, used to estimate the dominant frequency and the nominal bandwidth of each song. The apparent sidebands, measured from the spectra, are tabulated.

FIGURE 16. A, Drymopsalta hobsoni sp. nov. and B, Drymopsalta wallumi sp. nov. Time expanded envelope curves of the ticks within the chirps of the normal calling songs showing the similarities of the temporal structures of the ticks. These similarities extend to the other Drymopsalta species. Within these plots, the tick repetition rates and the inter-pulse durations (between primary and secondary pulses) are, respectively, for A, 5.73 ± 0.05 and 2.12 ± 0.15 ms; for B, 4.44 ± 0.18 and 2.07 ± 0.19 ms. Field recordings filtered to 10 kHz (A) and 15 kHz (B).