Olonia marginata Distant, 1906

Figs 3, 15–25

Olonia marginata Distant, 1906: 206 (described).

Olonia marginata – Kirkaldy 1907: 105 (listed from Queensland). — Metcalf 1956: 64 (catalogued).

Diagnosis

This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters:

(1) hind wings without orange marking (Figs 16A, 20A)

(2) pro- and mesofemora and -tibiae largely black-brown (Figs 16A–D, 20A–D)

(3) anal tube of male spatulate, constricted at basal ½ (Fig. 19B)

(4) centroventral part of gonostyli with narrow and strongly elongated process that is sinuate basally and hooked apically (Fig. 19A, C)

(5) laterodorsal part of gonostyli with narrow and strongly elongated process that is strongly curved posteroventrally (Fig. 19A, C–D)

(6) rather small size: 6–8 mm

Etymology

The species epithet marginatus (adjective, Latin) means ʻmarginatedʼ, ʻborderedʼ. It refers to the darkened costal and apical margins of the tegmina.

Material examined

Lectotype AUSTRALIA • 1 ♀; Queensland; “Type”, “Type”, “ Olonia marginata, type, Dist.”, “Queensland, F.P. Dodd, 1902 – 319”; here designated to provide a reference standard for this species; BMNH (Fig. 15).

Paralectotypes AUSTRALIA • 2 ♀♀; “ Queensland, F.P. Dodd, 1902 – 319”; BMNH.

Note

In the collections of BMNH, there are 3 additional specimens identified by Distant but which are not part of the type series: 1 ♀, “ Olonia marginata Dist. ”, “Townsville [19°25′26″ S, 146°56′44″ E] (Dodd)”, “B”, “Distant Coll. 1911-383”; 2 ♂♂, “ Queensland, F.P. Dodd, Brit. Mus., 1907—54 ”.

These specimens are particularly interesting because (1) they are from the same collector as the type series; (2) they provide Townsville as the location for the type series, where the collector, Frederick Parkhurst Dodd (1861–1937), lived at the time before moving to Kuranda and (3) there are two males, which allows a characterization of the species based on male genitalia. These males are used here as a reference for the recognition of this species.

Additional material

AUSTRALIA • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Townsville; Jan. 1945; B. Malkin leg.; USNM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS • 1 ♀; Townsville; 2 Mar. 1956; I. Sutherland leg.; QM • 1 ♂; Townsville, Hervey Range; 19°22′42″ S, 146°31′29″ E; 22 Sep. 1981; D.C. Geijskes leg.; RMNH • 1 ♂; Townsville, Heatley; 19°17′35″ S, 146°45′09″ E; 4 Aug. 1976; D.C. and R. Geijskes leg.; RMNH • 1 ♂; Townsville; 7 Apr. 1977; Brown leg.; QPIM • 1 ♂; Pallarenda Point near Townsville; 19°11′20″ S, 146°46′25″ E, 26 Jan. 1965; E.C. Dahms leg.; open forest, by net; QM • 1 ♂; Townsville, Hyde Park Shopping Centre; 19°16′46″ S, 146°47′49″ E; 25 Feb. 1992; L.M. Brown leg.; on Melaleuca quinquenervia; ASCU • 1 ♂; Macrossan; 20°00′18″ S, 146°26′44″ E; 15 Apr. 1958; K.L. Hartley leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; near Ingham; 18°39′00″ S, 146°10′00″ E; 13 Mar. 1961; R. Straatman leg.; on mangrove forest beach; ANIC • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; 10 mi. SSE of Collinsville [coordinates of Collinsville: 20°33′08″ S, 147°50′38″ E]; 14 Sep. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; 30 mi. S of Ayr; [coordinates of Ayr: 19°34′33″ S, 147°24′18″ E]; 9 Sep. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS • 1 ♂; 35 mi. SE of Ayr; 3 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; 40 mi. SW of Ayr; 7 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; 40 mi. S of Ayr; 10 Sep. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♀; 50 mi. S of Ayr; 11 Sep. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; 35 mi. SW of Ayr; 6 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 60 mi. SW of Ayr; 8 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS • 1 ♀; 35 mi. NW of Bowen; [coordinates of Bowen: 20°00′33″ S, 148°13′46″ E]; 2 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 2 ♂♂; 25 mi. NW of Bowen; 1 Oct. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; 10 mi. S of Bowen; 26 Sep. 1950; E.F. Riek leg.; ANIC • 4 ♀♀; Townsville; alt. sea level; 13 Jan. 1962; E.S. Ross and D.Q. Cavagnaro leg.; CAS • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Majors Creek; 19°37′36″ S, 146°57′28″ E; 27 Oct. 2006; G. Cocks leg.; on grapes; RBINS • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Townsville; 12 Oct. 1983; M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger leg.; INHS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS • 1 ♀; 70 km NW of Townsville; 9 Nov. 1990; W.F. Chamberlain leg.; TAMU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Rollingstone; 19°02′40″ S, 146°23′01″ E; 19 Apr. 1998; L.J. Cookson leg.; MVMA • 1 ♂; Surveyor Creek; 20°43′59″ S, 148°36′00″ E; 30 Jan. 1991; L.J. Cookson leg.; MVMA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Bowen, Queens Bay; 19°58′43″ S, 148°14′50″ E; 7 Jul. 1971; Z. Liepa leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; 30 km S of Ingham; 10 Nov. 1990; G.M. Chamberlain leg.; TAMU • 1 ♂; Clare; 19°49′43″ S, 147°11′46″ E; 7 Apr. 1951; W. A.S. leg.; from sweeping in jute; QDPI • 1 ♂; Saltwater Creek near Toomulla; 19°05′56.37″ S, 146°27′46.69″ E; 20 Apr. 1998; L.J. Cookson leg.; MVMA • 1 ♂; 32 km S of Ayr; 6 Feb. 1964; J. Sedlacek leg.; BPBM • 1 ♂; Gumlu, 48 km SE of Ayr; 19°54′09″ S, 147°35′30″ E; 6 Feb. 1964; J. Sedlacek leg.; BPBM • 1 ♂; Herbert River; 18°31′59″ S, 146°18′00″ E; 1919; J.F. Illingworth leg.; on (sugar)cane; BPBM • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Townsville, Strand Beach, Northern End; [coordinates of Strand Beach: 19°14′23″ S, 146°48′24″ E]; 15 Mar. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as preceding; 19 Feb. 2016; QM • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 25 Feb. 2016; QM • 1 ♂; Townsville, port wall; [coordinates of Townsville port: 19°15′17″ S, 146°50′11″ E]; 15 Mar. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♂; Townsville, small boat harbour wall; [coordinates of Townsville small boat harbour: 19°15′12″ S, 146°49′24″ E]; 19 Mar. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♂; Townsville, Bushland Beach; 19°11′19″ S, 146°40′40″ E; 4 Apr. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 2 ♂♂; Magnetic Island, Nelly Bay Beach; [coordinates of Nelly Bay: 19°09′53″ S, 146°51′01″ E], 11 Feb. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♀; Magnetic Island, Geoffrey Bay Beach; [coordinates of Geoffrey Bay: 19°09′17″ S, 146°51′54″ E]; 10 Feb. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 24 Feb. 2016; RBINS • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Magnetic Island, Picnic Bay Beach; [coordinates of Picnic Bay: 19°10′54″ S, 146°50′27″ E]; 5 Feb. 2016; V. Ryland leg.; on Ipomoea pes-caprae; RBINS • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 12 Feb. 2016; RBINS • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 18 Feb. 2016; QM • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 27 Feb. 2016; RBINS • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; QM • 1 ♂; same collection data as preceding; 10 Jan. 2016; on Eucalyptus sapling; RBINS • 1 ♂; Magnetic Island; 19°08′18″ S, 146°50′04″ E; 30 Mar. 1929; QM • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Magnetic Island; A.M. Lea leg.; SAM • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; G. F. Hill leg.; SAM • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Magnetic Island; 8 Nov. 2006; J. Constant leg.; on Canarium australianum sapling; RBINS • 1 ♀; Magnetic Island; 1914; Dr Scharff leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Alligator Creek; 19°23’56”S 146°55’36”E; 1 Apr. 1934; H. Hacker leg.; USNM • 1 ♀; same collection data as preceding; 25 Apr. 1934; USNM.

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 9): 7.1 mm (6.2–7.7); ♀ (n = 3): 7.7 mm (7.5–8.0); BV/LV = 4.5; BF/LF = 1.68; LP+LM/BT = 0.68; Ltg/BTg = 2.35; LW/BW = 1.86.

Male

HEAD (Figs 16A–D, 17A–D, 18A–D). Vertex concave, with anterior and posterior margins parallel, curved; brown with darker marking at lateral angles. Frons uniformly black-brown. Clypeus elongate, entirely black-brown. Genae black-brown with yellowish markings along anterior margin. Labium black, reaching metacoxae. Antennae black-brown; scape short, ring-shaped; pedicel subcylindrical, slightly narrowing towards apex.

THORAX (Figs 16A–D, 17A–D, 18A–D). Pronotum brown with small yellowish spot on each side; slightly wrinkled; obsolete median carina and 2 small impressed points on disc. Lateral fields of prothorax dark brown. Mesonotum brown variegated with blackish; yellowish spot on middle of anterior margin and at apex of scutellum; median and peridiscal carinae weakly marked; median carina stopping before scutellum; slight impression before scutellum. Red ventrally. Tegulae dark brown.

TEGMINA (Figs 16A, C, 17A, C, 18A, C). Brown slightly variegated with yellowish and black; often pale yellowish marking on vein A1 at midlength of clavus; marked with black along costal margin, more broadly so on posterior half, and along posterior margin (Figs 16A, C, 17A, C); sometimes a broad, whitish, transverse band at proximal ½, bordered with black markings along costal margin (Fig. 18A, C). Darker, median, irregular marking at apical ¾; triangular white marking on costal margin on nodal line, sometimes reduced; no white spot at apicosutural angle. Costal and sutural margins subparallel; costal margin slightly sinuate; apical margin obliquely rounded.

POSTERIOR WINGS (Figs 16E, 17E, 18E). Dark brown, paler on anal area and with large blackish area reaching apical margin; elongate, transverse, subtriangular white marking at apicocostal angle, extending on 3–4 cells. Margin of anal area slightly sinuate; sutural margin with 1 cleft, cubital one not marked.

LEGS (Figs 16A–D, 17A–D, 18A–D). Pro- and mesocoxae black-brown. Pro- and mesofemora blackbrown with reddish spots marking obsolete rings. Pro- and mesotibiae black-brown with reddish markings on 3 obsolete rings. Pro- and mesotarsi black-brown with basal half of third tarsomere paler. Metacoxae reddish; metafemora reddish with apex brown. Metatibiae brown, with 3 lateral spines paler basally and 8 apical black-brown spines. Metatarsi brown, with a ventral row of 6 black spines on first tarsomere.

ABDOMEN (Fig. 18F). Bright red with genital segments black-brown.

MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 19). Posterior margin of pygofer in lateral view strongly sinuate, strongly roundly projecting at dorsal ½, rather broad ventrally (Fig. 19A, C). Anal tube spatulate, 2.2 times as long as broad, laterally constricted at level of epiproct, slightly curved ventrally in lateral view; lateral margins slightly curved ventrally on apical ¾; apical margin rounded (Fig. 19 A–B). Gonostyli fused on basal third of length of centroventral part and projecting posteriorly (Fig. 19A, C). Centroventral part broad and dorsoventrally flattened on basal third, then strongly narrowing into a long spinose process strongly sinuate basally in lateral view and ending in narrow hook curved ventrally (Fig. 19A, C). Laterodorsal part of gonostyli strongly elongate and curved posteroventrally, surpassing level of centroventral part ventrally; lateral process elongate, projecting laterally and longer than spoon-shaped process (Fig. 19A, C–D). Dorsal portion of phallobase with hooked process on each side, progressively narrowing from base to apex, directed posterocentrally and with apex pointing dorsally (Fig. 19E–F). Ventral portion of phallobase trilobed in dorsal view, with median lobe surpassing phallus (Fig. 19E–F). Phallus dorsoventrally flattened, rather broad, with apical margin emarginate in middle (Fig. 19E–F).

Female

Similar to male, but with white spot at apicosutural angle of posterior wing reduced, extending on 1 cell (Figs 15, 20). Sometimes with a reduced white transverse band at basal ½ of tegmina visible in a marking along costal and sutural margins (Fig. 21).

Nymph

HEAD (Fig. 22). Brown, as broad as pronotum, frons flattened, with lateral rounded row of yellowish tubercles; group of yellowish tubercles dorsally on each side of joint between frons and vertex; clypeus reaching mesocoxae.

THORAX (Fig. 22). Brown; pronotum short, with two dense rows of yellowish tubercles on each side; meso- and metanotum with a circular group of yellowish tubercles at base of wing buds and some tubercles near apex of wing buds.

LEGS (Fig. 22). Brown slightly variegated with yellowish; large in comparison to body size. Anterior and median femora and tibiae broad and dorsoventrally flattened; posterior tibiae with three strong lateral spines.

ABDOMEN (Fig. 22). Rather short, less than half as long as head and thorax combined, and narrower than thorax; pale yellowish bown with dorsal median line and apex darker. Live specimens with abdomen covered in white wax, except three apical segments with brown wax; each segment bearing a waxy plate on each side; two movable, very elongate, waxy filaments at apex of abdomen (Figs 23B–C, 25B–C, K, N).

Distribution and biology

This species is recorded from an area around Townsville in North Queensland (Fig. 3), in the Einasleigh Upland Savanna, Queensland Tropical Rainforests and Brigalow Tropical Savanna bioregions. Adult specimens were collected in January, February, March, April, August, Sepember and October, while nymphs were observed in Feb. and Apr. (Figs 23B–C, 25B–C, K), and an egg mass in Apr. (Fig. 23D), leading to the conclusion that the species is probably present most of the year. A caterpillar of an unidentified species of Epipyropidae ( Lepidoptera) was observed on the back of a female specimen (Fig. 23G).

Olonia marginata is polyphagous and has been collected or observed on Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T.Blake (Myrtaceae), Eucalyptus sp. ( Myrtaceae) (Fig. 25F), Canarium australianum F.Muell. (Bursaceae) (Fig. 24), Vitis vinifera L. ( Vitaceae), Pipturus argentaeus Wedd. (Urticaceae) (Fig. 25G), Corymbia tesselaris K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson (Myrtaceae) (Fig. 25E) and in numbers on Ipomoea pescaprae (L.) R.Br. ( Convolvulaceae) (Figs 23B–D, F, 25B–D, I–K, M–O), on stems and young branches with a thin skin.

It is interesting to note that the 2016 sampled locations in Magnetic Island and Townsville (Figs 23A, E, H–J, 25A, H, L) were all more or less destroyed by the Tropical Cyclone Yasi in Feb. 2011, which covered these habitats in smashing waves and left them buried under sand and beach debris (pers. com. V. Ryland, Feb. 2016). The species has, however, re-colonised the areas in less than five years, displaying a good degree of adaptation to habitat disturbance.