Proteatingis astibosetes Shofner and Cassis, 2024

Shofner, Ryan & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2024, Phylogenetics and taxonomy of the Indo-Australian genus Ulonemia sensu Drake (Hemiptera: Tingidae), with the recognition of new genera and species collected from Proteaceae in Australia, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 200 (2), pp. 360-425 : 406-407

Proteatingis astibosetes Shofner and Cassis sp. nov.

( Figs 13A–D , 14A–D , 15 , 16 )

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:59E3684D-BE86-4334-AA82-68D703E77C37 .

Type material

Holotype: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Bochow Park picnic area, Natural Bridge , 28.19902°S 153.2298°E, 173 m, 05 Oct 2017, R. Shofner, Grevillea robusta A. Cunn. ex R. Br. ( Proteaceae ), det. R. Shofner, 1 ♂ (UNSW_ ENT 00046590 ) (QM).

Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Bogan River, 33.0068°S 148.03461°E, J. Armstrong, 6 ♀ (UNSW_ENT 00046511) (AM). Queensland: 91 km N of Quilpie, 25.99847°S 144.4098°E, 300 m, 02 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, Amyema quandang (Lindley) Tieghem var. quandang ( Loranthaceae ), det. Det: Royal Bot Gard. NSW NSW427341, 1 ♀ (UNSW_ENT 00046514) Hakea leucoptera R. Br. ( Proteaceae ) NSW 427661, 1 ♀ (UNSW_ENT 00046512), 1 ♂ (UNSW_ENT 00046513) (AM). Bochow Park picnic area, Natural Bridge, 28.19902°S 153.2298°E, 173 m, 05 Oct 2017, R. Shofner, Grevillea robusta A. Cunn. ex R. Br. ( Proteaceae ), det. R. Shofner, 1 ♀ (UNSW_ENT 00046589) (UNSW). Mt Glorious, Basset site, 27.31666°S 152.75°E, 700 m, Nov 1987, Y. Basset, Argyrodendron actinophyllum (F.M.Bailey) Edlin ( Malvaceae ), 1 ♀ (AMNH_ PBI 00037422) (QM). Diagnosis: Proteatingis astibosetes is recognized by the following combination of characters: occipital spines extending to midpoint of eyes; each paranota with large areola laterad to pronotal disc, 3× size of other paranotal areolae; paranota carina-like across pronotal disc; medial and lateral carinae slightly raised, uniseriate; hemelytra width subequal to width across humeral angles; discoidal area five to six areolae wide; metasternal carinae divaricating, convergent posteriorly.

Male: Body 3.33 ± 0.08 mm (N = 2)( Table3 ). COLORATION. Brown to straw-coloured. Head: dark brown to black; medial spine brown, frontal and occipital spines golden-brown to straw-coloured; antenniferous tubercles reddish brown; bucculae straw-coloured, clypeus dark reddish brown, genae black; eyes red in fresh specimens, black in older material. Antennae: AI–AII brown, AIII golden-brown, AIV brown. Labium: golden-brown, LIV black. Pronotum: disc brown to straw-coloured; calli black; collum brown to straw-coloured, paranota brown to straw-coloured, areolae translucent; lateral carinae straw-coloured; medial carina brown to straw-coloured. Thoracic pleura and sterna: proepisternum golden-brown anteriorly, black posteriorly, proepimeron black anteriorly, becoming golden-brown posteriorly, straw-coloured along posterior edge, supracoxal lobes golden-brown; mesepisternum mostly black, mesepimeron golden-brown dorsally, supracoxal lobes golden-brown; metepisternum black anteriorly, becoming golden-brown posteriorly, straw-coloured along posterior edge, supracoxal lobes golden-brown; peritreme of metathoracic gland straw-coloured; prosternum and mesosternum dark reddish brown, metasternum golden-brown; sternal carinae straw-coloured. Hemelytra: brown to straw-coloured, discoidal area occasionally darker than the rest of the hemelytra; cubitus vein occasionally with dark brown band. Legs: tarsi golden-brown proximally to dark brown distally, tarsal claws golden-brown; tibiae golden-brown, occasionally dark brown proximally; femora dark brown; trochanter golden-brown; coxae black. Abdominal venter: golden-brown; abdominal sterna mostly golden-brown, darkening dorsally, sternites IV–VIII with dark brown band across width; spiracles dark brown; pygophore golden-brown darkening to dark brown posteriorly. VESTITURE. Head: apex pruinose; bucculae with short white setae. Frontal, occipital, and medial spines pruinose, occasionally with globules of wax. Antennae: AI pruinose; AIAIII with white to straw-coloured decumbent setae, AIV with straw-coloured semi-erect to erect aciculate setae; distal ends of AII and AIII with dense ring of microtrichia. Pronotum: anterior margin glabrous to slightly pruinose; paranotal margins, medial and lateral carinae, and disc with short scale-like setae; disc and collum pruinose; disc with numerous punctures with six to eight triangular tuberculate processes distributed evenly around internal rim; calli glabrous but with globules of wax. Thoracic pleura and sterna: anterior portion of proepisternum, proepimeron, posterior portion of mesepisternum, mesepimeron, and metepisternum with moderate distribution of short white setae and tubercle-lined punctures as on pronotal disc; anterior portion of pro- and mesepisternum glabrous; sternal carinae with sparse distribution of arcuate setae; all surfaces covered with globules of wax, propluron heavily coated with wax. Legs: coxae to tibiae with white short setae; ventral surface of tarsi with semi-erect aciculate setae; coxae covered with wax. Hemelytra: costal margins glabrous; subcostal veins pruinose; discoidal area veins lightly pruinose to glabrous; sutural area veins glabrous; cuboidal and R + M veins with sparse distribution of white to straw-coloured short setae. Abdominal venter: moderate distribution of decumbent arcuate setae, with white wax coating entire abdomen. STRUCTURE. Head: frontal spines upright, oblong to slightly conical, convergent distally, approximately one-third length of AI; medial spine conical, length 2× that of frontal spines, width about one-quarter of length; occipital spines straight, rounded apically, extending to midpoint of eyes. Antennae: AI and AII short, AII three-quarters length of AI; AIII subequal to longer than the pronotal width across humeral angles, AIV weakly clavate. Labium: moderate length, exceeding anterior margin of metasternum. Pronotum: strongly convex; collum apex slightly inflated, height one-half of disc; medial and lateral carinae slightly raised, uniseriate, increasing in height on posterior projection of pronotum; medial and lateral carinae equal thickness, lateral carinae divaricating; paranota curved, following disc, upturned anteriorly, two areolae wide, a single areola 3× larger than surrounding areolae laterad to collum; paranota becoming carina-like posteriorly, barely exceeding height of hemelytra. Thoracic sterna: pro-, meso-, and metasternal carinae elevated, uniseriate, areolae rectangular; prosternal carinae straight, parallel; mesosternal carinae straight to slightly divaricating anteriorly and slightly converging posteriorly; width between metasternal carinae wider than width between mesosternal carinae, metasternal carinae parallel or slightly horseshoe-shaped, slightly convergent posteriorly. Legs: legs thin; femora tapered proximally. Thoracic pleura and sterna: peritreme large, loop-like, strongly depressed medially, with dorsal extension reaching hemelytral margin. Hemelytra: areolae small and uniformly sized in discoidal and subcostal areas; sutural area areolae similar to discoidal area proximally, increasing in size 3× to 4× distally; costal area areolae large, rectangular; costal area uniseriate; subcostal area biseriate; discoidal area increasing from one to five or six areolae wide; sutural area one to eight areolae wide; hemelytra width subequal to width across humeral angles. Male genitalia: pygophore ( Fig. 15A, B ); parameres ( Fig. 15C–E ); dorsal plate Y-shaped ( Fig. 15F ); aedeagus with paired large endosomal lobal sclerites ( Fig. 15F– H ); endosomal spinulation variable in size, with some spinules enlarged ( Fig. 15F–H ).

Female: Body 3.62 ± 0.15 mm (N = 6) ( Table 3 ). COLORATION. Overall lighter than male with more pronounced patterning, straw-coloured to golden-brown. VESTITURE. As in male. STRUCTURE. As in male.

Plant associations: Recorded from three families and four genera. Loranthaceae : Amyema quandang var. quandang , one specimen. Malvaceae : Argyrodendron actinophyllum , one specimen. Proteaceae : Grevillea robusta , two specimens; Hakea leucoptera , two specimens.

Distribution: Found in scattered localities from the Channel Country of central Queensland and northern New South Wales, as well as the Border Ranges and the vicinity of Mt. Glorious, Queensland. ( Fig. 16 ).

Etymology: From the Greek astibos, meaning ‘desert’ or a ‘pathless place’, and –etes, meaning ‘to dwell’. This name refers to the geographic distribution and habitat of this species, which is the only Proteatingis to inhabit the vast and arid interior of Australia. Noun in apposition.

Remarks: Proteatingis astibosetes has a narrower body form than most other Proteatingis and lacks the distinctive ‘waist’ that other narrow-body species possess. In addition, each paranotum has a unique areola that is approximately 3× larger than the other paranotal areolae (vs. all other Proteatingis , which have paranotal areolae all of subequal size). There is some geographic variation in this species; individuals from inland Australia ( Figs 13A, C , 14A, C ) are lighter in colour and have a bulkier appearance than those found closer to the east coast ( Figs 13B, D , 14B, D ).

Figures

Figure 13. Dorsal habitus photos of Proteatingis species:Pr. astibosetes sp. nov.male western morph (A), male eastern morph (B), female western morph (C), female eastern morph (D); Pr. burckhardti stat. nov. male large morph (E), male small morph (F), female large morph (G), female small morph (H); Pr. howardi sp. nov. male (I), female (J); Pr. minuta sp. nov.male (K), female (L); Pr. mjobergi stat. nov. male (M), female (N); Pr. xouthos sp. nov.male (O), female (P). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 14. Lateral habitus photos of Proteatingis species: Pr. astibosetes sp. nov. male western morph (A), male eastern morph (B), female western morph (C), female eastern morph (D); Pr. burckhardti stat. nov. male large morph (E), male small morph (F), female large morph (G), female small morph (H); Pr. howardi sp. nov. male (I), female (J); Pr. minuta sp. nov.male (K), female (L); Pr. mjobergi stat. nov. male (M), female (N); Pr. xouthos sp. nov.male (O), female (P). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 15. Male genitalia of Proteatingis astibosetes sp. nov.: pygophore, dorsal view (A); pygophore, ventral view (B); left paramere, dorsal view (C); right paramere, lateral view (D); right paramere, dorsal view (E); aedeagus, dorsal view (F); aedeagus, ventral view (G); aedeagus, right lateral view (H). See Methods for abbreviations.Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Figure 16. Distribution map for Proteatingis astibosetes sp. nov., Pr. burckhardti stat. nov., Pr. howardi sp.nov., and Pr. minuta sp. nov.Locality information taken from the PBI database.