Cercotingis decoris ( Drake 1942b ) Shofner & 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 : 391-392

Cercotingis decoris ( Drake 1942b) comb. nov.

( Figs 6E, F , 7E, F , 9 , 10 )

Ulonemia decoris Drake 1942b: 360 [original description]; Drake and Ruhoff (1965a: 420) [world catalogue]; Cassis and Gross (1995: 437) [Australian catalogue]; Dang et al. (2014: 49) [taxonomy].

Type material

Holotype: ♂, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Mt. Glorious , 1 Jan 1928, H. Hacker (C.J. Drake Collection 1956) ( USNM 00866831 ). Photograph of holotype examined.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 10 mi from Dorrigo on Ebor Rd, 30.36591°S 152.6233°E, 30 Aug 1961, C. N. Smithers and A.S. Smithers, 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046464) ( AM). Old Byron Bay Road, 1.4 km SE of Newrybar, 28.72962°S 153.54184°E, 111 m, Aug 2014, B. Howard, Macadamia sp. ( Proteaceae ), det. G. Cassis, 4 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046665- UNSW _ENT 00046668), 9 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046669- UNSW _ENT 00046677) ( UNSW). Old Byron Bay Road, 1.6 km SE Newrybar, 28.73009°S 153.54454°E, 132 m, 14 Apr 2015, R. Shofner, G. Cassis, and W. Sherwin, Macadamia sp. ( Proteaceae ), det. G. Cassis, 6 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046637, UNSW _ENT 00046659- UNSW _ ENT 00046663), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046664) ( UNSW). Old ByronBayRoad,1.8 kmSEofNewrybar, 28.73213°S 153.54451°E, 130 m, 02 Oct 2017, R. Shofner, Macadamia sp. ( Proteaceae ), det. R. Shofner, 1 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046607), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ ENT 00046608) ( UNSW). Queensland: Australia Zoo, 2.25 km N of Beerwah, 26.83752°S 152.96146°E, 55 m, 04 Oct 2017, R. Shofner, Macadamia sp. ( Proteaceae ), det. R. Shofner, 7 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046597- UNSW _ENT 00046601, UNSW _ ENT 00046605, UNSW _ENT 00046606), 3 ♀ ( UNSW _ ENT 00046602- UNSW _ENT 00046604) ( UNSW). Blackall Range, 26.7°S 152.883°E, 25 May 1966, D. A. I., Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche ( Proteaceae ), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046433), 1 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046434) ( QDPI). Maleny, 26.767°S 152.85°E, 02 Aug 1966, D. A. I., Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche ( Proteaceae ), 2 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046429) ( QDPI); 14 Apr 1966, D. A. I., Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche ( Proteaceae ), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046430), 1 ♂ ( UNSW _ENT 00046431) ( QDPI). Montville, 26.69°S 152.893°E, 09 May 1967, D. A. I., Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche ( Proteaceae ), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046435) ( QDPI); 24 Jun 1966, D. A. I., Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche ( Proteaceae ), 1 ♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00046436) ( QDPI). Tamborine, 27.8809°S 153.13023°E, 30 Mar 1948, A. R. B., 3 mixed sexes ( UNSW _ENT 00046432) ( QDPI).

Diagnosis: Cercotingis decoris is recognized by the following combination of characters: golden-brown coloration with two dark brown maculae medially on cubitus and dark brown to black inverted cordate marking covering distal end of sutural area; posterior half of medial carina black, changing to white at apex of posterior projection of pronotum; pronotal carina ridge-like, lacking areolae; paranota upturned obliquely with two to three rows of uniform rounded areolae; anterior portion of costal area biseriate; distinct constriction of hemelytra at posterior edge of discoidal area; metasternal carinae curved, pyriform, width between metasternal carinae greater than width between mesosternal carinae; posterior half of medial carina black, changing to white at apex of posterior projection of pronotum.

Male: Macropterous; 3.27 ± 0.08 mm (N = 10) ( Table 3 ). COLORATION. Golden-brown, with two dark brown maculae medially on cubitus vein and dark brown to black inverted cordate marking covering distal end of sutural area. Head: brown to golden-brown; spines golden-brown, unicolorous; bucculae straw-coloured, darkening to brown proximally; eyes red dorsally, fading to reddish-black ventrally. Antennae: AI–AIII golden-brown, AIII occasionally marginally lighter; AIV brown distally,transitioning to golden-brown proximally. Rostrum: straw-coloured with brown apex. Pronotum: disc brown centrally, fading to golden-brown towards edges; calli dark brown to black; collum and paranota straw-coloured; lateral carinae straw-coloured, occasionally darker posteriorly; medial carina straw-coloured anteriorly, dark brown to black on the posterior projection. Thoracic pleura and sterna: proepisternum straw-coloured anteriorly, mostly orange-brown posteriorly, proepimeron and supracoxal lobes straw-coloured; mesepisternum mostly orange-brown, mesepimeron and supracoxal lobes straw-coloured; metepisternum golden-brown to straw-coloured; peritreme of metathoracic gland straw-coloured; pro-, meso-, and metasternum golden-brown; sternal carinae straw-coloured. Hemelytra: discoidal area light brown medially, fading to straw-coloured at edges; costal area straw-coloured, except brown medially and dark brown to black distally; R + M vein with one or two dark brown maculae; Cubitus vein with dark brown macula medially; apex of hemelytra straw-coloured, with inverted cordate dark brown to black field covering distal end of sutural area, interior of cordate dark field with cordate to triangular pale blotch. Legs: mostly golden-brown, coxae brown. Abdominal venter: golden-brown; posterior edge of sternites II–VIII dark brown across length, sternites II–VII with black macula medially along posterior edge; spiracles dark brown. VESTITURE. Head: sparse distribution of golden-brown aciculate setae in bands from base of AI to occipital spines and from frontal spines along either side of medial spine, to back of head. Occipital and medial spines with golden-brown short aciculate to hooked setae. Antennae: AI–AII with golden-brown sparse, aciculate arcuate setae; AIII-AIV with golden-brown aciculate decumbent setae; distal ends of AII and AIII with dense ring of microtrichia. Pronotum: paranotal and anterior margins with arcuate aciculate setae, these continuing posteriorly on medial and lateral carinae; disc with minute scale-like setae and numerous punctures with 6–8 cilia distributed evenly around internal rim of punctures. Thoracic pleura and sterna: prosternum, metasternum, and mesepimeron with arcuate aciculate setae and ciliate punctures as on pronotal disc; anterior portion of mesepisternum glabrous, with arcuate aciculate setae and ciliate punctures posteriorly. Legs: trochanter to tibia with golden-brown aciculate setae; coxae glabrous. Hemelytra: costal margins sparsely covered with arcuate aciculate setae; veins glabrous. Abdominal venter: sparse aciculate setae laterally and anteriorly, transitioning to glabrous medially and posteriorly. STRUCTURE. Head: spines truncate; frontal spines parallel to slightly divergent, less than half the length of AI; medial spine straight, stout, height equal to frontal spines, width about half of height; occipital spines straight, often barely protruding beyond collum. Antennae: AI and AII short, AII subequal in length to AI; AIV weakly clavate. Labium: moderate length, extending to anterior margin of metasternum. Pronotum: strongly convex; collum apex inflated to subglobose, height two-thirds to subequal of disc; carinae decurrent to disc and lacking areolae, medial and lateral carinae equal thickness, lateral carinae divaricating; paranota curved, following curve of pronotal disc, upturned obliquely, two to three areolae wide. Thoracic sterna: mesosternal and metasternal carinae elevated, one areole wide, areolae rectangular; mesosternal carinae straight, parallel, metasternal carinae curved, pyriform. Hemelytra: areolae small and uniform size in discoidal and subcostal areas; sutural area areolae similar to discoidal area proximally, increasing in size to 10× distally; costal area areolae small, rectangular; costal area biseriate anteriorly, biseriate posterior two-thirds, subcostal area biseriate, discoidal area increasing from one to six areolae wide, sutural area six to nine areolae wide. Male genitalia: pygophore ( Fig. 10A, B ); parameres ( Fig. 10C–E ); aedeagus with U-shaped dorsal plate ( Fig. 10F ); endosomal membrane not spinulate ( Fig. 10F–H ); pair of elongate, spinulate lobal sclerites ( Fig. 10F–H ).

Female: Macropterous; 3.51 ± 0.09 mm (N = 10) ( Table 3 ). COLORATION. As in male. VESTITURE. As in male. STRUCTURE. As in male.

Plant associations: Recorded from the proteaceous genus Macadamia , as follows: M. integrifolia , 8 specimens; and Macadamia sp. , 32 specimens.

Distribution: Known from Mt. Glorious, Maleny, North Tamborine, and Blackall Range, Queensland, Nambucca and the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales; additionally, listed in Drake (1942b) from Cornbiey (sic), South Australia ( Fig. 10 ).

Remarks: We were unable to locate the specimen from Cornbiey (sic). Currently, this represents the only known Cercotingis from South Australia, and is geographically disjunct from other records of this species. It is possible that this record is a misidentification, an introduction, or represents a significant gap in the knowledge of this species range. Additionally, we were unable to determine what location ‘Cornbiey’ refers to; it is apparently a misspelling, but no locations with possible permutations of the name were found.

Cercotingis decoris is a major pest of macadamia nut crops. It has caused significant economic losses by feeding on macadamia flowers, which wilt and fail to produce nuts.

Figures

Figure 6. Dorsal habitus photos of Cercotingis species: C. croajingolong sp. nov. male light morph (A), male dark morph (B), female light morph (C), female dark morph (D); C. decoris stat. nov. male (E), female (F); C. impensa stat.nov.male (G), female (H); C. namadji sp. nov. male (I), female (J); C. tasmaniensis sp. nov.male (K), female (L). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 7. Lateral habitus photos of Cercotingis species: C. croajingolong sp. nov.male light morph (A), male dark morph (B), female light morph (C), female dark morph (D); C. decoris stat. nov. male (E), female (F); C. impensa stat. nov.male (G), female (H); C. namadji sp. nov. male (I), female (J); C. tasmaniensis sp. nov.male (K), female (L). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 9. Distribution map for Cercotingis croajingolong sp. nov., C. decoris stat. nov., C. impensa stat. nov., C. namadgi sp. nov., and C. tasmaniensis sp. nov. Locality information taken from the PBI database.

Figure 10. Male genitalia of Cercotingis decoris stat. 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.