Cercotingis 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 : 376-378

Cercotingis Shofner and Cassis gen. nov.

( Figs 5E, F , 6–13 )

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B82826CE- 6BA5-4AE0-855A-47B68A1BB563.

Type species: Ulonemia decoris Drake 1942b , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Cercotingis is recognized by the following combination of characters: body elongate, oblong to almost parallelsided, hemelytra exceeding abdomen; five cephalic spines present; bucculae narrow, areolate; antennae long, slender, AI– AIII with short setae, AIV with aciculate setae; AI and AII short, AIII long, length subequal to exceeding distance between humeral angles; AIV weakly clavate; pronotum convex, tricarinate, with numerous punctures, these with 6–8 triangular tuberculate processes distributed evenly around internal rim; collum mostly flattened, lacking hood, anterior margin nearly straight to slightly concave; paranota areolate, with deeply impressed calli, mostly three areolae wide; costal area biseriate anteriorly, uniseriate for posterior two-thirds; subcostal area biseriate; peritreme of metathoracic gland large, loop-like.

Male: Macropterous, 2.6–3.8 mm ( Table 3 ). COLORATION. Ground colour brown, golden-brown, dark brown; calli dark brown to black; head brown, reddish brown, or dark brown; thoracic sternites usually same colour as head; abdomen similar to ground colour but usually darker. VESTITURE. Head: setae in bands from antenniferous tubercles to frontal spines, from frontal spines along either side of medial spine to posterior margin of head, and from antenniferous tubercles along dorsal margin of eye; bucculae with arcuate or aciculate setae and ciliate punctures; waxy deposits often encircling eyes and from frons to antenniferous tubercles to apex. Antennae: AI–AIII 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 rings of microtrichia. Pronotum: disc with sparse distribution of minute scale-like setae; waxy exudate deposited in calli. Thoracic pleura and sterna: proepisternum with anterior minute setae and numerous punctures, these with 6–8 triangular tuberculate processes distributed evenly around internal rim; posterior projection areolate, lacking punctures; proepimeron and supracoxal lobes with minute setae and tuberculate punctures; mesepisternum with minute setae; mesepimeron and supracoxal lobes with minute setae and tuberculate punctures posteriorly; metepisternum with minute setae and tuberculate punctures. Legs: sparse distribution of minute setae on femora and tibiae; distal ends of tibiae with slightly longer setae and denser distribution. Hemelytra: glabrous, except R + M and cubitus veins occasionally with sparse distribution of scalelike setae. Abdominal venter: sparse to moderate distribution of scalelike setae. STRUCTURE. Head: five cephalic spines present, unbranched; frontal spines parallel or convergent. Antennae: AI and AII short, AII one-half to subequal length of AI; AIII usually longer than distance between humeral angles; AIV weakly clavate, length subequal to AI + AII. Labium: moderate length, extending to anterior or posterior end of metasternum. Pronotum: strongly convex, collum flattened, lacking hood, anterior margin nearly straight to slightly concave; tricarinate, these extending from posterior margin of collum to posterior projection of pronotum; medial and lateral carinae of equal thickness; lateral carinae slightly to moderately divaricating anteriorly; paranota extending from anterior margin of collum to posterior edge of disc, curved, following shape of disc; paranota areolate, with deeply impressed calli, mostly three areolae wide. Thoracic pleura and sterna: peritreme of the metathoracic gland loop-like, often with dorsal extension reaching margin of hemelytra. Sternal carinae elevated, uniseriate, areolae rectangular to slightly rounded; prosternal carinae straight, parallel; mesosternal carinae straight to slightly divaricating anteriorly and slightly converging posteriorly; metasternal carinae vary from straight and parallel, width between equal to that of mesosternal carinae, to divaricating, width between wider than that of mesosternal carinae. Hemelytra: areolae small, irregular, nearly uniform in size in discoidal and subcostal areas; sutural area areolae anteriorly similar in size to discoidal area areolae, increasing in size posteriorly; subcostal area biseriate with regular arrangement of areolae; costal area biseriate anteriorly, uniseriate for posterior two-thirds. Male genitalia: pygophore boxlike, with lateral margins tumose, occasionally with pair of basal spurs near posterior margin of genital opening; parameres C-shaped with apophysis moderately tapered distally; aedeagus with U- or Y-shaped dorsal plate; endosomal membrane not spinulate; pair of elongate, spinulate lobal sclerites.

Female: Macropterous. Body 2.6–4.2 mm, usually slightly larger and wider than male.COLORATION.As in male.VESTITURE. As in male. STRUCTURE. As in male.

Distribution: Australia: ACT, NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC.

Etymology: Cerco- (Greek): the tail; tingis: in relation to Tingis . This genus is named for the posteriorly projecting hemelytra in some species, which has been described colloquially among entomological workers in the macadamia industry as a ‘fish tail’ due to its shape. Noun in apposition.

Remarks: Cercotingis is morphologically similar to several other genera; there is no single character that distinguishes it, though this is true for many lace bug genera, especially among Tingini with reduced characters. Cercotingis can be distinguished from Perissonemia by the presence of lateral carinae on the pronotum ( Perissonemia either lacks these carinae or they are weakly developed) and the well-developed paranota (lacking in Perissonemia ). The triseriate paranota and biseriate anterior portion of the costal area set Cercotingis apart from both Proteatingis and Ulonemia , as well as other similar genera such as Eritingis and Nethersia .

Checklist of Cercotingis

C. croajingolong sp. nov............................................................................................................................................ New South Wales, Victoria C. decoris comb. nov. ( Drake 1942b)............................................................................................................. New South Wales, Queensland C. impensa comb. nov. ( Drake 1947) ................................................................................................................................................... Tasmania C. namadgi sp. nov.................................................................................................................................................. Australian Capital Territory C. tasmaniensis sp. nov............................................................................................................................................................................. Tasmania

Key to the species of Cercotingis

1. 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 ( Fig. 6E, F ) .................... ............................................................................................................................................................ C. decoris comb. nov. ( Drake 1942b)

1’. Metasternal carinae straight, parallel, width between metasternal carinae equal to width between mesosternal carinae; posterior half of medial carina golden-brown, brown, or straw-coloured .................................................................................................2

2. Areolae of pronotal carinae small, obscure, carinae nearly contiguous with pronotal disc ( Fig. 7K, L ) ........................................ ..................................................................................................................................................................................... C. tasmaniensis sp. nov.

2’. Areolae of pronotal carinae large, easily seen, carinae noticeably raised above pronotal disc, not contiguous with pronotal disc ....................................................................................................................................................................................................3

3. Medial and occipital spines long, exceeding height of pronotal disc; frontal spines half of length of medial spine; medial carina greatly raised, exceeding 2 × height of lateral carinae, biseriate, areolae fused at apex, forming a thickened mass ( Fig. 7G, H ) ................................................................................................................................................................. C. impensa comb. nov. ( Drake 1947)

3’. Medial and occipital spines medium to short, less than height of pronotal disc; frontal spines subequal in length to medial spine; medial carina raised, less than 2 × height of lateral carinae, uniseriate to biseriate, areolae not fused at apex, easily distinguished and not forming a thickened mass ..........................................................................................................................................4

4. Lateral margin of paranota free from pronotal disc, paranotal areolae laterad to pronotal disc often visible from dorsal view ( Fig. 6A–D ).............................................................................................................................................................. C. croajingolong sp. nov.

4’. Lateral margin of paranota adpressed to pronotal disc, paranotal areolae laterad to pronotal disc obscured and not visible from dorsal view ( Fig. 6I, J )......................................................................................................................................... C. namadgi sp. nov.

Figures

Figure 5. Scanning electron micrographs of Proteatingis xouthos sp. nov. (A, B), Malandiola semota Drake 1942b (C, D), and Cercotingis tasmaniensis sp. nov. (E, F). Abbreviations:hd, hood; mdsp, medial spine; para, paranotum; pmg, peritreme of the metathoracic gland.

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 8. Male genitalia of Cercotingis croajingolong 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 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.

Figure 11. Male genitalia of Cercotingis impensa 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.

Figure 12. Male genitalia of Cercotingis namadgi 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 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.