Cleotyche (Cleotyche) montana, Constant & Semeraro & Moir, 2022

Constant, Jérôme, Semeraro, Linda & Moir, Melinda L., 2022, Australian Cleotychini planthoppers: review of the genus Cleotyche Emeljanov, 1997 with three new species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 836, pp. 66-95 : 86-90

Cleotyche (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:40E65B47-662A-42CA-80BC-239F869205EB

Figs 6 , 13–15 , Table 1

Diagnosis

The species can be separated from the other Cleotyche (Cleotyche) species by the combination of the following characters:

1. Profemora rather slender, 3.16 × as long as broad, and slightly broader than protibiae ( Fig. 13A ). 2. Vertex elongate, 2.10 × as long as broad ( Fig. 13F ).

3. Vertex and anterior portion of pronotum medium brown ( Figs 13F ).

Differential diagnosis

This species differs from C. (Cleotyche) francescoi sp. nov. and C. (Cleotyche) mariae Emeljanov, 1997 by its relatively more slender profemora (profemora 3.16 × as long as broad vs max. 2.91 × in the two other species).

The most similar species is C. (Cleotyche) christinae sp. nov. which differs by its narrower profemora (3.78 × as long as broad vs 3.16 × in C. (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov.), and the proportions of the vertex (vertex 2.10 × as long as broad vs 1.56 × in C. (Cleotyche) christinae sp. nov.).

Etymology

The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning ‘associated with mountain’ and refers to the mountainous habitat on top of Blackdown Tableland where the species was discovered.

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA • ♂; [Queensland, Blackdown Tableland N.P.]; [11–12 Mar. 2020]; 23°42′48″ S, 149°07′06″ E; J. Constant and L. Semeraro leg.; “Australia Qld, Blackdown Tableland N.P., 11–12 Mar 2020, 23°42′48″S 149°07′06″E, leg. J. Constant & L. Semeraro, Leopold III Funds Expedition”; QM.

Description

MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. LT: ♂ (n = 1): 3.9 mm. LTg/BTg = 1.32; LV/BV = 2.10; LF/BF = 3.39; LPf/ BPf = 3.16; LPt/BPt = 3.52.

HEAD ( Fig. 13F–H ). Rufous-brown with clypeus black; labium brown with terminal segment black. Vertex elongate, 2.10 × as long as broad, projected anteriorly, rounded to a blunt point apically, with median carina not reaching anterior margin and with lateral margins carinate, subparallel along eye and incurved anteriorly; posterior margin roundly incurved. Frons elongate, very weakly concave in lateral view, with sides subparallel, weakly narrowing along eyes, 3.29 × as long as broad, anteriorly pointly rounded in perpendicular view, with three complete carinae, one median and one along each lateral margin, all extending to apex of clypeus; two weak, short carinae between median and sublateral carinae extending from dorsal margin along 1 /5 of the way along the frons. Clypeus elongate and narrow, triangular. Eyes rather large, moderately protruding laterally. Antennae with scape short and cylindrical; pedicel short, inflated, barrel-shaped and with large sensory plates on ventral portion. Ocelli absent. Labium elongate and narrow, reaching posterior trochanters and with apical segment elongate, about half as long as penultimate one.

THORAX ( Fig. 13E–H ). Pronotum rufous-brown with posterior half whitish, paranotal lobes slightly darker towards posterior and ventral margins; mesonotum dark brown, darker than anterior portion of pronotum, with apex of scutellum slightly paler; thoracic sternites dark brown. Pronotum smooth with anterior margin strongly bisinuate, roundly projecting anteriorly behind vertex and roundly emarginate behind eyes, and posterior margin weakly incurved; median longitudinal carina and two lateral carinae on disc merging anteriorly along anterior margin; lateral carina behind eye; paranotal lobe angularly rounded posteroventrally. Mesonotum very short, about ⅔ as long as pronotum, smooth with three hardly visible obsolete carinae prolongating pronotal ones. Tegulae absent.

TEGMINA ( Fig. 13A, C, F, H ). Rufous-brown as mesonotum with rather broad white band along posterior margin, covering slightly less than 1 /5 of tegmina length; slightly elongate in dorsal view, 1.32 × as long as broad, slightly broadening from base to apex, broadly truncate apically, slightly rounded along lateral apical margin, convex, smooth; no trace of venation.

LEGS ( Fig. 13A–D, I ). Brown with profemora along lateral margins, protibiae and metafemora dark brown; pro- and mesocoxae and trochanters black-brown; apical pale yellowish interrupted ring on pro- and mesofemora; protibiae with basal pale yellow marking dorsally and ventrally; protarsi white; base of metatibiae darker; metatibiae turning yellowish from base to apex; metatarsomeres brown with first one whitish on basal ⅔. Profemora and protibiae moderately foliaceous, rather slender, 3.16 and 3.52 × as long as broad, respectively; protibiae 0.92 × as broad as profemora; profemora with anterior margin weakly curved and posterior margin broadly rounded, with about 15 small teeth, teeth progressively smaller towards base of femur; protibiae with margins broadly rounded, external margin rather straight along median ⅔, and roundly truncate apically; median and posterior legs elongate and slender; metatibiae broadening towards apex, with one ventrolateral spine at distal 3 /5 and 6 apical spines; first and second metatarsomeres with strong spine at each side and apical row of 12 platellae ventrally. Metatibiotarsal formula: (2) 6 (2-4)/2/2.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 13A–D ). Black with median yellowish marking on last segment in male (female unknown); small yellowish marking on anal tube at base of anal column. Abdomen dorsoventrally flattened and smooth.

MALE TERMINALIA ( Fig. 14 ). Pygofer (Py) ( Fig. 14A–E ) narrow in lateral view, 2.7 × as high as long at mid-height, suboval and about 1.25 × as wide as high in posterior view; anterior and posterior margins rounded in lateral view; posterior margin deeply notched in dorsal and ventral view, with rounded notch dorsally and U-shaped notch ventrally. Gonostyli (G) ( Fig. 14A–E ) rather elongate, 1.9 × as long as high in lateral view, 3.4 × as long as wide at base in ventral view, slightly surpassing anal tube; dorsal margin sinuate in lateral view; posteroventral margin straight in basal ⅓ then rounded in lateral view; strong basidorsal lateral hook (lh) curved lateroventrad, with dorsal margin oblique in caudal view. Aedeagus (ae) ( Fig. 14F–J ) elongate and narrow in dorsal view, with 2 pairs of membranous processes, each bearing an anteapical lateral sclerotized spine (sp); phallobase (phb) with 2 elongate, narrow, straight, sclerotized dorsal processes (dpp); connective (cv) elongate and rather strong.Anal tube (An) ( Fig. 14A– E ) in dorsal view obovate, 1.45 × as long as broad in dorsal view, widest at basal ⅓, with apical margin rounded and with anal opening at basal ⅓ of length; ventral margin straight, strongly rounded before strong apicolateral teeth (alt); teeth with posterior margin weakly concave in lateral view, narrow and subparallel in caudal view; length of teeth along posterior margin in lateral view 0.47 × as long as anal tube.

Biology

The specimen was collected by sweeping grass in an open Eucalyptus forest up the plateau, not far from Yaddamen Dhina – Horseshoe Lookout ( Fig. 15 ).

Distribution

Australia, SE Queensland, Blackdown Tableland National Park ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

Fig. 6. The distribution of described species of Cleotychini in Australia.

Fig. 13. Cleotyche (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov., ♂, holotype (QM). A. Habitus dorsal view.B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Habitus, lateral view.D. Habitus, perpendicular view of frons. E. Habitus, anterolateral view. F. Head and thorax, dorsal view. G. Frons, perpendicular view. H. Head and thorax, lateral view. I. Distal portion of posterior leg, ventral view.

Fig. 14. Cleotyche (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov., ♂, holotype (QM). A–E. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli. A. Left lateral view. B. Caudal view. C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view. E. Laterocaudal view. F–J. Aedeagus. F. Caudal view. G. Left lateral view. H. Dorsolateral view. I. Dorsal view. J. Ventral view. Abbreviations: see Fig. 4.

Fig. 15. Habitat of Cleotyche (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov. in Blackdown Tableland National Park, 12 Mar. 2020.