Platypleura bella Lee and A. Mohagan, 2023

Lee, Young June, Marshall, David C., Mohagan, Alma B., Hill, Kathy B. R. & Mohagan, Dave P., 2023, Revised checklist of Cicadidae (Insecta: Hemiptera) of Mindanao, Philippines, with descriptions of a new genus and nine new species, Journal of Natural History 57 (1 - 4), pp. 193-242 : 196-199

1. Platypleura bella Lee and A. Mohagan sp. nov.

( Figures 2 , 3 , 6 (B))

Type material

Holotype. Male, PHILIPPINES, Mindanao, Bukidnon, Mt. Kiamo , 7 May 2012, A.B. Mohagan ( NMPM).

Paratypes. 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype, A .B. Mohagan ( UCONN); 2 males, PHILIPPINES, Mindanao , Mt . Kitanglad trailhead, 1689 m, 08°10.22 ʹ N, 124°56.14 ʹ E, 4 May 2012, K.B. R. Hill, D.C. Marshall and D. Mohagan ( UCONN); 1 female, same location, 1 May 2012, K .B. R. Hill, D.C. Marshall and D. Mohagan ( UCONN) .

Etymology

The specific name is the Latin feminine adjective bella meaning ̍pretty̾ or ̍handsome̾.

Measurements of types (4 males, 2 females)

Length of body: males 20.6 (19.6–21.2), females 19.8 (18.7–20.8). Length of head and thorax together: males 10.5 (9.9–10.7), females 10.6 (10.3–10.8). Length of abdomen: males 10.1 (9.7–10.6), females 9.2 (8.4–10.0). Width of head including compound eyes: males 8.5 (8.4–8.6), females 8.8 (8.5–9.1). Width of pronotum: males 11.5 (10.8–12.2), females 11.7 (11.2–12.1). Width of mesonotum: males 8.8 (8.7–9.1), females 8.9 (8.4–9.4). Width of abdominal tergite 3: males 9.3 (9.0–9.7), females 9.4 (9.3–9.5). Length of fore wing: males 28.4 (27.9–28.9), females 29.6 (29.2–30.0). Width of fore wing: males 10.2 (9.8–10.4), females 10.7 (10.6–10.8). Wing span: males 65.8 (65.4–66.6), females 67.5 (65.6–69.4).

Diagnosis

This new species is very similar to Platypleura elizabethae Lee, 2009 ( Figure 6 (C)) from Palawan but has much less infuscation on the inner half of the fore wing and the hind wing and has the following differences: fore wing apical cell 6 seldom with infuscation or with tiny spot on its proximal end (vs with quite large infuscation on about its proximal sixth in P. elizabethae ); fore wing medial cell with a few tiny grey spots (vs with cloudy patterns covering about half of the cell in P. elizabethae ); and fore wing apical cells 5 and 6 each with multiple tiny sub-distal spots (vs with no such spots in P. elizabethae ).

This species can be distinguished from Platypleura transitiva Lee, 2021 (from Mindanao) ( Figure 6 (D)) by the following characteristics: fore wing basal cell with black patch or infuscation on about half of its area (vs basal cell entirely black in P. transitiva ); and hind wing apical cells 1–2 fuscous on about or less than half of their area (vs fuscous on far more than half of their area in P. transitiva ).

Platypleura bella sp. nov. is also similar to P. minima sp. nov., as explained in the Diagnosis for that taxon below.

Description of male

Head. Vertex ochraceous to castaneous with the following black marks: median large spot enclosing ocelli, with anterior and posterior ends reaching anterior and posterior margins of vertex, and with short transverse branch at each lateral end; a pair of small spots between lateral ocelli and compound eyes; a pair of small spots on posterolateral corners of vertex; a pair of short obliquely longitudinal fasciae between postclypeus and compound eyes; and a pair of narrow fasciae along compound eyes. Distance between lateral ocelli and compound eyes about twice the distance between lateral ocelli. Antenna mostly castaneous but pedicel and scape black to fuscous. Postclypeus not swollen anteriad; ochraceous with a medial longitudinal black fascia, wider anteriorly, a pair of large spots antero-laterally through anterior five transverse grooves, which are connected to the medial longitudinal fascia, and short transverse fasciae along lateral parts of the remaining transverse grooves. Anteclypeus black except ochraceous median ridge. Rostrum ochraceous but darkened towards apex to become black apically; with apex reaching medial part of posterior margin of abdominal sternite II. Lorum black except ochraceous anterior and lateral margins. Gena black to dark brown with dull brown spot on posterior margin.

Thorax. Pronotum ochraceous to greenish ochraceous. Inner area of pronotum with the following black to fuscous marks: posteromedial inverted T mark; indistinct spot on anteromedial part of inner area; irregularly shaped marks along paramedian fissures; a pair of irregularly shaped marks along lateral fissures; and a pair of curved fasciae along lateral margins of inner area. Pronotal collar darkened anteriorly and laterally on both sides. Anterolateral pronotal collar broadly developed and roundly angulated with an angle of 100–110°, expanding to a width much greater than the widest width of posterior pronotum, mesonotum and abdomen. Mesonotum reddish ochraceous with the following black marks: median longitudinal fascia, with its posterior end widened and reaching anterior margin of cruciform elevation, but its anterior end not reaching anterior margin of mesonotum; a pair of small roundish spots enclosing scutal depressions; a pair of large semicircular spots on submedian sigilla, with their anterior ends reaching anterior margin of mesonotum; and a pair of long inverted triangular marks on lateral sigilla, with their anterior ends reaching anterior margin of mesonotum. Cruciform elevation ochraceous to greenish ochraceous. Fore-, mid- and hind trochanters and femora brown to dark brown.

Wings. Fore wing outer margin (not anterior margin) slightly curved outwardly (not straight or linear). Fore wing with venation ochraceous to reddish ochraceous, darker apically; furnished with white patch on about basal two-fifths to one-half (hyaline on remaining part: about apical half) and with the following infuscations: three spots on radial cell; mark on both ends of both ulnar cells 1 and 2; rather indistinct marks on basal half and tiny spot on apical end of ulnar cell 3; indistinct small marks on medial cell; mark on both apical and basal ends of apical cell 1; irregularly shaped small marks on subapical parts of apical cells 2–7, sometimes indistinct; one or two tiny dots on apical ends of apical cells 2–7; two spots on apical end of apical cell 8. Basal membrane dark grey with light green or green margin. Hind wing fuscous except outer marginal area and apical portion of apical cells 1–6. Anal cell 2 fuscous on about basal one-third to two-thirds. Anal cell 4 fuscous on about basal half to two-thirds. Anal cell 5 fuscous on about basal half to twothirds. Hind wing jugum light grey with light green margin.

Operculum mostly fuscous except greenish ochraceous margin; semicircular, transversely wide; short, nearly reaching posterior margin of abdominal sternite II. Opercula overlapping medially.

Abdomen obconical in dorsal view, short, about as long as or slightly shorter than head and thorax together; mostly black with narrow greenish ochraceous caudal margin on each of tergites 3–8. Timbal cover black to fuscous with greenish ochraceous inner anterior margin; semicircular, wider than long. Timbal concealed by timbal cover in dorsal and lateral views. Abdominal sternites mostly black with greenish ochraceous caudal margin on each of sternites III–VI.

Genitalia. Pygofer long ellipsoidal with acuminate apex (wide dorsal beak) in ventral view. Uncus simple, not bifurcate, with apical margin rounded. Aedeagus not tapering down to apex, with short subapical process.

Description of female

Head, thorax and wings similar to male. Abdomen obconical in dorsal view, short, shorter than head and thorax together; mostly black with narrow greenish ochraceous to dull brown (probably due to discoloration) caudal margin on each of tergites 3–7. Abdominal sternites mostly black with greenish ochraceous caudal margin on each of sternites III–VI. Abdominal sternite VII with a pair of large paramedian patches, extending to posterior margin. Gonocoxite IX greenish ochraceous to dull brown (probably due to discoloration). Ovipositor not extending beyond dorsal beak.

Song ( Figure 3 )

About 500 s of song was recorded from uncollected males on 1–2 May 2012, at three locations on Mt. Kitanglad, including the paratype location. The sound is a continuous whining buzz with a rapid frequency modulation. Pulses are regularly produced at a rate of 434–450/s. Pulse amplitude more than doubles across oscillations that occur at a rate of 35–40/s, with the peak frequency subtly shifting within the range 8–9 kHz across these cycles. Most sound energy lies within the range 7.5–10 kHz. The distinguishing features of the song are discussed along with those of the next species below.

Figures

Figure 2. Platypleura bella Lee and A. Mohagan sp. nov., holotype, male, Mindanao,Philippines. (A) Dorsal habitus; (B) ventral habitus; (C) pygofer, ventral view; (D) pygofer, slightly oblique lateral view.

Figure 3. Platypleura bella Lee and A. Mohagan sp. nov. Waveforms (A, C) and spectrograms (B, D) of male calling song at two time scales. Sound energy above 11 kHz is mainly background noise.

Figure 6. Male dorsal habitus of the Platypleura species from the Philippines. (A) Platypleura minima Lee and Marshall sp. nov.; (B) Platypleura bella Lee and A. Mohagan sp. nov.; (C) Platypleura elizabethae Lee, 2009; (D) Platypleura transitiva Lee, 2021; (E) Platypleura dinagatensis Lee, 2016.