Austrimonus, Fletcher & Dai, 2018

Fletcher, Murray J. & Dai, Wu, 2018, A new genus Austrimonus for Eutettix melaleucae Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) and nine new species, Zootaxa 4387 (2), pp. 310-330 : 311

Austrimonus gen. nov.

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Type species: Eutettix melaleucae Kirkaldy, 1907 .

Description. Colour. Head and tegmina whitish with various brown flecking, usually dense (e.g. Figs 3–6), sometimes sparse (e.g. Figs 1, 13, 19) and often with patches of orange on dorsum (e.g. Figs 10, 14, 20).

Morphology. Face about as broad as long. Anteclypeus slightly narrowed from base then with lateral margins diverging to convex apex which slightly exceeds maxillary plates. Postclypeus broad to relatively narrow, lateral margins diverging dorsally. Vertex of even width throughout or slightly longer in midline than against eyes. Pronotum very short laterally. Tegmen with four apical cells, three preapical cells, outer preapical cell closed at both ends with crossvein, inner preapical cell open basally. Claval veins separate throughout. Fore femur with 2 apical setae dorsally, AV setae absent or present as weak fine hairs on basal half, IC setae long, row extending over apical half of femur, seta AM1 not differentiated; fore tibia dorsal macrosetae 1+ 4 in all species but A. apicalis . Hind femur with setal formula 2+2+1. Hind tibiae flattened; setal row PD with 7 macrosetae and intercalaries half length of macrosetae; PV group with 10 macrosetae; rows AD and AV with 9–10 large macrosetae each, these paired on prominent bases with row AD bearing a few shorter macrosetae between these pairs with some of the shorter macrosetae grouped with the pairs.

Male genitalia. Pygofer of moderate length, without accessory processes, with basal cleft well developed, ventral portion bearing scattered microsetae. Distal lobe of pygofer triangular, apically rounded, bearing line of macrosetae across proximal area, echinate along ventral margin. Subgenital plates narrow triangular tapering to acute apex, often with apical finger-like process. Paramere with preapical lobe strong or weak, apical process curved laterally, apically acute to acuminate, sometimes with preapical tooth. Connective long with stem usually longer than arms, occasionally as long as arms. Aedeagus with two shafts bearing accessory processes.

Diagnosis. The species of Austrimonus are similar to species of Hishimonus in the structure of the aedeagus which has two shafts bearing accessory processes. The two genera can usually be distinguished by the absence of the distinctive circular or diamond-shaped brown marking dorsally in the centre of the folded tegmina of species of Austrimonus . In addition, Austrimonus species differ from Hishimonus species by the following features of the male genitalia: a narrower subgenital plate tapering to base of apical process ( Hishimonus : subgenital plate often ovoid with apical process distinct); apical process of paramere curved laterally ( Hishimonus : apical process extended posteriorly), sometimes with preapical tooth, preapical lobe usually well developed; connective long; fore femur with setal row AV absent or present only as weak fine hairs ( Hishimonus : AV present with short but welldeveloped microsetae).