Aka sorellensis, Löcker, Birgit, 2015

Löcker, Birgit, 2015, Revision of the Australian species of Aka White, 1879 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new genus, Zootaxa 3956 (2), pp. 199-223 : 216-217

Aka sorellensis sp. nov.

( Figs 5 D–F, 15)

Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2256C517-8BCD-4962-9E45-F97059887F91

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, Tas: Port Sorell, 41.09S, 146.31E, tall wet heath, 4644.602.443, 6.xi.1990 (L. Hill) (TAIC 145564).

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Port Sorell.

Diagnosis. Aka sorellensis and A. dobsonensis are the only Australian species of Aka with a deeply excavated apex of the anal tube. These two species differ in the number of apical teeth on the first tarsomere ( A. sorellensis with 7, A. dobsonensis with 6).

Colour. Face dark brown; paler near vertex; frons with a whitish spot at each lateral end of frontoclypeal suture; lateral carinae of postclypeus whitish near anteclypeus. Vertex, pro- and mesonotum with a creamy, whitish band that runs across most of the width of vertex and the central part of pro- and mesonotum, lateral parts dark brown. Forewings light brown to whitish, mottled with darker spots; tubercles and veins concolorous with cells; pterostigma whitish. Legs mid brown with a few paler marks.

Morphology. Body length: ♂ 4.3 mm.

Head: Vertex 1.4 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering about 1/2 of basal compartment of vertex. Frons 1.1 x longer than wide; maximum width no more than 2x apical width; position of maximum width slightly to moderately dorsad of centre of frontoclypeal suture; median carina forked in basal (near frontoclypeal suture) fourth of frons. Median ocellus present (indistinct). Anteclypeus lacking median carina. Subapical segment of rostrum 1.6 x longer than apical segment.

Thorax: Mesonotum without sublateral carinae. Forewing 2.9 x longer than wide; costal margin with a few indistinct tubercles; tubercles never within cells; tubercles very small, concolorous with veins; tubercles not bearing setae; Sc+R+M near basal cell fused, forming a minute common stem Sc+R+M; fork of ScRA+ RP distinctly basad of fork CuA1+CuA2; distance tegula to ScR+M fork about as long as distance between this fork and ScRA+ RP fork; position of r-m distinctly basad of fork MA+MP; fork MA+MP situated around apical 1/8 of forewing; icu distinctly distad of apex of clavus; RP apically bifid; MA unforked; MP unforked; nodus of y-vein distinctly distad of centre of clavus; y-vein with A1 moderately elevated; 6 apical cells. Hind leg: 1st tarsomere with 7 apical teeth; 2nd tarsomere with 6 apical teeth and 3 fine setae.

Male genitalia: Anal tube apically deeply excavated, forming two separate apical lobes as in Figs 15 C,D. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 15 E–G. Aedeagus ( Figs 15 A,B): Phallotheca left laterally with a short, curved spine (a); ventrally with a long spine (b), crossing over from right to left lateral; right lateral with two short, curved spines (c,d). Flagellum unarmed, steadily widening towards apex.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Aka pirri: A habitus; B, C head. Aka sorellensis: D, E head; F habitus. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 15. Aka sorellensis: A aedeagus ventral; B aedeagus right lateral; C – D anal tube; E pygofer; F – G genital styles.