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: 2256 C 517 - 8 BCD- 4962 - 9 E 45 -F 97059887 F 91

Types. Holotype, ♂, AUSTRALIA, Tas: Port Sorell, 41.09 S, 146.31 E, 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 2 x 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 CuA 1 +CuA 2; 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 A 1 moderately elevated; 6 apical cells. Hind leg: 1 st tarsomere with 7 apical teeth; 2 nd 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.