Birdantis mouldsi, Constant, 2011

Constant, Jerome, 2011, The genus Birdantis Stål in Australia (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), Zootaxa 2885 (1), pp. 44-54 : 49-51

Birdantis mouldsi n. sp.

Figs. 1 G–L ; 3 A–C ; 7 B .

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Dr Max S. Moulds who collected the holotype of the species.

Material examined. Holotype ♂: [ Peach Creek 25km NNE of Coen, N. Qld, 3.xi.1979, M.S. & B.J. Moulds] [ Birdantis obscura (Distant) , det: M.J. Fletcher] [MJF collection, MJF003020] coordinates: 13°37'S 143°05'E ( ASCU)

Paratypes: QUEENSLAND, 2 ♀: 12.43S 143.18E QLD, 11 km ENE Mt. Tozer , 9.vii.1986, J.C. Cardale, at MV light ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: 3 km E. of Lockerbie, C. York, 30.i–4.ii.1975, G.B. Monteith. At MV Light coordinates: 10°47'S 142°28'E ( QM) ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀: West Claudie R., Iron Range ,, 3–10.xii.1985, G. Monteith & D. Cook, Rainforest, 50m coordinates: 12’ 44°S 143°17’E ( QM) ; 1 ♂: Claudie R. 5 miles W Mt. Lamond, 24.xii.1971 D.K. McAlpine, G.A. Holloway coordinates: 12°44’S 143°13’E ( AM) ; 1 ♂: Eet Hill Vicinity, Moa ( Banks ) Is. , Torres St. , 9–13.vii1977, G.B. Monteith & D. Cook coordinates: 10°11’S 142°16’E ( QM) ; 1 ♂: Iron Range , 2.v.1975, M.S. Moulds coordinates: 12°46’S 143°19’E ( AM) ; 1 ♂: Iron Range, 29 Apr. May 1975, M.S. Moulds ( AM) ; 1 ♀: Iron Range, Q. 7.iv.1964, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( RBINS, ex ANIC); 1 ♂: Iron Range, 8.iv.1964, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( RBINS, ex ANIC); 1 ♂: Iron Range , 15.iv.1964, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀: Iron Range , 9.iv.1964, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀: Holroyd River, S. of Coen , 29.ix.1974, M.S. Moulds coordinates: 14°12’S 141°38’E ( AM) ; 1 ♀: Middle Claudie Riv., Iron Range , 13.x.1974, G. Daniels, at light ( QM) ; 1 ♀: Mid Claudie Riv., Iron Range , 14.ix.1974, G. Daniels ( QM) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Capsize Ck, 64 km N. of Archer Xing, Cape York Pen. , 29–30.vi.1975, G.B. Monteith coordinates: 13°02’S 143°23’E ( QM) ; 1 ♀: Iron Range, Cape York Pen. ; 1–4.v.1973, G.B. Monteith ( QM) ; 1 ♂: 3 km E. of Lockerbie, C. York, 19–23.iii.1987, G.B. Monteith, Rainforest pitfall traps ( QM) ; 1 ♀: Cape York Peninsula, E.J. Cooper, 15.vii.1946 ( QM) ; 1 ♀: Middle Claudie R., Iron Range , 4.x. Oct. 1974, M.S. Moulds ( AM)

Description. LT: ♂ (n = 9): 21.7 mm (20.7 – 22.4); ♀ (n = 14): 23.1 mm (22.0 – 24.0).

Head: eyes included, slightly less broad than thorax; pale yellow-brown variegated with dark brown and black; vertex concave, with all margins carinate, and anterior margin slightly curved, disc with 2 longitudinal black stripes, 2 slightly impressed points and one small black spot on each side; frons visible from above, separated from vertex by narrow groove (figs. 1 G, H); frons smooth, convex, with 3 slight, longitudinal carinae, dark brown markings as illustrated on fig. 1 I; clypeus narrower and about as long as frons, with dark brown markings as illustrated on fig. 1 I; labium brown elongate, surpassing hind coxae, with last segment much shorter than penultimate (fig. 1 J); ocelli present; pedicel of antennae bulbous (fig. 1 L); ratio BV/LV = 3.6; BF/LF = 1.15.

Thorax: pronotum pale yellow-brown; disc with 3 irregular, black-brown, longitudinal, stripes on each side; ventral lobe of pronotum black-brown on dorsal half; slight median carina and 2 impressed points on disc (figs. 1 H, L); mesonotum brown with irregular black markings; metanotum brown (fig. 1 H); ratio BT/LP+LM = 0.95.

Tegmina: testaceous, with membrane hyaline after nodal line; irregular black-brown markings; largest and best defined markings on costal cell and on membrane, markings often confluent on latter; veins tinged with red, dark brown on membrane; costal and sutural margins subparallel, tegmina slightly broader at nodal line; apex rounded and with apical margin oblique (figs. 1 G, J, K); ratio LTg/BTg = 3.6.

Hind wings: black-brown with apical half hyaline; no clear limit between dark and hyaline zones; base strongly tinged with red; veins brown-black, red on basal third, on apical half; maximal breadth near base; slightly broader than tegmina (figs. 1 G, J).

Legs: coxae I and II brown with apex testaceous; trochanters I and II testaceous; femora I black-brown with base and one ring testaceous; femora II black-brown with testaceous ring; femora III black-brown with apex testaceous; tibiae I and II black-brown with 3 testaceous rings; tarsi I and II black-brown; tibiae and tarsi III testaceous; tibiae III with 5–6 lateral and 6 apical spines black-brown apically (figs. 1 G, J).

Abdomen: black-brown with last segments pale green dorsally (figs. 1 G, J).

Genitalia ♂: pygofer in lateral view higher than long and with anterior and posterior margins subparallel (fig. 4 A); anal tube slightly longer than broad, with lateral margins strongly dilated on second third in dorsal view, slightly curved ventrad in lateral view (figs. 4 A, C); gonostyli subtriangular in lateral view, one strong tooth in middle on antero-dorsal margin, tooth directed laterally with apex slightly curved ventrally (figs 1 A, C).

Biology. Nothing is known except that the species seems to be restricted to Cape York Peninsula, and that it is attracted to light traps. One specimen has also been collected in a pitfall trap.

Notes. The species is close to Birdantis obscura ( Distant, 1888) from Papua New Guinea but can be separated from the latter by its smaller size (in B. obscura, LT : ♂ (n = 2): 25 mm (24.7–25.3); ♀ (n = 7): 26.1 mm (25.0– 27.0)) and different colour of the hind wings: hyaline area limited to apical third, without transition between dark and pale zones in obscura (extending to half of wing and progressively getting darker in mouldsi ) and basal red markings less developed in obscura .

Figures

FIGURES 1. A–F, Birdantis goemansi. A, habitus, dorsal view (LT: 18.7 mm). B, head and thorax, dorsal view. C, frons, normal view. D, habitus, ventral view. E, habitus, lateral view. F, head and thorax, lateral view. G–L, Birdantis mouldsi. G, habitus, dorsal view (LT: 21.9 mm). H, head and thorax, dorsal view. I, frons, normal view. J, habitus, ventral view. K, habitus, lateral view. L, head and thorax, lateral view.

FIGURES 3. A–C, Birdantis goemansi, male genitalia. A, pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli, lateral view. B, dorsolateral process of gonostylus, posteroventral view. C, anal tube, dorsal view. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. A–C, Distribution of the species of Birdantis in Australia. A, B. goemansi. B, B. mouldsi. C, B. virginiae.