Acanthocasuarina acutivalvis Taylor

Taylor, Gary S., Jennings, John T., Purcell, Matthew F. & Austin, Andy D., 2011, A new genus and ten new species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera: Triozidae) from Allocasuarina (Casuarinaceae) in Australia, Zootaxa 3009, pp. 1-45 : 28-30

Acanthocasuarina acutivalvis Taylor , sp. nov.

Figs 66–74 , 93–96 , 138 ; Tables 1–8

Types. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: Holotype: 13 (slide) 40 km N Murchison River 27°28.436’S 114°42.425’E, G.S. Taylor & J.T. Jennings, 3.ii.2008, Allocasuarina acutivalvis , ABCL 2008 629 (WAMA). Paratypes: 9 3, 10 Ƥ (slide), 6 nymphs (3 slides), 41 3, 33 Ƥ, 8 nymphs, same data as holotype (ANIC, QMBA, WAMA, WINC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: from Allocasuarina acutivalvis : 4 3, 6 Ƥ 8 km N Dalwallinu ( WINC); 11 3, 19 Ƥ 10 km S Kallanie ( WINC); 4 3, 7 Ƥ S Kulin ( WINC); 1 3, 1 Ƥ 5 km SE Merredin ( WINC); 2 3, 1 Ƥ 47 km S Merredin ( WINC); 3 3, 3 Ƥ (dried) 18 3, 46 Ƥ, 8 nymphs 2 km E Mollerin ( WINC); 2 nymphs (dried), 7 3, 10 Ƥ 25 km NW Morawa ( WINC); 2 Ƥ 14 km SE Mullewa ( WINC); 3 3, 2 Ƥ Nerren Nerren ( WINC); 16 3 44 Ƥ 5 km S Nerren Nerren ( WINC); 2 3, 8 Ƥ 13 km S Perenjori ( WINC); 1 3 15 km S Wialki ( WINC); 2 3, 13 Ƥ Wilroy NR, 18 km SE Mullewa ( WINC); 3 3, 4 Ƥ 35 km N Wubin ( WINC).

Description. Adult ( Figs 66–73 ). Colour: Male: general colour ochraceous to orange-brown with brown to dark brown markings. Vertex with brown spots in vicinity of fovea; genal processes pale with brown infuscation at apices; antennal segments 1–2 dark brown; segment 3 brown, darker apically; segments 4–10 dark brown to black; pronotum pale with a pair of dark brown submedial markings; mesopraescutum with a pair of submedial dark brown markings; mesoscutum with a pair of very faint brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesoscutellum brown; wings clear; legs with dorsal dark brown markings; fore and mid-tarsi dark brown to black, hind basitarsi ochraceous, distal segment of hind tarsi dark brown to black; abdominal tergites brown to dark brown; proctiger and subgenital plate ochraceous to orange-brown; parameres tipped with black; proximal segment of aedeagus dark brown to black, distal segment ochraceous to orange-brown. Female: as for male, except markings on pronotum and mesopraescutum more prominent, brown to dark brown; proctiger and subgenital plate with dark brown to black apices.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 1.17–1.40 times width of head; genal processes elongate, conical, separated at base and becoming increasingly divergent; anterior margin of vertex rounded from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex with prominent medial suture; pronotum with prominent anterior, medial node; thorax weakly arched, head distinctly wider than pronotum and mesoscutum; fore wings elongate with broadly rounded apex; Rs long, mostly straight except distally, terminating short of wing apex; vein M1+2 terminating well short of wing apex; cell m1 short, broadly triangular, m1 cell value 0.82–1.21; cell cu1 short triangular, cu1 cell value 1.48–2.31; radular areas thin, elongate in cells m1, m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Fig 93–95 ; proctiger thin, elongate without lateral expansions; parameres thin elongate, strongly curved inward towards apex. Female terminalia as in Fig 96 ; proctiger short with dorso-posterior margin sharply angled from lateral aspect and a distinctly upturned apical hook; subgenital plate broad, triangular from lateral aspect

Nymph ( Fig 74 ): Measurements and ratios as in Tables 6–7 . Body chestnut-brown with dark brown markings. Eyes dark brown; head with anterior margin brown and submedial dark brown markings in vicinity of fovea; meso- and metathoracic depressions dark brown to black; caudal plate with dark brown to black markings delineating margins of abdominal tergites. Body elongate-ovate; anterior margin of head broad pointed medially; dorsum of body with a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; caudal plate with hind margin rounded.

Etymology. Named after the host plant, Allocasuarina acutivalvis .

Distribution. Recorded from near Nerren Nerren and Murchison River and throughout the inland “wheat-belt” region east to Wialki and south to Merredin in south-western Western Australia ( Fig. 138 ).

Host plant. Recorded from Allocasuarina acutivalvis (F.Muell.) L. Johnson. Allocasuarina acutivalvis occurs as a dioecious shrub to small tree, 3–8 m in lateritic to sandy soils in tall heath, open woodland and rocky hillsides from Nerren Nerren, N of Murchison River to Queen Victoria Spring and Zanthus in Western Australia ( Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. Species of Acanthocasuarina are very close morphologically but can be differentiated by the following character states. In Ac. acutivalvis , Ac. campestris , Ac. diminutae , Ac. muellerianae and Ac. verticillatae genal processes and vertex are moderate in length and corresponding GCL:GC ratio moderate, and in Ac. tasmanica genal processes are short and vertex moderate in length and GCL:GC ratio is low; in Ac. acutivalvis , Ac. campestris , Ac. diminutae and Ac. muellerianae cubital cell moderately arched and cu1 cell value moderate, and in Ac. tasmanica and Ac. verticillatae cubital cell is more strongly arched and cu1 cell value low; in Ac. acutivalvis , Ac. campestris , Ac. diminutae , Ac. muellerianae , and Ac. tasmanica hind tibia moderate in length and TL:HW ratio low, and in Ac. verticillatae hind tibia longer and TL:HW ratio high; in Ac. acutivalvis , Ac. campestris and Ac. muellerianae male parameres thin and elongate, in Ac. diminutae a little shorter (moderate in length) and broader, in Ac. tasmanica short and broad and Ac. verticillatae short, broad and with posterior lobe; in Ac. acutivalvis and Ac. verticillatae dorso-posterior margin of female proctiger strongly angled when viewed from lateral aspect, posterior margin rather straight and terminates in prominent apical hook (more prominent in Ac. acutivalvis ), and in Ac. campestris , Ac. diminutae , Ac. muellerianae and Ac. tasmanica female dorso-posterior margin rounded from lateral aspect with less prominent upturned apical process.

Figures

FIGURES 66 – 74. Acanthocasuarina acutivalvis sp. nov.: (66), habitus, male (dorsal aspect); (67), habitus, female (dorsal aspect); (68), habitus male (lateral aspect); (69), habitus female (lateral aspect); (70), fore wing, male; (71), fore wing, female; (72), head, male (dorsal aspect); (73), head, female (dorsal aspect); (74), nymph (dorsal aspect). Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 93 – 102. Acanthocasuarina acutivalvis sp. nov., Ac. campestris sp. nov., and Ac. diminutae sp. nov.: Ac. acutivalvis: (93), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (94), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (95), paramere (dorsal aspect); (96), female terminalia (lateral aspect); Ac. campestris: (97), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (98), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (99), female terminalia; Ac. diminutae: (100), male terminalia (lateral aspect); (101), paramere (inner face, lateral aspect); (102), female terminalia (lateral aspect). Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 138 – 139. Distribution for species of Acanthocasuarina in Australia: (138),, Ac. acutivalvis sp. nov.,, Ac. campestris sp. nov.; (139),, Ac. diminutae sp. nov.; Ο (arrowed), Ac. muellerianae sp. nov.;, Ac.; tasmanica sp. nov.;, Ac. verticillatae sp. nov.