Acanthocasuarina diminutae 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 : 33

Acanthocasuarina diminutae Taylor , sp. nov.

Figs 84–92 , 100–102 , 139 ; Tables 1–5, 8

Types. AUSTRALIA, New South Wales: Holotype: 1 3 (slide) Pilliga Scrub, Borambitty Road, 31°05.680’S 149°22.371’E, G.S. Taylor, 4.x.2008, Allocasuarina diminuta , ABCL 2008 583 ( ASCU). Paratypes: 9 3, 10 Ƥ, 5 nymphs (2 slides), 2 3, 2 Ƥ (dried), 37 3, 23 Ƥ, same data as holotype ( ANIC, QMBA, SAMA, WINC). Other material examined. New South Wales: 1 Ƥ McGarr’s Ck, Sydney ( ANIC).

Description. Adult ( Figs 84–91 ). Colour: Male: general colour pale with ochraceous to brown markings. Vertex pale with two pairs of small brown spots in vicinity of fovea; genal processes brown to dark brown; antennal segments 1–2 dark brown to black; 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 indistinct broad triangular ochraceous markings anteriorly; mesoscutum with two pairs of light orange-brown to brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesoscutellum pale; wings clear; wing veins R+M+Cu, R, and proximal portion of C, Rs, M and Cu distinctly pale, all wing veins darker distally; abdominal tergites brown to dark brown; anterior face of proctiger brown to dark brown, pale laterally; subgenital plate and parameres ochraceous to orange-brown; proximal segment of aedeagus dark brown to black, distal segment ochraceous to orange-brown; legs pale with dorsal dark brown markings; tarsi dark brown to black. Female: as for male, except with distinct orange infuscation throughout; genal processes pale to ochraceous; proctiger with proximal brown marking and brown infuscation in vicinity of circum-anal pore ring; subgenital plate with anterior brown markings; proctiger and subgenital plate with distinct internal black sclerotisation.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 1.05–1.23 times width of head; genal processes moderate in length, conical, apices separated, divergent; anterior margin of vertex rounded from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex with weak 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 well short of wing apex; vein M1+2 terminating short of wing apex; cell m1 short, broadly triangular, m1 cell value 0.97–1.38; cell cu1 short triangular, cu1 cell value 1.14–1.52; radular areas thin, elongate in cells m1, m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Figs 100–101 ; proctiger without lateral expansions; parameres thin moderate in length, strongly curved inward towards apex. Female terminalia as in Fig. 102 ; proctiger short with dorso-posterior margin smoothly rounded from lateral aspect and a barely upturned blunt apical process; subgenital plate broad, triangular from lateral aspect.

Nymph ( Fig. 92 ) (exuvium): Body light-brown with dark brown markings. Head with extensive submedial dark brown infuscation; meso-and metathoracic depressions dark brown with extensive dark brown markings anteriorly and posteriorly; fore and hind wing pads with dark brown infuscation; caudal plate with extensive dark brown marking submedially. Body elongate; anterior margin of head weakly pointed medially; dorsum of body with a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; caudal plate with hind margin angled submedially and medially.

Etymology. Named after the host plant, Allocasuarina diminuta .

Distribution. Recorded from Pilliga Scrub in inland central New South Wales. One specimen from a locality near Sydney, New South Wales is tentatively attributed to Aa. diminutae ( Fig. 139 ).

Host plant. Recorded from Allocasuarina diminuta L. Johnson. Allocasuarina diminuta occurs as a 1–5 m shrub or small tree in heath and low open woodland in several disjunct areas in New South Wales from Pilliga Scrub to Temora, Capertree to Bathurst, Blackheath to Braidwood, and near Sydney and Eden ( Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. See Comments under Ac. acutivalvis for diagnoses.

Figures

FIGURES 84 – 92. Acanthocasuarina diminutae sp. nov.: (84), habitus, male (dorsal aspect); (85), habitus, female (dorsal aspect); (86), habitus male (lateral aspect); (87), habitus female (lateral aspect); (88), fore wing, male; (89), fore wing, female; (90), head, male (dorsal aspect); (91), head, female (dorsal aspect); (92), nymphal exuvium (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.