Mata lenonia, Sarkar & Mahapatra & Mohapatra & Nair & Kunte, 2021

Sarkar, Vivek, Mahapatra, Cuckoo, Mohapatra, Pratyush P., Nair, Manoj V. & Kunte, Krushnamegh, 2021, Description of three new species of the genus Mata Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Oncotympanini) with notes on their natural history from Indian state of Meghalaya, India, Zootaxa 4908 (1), pp. 1-28 : 3-11

1. Mata lenonia sp. nov.

(Map 1; Figures 3,4,5,14)

1.a. Type Material details: Holotype: Specimen Voucher Code of the holotype is NCBS- AH292. Male , the type locality of this species is Wahkaba valley of Sohra (Cherrapunjee) (25°17’11.27”N, 91°43’28.76”E), East Khasi Hills , Meghalaya (Map-1). The specimen was collected on 30 th September , 2014 By Vivek Sarkar. The specimen was preserved in ethanol after collection. Two legs and a chunk of thoracic tissue were preserved in absolute ethanol and the specimen was pinned and dried later in June , 2015. It is deposited in the Research Collections Facility at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru (=Bangalore), India ( NCBS) . Paratype: Specimen Voucher Code of the paratype is NCBS- AH291. Collected from the same location on the same day and the specimen is deposited in the Research Collections Facility at NCBS, Bengaluru (=Bangalore), India .

1.b. Diagnosis: Smaller compared to other species of this genus. Postclypeus entirely green without any median black line and unlike them the basal cell in forewing green where in both of them it is transparent. Forewing of Mata lenonia sp. nov. without any infuscation (Fig-4A&B) whereas both of M. kama and M. rama have prominent infuscations on their forewing (Fig-1A&B & Fig-2A&B). Male opercula of Mata lenonia sp. nov. is short and entirely green without any black margin (Fig-4B) whereas opercula in M. kama is also green with thin black margin (Fig-1B) and opercula in M. rama are green with broad dark edges that are suffused centrally (Fig-2B). In M. kama , the timbal cover is green dorsally with black triangular patch in anterior part and white spot covered with fine white scales in the lateral part which continue as traces laterally on the third tergite (Fig-1C) whereas in M. rama , timbal cover is predominantly black with traces of fine white scales laterally which continue on the third tergite (Fig-2C). In Mata lenonia sp. nov., entire anterior part of timbal cover is black which is adjoining to the median brown patch of the second tergite dorsally and the entire posterior part of the timbal cover white, overlaid with fine white scales which is more at the dorsal end and reduces at the lateral part, appearing as a white triangular spot from the side (Fig-4C). There are no traces of white scales continuing on the third tergite.

1.c. Etymology: The name ‘lenonia’ derived from the Latin word ‘lenonius’ which means small or miniscule. Among all the species in the genus Mata , this is significantly small.

1.d. General Measurements:

1.e. Type series: Holotype: “ INDIA / E. K. Hills Dist. , Meghalaya / Sohra (Cherrapunjee) / Vivek S coll. / 30.ix.2014 / NCBS-AH292 ”, male ( NCBS). // Paratype: “ INDIA / E. K. Hills Dist. , Meghalaya / Sohra (Cherrapunjee) / Vivek S coll. / 30.ix.2014 / NCBS-AH291 ”, male ( NCBS) .

1.f. Description

1.f.1. Holotype

Head: Entire head leaf green anteriorly and brownish green dorsally with occasional brown patch. Ocellus pale sanguineous with thin black surroundings. Flagellum of antenna black. Eyes pale, greyish ventrally and brown dorsally with occasional occurrences of green.

Thorax: Pronotum dorsally green with pale brown patches. A comma shaped oblong black spot posterior to each paramedian fissure, close to the pronotal collar, conjoint with two mid-dorsal thin lines originating just posterior to the junction of head and pronotum. Oblong faint black spot parallel to this line located in the middle of paramedian fissure. A lateral black line, posterior to eyes, borders the medial edge of spotless, leaf green pronotal collar (Fig-3A). Pronotal collar lateral angle slightly fuscous. Mesonotum leaf green with brownish submedian sigilla and lower greenish-brownish area in live specimen. Mesonotum greenish brown in pinned specimen. Black marking through parapsidal suture which broadens at the base, adjacent to pronotal collar. A central black line, from the pronotal collar runs through mesonotum towards metanotum, covering almost 3/4 th of mesonotum length and prominent in both the ends but broken in between. Black round spot surrounds scutal depression. A black oblong spot adjacent to scutal depression separated from each other by the scutellum groove. Small triangular black spot appearing posterior to pronotal collar in a straight line with this oblong spot. Scutellum leaf green. Metanotum dark brownish black beyond wing groove. Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum leaf green ventrally with minute whitegrey hairs. Wings hyaline without any infuscation. Basal vein like the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd anal vein, cubitus posterior vein, both cubitus anterior veins, median and median crossvein leaf green remaining veins black. Legs leaf green to distal femur. Basal part of tibia leaf green as well which gradually turns brown towards distal end. Segments distal to tibia brown in all three pairs of appendages. Male operculum roundish, entirely leaf green, not extending beyond first sternite.

Abdomen: First tergite greenish brown with very thin black border posteriorly. Second tergite long with distinct, globular timbal cover. Second tergite narrowly black posteriorly with rich brown in triangular shape in the middle. Anterior half of timbal cover black, extending dorsoanteriorly to metathorax. Remaining timbal cover covered with fine white scales which do not extend on third tergite. Thin green line between white and black patch of timbal cover almost non-existent dorsally and broadened laterally. Remaining tergites and sternites rich chestnut.

Male Genitalia: As shown in the Fig.14A&B . Short dorsal beak, anal style and anal tube covered with minute hair like structures. Pygofer white towards the base and rich brown apically. Upper lobe of pygofer rudimentary, appears as a distinct fold ventrally. Median lobe of uncus flat and tapered at the end. Aedeagus tube-like, bent and protruding slightly from the median lobe.

1.f.2. Paratype: Similar to that of the holotype.

MAP 1. A. Map showing the location of Meghalaya on India map. B. Location of Indian state of Meghalaya on North-east India. C. Map showing the type localities and distribution of Mata lenonia sp. nov.; Mata ruffordii sp. nov.; and Mata meghalayana sp. nov. in Meghalaya.

1.g. DISTRIBUTION: Apart from the type locality, this cicada was found in higher parts of Jaintia Hills in Saipong Reserve Forest; different forested parts of the Sohra (Cherrapunjee) plateau such as Maraikaphon, Wahkaba, Khliehshnong Ramakrishna Mission adjacent sacred grove and the forest above Nohkalikai Falls; forested parts of Ladmawphlang; Mawsinram; Nongstoin; Mairang of Khasi Hills and Garo Hills, at the slope adjacent to Nokrek Peak of Nokrek National Park.

1.h. BIONOMICS

1.h.1. Habitat type: Commonly seen at 1300m and above in the plateau and its well forested slopes. Apart from the bushes and stunted trees, this cicada is also found in the tall bushes of Thysanolaena latifolia (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Honda and bamboos in the higher steep rock cliffs.

1.h.2. Annual adult activity period: In 2014, the species appeared during third week of September and died out by the end of October. In 2017 adults of the species emerged during the middle of the second week of September and survived until the last week of October, when three days of heavy rain arrived.

1.h.3. Behaviour: Dendrophilous and heliophilous in nature. The male of this species usually sits in the peripheral part of the tree, on a thin twig where it calls beginning in the morning, as soon as the sunlight hits its resting place. Calling ceases in the late afternoon to evening when direct sunlight is lost. Calls are prolonged and continuous in the allotted time on a sunny day but during an overcast day, males call for a shorter duration and initiate calling around midday. Males are well camouflaged in shade and prefer hiding in the leaves. Specimens are very difficult to spot visually due to the green body. Flight is rapid and swift. After flight a male settles on a tree trunk then begins crawling towards the distal end of the trees where it finds a suitable place to settle. Female and its behaviour unknown.

1.h.4. Acoustics: Male timbalization is prolonged and continuous, with occasional gaps. Field observers may perceive it as faint buzzing, even in close proximity, which in actuality, consists of a regular succession of equivalent echemes. The oscillogram in Fig.5.A shows a 40 second sequence of timbalization, the tightly packed signals which are hard to interpret but Fig-5.B showing partial oscillogram stretching out in an arbitrary space-time unit showing the regular succession of equivalent echemes. There are 22 repetitive echemes per seconds on average (n=11). The selected part of Fig.5.A and Fig.5.B is further expanded in Fig.5.C to show the echemes. Each of these echemes is denoted as M which is repeated after a consistent pause, denoted as P, which last for about 0.047 second (range 0.044 to 0.057 seconds, n=21). Fig.5.D shows a partial oscillogram expanded even further in an arbitrary spacetime unit showing constituents of each echemes M, two pulses, denoted as m1 and m2 and a pause of 0.004 second between them. The spectrogram shows a wide frequency range, from 3KHz to 7KHz, with maximum sound energy between 3330Hz and about 5300Hz.

1.i. PROPOSED COMMON NAME: Small Green Spotted-back cicada

1.i.1. Justification: As the name suggests, this is the smallest member of this genus and compared to others it has fewer markings on the thorax, so that it appears mostly green. Males of all the species of Mata have a dorsolateral spot at the base of their abdomen which is actually the black and white coloration of their robust timbal cover.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Mata lenonia sp. nov. A,B,C,D: Cards for Identification by Acoustics (CIA)

FIGURE 14. Comparison of the Male Genitalia.A&B: Mata lenonia sp. nov. Ventral and lateral side of the male genitalia of the holotype (NCBS-AH292). C&D: Mata ruffordii sp. nov. Ventral and lateral side of the male genitalia of the holotype (NCBS- BI001). E&F: Mata meghalayana sp. nov. Ventral and lateral side of the male genitalia of the holotype (NCBS-BH999). (A&B: Copyright NCBS and photographed by Vivek Sarkar C,D,E&F: Copyright and photographed by Vivek Sarkar.)