Pedana hesperia, Moulds & Marshall, 2022

Moulds, Max & Marshall, David C., 2022, New genera and new species of Western Australian cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), Zootaxa 5174 (5), pp. 451-507 : 466-469

Pedana hesperia sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3412DD9C-69BE-466A-8A75-39CCC4FD8CE4

( Figs 2 , 17 , 27–29 )

Synonymy. “false quintilia” Marshall et al. 2016: fig. 2.

Etymology. Named from the Greek hesperios meaning western land and pertaining to the mainly western distribution of this cryptic species.

Types. Holotype male (Simon Lab. voucher AU.WA.NUE), 13.2 km E of Cocklebiddy, Western Australia, 32°00.692’S 126°14.208’E, 72 m, 21.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( WAME 113437 ) ( WAM) . Paratypes as follows: WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 4 males, 1 female, 61 km E of Norseman on Eyre Highway, 32°2’S 122°21’E, 11.xi.1999, Rentz, D.C.F., Su, Y.N., Stop 191 ; 1 female, Hampton Tableland , 2 km N of Mundrabilla Motel, 31°48’S 128°13’E, 12.x.1984, Rentz, D.C.F., Stop 30 ; 1 male, Peak Charles NP, 7.x.2010, 32°51’34”S 121°09’35”E, 245- 0002, L.W. Popple ( ANIC). 1 male, Eucla , Nullarbor Plain, 7.xii.1978, M.S. & B.J. Moulds (DE). 2 males, 1 female, Balladonia Rd, 11.x.2010, 33°16’59”S 123°23’32”E, 245-0006 to 245-0008, L.W. Popple ; 4 males, Peak Charles NP, 7.x.2010, 32°51’34”S 121°09’35”E, 245-0001 (song recorded), 245-0003 to 245-0005, L.W. Popple ( LP). 1 male, WAU.EEN, 18 km E of Eneabba , 262 m, 29°45.4’S 115°25.9’E, 21.i.2003, Moulds, Hill, Marshall & Vanderpool ; 7 males (one genitalia prep. Q4), Ravensthorpe , 8.xii.1985, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 6 males, 1 female, Lake Douglas, 12 km SW of Kalgoorlie, 13.i.1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 1 male (genitalia prep. Q7), Lake Douglas , 12 km SW of Kalgoorlie , 31.x.1986, A.J. Graham ; 1 male, 25 km S of Balladonia Roadhouse, 32°33.65’S 123°37.10’E, 16.xii.1995, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 2 males (one genitalia prep. Q5; Simon Lab. vouchers 06.AU.WA. BAL.01, 06.AU. WA. BAL.03), Balladonia Roadhouse, 32°21.285’S 123°37.089’E, 177 m, 20.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 3 males (one genitalia prep. Q8), 1 female, AU.WA.MAW, 24 km WSW of Madura , 31°55.788’S 126°46.737’E, 98 m, 21.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ; 1 male, AU.WA.MUE, 7.7 km E of Mundrabilla , 31°49.164’S 128°18.356’E, 17 m, 6.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall ; 3 males, AU.WA. NUE, same data as holotype ; 7 males (two genitalia preps Q2, Q6), 1 female, Eucla , Nullarbor Plain, 7.xii.1978, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 8 males, Eucla sand hills, 31°44’S 128°51’E, 14.xii.1995, M.S. & B.J. Moulds & K. Kopestonsky ; 1 male, AU.WA.EUW, dunes ~ 8 km SW of Eucla , 31°43.321’S 128°50.857’E, 14 m, 22.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( MSM). 1 male, 6 km E. of Eucla , 13.i.1998, P. Hutchinson, on Melaleuca , PMH Coll #CIC 0885 ; 1 female, Eucla, found dead, 20, xi.1996, P. Hutchinson, PMH Coll #CIC 0887 ( PH). 1 male, AU.WA. NUE, same data as holotype ( WAME 113432 ) ; 1 male, Eucla sand hills, 31°44’S 128°51’E, 14.xii.1995, M.S. & B.J. Moulds & K. Kopestonsky ( WAME 113433 ) ; 1 male, 1 female, AU.WA.MAW, 24 km WSW of Madura , 31°55.788’S 126°46.737’E, 98 m, 21.ii.2006, Hill, Marshall, Moulds ( WAME 113434- 113435 ) ; 1 male, Eucla , Nullarbor Plain, 7.xii.1978, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ( WAME 113436 ) ( WAM). SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 5 males, 15 km N. Tailem Bend, 35°07’01”S 139°27’56”E, 21.x.2019, 35°[C], sunny/windy, on shrubs, A. Stolarski ; 2 males, Pilepudla, near Yeltana Rd, 32°56’00”S 136°25’37”E, 18.x.2011, A. Stolarski ; 1 male, Hincks CP, 33°52’04”S 135°53’44”E. 28.xi.2021, A. Stolarski ; 1 male, 30 km E by N of Swan Reach , 34°30.909’S 139°54.934’E, Mark A. Hura ( LP). 6 males, 1 female, 55 km E of WA/ SA border, Eyre Hwy , 25.i.1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds ; 1 male, AU. SA. MIN, 0.5 km SE of Minnipa , 32°51.932’S 135°09.696’E, 143 m, 5.ii.2009, K. Hill & D. Marshall, Simon Lab. voucher 09.AU. SA. MIN.01 ( MSM). 2 males, 30 km E by N of Swan Reach , 34030.909 ’S, 139054.934 ’E, 14.x.2020, Mark A. Hura, 11:00 hrs, found calling from low bush, PMH Coll #CIC 0883, 0884 ; 2 males, 29 km ENE Kimba , 33°04’S, 136°43’E, 9.ix.2007, M. Hura, calling from dead branches on ground, PMH Coll #CIC 0886, 0888 ( PH). VICTORIA: 1 male (genitalia prep. Q3), 18 km S Ouyen, 7.xii.1978, G. Daniels ( MSM). 1 male (DNA voucher 04.AU. VI. MSP.01), Bambill South Rd , 20.5 km S. of Bambill, 74 m, 34°35.692’S, 141°29.845E, 02.iii.2004, J. Cooley, D. Marshall, K. Hill, M. Moulds, B. Moulds, S. Cowan ( UCONN).

Distribution and habitat ( Figs 17b , 27 ). Drier regions of southern Western Australia between Eneabba and Eucla, in South Australia near the Western Australian border on the Eyre Highway, the Eyre Peninsula south from Minnipa, in the vicinity of the Murray River near Tailem Bend and Swan Reach (A. Stolarski), and in far northwestern Victoria near Ouyen (G. Daniels) and Bambill. Most records from Western Australia are from along the Eyre Highway between Balladonia and Eucla but there are also records from Lake Douglas near Kalgoorlie, Ravensthorpe, Peak Charles (L.W. Popple) as well as near Eneabba south of Geraldton. Adults frequent low dense shrubs growing in harsh environments. There are records from mid September to late February.

Adult description. Male ( Figs 2 , 17a ). Head black; a small pale yellow patch between supra-antennal plate and eye, and a less distinct dull yellow spot on posterior midline. Postclypeus black with the lateral margins partially indistinct dull yellow, and a pale yellow spot at most anterior part. Anteclypeus black, sometimes with a dull yellow mark. Rostrum dark brown to black; reaching to near apices of mid coxae. Thorax dark brown and black. Pronotum predominantly dark brown with a dull pale yellow dorsal midline terminating in a black spot at pronotal collar. Mesonotum with submedian and lateral sigilla black; usually one or two brown or dull yellow patches anterior of cruciform elevation; cruciform elevation brown with black between arms. Metanotum brown. Forewings hyaline; venation accentuated by very narrow dark brown to blackish edging; apical cells 3–6 mostly a little shorter than ulnar cells; basal cell opaque dull white; basal membrane bright orange or reddish. Hindwings with veins RP and M with a very long fused stem; venation mostly pale on basal half and black on distal half; plaga brown becoming white distally, reaching to distal end of vein 3A. Legs brown to dull yellow with black linear fascia on femora; meracantha pale yellow. Opercula pale dull yellow lightly suffused with black except for base (remnant of epimeron 3). Abdomen with tergites predominantly black; tergites with a narrow, dark brown posterior margin, often confined to segments 3–7. Sternite II mainly dull pale yellow, sternites II–VIII with varying degrees of dull yellow suffusion usually most extensive on III, VII and VIII. Timbals as in generic description above.

Male genitalia ( Figs 28a–d ). See generic description above.

Female. Similar to male.Abdominal sternites dull pale yellow with a broad, diffused, black midline; Abdominal segment 9 short, about as long as wide; black with a broad pale yellow ventral margin; apical spine black. Ovipositor sheath dark brown to black, not projecting beyond apical spine.

Measurements. Range and mean (in mm) for 10 males, 5 females (includes smallest and largest specimens). Length of body (including head): male 13.0–15.8 (14.2); female (including ovipositor) 14.4–15.7 (15.0). Length of forewing: male 11.5–13.7 (12.7); female 13.7–14.6 (14.0). Width of head (including eyes): male 3.8–4.7 (4.2); female 4.4–4.7 (4.5). Width of pronotum (across lateral angles): male 4.3–5.2 (4.8); female 5.0–5.5 (5.2).

Distinguishing features. Differs from all other species by the distinguishing features listed in the generic description above.

Song ( Figs 29a–d ). Recordings were examined from the holotype locality and the WA.BAL, SA.MIN, and VI.MSP paratype locations.

The male calling song consists of trains of pulses or clicks (often doublets, as shown) that oscillate between faster and slower pulse rates, at about 5–7 oscillations per s. Pulse rates vary from approximately 50–100/s. These trains are occasionally punctuated by single 0.03– 0.05 s syllables preceded and followed by short silent gaps of about 0.02– 0.06 s duration. The isolated short syllables contain clicks produced at the faster rate, sometimes with one ending click or doublet isolated from the rest. The beginning of a song may contain a warming-up section lasting many seconds in which the clicks are produced at a steady rate. The sound spectrum is broad with most sound energy contained within the range 11–18 kHz and with a peak intensity at around 14 kHz. There is little to no frequency modulation. The fundamental clicks vary considerably in form across recordings.

Despite its complex structure, the song of Pedana hesperia is strikingly similar to species of Calipsalta gen. n., as discussed in the section on C. fumosa sp. n. below.

When finger-snaps or mouth-clicks are produced immediately after the short syllables, males move toward the responder, indicating that females probably produce wing-flick replies after these song elements. One male was captured from a perch less than 10 cm above the ground.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Pedana hesperia sp. n., male calling song. (29a, b) oscillogram and spectrogram of a short segment from the holotype locality (ca. 27°C); (29c, d) further detail of pulse structure.

FIGURES 1–7. (1a) Illyria viridis sp. n., male; (1b) Illyria viridis sp. n., female; (2) Pedana hesperia gen. et sp. n., male; (3a) Chrysocicada trophis sp. n., male; (3b) Chrysocicada trophis sp. n., female; (4) Parvopsalta victoriae gen. et sp. n., male; (5) Ewartia adusta sp. n., female; (6) Pegapsaltria lutea gen. et sp. n., male; (7a) Kalarko ferruginosus gen. et sp. n., male; (7b) Kalarko ferruginosus gen. et sp. n., female.

FIGURES 15–20. Live adults and their habitats. (15a) Illyria viridis sp. n., male singing; (15b) same species, type locality; (16a) Chrysocicada trophis sp. n., mating pair; (16b) same species, type locality; (17a) Pedana hesperia gen. et sp. n., male calling; (17b) same species, type locality; (18a) Ewartia adusta sp. n., male; (18b) same species, type locality; (19a) Erempsalta hermannsburgensis (Distant, 1907), male calling in its usual upside-down position; (19b) same species, favoured adult host plant; (20a) Calipsalta brunnea gen. et sp. n., male; (20b) same species, habitat near Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, close to type locality. Not to scale.

FIGURES 27–28. Pedana hesperia sp. n. (27) distribution; (28a) male genitalia in lateral view; (28b) same in ventral view; (28c) dissected aedeagus in lateral view; (28d) basal plate in dorsal view.