Cornutipo tricornis ( Evans, 1934 )

Semeraro, Linda & Constant, Jérôme, 2023, The “ Triceratops ” leafhoppers. A new species of the genus Cornutipo Evans, 1934 from Northern Queensland, Australia. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae: Ipoini), Belgian Journal of Entomology 137, pp. 1-20 : 16-19

Cornutipo tricornis ( Evans, 1934)

( Figs 9-10 )

Cornutipoides tricornis EVANS, 1934: 150 (in key), 164, fig. C 3a, b, 11–12 [original description, genotype of Cornutipoides gen. nov.].

Cornutipoides tricornis – EVANS, 1938: 34 [notes on morphology]. — EVANS, 1942: 143 [listed, restricted to Western Australia]. — EVANS, 1946: 50, fig. 3 e [notes on head morphology, ventral head illustrated]. — METCALF, 1965: 29 [catalogued]. — EVANS, 1966: 50, fig. 11 i [plant host records, new distribution records].

Cornutipo tricornis – EVANS, 1969: 51, fig. 1 E [new name combination and synonymy of Cornutipoides with Cornutipo , nymph illustrated]. — EVANS, 1975: 426, fig. 57 [description and illustration of features of the head].

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED.

HOLOTYPE

AUSTRALIA • ♂; North-Western Australia; “ Cornocercopis tricornis, Goding M.S., N.W. Aust. ”, “ Cornutipoides tricornis Ev. , Cornutipoides tricornis Ev ”, “N.W.A., Attacking trees”, “SAMA Database No. 20-017508”, “ Type ”; SAM.

PARATYPES

AUSTRALIA • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; collection details as per holotype; SAM .

NOTE: The holotype, three paratypes and one nymph of C. tricornis , were eXamined ( Figs 9-10 ). They are card-mounted on two cards and attached to a single pin ( Fig. 9 F ). The dissected male specimen, considered to be the holotype as depicted in the illustrations of EVANS (1934) was found to be damaged with only the head, pronotum, scutellum, left hind wing and left tegmen attached to the card ( Fig. 9 A-C). The genitalia of the holotype of C. tricornis is represented by the aedeagus, subgenital plates and parameres, all glued onto a slide in an undetermined resin ( Fig. 9 D-F) and attached to the pin with the type specimens. The abdomen and pygofer are missing in the holotype specimen and were not illustrated by EVANS (1934).

AMENDED DESCRIPTION.

(based on EVANS (1934); additions marked with *)

Measurements: Body length 6mm; head width 2.2mm.

General: ( Figs 9 A-C, 10A-D) Appearing mostly mottled dark brown; head and pronotum mottled, stramineous, with dark brown to black mottled patches; mesonotum with anterior lateral margin with dark brown to black triangles; scutellum with dark brown to black patches.

Head: ( Figs 9 A-B, 10A-D) Bearing three horns; *in dorsal view, medial horn (fronto-clypeal projection) widest at the base, narrowing apically, apical width around 3/5 medial width, apical margin roundly truncate, horn slightly curved anterodorsad in lateral view; *lateral projections (on each side of verteX) reaching ¾ length of medial projection and slightly convergent towards apeX in dorsal view, distinctly directed anteroventrad in lateral view; *head width about equal to pronotal width (at widest point posteriorly).

Thorax: ( Figs 9 A-B, 10A-D) *Pronotum about half length of width; pronotum punctate.

Tegmina: ( Figs 9 C , 10 A-D) Hyaline, mottled dark brown to black; claval area around scutellum punctate; veins brown.

Terminalia ♂: ( Fig. 9 D-E) Subgenital plates small, *apically rounded and dorsal apeX with a small beak-like point directed dorsad; paramere apeX reaching less than half length of subgenital plate; *base of aedeagus with thimble-shaped sac; *gonoduct directed ventrad, two apical processes anterior to the gonopore, the most anterior process straight, directed anteroventrad and one more posterior, curved, directed posterodorsad; *pre-apical processes at base of anterior-most apical process, almost reaching half of length of apical process.

DISTRIBUTION.

Australia: Western Australia, Queensland ( EVANS, 1966).

HOST.

Proteaceae : Grevillea pteridifolia Knight (1809) , G. parallela Knight (1809) , G. glauca Banks & Sol. eX. Knight (1809); Myrtaceae : Melaleuca acacioides F. Muell. (1862) , ( EVANS, 1966, Fletcher, 2009).

Figures

Fig. 9. Cornutipo tricornis (Evans, 1934) (SAM). A, ♂ holotype, dorsal habitus. B, ♂ holotype, lateral habitus. C, ♂ holotype, left tegmen. D, ♂ holotype, aedeagus. E, ♂ holotype, parameres and subgenital plates. F, type series. G, labels. © B. Parslow (SAM).

Fig. 10. Cornutipo tricornis (Evans, 1934) (SAM). A–B, ♀ paratype. A, lateral habitus. B, dorsal habitus. C–D, ♀ paratype. C, lateral habitus. D, dorsal habitus. E, ♂ paratype, ventral habitus. F, nymph, dorsal habitus. © B. Parslow (SAM).