Femotyche kerryae Constant & Semeraro, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Constant, Jérôme
name: Semeraro, Linda
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Dictyopharidae
Femotyche
Femotyche kerryae

description: Femotyche kerryae sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D0AF9098-2A18-47A5-A43F-D5A3986EF0B8
Figs 1–7A
Diagnosis
Femotyche kerryae sp.nov. can be easily separated from the other species of the genus, F.hortorum sp. nov., by a shorter head with vertex 2.64 times as long as wide in midline (Fig. 1G) (3.53 in F. hortorum – Fig. 8G); the pygofer in lateral view with a strong tusk-like, upcurved posterior process (Fig. 3A) (posterior process of pygofer smaller and slightly curved ventrad in F. hortorum – Fig. 9A); and the sides of the adeagus in dorsal view regularly curved (Fig. 3I) (strongly sinuate in F. hortorum – Fig. 9J).
Etymology
The species epithet is dedicated to Mrs Kerry Stuart (Perth, WA) in acknowledgement for all her help to document this new species.
Type material
Holotype AUSTRALIA • ♂; Western Australia, Roleystone; 32°07ʹ25ʺ S, 116°06ʹ06ʺ E; 12 Jan. 2021; K. Stuart leg.; WAM.
Paratypes AUSTRALIA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; WAM • 2 ♂♂; Western Australia, Roleystone; 32°07ʹ25ʺ S, 116°06ʹ06ʺ E; 28 Jan. 2021; K. Stuart leg.; WAM • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; RBINS.
Additional material examined from photographs
AUSTRALIA • 1ex. (Fig.5A–B); WesternAustralia, Araluen Botanic Park; 32°07ʹ24.7ʺ S, 116°06ʹ05.5ʺ E; 13 Feb. 2020; Kerry Stuart • 1 ex. (Fig. 5C–D); Western Australia, Araluen Botanic Park; 25 Feb. 2020; Kerry Stuart • 1 ex. (Fig. 5E); Western Australia, Perth, Mundaring; 31°54ʹ57.7ʺ S, 116°09ʹ49.8ʺ E; 1 Mar. 2020; Alexandra Miller • 1 ex (Fig. 5F); Western Australia, Perth, Lake Walyungup, Rockingham, Old Mandurah Road; 32°19ʹ35.4ʺ S, 115°47ʹ08.8ʺ E; 18 Mar. 2017; Paul Irvine • 1 nymph (Fig. 6A–B), 1 ex (Fig. 6C–D); Western Australia, Roleystone; 20 Jan. 2021; Kerry Stuart.
Description
Measurements and ratios
LT: ♂ (n = 5): 4.70 mm (4.64–4.75); ♀ (n = 1): 4.60. LTg/BTg = 1.46; LV/BV = 2.64; LF/BF = 3.99; LPf/BPf = 3.51; LPt/BPt = 2.77.
COLOUR (Figs 1A–E, 2A–E). Pale grey dorsally including frons, lateral lobes of pronotum and meso- and metatibiae and tarsi; black ventrally including clypeus, all coxae and femora and protibiae; protarsi white.
HEAD (Figs 1G–I, 2F–H). Vertex narrow, about 2.6 times as long as wide, strongly projecting beyond eyes, about 1.15 times as long as eye in midline in dorsal view, roundly pointed anteriorly, with weak median carina and with lateral margins carinate; posterior margin not carinate, roundly incurved. Frons narrow, about 4.0 times as long as wide, weakly concave in lateral view, with sides subparallel, constricted at level of eyes, anteriorly roundly pointed in perpendicular view, with median and lateral carinae (along lateral margin) extending to apex of clypeus and intermediate, incomplete, longitudinal carinae from margin of cephalic process reaching to level of middle of eye. Clypeus elongate and narrow, triangular, tricarinate. Eyes rather large, moderately protruding laterally. Antennae with scape short and cylindrical; pedicel short, inflated, barrel-shaped and with large sensory plates on ventral portion. Labium elongate and narrow, reaching posterior trochanters and with apical segment elongate, about half as long as penultimate one.
THORAX (Figs 1G–I, 2F–H). Pronotum about 2.5 times as wide as long in midline, smooth with anterior margin strongly bisinuate, roundly projecting anteriorly behind vertex and roundly emarginate behind eyes, and posterior margin weakly incurved; median longitudinal carina and two lateral carinae on disc merging anteriorly along anterior margin; paranotal lobe angularly rounded posteroventrally. Mesonotum short, about 2.5 times as wide as long in midline and about as long as pronotum, smooth with three hardly visible obsolete carinae prolongating pronotal ones. Tegulae absent.
TEGMINA (Figs 1G, I, 2F, H). Brachypterous; tegmina slightly elongate in dorsal view, about 1.5 times as long as broad, sides broadly rounded in dorsal view, slightly broadening from base to apex, broadly, roundly truncate apically, convex, smooth; no trace of venation.
LEGS (Figs 1A–D, 2A–D). Profemora elongate, moderately foliaceous, about 3.5 times as long as wide, with ventroapical strong tooth; protibiae elongate, moderately foliaceous, about 2.8 times as long as wide; median legs elongate and slender, much shorter than anterior legs, with mesotibiae more slender than mesofemora; posterior legs elongate and slender; metatibiae broadening towards apex, with two lateral spines, one near tibiofemoral joint and one in distal half of tibia, and six apical spines; first and second metatarsomeres with strong spine at each side and apical row of 12 platellae ventrally. Metatibiotarsal formula: (2) 6/2/2.
ABDOMEN (Figs 1 A–D, 2A–D). Dorsoventrally flattened and smooth, largely visible in dorsal view.
Male terminalia (Fig. 3)
Pygofer (Py – Fig. 3A–E) curved in lateral view, with anterior margin strongly bisinuate in lateral view and with strong tusk-shaped process projecting posterad and slightly curved dorsad on posterior margin; pygofer suboval in posterior view. Gonostyli (G – Fig. 3A–E) moderately developed, elongate and tapering towards the posterior in ventral view; dorsal margin with strongly recurved lateral hook (lh) directed ventrad and pointed, curved dorsal process (dpg) directed cephalodorsad. Aedeagus (ae – Fig. 3F–K) moderately elongate, dorsoventrally flattened and rather wide in dorsal view, with strongly sinuate laterodorsal processes (ldp) of phallobase (phb) in lateral view, in distal portion strongly tapering and curved posteroventrad, with lateral margin bearing numerous pointed teeth directed caudad; connective (cv) moderate, with well-developed, laterally flattened suboval tectiductus (td). Anal tube (An – Fig. 3A–E) massive, curved and widening towards the posterior in lateral view and with large, triangular apicolateral tooth (alt) projecting ventrad; in dorsal view, about 1.15 times as long as broad in midline; broadest slightly before midlength; lateral margins forming a round lobe in basal half in dorsal view.
Female terminalia (Fig. 4)
Sternite VII (St VII) (Fig. 4E, G) weakly sclerotized in anteromedian portion; with posterior margin with sclerotized rounded median concavity accommodating the endogonocoxal lobes. Anal tube (An) (Fig. 4A, C–F) wide, dorsoventrally flattened, bent ventrad after anal opening and with apical margin rounded. Gonocoxae VIII (Fig. 4J–K) with two membranous, elongate and flattened endogonocoxal processes (GxP) on endogonocoxal lobe (GxL), both with inner elongate sclerotized plate; endogonocoxal lobe (GxL) strongly sclerotized and projecting cephalad. Gonocoxae VIII (Gx VIII) (Fig. 4B, G, J–K) transverse, strongly curved and with distinct digitiform projection at inner posterior angle. Gonapophyses VIII (Fig. 4J–K) with anterior connective lamina (ACL) elongate and sclerotized, oblique and narrow in ventral view and, in lateral view, sinuate with weak, blunt teeth in distal half up to preapical strong blunt tooth followed by strong, apical, open hook. Gonapophyses IX (Fig. 4L) with posterior connective lamina elongate, symmetrical, touching each other distally and fused basally with intergonocoxal plate. Gonoplacs (Gp) (Fig. 4B–C, E–I) unilobous, large, strongly concave, largely sclerotized with posterodorsal margin membranous.
Biology
The species lives near ground level and is very mobile, moving quickly and jumping from one leaf to the next in a jerky way typically similar to jumping spiders (Salticidae).Additionally, they wave their forelegs with contrasting white tarsi in a similar way as jumping spiders move their forelegs and pedipalps, adding to an almost perfect confusion (Figs 5, 6A–D; K. Stuart, pers. com. and video footage, Jan. 2022).
The specimens were collected from and observed on Tall Saw-sedge, Gahnia clarkei Benl, an evergreen Cyperaceae (Fig. 6E–F; K. Stuart, pers. com., Jan. 2022). The species was recorded in the months from January to March, in Greater Perth.
Distribution
Australia, SW Western Australia, Greater Perth (Fig. 7A).
description: Published as part of Constant, Jérôme & Semeraro, Linda, 2024, Cleotychini planthoppers from Perth region in Western Australia: The new genus Femotyche gen. nov., and more … (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae), pp. 98-118 in European Journal of Taxonomy 968 on pages 102-105, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.968.2709, http://zenodo.org/record/14026260