Myopsalta parvula Popple 2017, n. sp.
Creators: name: Popple, Lindsay W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cicadidae
Myopsalta
Myopsalta parvula

description: Myopsalta parvula n. sp.
(Figs 1K, 17, 21C, 22E, 22F, 26; Plate 11)
Types. Holotype: ♂ Australian Capital Territory, Frith Street, Acton, 35°16'14''S 149°06'48''E, 18.xi.2010, L.W. Popple, 675-0007, LT2009371, ANIC Database No. 20-014382 (ANIC); Paratypes: AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: 1♀ same data as holotype, 675-0008, ANIC Database No. 20-014383 (ANIC); 1♂ same data as holotype, 675-0005 (QM); 5♂ 1♀ Frith Rd, O’Connor, 35°16.07'S 149°06.32'E, 22.xi.2010, Emery & Popple; 1♂ Frith Rd, O’Connor, 35°16.074'S 149°06.32'E, 26.xi.2016, D. & C. Emery (DE); 6♂ same data as holotype, 675- 0 0 0 1 to 675-0004; 675-0006 (LWP); VICTORIA: 1♂ AU.VI.ARE, E. of Anglers Rest, 20.2km N. of Omeo, Alpine National Park, 37°00.288'S 147°31.334'E, 775m, 24.xi.2006, D. Marshall, K. Hill, 1♂ same data as previous, C. Simon Lab Voucher, legs in ETOH, body pinned, 06.AU.VI.ARE.01, ‘ Notopsalta alpine’; 1♂ same data as previous, 06.AU.VI.ARE.02 (MSM).
Etymology. The feminine form of the Latin adjective parvulus, meaning ‘small’. This refers to the unusually small size of this species by comparison with other Myopsalta species in south-eastern Australia.
Description. Male. (Figs 1K, 21C, 22E, 22F; Plates 11A, 11B).
Head: Postclypeus predominantly black, reddish-brown to orange-brown along lateral margins and with an orange-brown area medially when viewed from anterior side; supra-antennal plates black; genae and mandibular plates black, covered by silvery pubescence; frons black; vertex black with a brown area extending along epicranial suture from between lateral ocelli to posterior margin; vertex and frons with sparse silvery pubescence; ocelli pale red; compound eyes brown; anteclypeus black; rostrum dark brown, black apically, extending beyond posterior margins of mid coxae; antennae dark brown to black.
Thorax: Pronotum dark brown, with black colouration along medial line broadening towards anterior and posterior pronotal margins; interior pronotum with irregular black patches near paramedian and lateral fissures; narrow black areas present along lateral margins; pronotal collar black, with dark brown dorso-lateral posterior margins; metanotum dark brown to black; mesonotum, including submedian and lateral sigilla, black, with dark brown areas on lateral sides of cruciform elevation; posterior third of mesonotum with dense fine and mid-dense long silver pubescence.
Wings: Fore wings hyaline; basal membranes pale orange to pale grey; pterostigmata reddish-brown; proximal tenth of clavi often partly opaque, dark brown; costal vein brown to reddish-brown; other veins dark brown. Hind wing plagas and jugal folds dark grey, apices hyaline; veins brown basally, dark brown on distal half.
Legs: Joints pale red; coxae and femora dark brown; meracantha spikes pale brown apically, dark brown at base, overlapping opercula; fore tibiae dark brown; mid tibiae dark brown, each with a brown band above the base; hind tibiae dark brown, each with two pale brown bands, one above base, other towards apex; fore tarsi dark brown; mid and hind tarsi brown; pretarsi and claws brown.
Opercula (Fig 1K): Broadly rounded; dark brown basally, grading to pale brown on margins of outer plates; plates undulating, with medial areas strongly depressed.
Timbals (Fig. 21C): Anterior rib 5 abbreviated; rib 4 also abbreviated, with a prominent isolated remnant extension ventrally; ribs 1 and 2 joined ventrally and fused dorsally to basal spur; anterior termination of basal spur fused with ribs 3–4, with rib 5 unattached; prominent intercalary short ribs in medial areas between ribs 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 (three in total).
Abdomen: Tergites 1–8 black, with a sparse covering of silver pubescence; intersegmental membranes brown to pale brown; epipleurites dark brown to black, covered with long silver pubescence; sternite II dark brown to black; sternites III, IV and sometimes V dark brown to black, with narrow, pale brown to reddish-brown areas laterally; remaining sternites dark brown to black; anterior sternites visible in lateral view.
Genitalia (Figs 22E, F): Pygofer dark brown to black; upper lobes in ventral view relatively linear, with terminals directed dorsally and tapering broadly; basal lobes in ventral view relatively linear, in lateral view slightly curved and weakly expressed; median lobe of uncus rounded, protruding gradually; claspers in ventral view conspicuous, diverging gradually from point of downward deflection, with fairly blunt apices; pseudoparameres projecting further (ventrally) than endotheca and ventral support; ventral support acute, projecting slightly beyond endotheca; endotheca fleshy.
Female (Plate 11C): Head, thorax, wings and legs match description of male.
Abdomen: Tergites 1–8 black, with a sparse covering of silver pubescence; abdominal segment 9 black; dorsal beak black, sharply defined; intersegmental membranes pale brown; sternite II black; epipleurites black; sternites III to VI dark brown, with reddish-brown wedge-shaped patterns extending to lateral edges and broadening posteriorly; sternite VII pale brown laterally, grading to dark brown submedially; ovipositor sheath extends <0.5 mm beyond apex of abdominal segment 9.
Measurements. N= 7♂ 1♀. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: ♂ 11.2–14.1 (12.33); ♀ 12.8–13.0 (12.90). FWL: ♂ 12.3–14.7 (13.67); ♀ 13.5–13.7 (13.60). HW: ♂ 3.5–4.4 (3.81); ♀ 3.7–3.9 (3.80). PW: ♂ 3.5–4.4 (3.78); ♀ 3.5–3.9 (3.70). AW: ♂ 3.5–4.6 (4.09); ♀ 3.2–3.6 (3.40). FWL/W: ♂ 2.49–3.04 (2.70); ♀ 2.74–2.76 (2.75). OL: ♀ 4.5–4.8 (4.65).
Morphological distinguishing features. Myopsalta parvula n. sp. can be distinguished from M. binotata, M. lactea and M. waterhousei by having fore wings that are hyaline, without apparent melanisms or infuscations on any veins. It can also be separated from these species, as well as from M. coolahensis, M. libritor and M. wollomombii by the colour of the plaga of each hind wing, which is grey-brown rather than white. Additionally, males and females can be separated from M. albiventris, M. coolahensis and M. wollomombii by the colouration of the sternites, being predominantly dark brown to black (cf. almost entirely pale brown in those three species). They can be distinguished from M. melanobasis n. sp. and M. platyptera n. sp. by having a fore wing length <14.8 mm and also by the colouration of the tergites being entirely black and not partly brown. They can be differentiated from M. umbra n. sp. by the colour of the costa and tergites, which is brown and black, respectively, rather than reddish-brown, and from M. atrata by having dark brown (not contrasting orange yellow-brown) abdominal intersegmental membranes. Males can be distinguished from M. chrysopedia n. sp., M. longicauda n. sp., M. majurae n. sp. and M. riverina n. sp. by having a head width of <4.7 mm. They can be distinguished from M. bassiana n. sp., M. crucifera, M. gordoni n. sp., M. leona n. sp., M. mackinlayi and M. septa n. sp. by the colouration of sternite III, which is almost entirely dark brown to black. Females can be distinguished from M. bassiana n. sp., M. chrysopedia n. sp., M. crucifera, M. gordoni n. sp., M. mackinlayi, M. leona n. sp., M. longicauda n. sp., M. septa n. sp. and M. xerograsidia n. sp. by the characteristically short length of the ovipositor sheath, which extends <0.5 mm beyond the apex of abdominal segment 9.
Distribution, habitat and behaviour (Fig. 17). Myopsalta parvula n. sp. is currently known only from a small area on the lower eastern slopes of Black Mountain in the Australian Capital Territory and from near Anglers Rest, approximately 20 km north of Omeo in north-eastern Victoria. Adults occur for a period of approximately one week from mid-November. The Australian Capital Territory specimens were found in low shrubs and grass on the edge of eucalypt woodland. Males call from the stems of grasses and shrubs during warm, sunny conditions.
Calling song (Fig. 26). Examination of the calling song of M. parvula n. sp. reveals the phrase durations to be quite variable, often prolonged. From a small sample of available recordings (n =2), phrase durations ranged from 3.7 s to>47 s and this variation was a consequence of the number of smaller subphrases incorporated into each phrase. Each subphrase comprises a long macrosyllable (0.05– 0.08 s duration; sometimes preceded by a syllable and gap of 0.007– 0.008 s and 0.008– 0.017 s duration, respectively), a gap of 0.020– 0.025 s duration and a syllable sequence (0.12– 0.19 s duration, containing 5–7 syllables separated by gaps of 0.020– 0.025 s duration). Each phrase concludes with a drawn out syllable sequence (0.5– 1.0 s duration, containing 18–35 syllables), followed by a gap (0.039– 0.042 s duration), a short macrosyllable (0.017– 0.022 s duration) and a longer gap (0.10– 0.12 s duration). Based upon the observations of the calling behaviour in other Myopsalta species, it is considered likely that the female would respond with a wing-flick signal during the long gap at the end of each phrase.
The calling song maintains an even frequency distribution throughout, with a high amplitude plateau of 12.9– 19.3 kHz and a dominant frequency between 13.1 and 17.7 kHz.
description: Published as part of Popple, Lindsay W., 2017, A revision of the Myopsalta crucifera (Ashton) species group (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettini) with 14 new species from mainland Australia, pp. 1-98 in Zootaxa 4340 (1) on pages 66-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4340.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1037793