Aka dobsonensis Löcker, 2015, sp. nov
Creators: name: Löcker, Birgit
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Cixiidae
Aka
Aka dobsonensis

description: Aka dobsonensis sp. nov
(Figs 2 D–F, 9)
Zoobank Registration: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C5B732FF-807E-4E8A-9AA1-C1ACD42BC335
Types. Holotype, 1 ♂, AUSTRALIA, Tas: Lake Dobson, Mt Field N.P., 42° 40.9’S, 146° 35.2’E, 1080m, ex Nothofagus cunninghamii beats, 55GDN662743, Id4/Nc/HeAu3, 6.iii.2000 (PJK-W [J. Keble Williams]) (ASCU ASCTHE028621). Paratypes, Tas: 1 ♂,, Lake Fenton, Mt Field N.P., 42° 40.6’S, 146° 37.4’E, 1000m, ex Nothofagus cunninghamii beats, 55GDN692748, If12/Nc/HeAu3, 10.iv.2000 (PJK-W [J. Keble Williams]) (ASCU); 1 ♂, [Mount?] Pelion, malaise #1, 15.v.1990 (ANIC).
Etymology. Named after the type locality, Lake Dobson.
Diagnosis. Aka dobsonensis and A. sorellensis are the only Australian species of Aka with a deeply excavated apex of the anal tube. These two species differ in the number of apical teeth on the first tarsomere (A. dobsonensis with 6, A. sorellensis with 7).
Colour. Vertex brown, carinae paler, with a whitish spot where subapical carinae meet lateral borders of vertex. Frons in most specimens with a rectangular, dark brown, central area; lateral parts and carinae mid brown; a paler spot where forked carinae meet vertex and a whitish spot at each lateral end of frontoclypeal suture; post- and anteclypeus mid brown with slightly paler carinae. Pro- and mesonotum brown with slightly paler carinae; pronotum paler than mesonotum. Forewings light brown to whitish, mottled with mid to dark brown spots; tubercles and veins concolorous with cells; pterostigma whitish. Abdominal sternites mid to dark brown. Legs light brown with a few darker marks.
Morphology. Body length: ♂ 3.9–4.3 mm.
Head: Vertex 1.3–1.4 x wider than long; median carina of vertex covering 1/2–2/3 of basal compartment of vertex. Frons 1.0–1.1 x as long as wide; maximum width no more than 2x apical width; position of maximum width slightly dorsad of centre of frontoclypeal suture; median carina forked in basal (near frontoclypeal suture) fourth of frons. Median ocellus present (distinct or indistinct). Anteclypeus lacking median carina. Subapical segment of rostrum 1.5 x longer than apical segment.
Thorax: Mesonotum without sublateral carinae. Forewing 2.8–3.6 x longer than wide; costal margin with or without a number of indistinct tubercles; tubercles never within cells; tubercles very small, concolorous with veins; some tubercles bearing setae; Sc+R+M near basal cell fused, forming a minute common stem Sc+R+M or Sc+R fused, M emerging separately from basal cell; fork of ScRA+ RP distinctly basad of fork CuA1+CuA2; distance tegula to ScR+M fork longer than distance between this fork and ScRA+ RP fork; position of r-m distinctly basad of fork MA+MP; fork MA+MP situated around apical 1/16 of forewing; icu distinctly distad of apex of clavus; RP apically unforked or bifid; MA unforked, MP unforked or sometimes M not forked into MA and MP; nodus of yvein distinctly distad of centre of clavus; y-vein with A1 moderately to highly elevated; 5–6 apical cells. Hind leg: 1st tarsomere with 6 apical teeth; 2nd tarsomere with 6 (rarely 5 or 7) apical teeth and 2–3 fine setae.
Male genitalia: Anal tube apically deeply excavated, forming two separate apical lobes as in Figs 9 C,D. Pygofer and genital styles as in Figs 9 E–G. Aedeagus (Figs 9 A,B): Phallotheca ventrally with a long, slightly curved spine (b) covering about ¾ of length of aedeagus; left and right lateral with a shorter strongly curved spine (a,c) each. Flagellum unarmed.
description: Published as part of Löcker, Birgit, 2015, Revision of the Australian species of Aka White, 1879 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new genus, pp. 199-223 in Zootaxa 3956 (2) on pages 209-210, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3956.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/246048