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

description: Myopsalta albiventris n. sp.
(Figs 1A, 2A, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6; Plate 1)
Types. Holotype: ♂ Expedition Range NP, ‘Ampitheatre’ campsite, 560 m, 25°12'S 148°59’E, 18.xii.1997, Evans, Burwell, open forest, QM Reg. No. T239565 (QM); Paratypes: QUEENSLAND: 1♂ Biggenden, Bluff Range, S. foothills, 9.xii.1972, H. Frauca; 1♂ Biggenden, Bluff Range, 13.i.1972, H. Frauca (ANIC); 3♂ Expedition Range NP, ‘Amphitheatre’ campsite, 560 m, 25°12'S 148°59'E, 17.xii.1997, C. Burwell & S. Evans, open forest; 12♂ 2♀ same data as holotype; 3♂ 1♀ Mt Moffatt NP, Top Shelter Shed, nr Mahogany Forest, 24°54'46''S 148°03'12''E, 1100 m, 22.xi.1995, C.J. Burwell (QM); 3♂ 2♀ The Amphitheatre, N.W. Robinson Gorge [Expedition Range] N.P., 25°12.07'S 148°59.43'E, Open forest (camp), 17.xii.1997; 2♂ 1♀ Mt Lind[e]say farm, [28°19.10'S 152°44.02'E], 12.xi.1971, in grass (AE); 2♂ Maroon Dam access road, 28.171219°S 152.651436°E, 4.i.2015, L.W. Popple (DE); 5♂ 1 km N. of Maroon Dam, 15.i.2003, L.W. & J.M. Popple, 285-0001 to 285-0004, 285-0008; 3♂ 1 km N. of Maroon Dam, 11.i.2003, L. Popple & R. MacSloy, 285-0005 to 285-0007; 1♂ Kennif Cave area, Mt Moffatt NP, 25°52'16''S 148°00'37''E, 16.i.2005, L.W. Popple, recorded, 285-0009; 1♂ Maroon Dam access road, 28.171219°S 152.651436°E, 4.i.2015, L.W. Popple, 285-0010 (LWP); NEW SOUTH WALES: 1♂ ‘ Tuglo’, 48 km N. of Singleton, N.S.W., 8.xii.1981, B.J. Day (AM); 5♂ 3♀ Upper Eden Ck, Kyogle, 14.xi.1965, M.S. Moulds (MSM).
Etymology. The name is a feminine compound adjective of the Latin words albus, meaning ‘white’, and venter, meaning ‘belly’. This refers to the almost entirely pale sternites of this species, a feature that is atypical in the M. crucifera species group.
Description. Male. (Figs 1A, 2A, 3A, 3B; Plates 1A, 1B).
Head: Postclypeus predominantly black, brown to pale brown on margins and on anterior medial line, and sometimes over much of dorsal side; supra-antennal plates a mixture of dark brown and brown to pale brown; genae and mandibular plates black, with silver pubescence; vertex and frons dark brown to black, occasionally with pale brown colouration extending from area surrounding lateral ocelli to posterior margin; ocelli pink; compound eyes brown; anteclypeus black; rostrum dark brown, extending to posterior margins of mid coxae; antennae dark brown.
Thorax: Pronotum brown with mottled dark brown to black colouration surrounding paramedian and lateral fissures and dorso-laterally anterior to pronotal collar; central fascia brown to olive brown, surrounded with black colouration, which broadens conspicuously towards anterior margin; pronotal collar mostly brown to pale brown, partially or extensively black anteriorly and on lateral angles; metanotum dark brown; mesonotum either brown or dark brown to black, typically with some brown colouration on lateral edges and between submedian and lateral sigilla; submedian and lateral sigilla dark brown to black; cruciform elevation and wing grooves pale brown, tending dark brown anteriorly; posterior third of mesonotum with dense fine and sparse long silver pubescence.
Wings: Fore wings hyaline; basal cells pale yellow-brown; pterostigmata brown; veins, including costal vein, brown, dark brown to black distally. Hind wing plagas white at base, grey medially; jugal folds white to grey, hyaline apically; veins brown throughout.
Legs: Coxae pale brown, tending dark brown on anterior inner, posterior outer and apical outer sides; meracantha spikes pale brown, dark brown basally, overlapping opercula; fore femora pale brown with broad brown to dark brown longitudinal markings on outer anterior side, dark brown on posterior base and on inner anterior side; mid femora brown, darker on dorsal side, with pale brown apices; hind femora pale with narrow dark brown longitudinal markings on anterior and dorsal sides; fore tibiae brown to dark brown; mid tibiae pale brown with a narrow dark brown longitudinal marking on anterior side; hind tibiae pale brown; fore tarsi brown; mid and hind tarsi pale brown; pretarsi brown to dark brown; claws brown, darker apically.
Opercula (Fig. 1A): Broadly rounded; pale brown; plates undulating with medial areas conspicuously depressed.
Timbals (Fig. 2A): Anterior rib 5 vestigial, inconspicuous; rib 4 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 unattached; prominent intercalary short ribs in medial areas between ribs 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 (three in total).
Abdomen: Tergite 1 dark brown; tergite 2 wider along dorsal midline than tergites 3 to 7; tergite 2 dark brown to black, with brown areas on posterior dorso-lateral sides, or brown with a dark brown marking centrally, expanding posteriorly; tergites 3 to 7 either dark brown with brown areas on posterior margins (widest in dorsolateral and lateral areas), or brown with dark brown markings centrally, each receding posteriorly; tergite 8 brown, with a dark brown marking anteriorly and centrally, narrowing posteriorly; tergites 2 to 8 with dense short silver pubescence on dorso-lateral sides and with extensive long and short silver pubescence on lateral sides; intersegmental membranes pale yellow-brown; epipleurites pale brown; sternite II pale brown; sternites III to VI pale brown, sometimes each with a dark brown spot medially to varying extents with brown areas medially; sternites VII and VIII pale brown; anterior sternites visible in lateral view.
Genitalia (Figs 3A, B): Pygofer brown to pale brown, dark brown anteriorly; upper lobes in ventral view with terminals directed dorsally and slightly inwards, apically acute; basal lobes in lateral and ventral view slightly curved, apically rounded; median lobe of uncus relatively narrow, rounded; claspers in ventral view conspicuous, diverging gradually from point of downward deflection, with sharply developed apices; pseudoparameres projecting further (ventrally) than endotheca and ventral support; ventral support acute, projecting slightly beyond endotheca; endotheca fleshy.
Female (Plate 1C): Head, wings and legs match description of male.
Thorax: Pronotum brown to pale brown; central fascia pale brown, surrounded with black colouration, which broadens towards anterior pronotal margin; pronotal collar mostly brown to pale brown, tending dark brown on anterior margin, including lateral angles; metanotum dark brown; mesonotum brown to pale brown; submedian sigilla dark brown to black; lateral sigilla pale brown to dark brown, typically with diffuse brown to pale brown areas; cruciform elevation and wing grooves pale brown; scutal depressions black; posterior third of mesonotum with dense fine and sparse long silver pubescence.
Abdomen: Tergite 1 brown to dark brown; tergites 2 to 8 pale brown to brown, with dark brown to black areas medially and sometimes laterally, narrowing towards posterior margin; auditory capsules dark brown to black; abdominal segment 9 pale brown to brown, with dark brown dorso-lateral longitudinal markings; dorsal beak dark brown, sharply defined; epipleurites brown to pale brown; sternites II to VII pale brown; ovipositor sheath extends approximately 1.9–2.6 mm beyond termination of abdominal segment 9.
Measurements. N= 15♂ 3♀. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: ♂ 12.6–14.5 (13.7); ♀ 15.8–17.9 (17.1). FWL: ♂ 14.2–17.7 (16.1); ♀ 17.0–17.5 (17.2). HW: ♂ 3.6–4.1 (3.9); ♀ 4.1–4.2 (4.2). PW: ♂ 3.6–4.3 (4.0); ♀ 4.1–4.3 (4.2). AW: ♂ 3.8–4.7 (4.4); ♀ 4.3–4.4 (4.3). FWL/W: ♂ 2.36–2.95 (2.72); ♀ 2.78–2.92 (2.83); OL: 7.1– 8.6 (7.97).
Morphological distinguishing features. Myopsalta albiventris n. sp. can be distinguished from M. atrata, M. binotata, M. coolahensis, M. gordoni n. sp., M. lactea, M. libritor, M. waterhousei and M. xerograsidia n. sp. by the colour of the basal membranes of the fore wings, which is pale brown or pale orange rather than white to pale grey. It can be distinguished from M. bassiana n. sp., M. chrysopedia n. sp., M. crucifera, M. leona n. sp., M.
longicauda n. sp., M. mackinlayi, M. majurae n. sp., M. melanobasis n. sp., M. parvula n. sp., M. platyptera n. sp., M. riverina n. sp., M. septa n. sp. and M. umbra n. sp. by the colouration of the sternites, which is almost entirely pale brown and not predominantly black, dark brown or brown medially. Both sexes can be separated from M. wollomombii by the colour of the mesonotum, which (apart from the submedian and lateral sigilla) is brown rather than black.
Distribution, habitat and behaviour (Fig. 4). Myopsalta albiventris has a discontinuous distribution in Queensland and New South Wales. In Queensland, it occurs from Carnarvon National Park, Expedition Range National Park and the Biggenden district south-east to Maroon Dam and Mt Lindesay on the Queensland / New South Wales border. In New South Wales, it is recorded from the Kyogle district and from 48 km north of Singleton in the Hunter Valley. Populations occur in grassy woodland and on road verges where the adults are typically found in grass. Adults may be present from September to February. Males sing during warm, sunny weather.
Calling song (Figs 5, 6). The calling song contains a set of continuously repeated phrases of variable duration. Each phrase contains 2–10 (typically 3 or 4) single macrosyllables, each 0.054– 0.080 s duration and separated by gaps of 0.048– 0.093 s duration (all statistics, n =10 recordings). The gaps are typically punctuated by 1 or 2 syllables, which occur immediately before production of the next macrosyllable. Sometimes the first macrosyllable of each phrase is also preceded by 1–2 syllables. Each phrase ends with a double macrosyllable. This is composed of an initial macrosyllable of 0.050– 0.066 s duration, a gap of 0.015– 0.025 s duration, and a second shorter macrosyllable of 0.029– 0.045 s duration. A gap of 0.084– 0.123 s duration separates each phrase. It is anticipated that females respond during the gap following the short macrosyllable at the end of each phrase, although there are presently no observations to support this expectation (see Marshall and Hill (2009) for an explanation on female response to male calling songs in the tribe Cicadettini).
This species calls during the day and is not known to sing at dusk. The calling song maintains an even frequency distribution throughout, with a high amplitude plateau of 10.4–15.2 kHz and a dominant frequency between 11.0 and 14.2 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 8-14, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4340.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1037793