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

description: Myopsalta chrysopedia n. sp.
(Figs 1C, 2C, 3E, 3F, 4; Plate 3)
Types. Holotype: ♂ Kalgoorlie, W.A., 13 Jan. 1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds (WAM); Paratypes: WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1♀ Lake Douglas, 12 km SW. of Kalgoorlie, 6.x.1988, A.J. Graham (WAM); 5♂ 2♀ N. of Cave Rock Camp, 28.6 km S. of Burra Rock, 31.640°S 121.209°E, 17.xi. 2007, 380 m, D.R. Britton, D.J. Bickel, Britton 2007013 (at light), K435588–K435594; 5♂ 3♀ Frank Hann Nat. Pk, Lillian Stoke Rock, 400 m, 33°04.064'S, 120°05.827'E, 5.xi.1996, Schuh and Cassis (96-66), K435580–K435587 (AM); 1♂ 3♀ 3km NE. of Salmon Gums WA, 32.58°S 121.39°E, 10.i.1993, Edwards & Nielsen, [♂] 0 0 5611, BOLD Proc. ID 786-11; 1♀ Deeba Rockhole via Laverton, 12.xi.1977, Upton & Feehan; 8♂ 2♀ 3miles S. by W. of Mt Ragged, 12.xi.1969, Upton; 1♀ Thomas R., 23km NW by W of Mt Arid, 33.51°S 123.00°E, 4–7.xi.1977, Upton & Feehan (ANIC); 1♂ Lake Douglas, 12 km SW. of Kalgoorlie, 13.xi.1986, A.J. Graham; 1♀ same data as previous, 1.xi.1986 (QM); 1♀ 6 mi NE. of Ravensthorpe, 25.xi.1968, N. McFarland; 1♀ Kalgoorlie, 30.xi.1960, P. Aitken (SAM); 1♂ Kalgoorlie, 29.xi.1985, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 1♀ Kalgoorlie, 1.xii.1985, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 1♂ 2♀ Kalgoorlie, 13.i.1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 1♀ Kalgoorlie, 4.ii.1988, A. J. Graham; 2♂ 2♀ 53 km E. of Norseman, 27.x.2005, P. Hutchinson; 1♂ Ravensthorpe, 6.xi.1983, K. and E. Carnaby; 1♀ Narrogin, 4.xii.1985, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 1♂ 1♀ Cape Arid, 31.x.1983, K. and E. Carnaby; 1♂ Kalgoorlie, 12.xii.1988, A.J. Graham; 1♀ [ovipositor damaged], Kalgoorlie, 23.xi.1986, A.J. Graham; 1♂ Baladjie N.R., 22.ix.1991, M.R. Williams, W8; 4♂ 3♀ Lake Douglas, 12 km SW. of Kalgoorlie, 13.xi.1986, A.J. Graham; 1♂ same data as previous, 17.i.1989; 1♀ Norseman, 6.x.1988, H. & A. Howden; 1♀ Lake Douglas, 12 km SW. of Kalgoorlie, 13.i.1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 1♂ Balladonia, 17.xi.1988, H. & A. Howden; 1♂ 5 km W. of Moorine Rock nr Southern Cross, 2.xii.1985, M.S. & B.J. Moulds; 6♂ 2♀ 8 km E. of Salmon Gums, 32°58’S 121°42’E, 5.i.1987, mv lamp, G. and A. Daniels; 1♀ Yellowdine, 26.x.1984, at light, K. & E. Carnaby; 1♀ Hopetoun, 26.xii.1984, K. & E. Carnaby (MSM).
Etymology. A Latinised compound, feminine adjective composed of the Greek words Chrysos, meaning ‘gold’, and pedia, meaning ‘of the feet’, referring to the Goldfield’s region of Western Australia, where a large proportion of the material of this species has been collected.
Description. Male. (Figs 1C, 2C, 3E, 3F; Plates 3A, 3B).
Head: Postclypeus predominantly black, ventral margins reddish-brown, with a pale brown area medially on dorsal side, narrowing anteriorly; supra-antennal plates and genae black; mandibular plates black, dark brown along lateral margins, covered by silvery pubescence; vertex and frons black with sparse silvery pubescence, and with a small pale brown wedge-shaped area extending narrowly along epicranial suture from near median ocellus to pronotal collar margin; ocelli pale red; compound eyes brown; anteclypeus black; rostrum dark brown, extending to anterior margins of hind coxae; antennae dark brown to black.
Thorax: Pronotum brown with prominent; central fascia dull yellow-brown, surrounded with black colouration, which broadens conspicuously along anterior and posterior pronotal margins and extends irregularly along paramedian and lateral fissures, and along lateral margins; pronotal collar mostly black, dark brown along posterior margins; metanotum dark brown to black; mesonotum including submedian and lateral sigilla, black, with brown to dark brown areas on lateral sides of cruciform elevation, on posterior margins of wing grooves, and sometimes in narrow areas anteriorly between submedian and lateral sigilla; posterior third of mesonotum with dense fine and sparse long silver pubescence.
Wings: Fore wings hyaline; basal membranes pale grey to pale orange-brown; pterostigmata brown; veins, including costal vein, pale brown to dark brown, darkest distally. Hind wing plagas white at base, grading to pale grey, this colour extending broadly along jugal folds and terminating before apices, hyaline over apical quarter; veins pale brown basally, brown medially, dark brown on distal third.
Legs: Coxae black with dark brown edges and pale brown apices; meracantha spikes pale brown, black basally, overlapping opercula; fore femora black with narrow, dark brown longitudinal areas on outer anterior sides, pale brown at apices; mid femora black with pale brown apices; hind femora dark brown with pale brown apices; fore tibiae black; mid tibiae dark, each with a pale brown band above base and also near apex; hind tibiae pale brown, darker medially; fore and mid tarsi dark brown; hind tarsi brown; pretarsi brown with dark brown apical areas; claws dark brown.
Opercula (Fig. 1C): Broadly rounded; principally black, grading to dark brown at crest; plates undulating, each with with a single sharply defined fold medially.
Timbals (Fig. 2C): 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: Tergite 1 black; tergite 2 wider along dorsal midline than tergites 3 to 7; tergites 2 to 7 black, all with dense short silver pubescence on dorso-lateral sides and with extensive long and short silver pubescence on lateral sides; tergite 8 black, covered in short silver pubescence; intersegmental membranes pale brown; epipleurites black, with sparse silver pubescence; sternite II black, often with pale brown areas on posterior dorso-lateral margins; sternites III to V black medially, with pale brown or pinkish-brown areas laterally, narrowing distally, being narrowest on sternite VI; sternite VI and VII dark brown to black; sternite VIII black; anterior sternites visible in lateral view.
Genitalia (Figs 3E, F): Pygofer black dorsally, grading to brown or pale brown ventrally; upper lobes in ventral view relatively linear, with terminals directed slightly inwards and tapering broadly; basal lobes in ventral and lateral views relatively linear, flat, curved towards apex, weakly expressed; median lobe of uncus rounded, exhibiting limited protrusion; claspers in ventral view conspicuous, diverging from point of downward deflection, with relatively broad apices; pseudoparameres projecting further (ventrally) than endotheca and ventral support; ventral support acute, projecting slightly beyond endotheca; endotheca fleshy.
Female (Plate 3C): Head, thorax, wings and legs usually match description of male.
Thorax: Pale specimens have a mostly brown thorax, with black sigilla and pronotal fissures.
Abdomen: Tergites 1 to 7 black, with extensive, short silver pubescence on dorso-lateral and lateral sides; auditory capsules black; abdominal segment 9 black, or, in pale specimens, brown with black longitudinal markings on dorsal and lateral sides, dark brown ventrally; dorsal beak black, sharply defined; sternite II dark brown to black medially, otherwise pale to medium brown; epipleurites generally black, pale brown along posterior margins; sternites III to VI pale brown with broad black areas medially, broadening posteriorly, typically similar in width, though often widest on sternite IV; sternite VII pale brown to brown with short, oblique, darker longitudinal markings medially; ovipositor sheath extends approximately 2.0 mm beyond termination of abdominal segment 9.
Measurements. N= 15♂ 12♀. Ranges and means (in parentheses), mm; BL: ♂ 14.6–16.9 (16.06); ♀ 18.7–21.9 (19.95). FWL: ♂ 17.2–20.9 (18.97); ♀ 19.1–21.7 (20.33). HW: ♂ 4.6–5.1 (4.82); ♀ 4.7–5.5 (5.03). PW: ♂ 4.7–5.3 (5.05); ♀ 4.9–6.2 (5.34). AW: ♂ 4.5–5.5 (5.05); ♀ 4.6–6.1 (5.01). FWL/W: ♂ 2.91–3.32 (3.04); ♀ 2.86–3.26 (3.10); OL 7.6–9.5 (8.42).
Morphological distinguishing features. Myopsalta chrysopedia 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, which is predominantly dark brown (cf. almost entirely pale brown in those three species). They can be distinguished from M. melanobasis n. sp. and M. platyptera n. sp. by the appearance of the fore wing clavus, which is entirely hyaline and not opaque at the base. Males can be distinguished from M. atrata, M. crucifera, M. gordoni n. sp. M. leona n. sp., M. mackinlayi, M. parvula n. sp., M. septa n. sp. and M. xerograsidia n. sp., by having a head width> 4.6 mm. They can be differentiated from M. bassiana n. sp. and M. majurae n. sp. by their narrow fore wings (length/width ratio>2.9) and from M. riverina n. sp. by the short length of their rostrum, which does not extend beyond the mid coxae. In addition, they can be separated from M. umbra n. sp. by the colour of the costa, which are predominantly brown to dark brown rather than reddish-brown, and by the colour of the tergites, which are black (not reddish-brown). Finally, they can be distinguished from M. longicauda n. sp. by the colour of tergites 3–5 being black. Females can be separated from M. leona n. sp., M. crucifera and M. mackinlayi by the length of the forewings, which is> 19 mm. They can be reliably distinguished from the superficially similar M. bassiana n. sp., M. longicauda n. sp., M. mackinlayi n. sp., M. parvula n. sp., M. septa n. sp., M. umbra n. sp. and M. xerograsidia n. sp. by the length of the ovipositor sheath, which extends approximately 2.0 mm beyond the apex of abdominal segment 9. In M. bassiana n. sp., M. mackinlayi, M. parvula n. sp. and M. umbra n. sp., the ovipositor sheath is notably shorter, whereas in M. xerograsidia n. sp., M. longicauda n. sp. and M. septa n. sp. it is clearly longer.
Distribution, habitat and behaviour (Fig. 4). Myopsalta chrysopedia is found in southern Western Australia in the area bounded by Balladonia, Cape Arid, Ravensthorpe, Baladjie and Kalgoorlie. Populations occur in mallee woodland on sandplains. Adults have been collected between September and January. Their behaviour is unknown.
Calling song. Unknown.
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 20-23, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4340.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1037793