CRYPTOBARSAC RUBRIOPS, A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF SELIZINE FLATIDAE (HEMIPTERA FULGOROMORPHA) FROM GRASSTREES (XANTHORRHOEA PREISSII) IN SOUTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA

5 Pages·2002·1.8 MB·English

by  Murray J Fletcher

Recordsofthe Western Australian Museum 21: 221-225 (2002).
Cryptoharsac nibriops, a new genus and species of selizine Flatidae
(Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preissii)
in south Western Australia
MurrayJ.Fletcher'andMelindaL.Moir^
'OrangeAgricultural Institute,NSWAgriculture,ForestRoad,Orange,
NewSouthWales2800,Australia
'DeptofEnvironmentalBiology,CurtinUniversityofTechnology,
GPOBoxU1987, Perth,WesternAustralia6845,Australia
Abstract - Cryptoharsac rubriops gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea:
Flatidae) is described from grasstrees, Xanthorrhoea preissii, in southwestern
WesternAustralia. The genus is placed in the Tribe Selizini. The taxonomy,
zoogeographyandplantassociationsoftheAustralianSeliziniarediscussed.
INTRODUCTION on each side and fused to percurrent apical
The Australian Flatidae (Hemiptera: marginal carina over median third. Vertex (Figure
Fulgoromorpha) were reviewed by Fletcher (1988) 3) very short, concave behind elevated anterior
who provided descriptions of 22 genera and a key marginal carina. Pronotum (Figure 3) broadly
for their separation. An electronic version of this rounded anteriorly, front margin reaching to
key was published by Fletcher and Lariviere anteriormarginofeyes,carinate,extendinglaterally
(2001+). More than halfof the genera are endemic to almostmeet hind margin, which is strongly and
and associated with the sclerophyllic flora that evenly concave. Dorsal pronotal surface flatfish
dominates most of the continent. Work by Medler behind anteriorcurvedcarina,raised alongmedian
(1986, 1990,2000)hasupdated thegenericidentities line on posterior half. Postocular prominences
oftheFlatidaeofAustraliaandneighbouringareas, reduced in height but extended dorsoventrally.
particularly New Guinea, and these changes have Mesonotum (Figure 3) broader than long, without
been incorporated into Fletcher and Lariviere median carina, lateral carinae well developed,
(2001+). posterior ends closer together than anterior.
Research by the second author has focussed on Tegmina (Figure 1) narrow, parallel-sided, evenly
the hemipterous fauna ofselected species ofnative rounded posteriorly, angles not distinguished,
sclerophyllic plants in regenerating bauxite mine outwardlyprominentalongbasalportionofR. One
pits and surrounding Jarrah {Eucalyptus margmata subapicallinepresent. Costalmembraneaswideas
Smith) forest in SW Western Australia. Such costalcell then wideningbeyond apex ofcell. R, M
intensively targeted collectinghas found a number andCuoriginatinginbasalcell,Rsseparatingsome
ofspeciesofunusualHemipteraandoneoftheseis distance from base, Cu simple or branched before
describedbelowasCryptoharsacrubriopsgen. andsp. midlength. Hind tibiawithtwospines.
nov. from Xanthorrhoea preissii Endl.
(Xanthorrhoeaceae). Etymology
ScAiebnbtriefviicatCioolnlse:ctiAonSsCUU,nit;NSWWADAAg,ricWuelsttuerranl crTyphteicgemniecrriochanbaimteat,iwnhiwchhicihs ftehmeintiynpee,srpeefclieecstswtahse
Australian Department of Agriculture; WAM, foundandthesuperficialsimilarityofthespeciesto
WesternAustralianMuseum. members ofthe genus BarsacFletcherwhich occurs
indrierhabitatsofAustralia.
Cryptoharsacgen.nov.
Typespecies: Cryptoharsacrubriopssp.nov. Notes
In the key provided by Fletcher (1988) this genus
Diagnosis keys to couplet 4 on the basis of two hind tibial
Habitus, from lateral aspect, as in Figure 1. Head spines. It can be distinguished from Mimophantia
short, with frons (Figure 2) broader than long, Matsumura by having the head not extended in
convex bearing median longitudinal carina and front of the eyes to form an extensive vertex and
semicircular carina reaching to lower level of eyes from Anzora by the presence of a clear percurrent
.
222 MJ.Fletcher,M.L.Moir
Carina defining the anterior margin of the vertex Cryptobarsacnibriopssp.nov.
andseparatingitfromthefrons. Thekeyprovided (Figures1-6)
byFletcherand Lariviere (2001+)hasbeenupdated
toincludeCryptobarsac Types
The short head, brown coloration and narrow
parallel-sided tegmina outwardly prominent near Holotype
the base of R (Medler, 1990, uses the term "bulla" Male, Jarrahdale, SE of Perth, WA, beating
for this feature) place Cryptobarsac in the tribe Xanthorrhoea preissii in jarrah forest, 10
Selizini of the Subfamily Flatinae as defined by December 2000, M. Fletcher and M. Moir
Melichar(1923). (WAM)
Figures1-4 Cfreympatloebagresniatcalniiab,rivoepnstrgaeln.vieetw,spa.;naonva.l:s1e,gmadeunltt,,sh:absietcurse;to2r,yaadruelat,,ofva;cioavlivpoiseiwtoorfvhaelvaeds;.3S,caaldeullti,ned:o1rsmumm; 4,
BiologyoftheBlack-stripedminnownearPerth 223
Paratypes Jamella, also to the Flatoidinae. New genera of
WA
5 males, 5 females, Jarrahdale, 32°66'49"S Australian Selizini were added by Fletcher (1988)
116°10'12"E, tree beating, Xanthorrhoea preissii, and,withtheadditionofthecurrentnewgenus,the
November2001, Melinda Moir (2 males, 2 females: Australian Selizini now includes the five genera
ASCU; 2males, 2 females: WAM; 1 male, 1 female: Massila with four species, Dascalina with four
WADA)
species, Barsac Fletcher with four species and the
monotypic genera Austrodascalia Fletcher and
Description Cryptobarsac gen. nov. All Australian Selizini are
Small, length (inmidline fromapex ofhead to tip endemicatthegenericlevel.
of tegmen): males (n=6) 5.12 ± 0.22 mm, females Ofthesegenera,onlyBarsacandCryptobarsachave
(n=5)5.47±0.12mm,brown,palerventrallyandon a subapical lineofcrossveins. Thegeneral shape of
veins of tegmen, dark brown in cells. Some the head and tegmina are similar between the
specimens pale brown on head and thorax with speciesinthetwogeneraaswell.However,thefour
base of tegmen pallid. Eyes dark red in living species of Barsac have similarities in the structures
specimens fading to dark reddish brown when of the genitalia, which are quite different from the
dead. Male genitalia: pygofer (Figure 5) short, genitaliastructures ofC. rubriops. Theseinclude the
lackingprocessatposterodorsalcomerwhichbears subgenital plate being convex with outwardly
line of short setae. Subgenital plates (Figure 5) curving dorsal process and the presence of two
convex on basal half, apically tmncate with well pairs of aedeagal processes one of which is
developed dorsal process straight and in line with mountedapically.InC. rubriopsthesubgenitalplate
apical truncation of plate. Anal segment long and istriangularwithastraightdorsalprocessthatdoes
broad with line of 3-4 short marginal setae slightly not curve outwards and the aedeagus has a single
beyond midlength. Aedeagus as in Figure 6, with pairofnon-apicalprocesses.
single pair of recurved processes on phallosoma. InthekeyofferedbyMelichar(1923),Cryptobarsac
Female, with ovipositor valves reduced to paired keystoDascalina, fromwhich itdiffersin theshape
ovate lobes. Posterodorsal section of pygofer of the tegmen, the apical margin being concave in
flattened, bearing pad of dense packed setae, Dascalina, and in the shape of the head, which is
opposed tobroadly expandedninth (anal) segment extended forward a shortdistance so that the frons
held horizontally and at least 2/3 length of curves ventrally to become almost horizontal in
remainderofabdomentogether(Figure4).
Etymology
Thespecificnamereferstothedarkredeyes.
Notes
With other flatid genera, the male genitalia
provide the most useful attributes for
distinguishing between species. With only the
single species known, it is presumed that the
stmcture of the aedeagus (Figure 6) will provide
diagnostic features of this species. The lack of a
process on the posterodorsal comer of the pygofer
and the presence of a strong process on the
subgenitalplates(Figure5)maybegenericfeatures
as alsomaybe thestronglyexpanded analsegment
ofthefemale.
DISCUSSION
Taxonomy
Melichar (1923) provided keys to genera of the
world Flatidae and included a number of
Australian genera in the Tribe Selizini. These were
MassilaWalker,DascalimMelichar,jamellaKirkaldy
and UxantisStal. Modifications toMelichar's (1923)
gwehnoerictraarnrsafnegrermeedntsUwxeanrteimsadteobythMeetcsaulbff(a1m9i57l)y, Figures5-6 mCraylpetotbearrmsiancalirau,brilaotpesraglevn.iewet;.6s,p.aendoeva.g:us5,,
Flatoidinae, and Medler (1990), who transferred lateralview.
224 M.J.Fletcher,M.L.Moir
Dascalma. Cryptobarsac also differs from all other Walker extending into New South Wales as far
AustralianSeliziniinhav'ingtwospines ratherthan southasSydney.
one on the hind tibia. In Australia, only Anzora Species ofMassila are commonly found on exotic
unicolor (Walker) (Tribe Nephesini, Subtribe garden plants in coastal districts of eastern
Cryptoflatina) and Mimophanlia stictica (Melichar), Australia but host associations are poorly known
whichwas movedfrom theTribePhyllyphantini to for most of the Australian Selizini. The only host
the Tribe Phantiini by Medler (1988), have two records known prior to this current work is a
spinesonthehindtibia. paratype of Barsac cocoa Fletcher collected from
foliage of Eucalyptus gamophylla F.Muell.
Biology (Myrtaceae) nearMt Bruce in the Pilbara district of
Fletcher (1979) provided details of the Western Australia and the type series of
ovipositor and egg laying strategies of some Austrodascalia evansorum Fletcher collected from
species of Flatidae, many of which glue rafts of Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) at Einasleigh River in
eggs onto leaf surfaces while others insert them North Queensland. £. garnophylla is a eucalypt
into plant tissue. Anzora unicolor has a well species that grows as a mallee in deep sandy soils
developed sclerotised ovipositor bearing in arid regions of Western Australia, South
marginal teeth which is clearly capable of Australiaand theNorthernTerritory.Melaleucaisa
penetrating plant tissue while with other species genus ofmore than 200species ranging fromsmall
the ovipositor is reduced to small lobes used for shrubs to huge trees scattered across a wide range
manipulating eggs into a surface raft. The of habitats in Australia (Craven & Lepschi 1999).
Australian species of Selizini, including C. Themostcommonspeciesofthegenusfoundinthe
rubriops, have the reduced type of ovipositor Einasleigh River region of Queensland is M.
consisting of small rounded lobes that would be viridiflora Gaertner (J.F. Donaldson, pers. comm.
incapable of cutting plant tissue. An expanded 2002).
anal segment such as is found in C. rubriops The known specimens of C. rubriops were all
(Figure 4) is also found in Massila and Dascalina collected by beating the "skirt" ofdead leaves that
and is presumably used either to help shape the normally adorn the upper parts of the trunk of X.
egg mass or to spread a protective covering of preissii. The insects hide deep inside the skirt close
wax over the eggs as was described in Siphanta to the main stem. Their narrow shape presumably
acuta (Walker)byMuirand Kershaw (1912). Even helps them to move within the leaves of the
in old pinned specimens, the anal segment grasstree where the dull brown coloration may
usually still carries quantities of waxy filaments. provide further protection from detection. It is
Thesespecies presumably layaneggmass similar unknown whether they move out onto the living
to those laid by Siphanta species with the wax leaves to feed at night or whether they gain
produced from the secretory area and nourishment by feeding at the bases of the leaves
manipulatedby the large anal lobe. The degree of undertlieskirt.
expansion of the anal segment found in female C. Mallee growth habits provide a microhabitat
rubriops and speciesofMassila is greater than that towards thebaseofthemultiple trunkswherebark
found inspecies in othergenera. and dead leaves accumulate providing protection
for insects similar to that provided by the hanging
Habitatandplantassociations skirt of dead leav'es around the stem of X. preissii.
TheAustralian Selizini are frequently distributed However, any generalisation about microhabitats
in the more arid areas of the continent. Barsac preferred by the species of Selizini found in
species are found in inland areas of Western Australia would be speculative without
Australia, South Australia and Queensland. considerablefurtherhostdata.
Austrodascalia evansorum Fletcher was described
from Einasleigh River, a remote inland town in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
North Queensland, whichhas amonsoonalclimate
with extended periods of drought. Dascalina is The authors acknowledge support from Alcoa
distributed in similar monsoonal areas across World Alumina Australia and Curtin University
northern Australia from Western Australia to of Technology for fundiirg collection of
Queensland. Cryptobarsac is described above from specimens, Jonathan D. Majer and John M. Koch
the northernJarrah forestatJarrahdale,50kmSE of for their supervision of the second author and
PerthinWesternAustralia.Thisisanareaofhighly Karl E.C. Brennan and Erich S. Volschenk for
leached, nutrient deficient lateritic soils, with informative discussions. We also thank John
rainfall (1100 - 1300 mm per annum) confined Donaldson, Queensland Dept of Primary
mainly in the period from May toJuly (Ward et al. Industries, Indooroopilly for the provision of
1996). Massila species are distributed along the habitat information on the type locality of A.
eastern coastal areas of Queensland with M. sicca evansorum.
BiologyoftheBlack-striped minnownearPerth 225
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