Species Aka tasmani Muir, 1931

Museums

Regional Maps

• Aka tasmani Muir, F. 1931. Descriptions and records of Fulgoroidea from Australia and the South Pacific Islands. No 1. Records of the Australian Museum 18(2): 63-83 [63].

  Type data:

   Neotype BMNH K45391 ♂ (coll: G.H.Hardy, 5.vii. 1913/43), Hobart, Tasmania
  Comment: Muir (1931) based this species on 4 ♀♀ and 2 ♂♂ from Hobart, Tasmania and noted that the "type" was in AM with a paratype in BMNH. However, Löcker (2015) reported that no specimens could be found in AM and the holotype was therefore presumed lost. Three paratypes were found in the BMNH and Löcker (2015) designated one of these to be the neotype. All of the paratypes found in the BMNH are males although Muir stated he had only 2 males.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Löcker, B. 2015. Revision of the Australian species of Aka White, 1879 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new genus. Zootaxa 3956(2): 199–223 [218].

 

Introduction

Löcker (2015) has clarified the identity of this species which is now only known from the Tasmanian South East bioregion.

 

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Tas: Tasmanian South East (TSE)

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: phloem feeder.

Extra Ecological Information

Nymph might be phloem feeder or fungivore.

 

Diagnosis

Colour. Dark brown; lighter over carinae and in middle of pronotum. Tegmina light brown, veins darker; basal half of costa light, three or four lighter marks on apical half of costal margin. Legs light banded with slightly darker marks. Morphology. No spines on the hind tibiae; the two median frontal carinae near together, distinct till near the apex. The width of vertex at base a little greater than the length in the middle; the median longitudinal Y carina distinct only on the base, the fork missing. The five carinae on mesothorax distinct. The Sc + R forking near base, the Cu fork about middle, all veins unbranched, except the tip of Cua1. The texture of head, nota and tegmina between veins finely rugose. Male genitalia. The anal segment truncate at apex and produced into a short, triangular spine at each apical corner. The three spines at apex of periandrium differ from those of A. finitima (Walker), and the genital styles are distinct. Female genitalia. Pygofer wider than long, ovipositor complete, reaching beyond the anal segment. In build and colour, similar to male, but inclined to be darker. Length ♂ 3.8 mm, tegmen 3.3 mm; ♀ 4 mm; tegmen 3.3 mm. (Muir 1931)

This species can be distinguished from all other Australian Aka by the following combination of characters: first tarsomere with 7 and second tarsomere with 6–7 apical teeth; lobes of male anal tube in lateral view produced into hooks; aedeagus right lateral with a medium sized spine (about half as long as flagellum) with its tip directed towards the flagellum; absence of a bifurcate spine on the aedeagus (Löcker 2015).

 

ID Keys

Löcker 2015: 208

 

Diagnosis References

Löcker, B. 2015. Revision of the Australian species of Aka White, 1879 (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of a new genus. Zootaxa 3956(2): 199–223 [218]

Muir, F. 1931. Descriptions and records of Fulgoroidea from Australia and the South Pacific Islands. No 1. Records of the Australian Museum 18(2): 63-83 [63]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
13-Jul-2015	CIXIIDAE Spinola, 1839	10-Jul-2015	MODIFIED	Dr Murray Fletcher
13-Oct-2010		13-Oct-2010	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)