Aacanthocnema huegelianae Taylor, sp. nov.

Aacanthocnema huegelianae Taylor, sp. nov.

Figs 29–36, 40–42, 137; Tables 1–8

Types. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: Holotype: 13 (slide) 15 km S Northampton, 28º28.413'S, 114º38.090'E, G.S. Taylor & J.T. Jennings 2.xii.2008, Allocasuarina huegeliana, ABCL 2008 618 (WAMA). Paratypes: 10 3, 9 Ƥ (slide), 3 3, 3 Ƥ (dried), 201 3, 209 Ƥ, 14 nymphs, same data as holotype (ANIC, QMBA, WAMA, WINC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA, Western Australia: on A. huegeliana: 1 3 22 km W Brookton (WINC); 19 3, 25 Ƥ, 7 nymphs 27 km W Brookton (WINC); 95 3, 66 Ƥ, 3 nymphs 37 km N Bunbury (WINC); 17 3, 37 Ƥ 30 km N Geraldton (WINC); 63 3, 66 Ƥ, 3 nymphs Kalbarri Rd (WINC); 10 3, 10 Ƥ 59 km S Merredin (WINC); 5 3, 2 Ƥ, 1 nymph Mt Walker (WINC); 11 3, 12 Ƥ 11 km N Narrogin (WINC); 20 nymphs (5 slides), 5 nymphs (dried) 16 3, 13 Ƥ, 41 nymphs Pingelly (WINC).

Description. Adult (Figs 29–35). Colour: Male: general colour ochraceous with orange-brown to dark brown markings. Vertex pale with a pair of orange-brown spots in vicinity of fovea, and a thick black transverse line on anterior margin; genal processes pale cream with pale grey infuscation towards apices; antennal segments 1–2 pale cream to ochraceous; segment 3 darker apically; segments 4–10 progressively dark brown to black; pronotum with a pair of pale brown lateral spots; mesopraescutum with a pair of short broad triangular markings confluent with anterior margin; mesoscutum with two pairs of orange-brown to brown longitudinal submedial stripes; mesoscutellum ochraceous; wings clear; legs pale with dorsal brown infuscation; fore- and mid-tarsi dark brown to black; hind basitarsi with dorsal infuscation, distal segment of hind tarsi dark brown to black; abdominal tergites dark brown; anterior face of proctiger dark brown, paler laterally; subgenital plate ochraceous; parameres with brown to dark brown apices; proximal segment of aedeagus dark brown to black, distal segment pale. Female: As for male, except with slightly paler markings; longitudinal stripes on mesopraescutum and mesoscutum orange-brown; proctiger with dark brown to black infuscation confluent with lateral margins of circum-anal pore ring, paler laterally and posteriorly; subgenital plate pale with brown infuscation laterally.

Structure: measurements and ratios as in Tables 1–5. Antennae short, 0.89–1.19 times width of head; genal processes moderately long, 0.66–0.77 times length of vertex, conical with rounded apices; anterior margin of vertex very broad, flat from dorsal aspect, delineated from genal processes by prominent ridge; vertex very short, broad, with weak medial suture; pronotum with moderate anterior, medial node; thorax weakly arched, head much wider than pronotum and little wider than mesoscutum; fore wings short with broadly rounded apex; Rs short, mostly straight except distally, terminating well short of wing apex; vein M1+2 terminating short of wing apex; cell m1 short, broadly triangular, m1 cell value 1.00–1.13; cell cu1 short triangular, cu1 cell value 0.72–1.00; vein Cu1a weakly arched; radular areas prominent, elongate triangular in cells m2 and cu1; male terminalia as in Fig 40–41; proctiger short broad, without lateral expansions; parameres short, parallel-sided, strongly incurved towards apices. Female terminalia as in Fig. 42; proctiger short, broad with angular dorso-posterior margin from lateral aspect; subgenital short, broadly rounded, triangular from lateral aspect.

Nymph (Fig 36): Measurements and ratios as in Tables 6–7. Body brown with dark brown markings. Eyes dark brown; head with submedial dark brown markings in vicinity of fovea; thorax with dark brown submedial spots anteriorly, meso-and metathoracic depressions shiny dark brown with irregular dark brown markings between them, and posteriorly (together forming an irregular submedial stripe); fore wing pads with a longitudinal dark brown infuscation; caudal plate with a series of dark markings medially and laterally, and delineating margins of abdominal tergites. Body elongate-ovate; anterior margin of head broad; dorsum of body with a distinct medial longitudinal ridge; caudal plate short, broad with hind margin broadly rounded.

Etymology. Named after the host plant, A. huegeliana.

Distribution. Recorded from Bunbury to Kalbarri in coastal and subcoastal Western Australia and throughout the inland “wheat-belt” region to Narrogin and Merredin in south-western Western Australia (Fig. 137).

Host plant. Recorded from Allocasuarina huegeliana (Miq.) L.Johnson (rock sheoak). Allocasuarina huegeliana occurs as a 4–10 m tree associated with granite outcrops, from Murchison River to Newman Rock in western and south-western Western Australia (Wilson & Johnson 1989).

Comments. Aacanthocnema huegelianae is very close morphologically to Aa. dobsoni, Aa. luehmannii and Aa. torulosae (see Comments under Aa. dobsoni for diagnoses).