Homoptera: Cicadidae) of Coastal Natal
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s. Afr. J. Zool. 1989,24(4) 333 Annotated provisional checklist and key to the platypleurine cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae) of coastal Natal M.H. Villet* Department of Zoology, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050 Republic of South Africa P.E. Reavell Department of Botany, University of Zululand, Private Bag, KwaDlangezwa Zululand, 3886 Republic of South Africa Received 24 October 1988; accepted 16 June 1989 The geographical distributions, habitat preferences, plant associations and seasonal appearance of the platypleurine cicadas occurring on the Natal coastal plain, South Africa, are reported for the first time, and a key to the species is provided. Die geografiese verspreiding, habitatvoorkeur, plantassosiasies en seisoenlike voorkoms van die Platypleura sonbesies wat op die Natalse strandvlakte van Suid-Afrika voorkom, word vir die eerste keer beskryf, en 'n sleutel vir die spesies word voorsien . • To whom correspondence should be addressed The platypleurine cicadas are a group of large, grows along the Natal coast (Coates Pal grave 1977). attractively patterned, tree-dwelling bugs which make Seasonal activity: mid-December to late April (Figure their presence obvious by their loud calling songs. 3). Practically nothing is known of the biology of the Comments: fairly common on its hosts at the type southern African cicadas, although many are amongst locality; the wing and body markings are rather the largest and noisiest insects in the region. A survey of variable. the platypleurine fauna of coastal Natal was undertaken as part of an investigation into the communication Platypleura maytenophila Villet . ) systems of these insects. Information about the host 0 Distribution: widespread in coastal Zululand (Villet 1 plants and habitat preferences of the species were 0 1987), and recently also found in Vernon Crookes 2 gathered from field notes made at several localities along d Nature Reserve on south coast. e the coastal plain. Additional locality records were t Habitat: coastal forest to bushveld in areas where its host a obtained from the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, Durban d ( plant grows. Museum, Durban, South African Museum, Cape Town, r e Host plants: May tenus heterophylla. and the National Collection of Insects, Pretoria. h s i l The calling songs of each of these species, except b u Pycna natalensis, have been reported by Villet (1988, P 1989). e h t y Results b d Annotated provisional checklist e t n Kongota punctigera (Walker) a r Distribution: Kosi Bay to Port Edward (Figure 1a); g e widespread. c n Habitat: restricted to coastal forests. e c i Host plants: Apodytes dimidiata, Dalbergia armata, l r Eugenia capensis, Mimusops caffra and others. e d Seasonal activity: February to May (Figure 3), unusually n u late in the summer for a platypleurine. y a Comments: The female of this species is polymorphic, an w e unusual trait in cicadas. The species is reasonably t a common. G t e n Azanicada zuluensis (Villet) i b a Distribution: The only known localities to date are S y around Mtunzini (Villet 1987). Figure 1 Distributions of (a) Kongota punctigera (b) Platy b Habitat: coastal dune forest. pleura hirtipennis (c) Platypleura divisa and (d) Platypleura d e c Host plants: specific to May tenus procumbens, which haglundi in Natal. u d o r p e R 334 S.-Afr. Tydskr. Dierk. 1989,24(4) Seasonal activity: throughout summer (Figure 3). suggests that this species may at least be found in Comments: common in suitable habitats; aggregates on northern Zululand and neighbouring Mozambique. its host plant. Habitat: holotype captured in Strychnos savanna. Host plants: unknown. Holotype caught on Lippia Platypleura hirtipennis (Germar) javanica. Distribution: essentially an inland species, it does enter Seasonal activity: unknown. the coastal plateau (Figure Ib), and is sympatric with P. maytenophila in some areas e.g. west of Brevisana brevis Walker Empangeni. Distribution: the taxonomy of this genus is in need of Habitat: open to fairly dense bushveld. attention, which complicates an assessment of this Host plants: May tenus longispina and M. heterophylla. species's range. The illustrated distribution (Figure Seasonal activity: late November to late February. 2a) is therefore very conservative. Comments: moderately common; closely related to P. Habitat: Acacia bushveld. maytenophila. Males form choruses on the host Host plants: Acacia spp. plants. Platypleurine nymphs which were reported Seasonal activity: December to April. feeding on the roots of sugar cane in Swaziland Comments: common but scattered. The sexes are (Carnegie pers. comm.) have been provisionally dimorphic, the males possessing a white band across identified as belonging to this species. the base of the abdomen which is lacking in the Platypleura divisa (Germar) Distribution: widespread (Figure lc). Habitat: along thickly wooded drainage channels, streams and rivers. Host plants: Barringtonia racemosa, Ekebergia capensis, Ficus trichopoda, Harpephyllum caffrum, Hibiscus tiliaceus, vines and other trees. Seasonal activity: from midsummer to autumn. Comments: specimens are usually found in scattered patches, often on one tree. ) 0 1 Platypleura argentata Villet 0 2 Distribution: Sordwana Bay to Port Edward (Villet d e t 1987); localized. a d Habitat: Milkwood forests along the coast (Villet 1987). ( r Host plants: Mimusops caffra (milkwood trees). e h Seasonal activity: active until late in the season (Figure s i l 3). b u Comments: moderately uncommon; individuals found in P e small patches; found on trunks of mature trees only. h t Figure 2 Distributions of (a) Brevisana brevis (b) Oxypleura y b Platypleura haglundi Stal lenihani (c) Pycna semiclara and (d) Pycna natalensis in Natal. d e Distribution: widespread in suitable habitats (Figure t n Id). a r OCt Feb Mar Apr May g Habitat: Acacia bushveld. e c Host plants: various indigenous Acacia species, Delonix P• • ernie,.,.. n e regia (flamboyant). c i O.leniheni l Seasonal activity: late November to March; earlier in r e Zimbabwe. K.punctlflerB d n Comments: common; shows marked geographic u P.zulueNls y variation in colouration and wing pattern. Specimens a from Zululand are greenish and mottled; those from w P.meytenophlla e t the Natal midland usually browner and mottled; a G Zimbabwean specimens are darker and more P.llfgfllltete t e uniformly brown; western Transvaal specimens are n i sometimes almost black. P.dI"i" b a S y Munza parva Villet b d Distribution: the only locality records available are those Figure 3 Months during which adult cicadas were heard calling e c of the type series: Mkuzi and Delagoa Bay, which at Mtunzini (28°58'S I 31°46'E), Natal. u d o r p e R S. Afr. 1. Zoo!. 1989,24(4) 335 females. May aggregate to form choruses on host Key to species in the checklist plants. 1. Wings entirely clear ..................................... 2. Wings patterned .......................................... 3. Oxypleura lenihani Boulard 2. Paranotallobes acute; large species (tegmen length Distribution: Natal coastal region from Durban to 33-40 mm) ........................... Oxypleura lenihani Mozambique (Figure 2b). Paranotal lobes rounded; medium-sized species Habitat: specimens were encountered in open Strychnos (tegmen length 27-31 mm) ......... Brevisana brevis woodland at Mkuzi, Zululand, and in bushveld and 3. Hind wings at least partially marked with orange ... open parts of the coastal secondary forest and the ............................................................... 4. seaward margin of coastal milkwood forest at Hind wings without orange markings ............. 10. Mtunzini. It does not enter forest where the canopy is 4. Limbus of hind wing wide; no white patch at ends closed, and seems to be absent from Acacia bushveld of anal veins ................................ Munza parva around Mkuzi. Limbos narrow; white patch at ends of anal Host plants: Albizia adianthifolia, Albizia forbesii, veins ........................................................ 5. Albizia petersiana, Antidesma venosum, Apodytes dimidiata, Bridelia micrantha, Carissa bispinosa, 5. Crossveins of hind wing blackened .................. 6. Euclea natalensis, Ficus natalensis, Ficus sur, Ficus Crossveins of hind wing not blackened ............. 7. trichopoda, Haleria lucida, Harpephyllum caffrum, 6. Body brownish; markings on hind wing well Ocotea bullata, Olea woodiana, Rothmannia globosa, developed ....................... Platypleura hirtipennis Schotia brachypetala, Strychnos spinosa, Strychnos Body green; markings on hind wing weakly madagascariensis, Syzygium corda tum, and others. developed ................... Platypleura maytenophilla Shows a slight bias towards wild fig trees in Mkuze 7. Small species (19-27 mm); prothoracic markings Game Reserve, and Strychnos decussata at Mtunzini. usually well defined ..................................... 8. Seasonal activity: mid-December to mid-April (Figure Medium-to-Iarge species (28-36 mm); prothoracic 3). markings often vague ................................... 9. Comments: often common and gregarious. 8. Costal margin of forewing gently curved, wingspan 25-28 mm .......................... Azanicada zuleunsis Pycna semiclara (Germar) Costal margin of forewing strongly curved; . ) Distribution: widespread (Figure 2c). wingspan 19-23 mm; white circumcaudal band 0 1 Habitat: forests where the undergrowth rarely grows entire ............................... Platypleura haglundi 0 2 taller than 1,2 m, and the trees are at least 10 m in d 9. Opercula overlapping;