FIGURE 22. Xeropsalta aridula n in Two new genera and five new species of Mugadina - like small grass cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettini) from Central and Eastern Australia: comparative morphology, songs, behaviour and distributions

FIGURE 22. Xeropsalta aridula n. sp., field recordings (with parabola), Cravens Peak area, eastern Simpson Desert, far western Queensland, low grassland (following heavy rains), mostly disturbed vegetation, locally dominated by introduced button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans). (A) waveform overview of a complete phrase showing the repetitive discrete echemes, these ranging between 236–375 ms in duration, with RR of 2.6 Hz. The initial echemes are longer than the following echemes. (B) Another waveform plot showing echemes which are fragmented into shorter phrases, each comprised varying numbers of echemes, commonly observed in the X. aridula n. sp. songs. (C) time expanded waveform of initial echeme shown in Fig. 22B, illustrating the increasing pulse amplitudes, reaching a maximum at ~400 ms, followed by a slight amplitude decline, the termination marked by a sharp break, followed by a discrete macrosyllable. Fig. 22D, E, further time expanded waveform and envelope curve of the end of an echeme (excluding the final discrete macrosyllable), showing the detailed pulse structures, with the development of well defined macrosyllables, each comprising 6 primary pulses, each immediately followed by (in fact partially merged with) slightly weaker second pulses. These weaker pulses could either represent the slight time offset (asynchrony) of the emission of pulses from the two timbals, this thought to be most likely, or are secondary pulses produced by timbal relaxation ('OUT' clicks) of timbals, this thought to be less applicable due to the relatively strong development of these second pulses (see Fig. 23C, D below).