New species of Acizzia (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) from an Australian endemic Solanum (Solanaceae)

Acizzia yeni sp. nov. is described from a single population on the Australian native plant, money-leaf nightshade, Solanum nummularium S. Moore following its discovery during the 2009 'Bush Blitz' survey of Lochada Reserve in semi-arid Western Australia. The Australian Solanum-feeding Acizzia now comprise four described species in a morphologically defined monophyletic group: Acizzia alternata Kent & Taylor, Acizzia credoensis Taylor & Kent, Acizzia solanicola Kent & Taylor and A. yeni sp. nov. The host range of these species is expanded from commercial and garden crops, e.g. eggplant, Solanum melongena L. and a weed, wild tobacco bush, Solanum mauritianum Scop., to include the Australian endemics flannel bush, Solanum lasiophyllum Dunal, Solanum nummularium and rock nightshade, Solanum petrophilum F. Muell. Notably, two of these species, A. credoensis and A. yeni sp. nov., were discovered, and the native host of another, A. solanicola, was identified as a direct result of Bush Blitz surveys in arid inland Australia, thereby establishing the Australian origin of the solanaceous-feeding Acizzia. Further to updating our knowledge of the Australian biota, Bush Blitz surveys are here identified as a novel serendipitous means of providing targeted surveillance towards an increasingly economically important group of psyllids for pre-emptive plant biosecurity.