Itara (Noctitara) sonabilis Gorochov, 1996

He, Zhixin & Ma, Libin, 2021, Crickets of the subfamily Itarinae Shiraki, 1930 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) from China with description of a new species and distribution and critical notes on other species, Zootaxa 4942 (3), pp. 382-408 : 396-398

Itara (Noctitara) sonabilis Gorochov, 1996

Itara sonabilis Gorochov, 1996: 82

Itara (Noctitara) sonabilis Gorochov, 1997: 65

Holotype. Type locality: Vietnam: Gia Lai Province, Buon Luoi. Deposited at Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg , Russia (not examined).

Materials examined. China: 5 males, Guangdong, Fengkai, Heishiding Provincial Nature Reserve , 26-iv- 2019, Libin Ma & Tao Zhang coll ..

Description. Male. Body and head large for the genus ( Fig. 9A ). Occiput pubescent, narrow, and convex. Vertex glabrous and smooth. Median ocellus ovoid and lateral ones widened. Antennal scape squared shield-like. Genae slightly curved. Labrum straight distally. Terminal maxillary and labial palpus bevelled apically; terminal maxillary palpus equal to length of 3rd palpus; terminal labial palpus nearly equal to total length of remaining palpi. Pronotal disc flattened and trapezoid, anterior margin slightly concave and posterior margin convex ( Fig. 9A ). Harp area bearing 4–5 veins. Harp field and mirror armed with false veins. Forewing broad and apically rounded ( Fig. 9A ). Apical Field elongate, conspicuously longer than forewing width ( Fig. 9A ), possessing 8 branches. Hind wings short and exposed portion as long as hind tarsus ( Fig. 9A ). External tympanum large and shaped as elongate-oval. Hind tarsus armed with short and small spines, numbered 7: 7 (inner: outer).

Metanotal gland armed with transverse and sinuate convexity anteriorly, large and shallow convexity medially and almost flattened posterior part ( Fig. 9B ). Anal plate almost triangular-like but with apex slightly blunt ( Fig. 9C ).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 9 D–9F). Dorsal lobe of basal epiphallus bisinuate, lateral process slightly expanded; median process angle-like ( Figs. 9D ). Lateral margin of epiphallus not sharp ( Figs. 9E ). Epiphallus armed with a row of denticles medially ( Figs. 9E ). In lateral view, epiphallic apex boot-like, acute at both top and bottom, and distal margin arc shaped ( Figs. 9E ).

Coloration. Body color dark brown. Head and pronotal disc almost uniform dark brown ( Fig. 9A ). Large parts of pronotal lateral lobes colored light, only top portion color dark and merged with dorsum.

Measurements (n=5). BL 18.34±1.67, HW 3.45±0.14, PL 2.95±0.36, PW 5.12±0.41, FWL 17.96±0.84, HWL 5.33±0.52, DVL 4.53±0.66, ML 3.91±0.22, HFL 10.61±0.43, HTL 8.45±0.44, HML 4.68±0.31.

Remarks. This species is similar to Itara (Noctitara) pacholatkoi Gorochov, 1997 in ectoparamere, but its epiphallic apex is blunt.

Figures

FIGURE 9. I. (N.) sonabilis. A. Male. B. Metanotal gland. C. Anal plate. D–F. Male genitalia. D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view. F. Ventral view. Scale bar: 1 cm.