Glomeremus tikasignatus, Hugel & Micheneau & Fournel & Warren & Gauvin-Bialecki & Pailler & Chase & Strasberg, 2010

Hugel, S., Micheneau, C., Fournel, J., Warren, B. H., Gauvin-Bialecki, A., Pailler, T., Chase, M. W. & Strasberg, D., 2010, Glomeremus species from the Mascarene islands (Orthoptera, Gryllacrididae) with the description of the pollinator of an endemic orchid from the island of Réunion, Zootaxa 2545 (1), pp. 58-68 : 64-66

Glomeremus tikasignatus n. sp.

( Figs. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 , tab. 3)

Holotype. Male. Indian Ocean, Mascarene archipelago, Maurice, Savanne District, Parc National de Rivière Noire, Plaine Champagne , point de vue sur les Gorges , 681 m alt., 20°25’39’’S 57°25’43’’E, 22.IV.2005. S. Hugel, MNHN ( MNHN-ENSIF2646 ).

Allotype. Female. Same as holotype, 13.VIII.2001. S. Hugel, MNHN ( MNHN-ENSIF2647 ).

Paratypes. Males. 2♂, Maurice, Savanne District, Parc National de Rivière Noire, Cocotte, 745 m Alt. , 20°26’29’’S 57°28’20’’E, 22.II.2008, BIOTAS2008210, S. Hugel leg & coll.; 07.V.2009, BIOTAS2009163, S. Hugel leg & coll. Females. 1♀, Maurice, Black River District, Parc National de Rivière Noire, Piton Brise Fer , 617 m alt ., 20°23’02’’S 57°25’51’’E, 13.V.2009, BIOTAS2009286, S. Hugel, MSIRI. 5♀, Maurice, Savanne District, Parc National de Rivière Noire, Cocotte, 745 m Alt. , 20°26’29’’S 57°28’20’’E, 22.II.2008, BIOTAS2008211, S. Hugel leg & coll.; 06.III.2008, BIOTAS2008412, S. Hugel leg & coll.; 22.IV.2005, S. Hugel leg & coll.; 22.IV.2005, S. Hugel , CIRAD Réunion ; 19.IV.2005, S. Hugel leg & coll.

Diagnosis. This species differs from the other Glomeremus in the following characters: TI and TII with 4 ventral subapical spurs on both sides, in addition to the apical spur (3 in G.shelfordi ); FW reduced, but clearly distinct (all other Glomeremus species are wingless except G. orchidophilus n. sp., G. paraorchidophilus n. sp., G. mediopictus Uvarov, 1957 , and G. feanus (Griffini, 1908)) ; the thorax and head without black pattern; male cerci not particularly extended (extended and thin in G. brevifalcatus ); male tergite X sclerites forming an upwards directed lamellar process ( Fig. 12, 15 ); male SGP with a shallow emargination ( Fig. 9 ); female SGP with a “W”-shaped end margin ( Fig. 21 ); ovipositor falciform, pointing apically, as long as FIII, dorsal valves without ventrally directed protrusion ( Fig. 20 ; ovipositor roughly straight after the base in G. feanus , G. glomerinus , G.sphinx , G. mediopictus , G. pileatus , G. shelfordi , G. sphingoides ).

Description. In addition to generic characters. Body length: size medium to large for the genus. Head ( Fig. 3 ): as broad or slightly broader than the thorax; fastigium frontis wider than scapus; median and lateral ocelli clearly distinct (less obvious on specimens dried from alcohol), median ocellus circular, less wide than scapus.

Thorax. Pronotum: maximal width (including lateral lobes) as wide as or slightly wider than long; anterior margin convex (in dorsal view), arched; posterior margin strait (in dorsal view), almost horizontal; anterior sulcus deep on lateral lobes and well distinct on discus; posterior sulcus shallower and less distinct on discus; both sulci converging on lateral lobes; prozona elevated. Wings. FW well distinct, half as long as Pro. Legs. TI and TII with usual spurs formula (4 pairs of subapical + 1 pair of apical spurs ventrally, and one single apical spur on TII posterior dorsal angle); subapical spurs of usual length (at least as long as T width). Hind legs: femora 3.4–3.7 times as long as wide ( Fig. 6 ); FIII with 5–7 ventral anterior spines; FIII with 6–11 ventral posterior spines; TIII with 5–7 dorsal anterior spines; with 6–8 dorsal posterior spines. Abdomen. Stridulatory files present.

Sexual dimorphism: apart from primary sexual characters, ♂♂ and ♀♀ are similar.

Male: terminalia ( Fig. 9, 12, 15 ). Tergite VIII slightly extended posteriorly (compared to preceding tergites); posterior margin forming a 45° angle (in side view). Tergite IX vertically oriented (side view); distal end of tergite pointing ventrally (side view) with a shallow emargination separating two small bulges (ventral/ posterior view; Fig. 15 ). TX sclerites (see Hugel, 2009) forming an upwards directed lamellar process ( Fig. 12, 15 ). Cerci not particularly elongated ( Fig. 15 ). SGP distal end with an indistinct emargination ( Fig. 9 ); styli exceeding distinctly the SGP distal end, not thickened ( Fig. 9 ). Female: sternite before SGP (VII) not modified; SGP ( Figs. 18, 21 ) with strait lateral margins, posterior margin pointing ventrally (side view, Fig. 18 ), the posterior end corresponds to the SGP dorsal surface, with a shallow “W” shape (ventral view, Fig. 21 ). Ovipositor regularly arched, pointing distally, as long as FIII, dorsal valves without ventrally directed protrusion.

Colour: general coloration brown; head, legs pronotum without black pattern (knees sometimes darkened); anterior part of abdominal tergites darkened; median and lateral ocelli white.

Figures

FIGURES 2–21. Glomeremus of the Mascarene islands. 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, Glomeremus orchidophilus n. sp. 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, Glomeremus paraorchidophilus n. sp. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, Glomeremus tikasignatus n. sp. 2, 3, head in frontal view. 4–6, left hind femora in side view. 7–9, male subgenital plate in ventral view. 10–12, scan electron microscope picture of male tergite X right sclerite. 13–15, male terminalia (SGP removed) in ventral/posterior view. 16– 18, female terminalia in right side view. 19–21, female subgenital plate and basis of ovipositor in ventral view. Bars: 1 mm.