Kosciuscola restrictus Rehn, 1957

Song, Hojun, Muschett, Giselle R., Woller, Derek A., Slatyer, Rachel A., Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Umbers, Kate D. L., 2021, Taxonomic notes on the Australian skyhopper genus Kosciuscola Sjöstedt (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oxyinae), Zootaxa 5071 (1), pp. 118-130 : 125-127

Kosciuscola restrictus Rehn, 1957 stat. nov.

( Figs. 1C, 1D , 5 , 6 , 7 )

Kosciuscola tristis restrictus ( Rehn, 1957: 225)

Kosciuscola tristis restrictus Rehn ( Tatarnic et al., 2013, 27:307-316)

Diagnosis. Kosciuscola restrictus can be differentiated from K. tristis based on its endemicity in Mt. Buffalo, smaller size, much greener head color with two yellow stripes that extend to pronotum (especially in males), shaper prosternal process especially at the apex, as well as more elongated apodemes of cingulum in male genitalia. In Mt. Buffalo, one can potentially collect two species of Kosciuscola : K. restrictus and an undescribed species close to K. cuneatus (Sth Vic & Buffalo Clade in Umbers et al., 2021). K. restrictus can be distinguished from K. cuneatus by having bright green coloration, especially in males ( K. cuneatus is brown), and a triangular prosternal process ( K. cuneatus has a distinctly bilobed prosternal process).

Redescription. Coloration: Male head bright green, often with yellow markings on gena below eyes (especially when alive). Eye brown. Antennae tan. Male pronotum uniformly green or green/brown dorsally, lateral carina cream color, lateral portion of prozona dorsally black and ventrally with green patches ( Figs. 1C , 5A, 5B, 5D, and 5E ). Male tegmina creamy white dorsally, black laterally. Legs brownish yellow, with dorsal portion of hind femur green, brownish tan knee ( Figs. 1C, 1D , 5B ). Male abdomen more or less uniformly green with some dark markings laterally. Female head more or less uniformly green with brown/black marking near dorsal ocelli. Female pronotum green/brown dorsally ( Fig. 1D ), lateral carina cream color, lateral portion of prozona dorsally black and ventrally with green patches. Female tegmina creamy white dorsally, upper half of the lateral part black, lower half brown. Female abdomen bright green to tan brown with a broad dorsal stripe running anterior-posteriorly, laterally dark brown ( Fig. 5J ).

Head: Median carinula of fastigium faintly present and extending to vertex ( Fig. 5E ). Fastigial furrow faintly present and boundary disappearing posteriorly ( Fig. 5E ). Anterior apex of fastigium from dorsal view narrowing apically. Frontal ridge raised past frontal suture, nearing clypeus. Median portion of frontal ridge slightly depressed below ocellus ( Fig. 5C ). Preocular ridge distinct and reaching clypeus. Subocular ridge deeply grooved. Frontal integument smooth with faint punctures ( Fig. 5C ). Gena in male normal and never bulging ( Fig. 5D ).

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 5D, 5E ): Shape of anterior margin of pronotum slightly concave toward pronotum. Anterior margin of prozona somewhat constricted to form a distinct ridge along the margin. Lateral carina constricted as distinct ridges. Dorsal profile of lateral carina only slightly widening toward posterior end without much constriction near anterior sulcus of prozona. Lateral lobes from dorsal angle not bulging out. Texture of dorsal surface slightly matted. Anterior sulcus of prozona faint. Anterior sulcus of prozona not touching median carina. Anterior sulcus extending to lateral lobe ending before touching lateral carina. Posterior sulcus of prozona not touching median carina. Posterior sulcus extending down to lateral lobe. Posterior margin of metazona slightly incurved. Texture of dorsal surface of metazona lightly rugose. Texture of lateral lobe of prozona smooth and shiny. Prosternal process ( Fig. 5H ): Triangular and narrowing toward apex to form pointed end. Tegmina ( Fig. 5D ): Dorsal profile formed by the area above subcosta wide. Lateral profile dorso-ventrally wide. Posterior apex from lateral view dorsally projecting more than ventrally.

Abdomen: Dorsal surface of first and second abdominal segment lateral ridges absent. Male cerci ( Fig. 5F, 5G ): Lateral view of male cercus simple and triangular, tapering toward apex. Length of male cercus as long as epiproct. Dorsal view of male cercus simple, conical. Male furcula ( Fig. 5G ): Dorsal view of furcula round and distinct. Space between furcula lobes as wide as a single lobe. Male epiproct ( Fig. 5G ): Ridge along lateral margin of epiproct thin. Lateral plates of epiproct slightly concave. Posterior apex of epiproct broadly projecting forward. Male subgenital plate ( Fig. 5G ): Apex of male subgenital plate slightly quadrate and narrowing towards apex. Female subgenital plate: Postvaginal sclerite absent.

Male genitalia: Epiphallus ( Fig. 6G, 6H ): Shape of ancorae short and broadly tapering toward apex inwardly. Anterior projection not bulbous. Lophi in dorsal profile distinctly bilobed with lateral lobe projecting more than mesal lobe. Inner side of lateral plates moderately projecting upward. Shape of lateral lobe of lophi broadly projecting as round projection, not as quadrate as in tristis . Shape of mesal lobe of lophi somewhat round quadrate. Space between mesal and lateral lobe of lophi narrow. Width of a single lophus distinctly narrower than half plate. Base of lophi distinctly angular to bridge. Height of lateral plate inner margin much narrower than outer margin. Shape of lateroventral plate not expanding. Outer side of lateroventral plate straight. Ectophallic sclerite ( Fig. 6F ): Two halves simply meeting in the middle. Membrane connecting epiphallus and cingulum membranous. Cinglum: Shape of rami not projecting. Dorsal aedeagal sclerite of endophallus elongate and tapering toward apex, with inner side straight and outside curved. Ventral aedeagal sclerite of endophallus simple rod-shape and shorter than dorsal aedeagal sclerite. Apodemes of cingulum narrow and elongate all the way to the end of endophallus.

Female genitalia: Dorsal sclerite of the bursa absent. Spermatheca apical arm much shorter than apical diverculum.

Measurements (in mm). Body length to end of hind femur: 15.79 1.28 (male, n = 10), 23.69 2.76 (female, n = 10); hind femur length: 10.47 0.54 (male, n = 10), 14.39 0.89 (female, n = 10).

Type. Holotype male ( ANIC, Fig. 7A, 7B, 7C ). / Mt Buffalo Vic. Ca 5600ft 21-2-47 Key Carne Rothery / 16681 24.34-25.45 / FIGURED Rehn 1955 / K.H.L. KEY Mite slide M687 / Kosciuscola tristis restrictus Rehn TYPE / HOLOTYPE ANIC 8957 Kosciuscola tristis restrictus Rehn, 1957 ♂ / 3279 / ANIC Database No. 14 008608 /

Additional material examined. ANIC. 1 male and 1 female: Lake Catani , Mt. Buffalo, Vic. 12 March 1985 G. vonSchill; 1 male and 2 females: Mt. Buffalo 3 April 1984 M. King & G. vonSchill. ANSP. 6 males and 4 females: Mt Buffalo Vic. Ca 5600ft 21-2-47 Key Carne Rothery . TAMUIC. 27 males, 9 females, and 1 female nymph: Australia: Vic , Mt. Buffalo Top of the Horn Track. Elev. 5410ft. S3646.578' E14645.867' 10ft. 13-ii-2013. Coll. H. Song, K. Umbers, N. Tatarnic, G. Muschett.

Biology and ecology. Not much is known about the biology and ecology of K. restrictus . Unlike K. tristis , it does not show dramatic temperature-dependent color change and whether this species engages in male-male combat has not been documented. The feeding ecology is also unknown.

Distribution. Kosciuscola restrictus is only known from Mt. Buffalo in Victoria. Because of this narrow endemicity, we propose the ‘Mount Buffalo skyhopper’ as its common name.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Kosciuscola tristis male; B. K. tristis female; C. K. restrictus male; D. K. restrictus female (Photo credit: Hojun Song)

FIGURE 5. Kosciuscola restrictus (typical specimens). A. lateral view of the whole body (male); B. dorsal view of the whole body (male); C. frontal view of the head (male); D. lateral view of the head and thorax (male); E. dorsal view of the head and thorax (male); F. lateral view of male terminalia; G. dorsal view of male terminalia; H. prosternal process; I. lateral view of the whole body (female); J. dorsal view of the whole body (female).

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of Kosciuscola restrictus. A. dorsal view of the phallic complex; B. frontal view of the phallic complex; C. dorsal view of cingulum and endophallus; D. frontal view of cingulum and endophallus; E. lateral view of cingulum and endophallus; F. frontal view ectophallic sclerite; G. frontal view of epiphallus; H. dorsal view of epiphallus. (scale = 1 mm).

FIGURE 7. Holotype of Kosciuscola restrictus (ANIC). A. lateral view; B. dorsal view; C. labels.