Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, 2000

Huang, Jianhua, Fu, Peng & Huang, Yuan, 2007, Redescription of Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, 2000 (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oxyinae: Oxyini) with proposal of a new synomym, Zootaxa 1436, pp. 55-60 : 55-58

Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, 2000

[ Figs. 1–14 ]

Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, 2000: 91 .

Caryanda zhengi Fu & Sun, 2002: 106 , new synonym.

Male. Body length: 16 mm – 19 mm; pronotum length: 3.4–3.7 mm; tegmina length: 2.8–3.3 mm; hind femur length: 11.2–11.5 mm.

Body small. Face oblique in profile view, both sides and anterior margin distinctly carinate. Frontal ridge with broad longitudinal sulcus throughout. Antennae filiform, twenty-three-segmented, long and distinctly exceeding posterior margin of pronotum, nearly reaching posterior margin of the third abdominal segment. Vertex broad, dorsum distinctly depressed to form two short carinae just close to the inner sides of eyes, anterior margin broadly rounded, interocular distance nearly equal to that of frontal ridge between antennal socket. Eyes elongate oval, longitudinal diameter about one and a two-third times as long as horizontal diameter and two and a half times as the length of subocular furrow. Occiput with a feeble or distinct longitudinal median carina. Pronotum cylindrical; median carina feeble or distinct and lateral carinae absent; anterior margin smooth and slightly rounded or slightly concave in the middle; posterior margin angulately concave in the middle; three transversal sulci distinct, crossing the median carina; prozona two and a one-fifth times as long as metazona; lateral lobes with anteroventral corner broadly rounded and posteroventral corner nearly rectangular. Prosternal spine conical, slightly compressed anteroposteriorly, apex obtusely rounded or pointed (at least so in holotype). Interspace of mesosternal lobes nearly square, with its length one and a two-fifth times as its minimum width, metasternal lobes contiguous with each other posteriorly. Tegmina scale-like, narrow and long, situated laterally, with its length about three and a half times as width and apices narrowly rounded or pointed in some individuals, nearly or just reaching or slightly exceeding posterior margin of the first abdominal tergite. Hind femora slender, well-proportioned, with upper carinae smooth, extending apically to form a short spine or obtuse tooth, subgenicular lobes spined. Hind tibiae with outer apical spines very small and substantially close to lower spurs. Tympanum large, aperture oval. Furcula present and small. Supra-anal plate broader than long, shield-like, broadly and shallowly depressed longitudinally in the middle of its basal half or throughout in some individuals; basal sides with a large depression, respectively. Cerci conical, straight and sharply pointed apically, slightly exceeding the apex of anal plate. Subgenital plate short and conical, obtusely rounded apically.

Frons, lateral lobes of pronotum below the subocular band yellow. Antennae with one or two apical segment(s) pale in fresh specimens, basal third bluish green and the remainder black, or reddish brown throughout in some individuals. Occiput dark bluish green, with narrow yellow borders. Pronotal and abdominal dorsum bluish green to brownish green. Eyes brown, postocular band broad and black, extending nearly to the abdominal apex. Abdomen with continuous or not continuous narrow black band beside the dorsal central keel, or only black spots, or without above-mentioned characters in some individuals, ventral surface yellowish brown. Tegmina brown to black. Legs green. Hind tibiae bluish green except the base as well as apex of hind femora black. Metatibial spines with apical half black and basal half yellowish brown. Cerci black or brown.

Female. Body length: 21.3–26 mm; pronotum length: 4.7–5.9 mm; tegmina length: 3–4.3 mm; hind femur length: 12.5–15.8 mm.

Similar to male. Body larger and slightly more robust than male. Vertex transversely broad. Occiput without longitudinal central carina. Interocular distance about one and a half times the width of frontal ridge between antennal socket. Antennae shorter, just reaching posterior margin of pronotum. Metasternal lobes separate posteriorly. Tegmina not reaching or slightly exceeding posterior margin of the first abdominal tergite. Furcula absent. Cerci short conical, straight, apex pointed, not reaching the top of anal plate. Supra-anal plate nearly rhombic, with a large depression and a transverse furrow in the middle portion. Dorsal and ventral valves with blunt teeth along outer margin. Subgenital plate nearly square, broadly and deeply depressed in the posterior half or throughout, posterior margin straight and smooth, with a small tooth at each side; but in some individuals, the posterior margin slightly rounded and sinuate or without distinct teeth.

Body color similar to male, but occiput, pronotum and abdominal dorsum reddish brown in some individuals.

Materials examined. Male, holotype, CHINA: Jiuyishan Natural Reserve, Huangshi Town, Jianghua County Hunan Province, 25°12' N, 111° 34' E, 900m, 15 September 1998, Zhijun Li (figs. 1–2). Female, holotype of Caryanda zhengi Fu & Sun , CHINA: Jiuyishan Natural Reserve, Ziliang Town, Lanshan county, Hunan Province, 25° 21' N, 112° 10' E, 1100 m, 22 August 2000, Peng Fu (figs. 3–4). Twelve males and three females, CHINA: Jiuyishan Natural Reserve, Ningyuan County, Hunan Province, 25°12' N, 111° 34' E, 1000—1400 m, 27 September 2004, Jianhua Huang. Three males and five females, CHINA: Qianjiadong, Jiangyong County, Hunan Province, 800 m, 18 September 2004, Jianhua Huang. Six males and six females, CHINA: Yuankou Nature Reserve, Jiangyong County, Hunan Province, 24º 58' 13" N, 111º 06' 27" E, 800— 1000 m, 23 September 2004, Jianhua Huang.

Distribution. CHINA (Hunan).

Remark. This species shows normal variation. There are two male individuals besides the holotype having antennae with apical two-third black (figs. 1–2, 9–10), and others having antennae reddish brown throughout (figs. 3–8, 11–14). However, we can not find any more distinguishing difference between them. We also found a female with its hind tibiae black at the apical half and yellowish green at the basal half (figs. 13–14), but again no further difference has been found between this specimen and others. As for the holotype male, Fu & Zheng (2000) originally described a distinguishing character as “hind tibiae with a broad black annulation near the middle portion” (fig. 2), but this is certainly not a stable character because this “black annulation” occurs only on the left hind tibia and the right hind tibia is bluish green throughout. Therefore, before further evidence is found, we at present prefer to consider the differences in antennae and hind tibiae color as morphological variations among individuals but not as distinguishing characters which might be used to recognize a new species by someone else. In our opinion, too many Caryanda species have been described from China, only based on a few minor differences which possibly be variations among individuals of the same species. We should not be surprised if more Chinese Caryanda species were synonymized after a morphological or even molecular comprehensive revision of the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1 – 2. Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, holotype, in dorsal and profile view; 3 – 4. Caryanda zhengi Fu & Sun, holotype, in dorsal and profile view.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, mating pair from the type locality, in dorsal and profile view, showing individuals with antennae reddish brown throughout.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, in dorsal and profile view, showing male individuals with apical two-third antennal segments black and female individuals with occipital and pronotal dorsum blackish green.

FIGURES 13 – 14. Caryanda jiuyishana Fu & Zheng, in dorsal and profile view, showing female individuals with tibiae black at the apical half.