Neduba prorocantans Cole, Weissman, & Lightfoot, 2021

Cole, Jeffrey A., Weissman, David B., Lightfoot, David C., Ueshima, Norihiro, Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta, Maryańska-Nadachowska, Anna & Chatfield-Taylor, Will, 2021, A revision of the shield-back katydid genus Neduba (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini), Zootaxa 4910 (1), pp. 1-92 : 66-68

Neduba prorocantans Cole, Weissman, & Lightfoot , sp. n.

Fig. 19 (distribution), Fig. 28 (male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, karyotype), Plate 3 D–E (live habitus), Plate 5H (male calling song), Plate 8E (male ventral sclerite), Plate 10H (male titillators), Plate 12F (female subgenital plate).

Common name. Incessant Shieldback

History of recognition. Records from Dougherty Creek, Kern River Canyon, CA ( Rentz & Birchim 1968) were confused with N. sierranus .

Type material. HOLOTYPE MALE: USA, CA, Kern Co., Tehachapi , Water Canyon Rd. , 0.15 mi. S of intersection with Highline Rd., 35.307739N, 118.021738W, elev. 1463 m, 28-VIII-1983, DB Weissman, S 83-115, R83- 295 [recording], T83-46 [karyotype], 150 [teeth], 3.3 [mm file count], tegmen in gelcap and genitalia in vial below specimen, deposited at CAS, Entomology type #19681.

PARATYPES (n = 30): USA, CA, Kern Co., 3♁, 1♀, same data as holotype; 6♁, Hobo Campground overflow area, 3 miles west of Bodfish on Kern River Canyon Road , 35.5752N, 118.5305W, 700 m, 23-VI-2003, JA Cole , LACM; 1♁, horse trough spot, Tejon Ranch Conservancy , 34.97927N, 118.69159W, 1223 m, 3-VI-2017, L Pavliscak , LACM; 1♁, Kern River Rd. 1.1 mi. from jct. Caliente-Bodfish Rd. , 35.59429N, 118.5141W, 1470 m, 21- VII-2015, JA Cole, DB Weissman , LACM; 1♁, Kernville, 37 Sierra Way , 35.7561N, 118.4203W, 828 m, 26-28-VII- 2002, JA Cole , JAC; 2♁, same data except LACM; 2♁, same data except 27-VII-2004, JA Cole , LACM; 1♁, same data except 28-VII-2004, JA Cole , JAC; 1♀, Lopez Flat, Tejon Ranch Conservancy , 34.94264N, 118.63381W, 816 m, 3-VI-2017, JA Cole, K Halsey , LACM; 3♁, 1♀, Paradise Valley, Tehachapi Mountains , 34.91664N, 118.66759W, 7-VIII-1931, ER Tinkham , CAS; 1♁, Tehachapi Mountain Park, 35.06861N, 118.4825W, 1470 m, 20-VII-2015, JA Cole, DB Weissman , LACM; 2♁, Tehachapi Mountain Park, 35.06861N, 118.4825W, 1707 m, 28-VIII-1983, DB Weissman , CAS; 1♀, Tejon Ranch Conservancy, Indian Schoolhouse, Tejon Creek , 35.04512N, 118.67052W, 647 m, 1-IV-2018, K Moore , LACM; 4♁, Water Canyon Rd., 1.4 mi. below entrance to Tehachapi Mountain Park, 35.08258N, 118.49486W, 1571 m, 20-VII-2015, JA Cole, DB Weissman , LACM.

Measurements. (mm, ♁n = 14, ♀ n = 2) Hind femur ♁19.60–22.59, ♀ 22.55–23.50, pronotum total length ♁8.25–10.15, ♀ 9.25–9.65, prozona length ♁3.83–5.09, ♀ 4.54–5.65, metazona dorsal length ♁4.07–5.35 ♀ 4.00– 4.71, pronotum constriction width ♁2.44–3.50, ♀ 3.24–3.29, metazona dorsal width ♁4.99–6.80, ♀ 5.60–5.89, head width ♁4.70–5.57, ♀ 5.47–5.60, ovipositor length ♀ 8.75–9.41.

Distribution. West slope of the southern Sierra Nevada south of the Tule River watershed, south to the north slope of the Tehachapi Mountains.

Habitat. Forest understory, often in thick tangles of vegetation. Taken from poison oak, willow ( Salix spp.), and thorny brambles in riparian areas. Nymphs were collected from under bark of fallen tree limbs and from leaf litter under a valley oak tree ( Quercus lobata Née ). Museum specimens (ER Tinkham, CAS) also indicate association with oaks.

Seasonal occurrence. Adults collected in the field from late June (23-VI-2003, JA Cole, LACM) through August (28-VIII-1983, DB Weissman, CAS). Last instar nymph collected in early June (3-VI-2017, LA Pavliscak, LACM) matured 19-VI-2017.

Stridulatory file. (n = 5) length 3.3–3.8 mm, 150–183 teeth, tooth density 49.1 ± 2.7 (45.5–52.4) teeth/mm.

Song. (n = 12) A continuous train of alternating MPT and OPT delivered at PTR 2.4 ± 0.3 s- 1. The PTdc is 62.1 ± 9.7%, which is lower than that of N. sequoia (ANCOVA, P = 3.75×10 -4). The PTF is high at 15.6 ± 1.2 kHz.

Karyotype. (n = 7) 2n♁ = 21 (2m + 16t + XtXtYm). T83-44 , S83-115, type locality .

Recognition. This is the most morphologically distinctive species of the Sierranus and Sequoia Groups. Males combine a weakly constricted pronotum and a low stridulatory file tooth density (below 53 teeth/mm), lower than all other Sierranus and Sequoia Group species except N. duplocantans (47–52 teeth/mm) which has a more strongly constricted pronotum. Females have the shortest ovipositor of any Sierranus or Sequoia Group species, 10 mm or less in length. The song has a lower PTdc than that of the related N. sequoia . The karyotype is shared only by N. inversa . This species ranges the farthest south of any Sequoia or Sierranus Group species and occurs in the Tehachapi Mountains in addition to the Sierra Nevada.

Etymology. l. proro “to prolong, keep going” + cantans “singing,” describing the incessant and repetitive nature of the male calling song.

Notes. This species may be common in years of adequate rainfall and scarce in dry years, during which populations are localized around water sources. During the summer of 2001, a wet year for California, katydids were abundant in the Kernville area and males were seen walking and singing on bare soil on hillsides some distance from riparian or forested areas (JAC pers. obs).

Material examined. Type series only, see Type material above.

Figures

PLATE 3. Live habitus of the Sequoia Group. A. N. radocantans paratype male, B. N. arborea paratopotype male, C. N. inversa paratype male, D. N. prorocantans paratype male, E. N prorocantans paratype female, F. N. sequoia paratype male, G. N. sequoia paratype female, H. N. duplocantans paratopotype male singing.

PLATE 5. Male calling songs of the Castanea, Lucubrata, Sierranus, and Sequoia Groups. A. N. castanea, B. N. macneilli, C. N. lucubrata, D. N. sierranus, E. N. radocantans, F. N. arborea, G. N. inversa, H. N. prorocantans, I. N. sequoia, J. N. duplocantans. Left column shows 4 s oscillogram windows, right column are 1 s windows.

PLATE 8. Ventral sclerites: Sierranus and Sequoia Groups. A. N. sierranus, B. N. radocantans, C. N. arborea, D. N. inversa, E. N. prorocantans, F–H. N. sequoia.

PLATE 10. Titillator arms of Propsti (A), Castanea (B–C), Lucubrata (D), Sierranus (E–F), and Sequoia (G–I) Group species.

PLATE 12. Female subgenital plates of Lucubrata (A), Sierranus (B–D), and Sequoia (E–H) Group species.

FIGURE 19. Distribution of Propsti, Castanea, Lucubrata, Sierranus, and Sequoia Group species mapping records reported in this work.

FIGURE 28. N. prorocantans male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, karyotype.