Paracilacris periclitatus, Naskrecki & Bazelet & Spearman, 2008

Naskrecki, Piotr, Bazelet, Corinna S. & Spearman, Lauren A., 2008, New species of flightless katydids from South Africa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae), Zootaxa 1933 (1), pp. 19-32 : 26-27

Paracilacris periclitatus n. sp.

( Figs. 2H–N , 3B , 4C–D )

Type locality. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu Natal , Ugum Distr., Ingeli Forest, 30 km E Kokstad (30°30'5.8''S, 29°42'32.1''E), 1384 m, 9.iii.2008, coll. D. Otte, P. Naskrecki & G. Cowper — male holotype ( PPRI)

Differential diagnosis. This species is easily distinguished from other member of the genus by its uniform coloration, lacking dark, lateral stripes of the remaining two species. The sclerotized part of the epiphallus (titillator) is covered with numerous hooks ( Fig. 3B ) (titllator smooth in other species), and the female subgenital plate has a pair of characteristic, upcurved, pointed lobes.

Description (male, except where specified)

General. Body large for the genus, robust, cylindrical; male brachypterous, female squamipterous.

Head. Fastigium of frons not developed. Fastigium of vertex triangular, blunt apically, as wide as 1/2 of antennal scapus, not reaching apex of antennal sockets, flat dorsally; antennal scapus unarmed; antennae slightly longer than body; frons flat, slightly oblique; eyes circular, weakly protruding.

Thorax. Pronotum surface smooth; humeral sinus of pronotum absent; marginal fold of pronotum very narrow, smooth, lateral lobe almost 2.5 times as long as high; anterior margin of pronotum straight, flat; metazona convex ( Fig. 2H ), posterior edge of metazona broadly rounded. Prosternum unarmed. Thoracic auditory spiracle minute, circular, completely hidden under pronotum.

Legs. Legs slender. Front coxa armed with long spine, front femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed. Front tibia unarmed dorsally, with 2–3 spines on posterior and 1–3 on anterior ventral margin, ventral spines on front tibia short, about half as long as tibia diameter; tympanum bilaterally open, oval, about twice as long as wide. Mid femur unarmed ventrally, genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed; mid tibia not noticeably thickened in basal part. unarmed dorsally, with 2–3 spines on posterior and 3–4 on anterior ventral margin. Hind femur unarmed ventrally, genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed; consecutive dorsal spines of hind tibia of similar size.

Wings. Tegmen reduced, completely hidden under pronotum; narrowly rounded; anterior margin rounded; hind wing absent. Costal field narrow; veins Sc and R close together, parallel along their entire length; right stridulatory area with large, fully developed mirror; mirror roughly cicrular; left stridulatory area with large, fully developed mirror ( Fig. 2K ). Stridulatory file elevated on thickened vein, nearly straight, bent in proximal fourth, with 61 teeth, 2.1 mm long, 0.06 mm wide ( Fig. 2L ). Female tegmina squamiform, shorter than quarter of pronotum.

Measurements (3 males, 1 female). body: male 11.5–14 (12.4±1.4), female 14; pronotum: male 6, female 6; tegmen: male 2.5, female; hind femur: male 9–9.5 (9.3±.3), female 9.5; ovipositor: 4 mm.

Abdomen. Tenth tergite unmodified; epiproct unmodified, rounded. Cercus short, straight; horizontal when seen from side, and with large, inner tooth; apex tapered ( Fig. 2I ); paraprocts not sclerotized, forming short, finger-like lobes pointing down; sclerotized epiphallus elongate, parallel-sided, truncated apically, and covered with minute hooks ( Fig. 3B ). Subgenital plate elongate, narrowly trapezoidal, with small, triangular apical incision; styli absent ( Fig. 2J ). Female subgenital plate broadly rectangular, with deep, triangular apical incision ( Fig. 2M ), posterior lobes narrow, curved upwards ( Fig. 2N ).

Ovipositor. Ovipositor strongly curved, shorter than half of hind femur, apex with strong apical teeth on both valvulae, dorsal edge of upper valvula parallel to lower valvula ( Fig. 2N ).

Coloration. Coloration light green ( Fig. 3E ) to pinkish-brown ( Fig. 3F ), antennae concolorous; antennal scapus without markings; eyes with dark, horizontal band; face green; occiput with two light yellow bands behind eyes. Pronotum with sparsely distributed, small, brown or blue dots and patches; abdominal terga with densely distributed, dark dots. Legs without distinct markings; ovipositor brown.

Measurements (6 males, 6 females). — body: male 14–17 (15.6±1.1), female 17.5–21 (19.1±1.2); pronotum: male 8.3–9 (8.6±.3), female 7–8.1 (7.6±.5); tegmen: male 5–5.5 (5.4±.2), female 1–1.2 (1.1±.1); hind femur: male 10.5–11.5 (11.1±.4), female 12–12.5 (12.1±.2); ovipositor: 4.5–5.5 (5.2±.4) mm.

Material examined. Republic of South Africa: KwaZulu Natal , Ugum Distr., Ingeli Forest, 30 km E Kokstad, elev. 1384 m (30°30'5.8''S, 29°42'32.1''E), 9.iii. 2008, coll. D. Otte, P. Naskrecki & G. Cowper — 11 females, 9 males (holotype and paratypes), 3 nymphs, 1 nymph male ( ANSP, PPRI, SAMC, USEC) .

Etymology. The specific epithet periclitatus [Lat.] (= endangered) refers to the potentially precarious situation of the only known population of this species, restricted to a small, remaining strip of the natural Podocarpus forest, surrounded by active pine and Eucalyptus plantations.

Bioacoustics. Males of P. periclitatus were recorded stridulating from low, herbaceous vegetation between the hours 19:30 and 11:30. A large portion of their call was within the audible part of the spectrum, and, while rather quiet, they could be heard from a distance of about 10 m. The call consists of echeme-sequences 4–60 sec. long, each divided into echemes at the rate of 3.49–3.67 echemes/sec at 20°C, and each echeme divided into three syllables ( Figs. 4C, D .) The energy peak within the recorded spectrum (which was limited to 44 kHz at the upper margin) was around 16 kHz, making the call audible to the human ear.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Paracilacris mordax. A. male head and pronotum, lateral view; B. apex of male abdomen, dorsal view; C. male subgenital plate; D. male left tegmen; E. stridulatory file; F. female subgenital plate; G. ovipositor; P. periclitatus. H. male head and pronotum, lateral view; I. apex of male abdomen, dorsal view; J. male subgenital plate; K. male left tegmen; L. stridulatory file; M. female subgenital plate; N. ovipositor; P. lateralis. O. female subgenital plate; P. ovipositor.

FIGURE 3. Paracilacris mordax. A. titillator, dorsal view; P. periclitatus. B. titillator, dorsal view; Amyttacta farrelli. C. male, lateral view; D. female devouring the spermatophylax; Paracilacris periclitatus. E. male, dorso-lateral view (green form); F. female, dorso-lateral view (brown form).

FIGURE 4. Oscillograms of male airborne calls. Amyttacta farrelli. A. 5 s fragment of an echeme; B. 0.5 s fragment showing syllables; Paracilacris periclitatus. C. 5 s fragment of echeme-sequence; D. 0.5 s fragment showing a single echeme.