Poreuomena laeglae (Massa, 2015) Hemp & Massa, 2021

Hemp, Claudia & Massa, Bruno, 2021, Biogeographical and evolutionary aspects of a Guineo-Congolian bushcricket tribe: Revision of the genera Cestromoecha Karsch, 1893 and Poreuomena Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, with the description of new species (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 68 (1), pp. 45-79 : 45

Poreuomena laeglae (Massa, 2015) stat. nov. Figs 70-73

Poreuomena laeglae Massa, 2015. ZooKeys 524: 38; type locality: Côte d’Ivoire, Tuba, Biémasso (MSNG).

Material examined.

Côte d’Ivoire, Tuba, Biémasso (441 m) 9.VII.2014 (UV trap) (♂ holotype) (MSNG) ; same locality, 7-11.VII.2014 (♂ paratype, ♀ allotype) ; same locality, 9.VII.2014 (♂ paratype) ; Côte d’Ivoire, Tai National Park Research Station 18.III.2017 (1♂) ; Côte d’Ivoire, Mt. Tonkoui 31.X.2018 (1♀) (BMCP) ; Liberia, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts. (611 m alt.) 20.XI-1.XII.2017 (MV Light trap) (2♂) ; Liberia, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts. (611 m alt.) 24-29.XI.2017 (Light Catode Trap) (1♂) ; Liberia, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area (530 m alt.) 10-19.XI.2017 (MV light Trap) (6♂) ; Liberia, Sinoe County, 6.5 km NW Jacksonville Forest near Solve Problem Vill. (103 m alt.) 23-27.I.2018 (MV Light trap) (2♂) (ANHRT).

Diagnosis.

P. laeglae was described in the genus Cestromoecha , but it actually belongs to the genus Poreuomena because it has two well-developed tegminal flaps and no mirror. The Rs vein branches off near the base and not past the middle as typical for Cestromoecha . It is morphologically most closely related to P. forcipata (both species share an asymmetrical supra-anal plate with a spine on the left side) and also to P. magnicerca and P. tshuapa sp. nov. The cerci of the males are differentiated into two branches in the first two species, with a finger-like apical or outer branch and a blade-like expanded inner branch, however, differently shaped between P. laeglae and P. forcipata . In P. magnicerca and P. tshuapa sp. nov., the third blade-like branch or expansion is present giving the expression of the cerci having three branches. The flaps on the left tegmina bearing the stridulatory files on the underside are differently shaped between P. tshuapa sp. nov. (oval and pointed) and P. magnicerca (laterally slightly expanded and not pointed) as is the shape of the stridulatory file itself supporting species status for P. tshuapa sp. nov. The 10th abdominal tergites, however, are very similar amongst these four species since they are rather undifferentiated with a more or less straight posterior margin and thus very likely derived from the bilobed condition as the generic character of the genus Poreuomena .

The stridulatory file of P. laeglae is similar to that of P. magnicerca with a distal part with less and more widely-spaced teeth than in the proximal part ( Massa 2015).

Description.

Typical Poreuomena species with elongated habitus. Fore and mid femora with 4-5 very small spines, fore tibiae with 3 ventral spines + 1 spur on each side, mid tibiae with 6-7 ventral spines + 1 spur on each side, hind tibiae with 3 spurs on each side. Ventral margins of hind femora with 2 small basal spines. Tegmina narrow, stridulatory area of left tegmen black and straight; stridulatory file downcurved with ca. 50 teeth, distal part with asymmetrical and widely-spaced teeth (Fig. 71 ). The 10th tergite slightly bilobate with an asymmetrical supra-anal plate having a spine on the left side at the margin (Fig. 72 , arrow) (similar to P. forcipata , Fig. 55 , arrow). Cerci stout, long and incurved, with the basal part rounded and the apical part flattened and pointed (Fig. 72 ); in the middle, with a well-developed flattened large inner spine, blackish at the tips (Fig. 73 ). Subgenital plate concave, triangular and long, with a deep concavity, processes almost parallel (Fig. 74 ).

Colour.

Probably predominantly green when alive, brown to tawny when preserved. Stridulatory area of left tegmen and area below black. Small black spots are present on the posterior margins of the tegmina. Two longitudinal parallel dark lines are present on the outer surface of the hind femora.

Measurements

(mm). Males. Body length: 18.5-19.4; pronotum length: 4.0-4.2; pronotum height: 3.4-3.6; hind femur: 18.2-20.7; tegmina: 26.4-27.5.

Female. Body length: 21.7; pronotum length: 4.0; pronotum height: 3.4; hind femur: 20.8; tegmina: 29.4; ovipositor: 6.1.

Distribution.

Presently only known from the Ivory Coast and Liberia in West Africa.

Figures

Figures 70 - 74. Morphological details of male Poreuomena laeglae stat. nov. Head, pronotum and part of abdomen in lateral view (70), stridulatory file on the underside of the left tegminal flap (71), lateral view on cerci and 10 th abdominal tergite (72), cerci lateral view (73), subgenital plate and cerci (74). Arrow in Fig. 72 shows the small asymmetrical spine.

Figures 52 - 56. Morphological details of male P. gladiator (= P. forcipata) (lectotypus). Habitus (52), stridulatory file on the underside of left tegminal flap (53), stridulatory area (54), dorsal view (55) and ventral view (56) on apex. Arrow in Fig. 55 shows the asymmetrical spine.