Brachyphisis nattecantor, Hugel, Sylvain, 2010

Hugel, Sylvain, 2010, New and little known predatory katydids from Mascarene islands (Ensifera: Meconematinae and Hexacentrinae), Zootaxa 2543, pp. 1-30 : 19-24

Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp.

( Figs. 57–62 , 65–66 , 70–72 , 74 ; Tab. 6 )

Holotype. Male. Indian Ocean, Mascarene archipelago, Mauritius, Plaine Wilhems District, Black River National Park, Macabé viewpoint; 581 m alt.; 20°23’52’’S 57°26’22’’E; 5.V.2009. BIOTAS 2009 181, S. Hugel, MNHN (MNHN-ENSIF2639).

Allotype. Female. Same as holotype, BIOTAS2009182, MNHN (MNHN-ENSIF2640).

Paratypes. Males. Mauritius, Savanne District, Bel Ombre, 280 m alt., 20°28’18’’S 57°25’06’’E, 5.III.2008. BIOTAS 2008 396, S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 23, Mauritius, Plaine Wilhems District, Black River National Park, Macabé, viewpoint before UNESCO plot, 656 m alt., 20°24’22’’S 57°27’31’’E, 6.V.2009. S. Hugel, MSIRI (BIOTAS2009144), CIRAD Réunion (BIOTAS2009145). 13, Flacq District, Roches Noires, 8 m alt., 20°06’28’’S 57°43’47’’E, 16.V.2009, (BIOTAS2009354) S. Hugel leg. & coll.. 13, Plaines Wilhems District, Mondrain nature reserve, 510 m alt., 20°19’32’’S 57°27’14’’E, 14.V.2009. S. Hugel leg & coll. Females. 1Ƥ, Mauritius, Plaines Wilhems District, Mondrain nature reserve, 510 m alt., 20°19’32’’S 57°27’14’’E, 14.V.2009. S. Hugel leg & coll.

Other specimens examined. Juvenile, Mauritius, Grand Port District, Montagne Lion (dernière montée), 390 m alt., 20°21’45’’S 57°43’33’’E, 10.V.2009. S. Hugel leg. & coll.. Adult Ƥ ab larva, Mauritius, Grand Port District, Montagne Camizard, 290 m alt., 20°19’60’’S 57°42’04’’E, 11.V.2009, S. Hugel leg. & coll..

Diagnosis. This species is close to B. viettei . All males of the seria typica (n = 6 from distinct localities) are clearly distinguished from all available B. viettei males (n = 5, from distinct localities) by the following stable characters: subgenital plate with lateral margins strongly converging towards the distal end ( Fig. 58, 59 ; moderately converging in B. viettei ); with a narrow emargination (i.e. inter styli width; Fig. 58, 59 ; with a wide emargination in B. viettei ); the epiphallus cephalic lobe not distinct from the neck, pointing (dorsal view; Fig. 62 ; cephalic lobe distinct with distal end broadly rounded in B. viettei ). Females are apparently not displaying diagnostic characters.

Description. In addition to generic characters.

Male. Wings. ( Fig. 70–71 ). Left FW with 81–95 (average: 87) lamellar teeth ( Fig. 72 ). Terminalia. Paraproct. Distinctly exceeding the epiproct, enlarged apically ( Fig. 57, 59, 60 ). Cerci. Bent inward in the middle ( Fig. 57 ). Subgenital plate. With lateral margins converging towards the distal end ( Fig. 58 ); with a narrow emargination ( Fig. 58 ). Genitalia. Epiphallus cephalic lobe not distinct from the neck, pointing (dorsal view; Fig. 62 ); without distinct subapical enlargement of the neck; the general curvature in side view varies on different specimens and seems not a reliable character ( Fig. 61 ).

Etymology. Natte: Creole name of various endemic Labourdonnaisia species (Sapotacae); cantor: Latin for singer.

Bioacoustics. Fig. 74 . The call of B. nattecantor n. sp. is very close to the song of B. viettei , but was faster in all recorded specimens (compare Figs. 73 C and 74C). Males are singing by night hours usually on the higher branches of endemic Sapotacae (in one case, I recorded it on Cassine orientalis in a locality devoid of Sapotacae). Males are sometimes moving while calling. Above 20°C, the call of B. viettei consists of long echeme-sequences (> 1 min); echeme-sequences are organized in disyllabic echemes repeated at the rate of 8.3–10.3 disyllabic echeme/s (average: 8.9); disyllabic echeme duration: 48–85 ms (average: 66.3 ms); interdisyllabic echeme interval: 29–63 ms (average: 46.1 ms). Echeme sequences are seldom interrupted by short breaks. Trains of waves forming the disyllabic echemes are not resolved in natura with our recording setup (n = 3 specimens recorded). The fundamental peaks between 15–20 kHz.

Distribution. I recorded this species on Black River National Park, on Mondrain Nature Reserve, on the Bambou range and on a remarkable relict of dry forest remaining in Roches Noires. The altitude range of the species was therefore very wide (8–656 m) in 2009 (but see below). Thus, as B. viettei , B. nattecantor n. sp. is displaying a wide tolerance regarding precipitations.

Importantly, the latter locality (Roches Noires) was strikingly well preserved when I visited it in 2009, with many endemic plant species (at least considered as vulnerable and some as critically endangered) and a reduced penetration of exotics; it was the only very low altitude dry forest remaining on the island, and more generally in the whole archipelago. In spite of this, it has been destroyed and B. nattecantor n. sp., as all other endemics, have most likely disappeared from this unique place.

Biology. As its sister species from Réunion, adults of B. viettei were observed on Endemic Sapotacae trees, except in Roches Noires where they were on Cassine orientalis . Males sing by night near tree tops I collected all the examined males during night by tree climbing techniques. Females are sometimes observed walking by night on lower Sapotacae branches, looking for dead branches for oviposition. One juvenile was collected by beating a shrub on Macabé viewpoint (Ben Warren), suggesting that in this species, juveniles also occur more in the lower plant strata than do adults. In captivity, they eat moths. As observed for its Réunon’s sister species, specimens of B. nattecantor n. sp. do not usually fall when branches are shaken, but grasp the leaves, making this species difficult to collect by beating techniques.

Body Head Pronotum Tibia Femora FW O

I II III I II III III

Pronotum W: maximal width, including the lateral lobes. Femora W: maximal width. FW W, O W: width on the middle.

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 62. Brachyphisis male terminalia and genitalia. 51 – 56, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 57 – 62, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 51, 57, terminalia (dorsal view). 52, 58, subgenital plate. 53, 59, terminalia (ventral view). 54, 60, paraprocts (side view). 55, 61, epiphallus right side view. 56, 62, epiphallus dorsal view (head on top). Bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 63 – 66. Brachyphisis female terminalia. 63 – 64, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 65 – 66, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 63, 65, subgenital plate; bar: 1 mm. 64, 66, ovipositor (right side view).

FIGURES 67 – 72. Brachyphisis male wings and stridulatory files (scan electron microscope pictures). 67 – 69, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 70 – 72, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 67, 70, left fore wing. 68, 71, right fore wing. 69, 72, stridulatory files. Bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 73 – 74. Brachyphisis stridulation in natura. 73, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957, la Réunion, Mare Longue, départ du sentier botanique, 11. XI. 2009, 21 h 30, 24 ° C. 74, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp., Mauritius, Macabé, belvédère terminus, 5. V. 2009, 22 h 35, 24 ° C.

Tables

TABLE 6. Measurements (mm) of Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp.

	L	L	W	L	W	H	L	L	L	L	L	L	W	L	W	L W
3Holotype	18.9	2.5	3.2	4.8	4	2.6	7.5	6.9	12	7.2	5.7	12	2.4	14.7	3.9
ƤAllotype	18.8	2.4	3.3	4.9	3.7	2.4	8.0	7.2	14.1	7.4	6.1	13.7	2.5	16.0	4.3	11.2 1.5
3 (n=6) min max average	17.3 20.5 18.6	2.1 2.5 2.3	3.2 3.4 3.3	4.8 5.1 5.0	3.8 4.1 4.0	2.0 2.6 2.3	7.5 8.2 7.8	6.9 7.4 7.1	12.0 13.5 13.0	7.1 7.8 7.4	5.7 6.3 6.1	12.0 13.6 12.8	2.4 2.7 2.5	14.7 16.8 15.8	3.9 4.3 4.1
ƤParatype	18.6	2.2	3.2	4.5	4.0	2.1	7.6	6.9	13.0	7.2	6.0	12.2	2.4	16.8	4.0	11.2 1.4