Pediella juninensis, Cigliano & Amedegnato & Pocco & Lange, 2010

Cigliano, M. M., Amedegnato, C., Pocco, M. E. & Lange, C. E., 2010, Revisionary study of Pediella Roberts (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) from the Andes Highlands, Zootaxa 2431 (1), pp. 51-61 : 55-57

Pediella juninensis , n.sp.

( Figs. 1C ; 4D, H ; 5T–X ; 6 )

Holotype male 2, allotype female, Perú: Depto. Junín, 21 km from Tarma to Jauja , almost at the pass, 4100m, S11º02’36.5” / W75º37’33.9”, 28/04/2008, (Cigliano & Lange), MLPA.

Paratypes: 3 males, 2 females, Perú: Depto. Junín, 25 km. W La Oroya, 3900 m., 09/1978 (Herbe Haute) (Descamps), MNHN ; 1 male, Depto. Junín, La Oroya, 4000 m., 08/1978, (Descamps), MNHN ; 8 males, 6 females, Depto. Junín, btwn. Tarma & Jauja, 4000 m., 09/1978, (Descamps), MNHN, MLPA ; 1 female, Depto. Junín, Tarma , La Oroya, 4000 m, 26/10/2001 (Amedegnato & Poulain), MNHN ; 1 female, Depto. Junín, Huancayo, 26 Km to Tarma from La Oroya , 4145m, S11º23’55.2” / W75º49’14.0”, 26/04/2008, (Cigliano & Lange), MLPA ; 3 females, 2 males, 1 nymph, Depto. Junín, 21 km from Tarma to Jauja , at the pass, 4100m, S11º02’36.5” / W 75º37’33.9”, 28/04/2008, (Cigliano & Lange), MLPA

Diagnosis. Distinguished from the remaining species of Pediella by the hind tibiae with the proximal two thirds yellow, distal third and tarsi orange red; male cerci wide and short not exceeding the tip of epiproct, compressed laterally.

1. http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/editTaxon/Distribution/SpecimensMap.aspx?TaxonNameID=77279

2. http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/ShowImage.aspx?TaxonNameID=77278&ImageID=68985

Description. Body color dorsally dark green (some specimens light green), with a yellow midlongitudinal stripe on dorsum of abdomen; face, anterior edge of pronotum and thorax ventrally whitish green porcelaine; epimeron with a whitish porcelain stripe; abdominal sternites and subgenital plate yellow, abdomen lateral with tinges of violet-blue (in alive specimens); ventral area of first and second pair of legs greenish cream with tinges of red; hind femur with ventral and inner orange red, dorsal area of olive green, outer area olive green except yellow pinnae; hind tibiae with the proximal two thirds yellow, distal third and tarsi orange red. Cerci ( Fig. 4D, H ) wide and short not exceeding the tip of epiproct, compressed laterally. Phallic complex ( Figs. 5T–X ): endophallic plates wide in lateral view; rami wide and short; cingulum with largely developed apodemes; arch of cingulum highly developed, bulky dorsally; distal portion of apical valves of aedeagus convex ventrally, hooked shaped at the apex; sheath of aedeagus largely developed; epiphallus with lophi largely developed horizontally. Tegmina with rounded apex ( Fig. 1C ).

Females: similar to male but more robust; body brown with yellow tinges, with a yellow mid-longitudinal stripe on dorsum of abdomen, of epiproct and of ovipositor valves; antennae red; body ventrally yellowish brown; first and second pair of legs brown with tinges of yellow; ventral area of hind femur orange red; inner area and outer area of hind femur brown with the yellow pinnae; hind tibiae with the proximal two thirds yellow, distal third and tarsi orange red. Sides of abdomen purple and of ovipositor valves with tinges of purple.

Measurements. Body length 17.8 mm (17–19) males, 22.7 mm (21–24) females; femur III length 9.8 mm (9–11) males, 12.2 mm (11–13) females.

Distribution. Perú, Junín ( Fig. 6 ), at the mountain passes, in puna grassland areas with bunchgrasses and tussocks, with a number of herbs, including non-tussock-forming grasses and sedges, prostrate or lowgrowing forbs such as species of Werneria and Acaena , and cactacea species. (See geographic distribution 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pediella habitus; A–D, males, species as indicated.

FIGURE 4. A–H, male distal abdominal segments of Pediella, dorsal view and lateral views: A,E, P. colorata, B,F, Pediella ancashensis, C,G, Pediella cajamarcaensis, D, H, Pediella juninensis.

FIGURE 5. Phallic complex of Pediella, species as indicated. A, F, K, T, endophallic plates, cingulum and aedeagal valves with sheath, lateral view; B, G, L, U, endophallic plates, cingulum and aedeagal valves with sheath, dorsal view; C, H, M, V, distal portion of aedeagus and aedeagal valves, ventral view; D–E, I–J, N–O,W–X, epiphallus dorsal and lateral view; P, phallic complex lateral view; Q, R, S, endophallic plates and aedeagal valves with sheath, dorsal, lateral and ventral view. Ap, apodemes of cingulum; Ar, arch of aedeagus; Av, aedeagal valves; Ep, endophallic plates; L, lophi of epiphallus; Rm, rami, Sh, sheath of aedeagus; Zy, zygoma.

FIGURE 6. Geographic distribution of Pediella species from the Peruvian Puna. Squares, indicate localities of collection of specimens examined of Pediella cajamarcaensis; circles, Pediella ancashensis, and triangles, Pediella juninensis.