Rhytidaspis variata meja, Ingrisch, 2019

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2019, Revision of the genus Rhytidaspis Redtenbacher, 1891 including the description of a new genus Haudrhytidaspis gen. nov. (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae), Zootaxa 4661 (2), pp. 343-370 : 358-359

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4661.2.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:71122FBE-0022-4D1F-B200-3946D770CAE8
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CEF84A-FFA3-FFE1-FF67-56CF331E39D2
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rhytidaspis variata meja
status	subsp. nov.

Treatment

Rhytidaspis variata meja View in CoL ssp. n.

Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A–B, 3G–H, 4D, 5F–G, 7O–Q, 8L–M, 9C, 11C, J, Q

Holotype (male): Indonesia, Papua Barat: Manokwari, Tafelberg [Gunung Meja], elev. 1500 m [0°52’S, 134°5’E], XI.1946, leg. R. Straatman (Honolulu, BPBM). GoogleMaps

Other specimens studied: Indonesia, Papua Barat: Dorey , [0°54‘S, 134°3‘E], 1.i.–31.xii.1878, leg. Raffray— 1 female, 1 male (Paris, MNHN); GoogleMaps New Guinea: Pami, [0°48‘37‘‘S, 134°0‘46‘‘E], leg. J.C. Bouwens— 1 female paratype (Naturalis Leiden, NBC) GoogleMaps

Discussion. The two specimens from Dorey had been originally identified as R. picta Redt. by Brongniart (1897) with the female selected as “female type” as it was custom at that time to describe a specimen of the opposite sex to the holotype as allotype on a later occasion if it had not been described in the original description. The female from Dorey is however not conspecific with R. picta but belongs to R. v. meja as all other Rhytidaspis specimens found so far in the close environment of Manokwari. The two females reported by Griffini (1908) from Mansinam Island [0°50’51’’S, 134°6’30’’E] and Andai [0°54’59’’S, 134°0’26’’E] probably also belong to this subspecies since they had also been collected in the close environment of Manokwari.

Diagnosis. R. v. meja ssp. n. differs from R. v. brevis ssp. n. by the dorsal apical lobe of the male cercus having the proximal angle finger shaped instead of compressed triangular, the distal angle of that lobe angular not markedly projecting, and by the longer stridulatory file on underside of the male tegmen. From R. v. variata ssp. n., it differs by the distal angle of the dorsal apical lobe of the male cercus being nearly rectangular and projecting mediad but hardly distad, while in R. v. variata that angle is nearly triangular and strongly projecting posteriorly. The stridulatory file on the underside of the male tegmen is little shorter in R. v. meja than in R. v. variata but the density of teeth in middle of the file is higher.

Description. Male. Tegmen behind stridulatory area with converging lateral margins, apex rounded ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 G– H). Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen 2.6 mm long, with about 93 teeth, in middle with 30.0 teeth per 1 mm, towards end teeth becoming very small and dense ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Mirror on right tegmen roughly rhombic, internal margin strongly oblique, 1.63 mm wide, 1.027 mm long ( Fig. 3H View FIGURE 3 ).

Cerci with dorsal apical lobe running oblique and parallel along inner margin of cercus trunk to nearly basal third of cercus; on apical side it little surpasses the cercus trunk by an angular lobe; margin of that lobe very faintly wavy, and its basal most area curved finger-shaped with dorso-internal furrow, separated by an incision from the remainder of the lobe ( Figs. 5 View FIGURE 5 F–G); down-curved apical margin of ventral apical lobe straight ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 O–Q).

Titillators with granular extension above the U-shaped curvature with margin in middle sub-straight to slightly concave, at proximal end rounded, and distally prolonged into a short, in lateral view triangular projection; separated by a long arm from little curved tip of titillator, which is only in apical area covered by spinules and a few larger teeth ( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 L–M, 9C).

Female. Subgenital plate with lateral margins of ventral surface approaching from base to about before the upcurved apical area with sub-straight lateral margins; apical area with parallel but little convex lateral margins, and apical lobes rather wide, moderately spaced, with sub-obtuse tips ( Figs. 11C, J, Q View FIGURE 11 ).

Coloration. Head with face red brown, vertex yellow brown, darker sideward, with two red brown spots at hind margin; antennal scrobae, scapus and pedicellus black, flagellum in basal area reddish, afterwards yellow; sub-ocular carina more intense red brown; mandibles and upper part of clypeus orange, lower part of clypeus yellow, labrum light orange, palpi yellow ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Pronotum medium red brown. Abdominal tergites yellowish with medium brown hind margins and black lateral bands. Meso- and Metasternum black; abdominal sternites yellow to light brown. Tegmen yellow with few scattered black dots ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 G–H). Coxa and trochanter of fore and mid legs slightly infumated, of hind femur dark brown to black, anterior and median femur with black transverse strokes, hind femur for almost basal half dark brown, afterward yellowish brown. Female subgenital plate black, brightened towards tip; cerci yellow, ovipositor medium brown. Male subgenital plate black.

Variation. The female from Dorey represents a melanistic color morph, in which head and pronotum are fully black. The face is also black, only part of clypeus, labrum and palpi are of light color ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Additionally, more than half of the ovipositor, the lateral and ventral surfaces in apical area of the hind tibiae, and part of the hind tarsi are black.

Etymology. Named after the type locality; noun in apposition.

Measurements (1 male, 1 female).—Body: male 41, female 39; pronotum: male 12.5, female 10.5; tegmen: male 8.5, female 3.5; hind femur: male 24.5, female 24.0; anterior femur: male 13, female 12; ovipositor: female 21.5 mm.