Asymmetrella Gorochov, 2022

Gorochov, A. V., 2022, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 15: Asymmetrella gen. n., Zvenellomorpha and Ultratrella from Madagascar, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (3), pp. 218-229 : 219

Genus Asymmetrella Gorochov , gen. n.

Type species A. longitubulosa Gorochov , sp.n.

DIAGNOSIS. Body rather small for this subtribe, moderately stout and distinctly pubescent (except for wings, pterothorax and abdomen). Head and pronotum dorsoventrally flattened; eyes not large, slightly longitudinal and strongly convex; ocelli small, poorly distinct (almost obliterated); rostrum roundly angular in profile, and space between antennal cavities slightly narrower than scape; maxillary palpi moderately short and with apical segment clearly but not strongly widened at apex; pronotum moderately transverse, with somewhat concave anterior edge, barely sinuate posteri- or edge, somewhat narrower (than middle area) anterior and posterior parts of disc, and low lateral lobes having distinct longitudinal keel in each of their middle areas ( Figs 1–3 ). Metanotal gland in male developed, consisting of one rather small median tubercle outlined laterally and anteriorly by not large (and not deep) horseshoe-like concavity; legs rather short, with numerous long hairs, with somewhat widened and flattened fore and middle femora as well as middle tibiae, with both tympana well developed and oval, and with hind tibiae typical of this subtribe (i.e. its spines and denticles not reduced, not very large and not thickened); tegmina somewhat protruding beyond abdominal apex, with normally developed stridulatory apparatus in male dorsal field, with rather large longitudinal mirror and rather short apical area in this field, as well as with moderately narrow R–M area in male; hind wings slightly protruding beyond tegminal apices but somewhat not reaching apices of hind femora ( Figs 1, 4– 9 ). Abdomen without additional specializations, but anal plate roundly truncate apically and with narrow semisclerotized median groove in anterior half (this groove outlined by a pair of low folds laterally; Fig. 10 ), and genital plate rather large and ovally widened but with long and narrowly angular posteromedian lobule ( Fig. 10 ); genitalia with epiphallus somewhat similar to that of Ocellotrella (i.e. anterior epiphallic half with large asymmetrical fold around almost spiral-like semitube of sacculus or of rachial base; very long tube of spermatophore probably formed inside this semitube), but general shape of epiphallus somewhat different (not flattened laterally and with short dorsoapical tubercles only), rachis much more widened basally, and formula more complicated in shape as well as strongly asymmetrical and usually with sinuate (and also strongly asymmetrical) sclerotized ribbon almost reaching apices of rami (spermatophore with both ampulla and part of tube near ampulla possibly forming laterally from this ribbon; Figs 11–13, 15, 24 ). Ampulla of spermatophore almost globular; spermatophore tube very long and thin as well as almost irregularly twisted and practically without any anchor-like structure ( Fig. 14 ).

INCLUDED SPECIES. Type species only.

COMPARISON. The new genus is more or less similar (possibly related) to the Madagascan genus Ocellotrella in the above-mentioned features of the male epiphallus, but it is strongly distinguished from the latter by a strongly pubescent body, much smaller (almost absent) lateral ocelli, a distinctly wider head rostrum, a lower and shorter pronotum having characteristic longitudinal keels laterally, widened and flattened fore and middle femora as well as middle tibiae, a well developed male tegminal stridulatory apparatus, and the abovelisted characters of the male genitalia.

ETYMOLOGY. This generic name originates from the Latinized Greek word “asymmetria” (asymmetry) and the generic name Malgasotrella (due to a strongly asymmetrical structure of the anterior epiphallic half).

Figures

Figs 1–9. Asymmetrella longitubulosa sp.n., males: 1 — body from side (tegmina spread); 2 — head and one fore leg in front; 3 — head with pronotum and one fore leg from above; 4 — posterior part of pronotum and metanotal gland from above; 5–6 — inner (5) and outer (6) tympana; 7–9 — left (7) and right (8–9) tegmina; 1–8 — holotype; 9 — paratype. Рис. 1–9. Asymmetrella longitubulosa sp.n., самцы: 1 — тело сбоку (надкрыльЯ расправлены); 2 — голова и одна переднЯЯ нога, спереди; 3 — голова с переднеспинкой и одной передней ногой, сверху; 4 — ЗаднЯЯ часть переднеспинки и метанотальнаЯ желеЗа, сверху; 5–6 — внутренний (5) и наружный (6) тимпанумы; 7–9 — левое (7) и правое (8–9) надкрыльЯ; 1–8 — голотитп; 9 — паратип.

Figs 10–27. Structures of abdomen, male: 10–15 — Asymmetrella longitubulosa sp.n.; 16 — Zvenellomorpha (Zvenellomorpha) bella Gor.; 17–18 — Z. (Z.) recta Gor.; 19–23 — Z. (Z.) intermedia sp.n.; 24 — A. sp.; 25 — Z. (Z.) sp.; 26 — Z. (Azvenellomorpha) sp.; 27 — Ultratrella sp.; 10 — abdominal apex from above; 11–13, 16–17, 19–21 — genitalia (11, 20 — from above; 12, 21 — from below; 13, 16– 17, 19 — from side); 14 — spermatophore from side, reconstruction; 15 — formula with rachis, endoparamere and ectoparamere from below; 18, 22 — formula from below; 23 — distal part of genitalia from side; 24–27 — scheme of sagittal section of formula [brown], of its sclerotized anterior ribbon [green] and of nearest portion of spermatophore tube [red]; 10, 23 — paratype; 11–22 — holotypes [16, 17 — after Gorochov, 2004, 2006.]