Diponthus salvadorii, Pocco & Lange & Cigliano, 2023

Pocco, Martina E., Lange, Carlos E. & Cigliano, María Marta, 2023, Relationships and taxonomy of the genus Diponthus Stål (Orthoptera: Acridoidea Romaleidae), Zootaxa 5336 (1), pp. 33-81 : 61

Diponthus salvadorii sp. nov. Pocco, Lange & Cigliano

( Figs. 4c, d, 5h, 7a, b, 8n, 9a, b, 10n, 11n, 12a, b, and 13).

Type material. Holotype male, Brazil, Paraná, Bituruna, 01/1944, Victor Staviarsky leg., deposited in MLP ( Fig. 4c, d) . Paratypes: one male and one female, same data of holotype, MLP .

Etymology. This new species is named in honor of Prof. Carlos Salvador Carbonell for his invaluable contribution to the study of Neotropical Acridoidea, and especially to this particular study by providing his notes and photographs of the type specimens of Diponthus species.

Diagnosis. Similar to D. crassus , from which it differs by the color pattern of the tegmina and the vein pattern: irregular transverse veins without delimiting cells and with small light brown spots on them; longitudinal veins dark brown ( Figs. 4c, d, 5h, and 8n); lower face of hind femur and hind tibia red ( Fig. 4c); valves of cingulum C-shaped in lateral view, with narrow base, and distal portion expanded ( Fig. 10n); dorsal valves of aedeagus short and thick ( Figs. 10n, and 11n). Tegmina reaching (females) or exceeding (males) the end of abdomen ( Figs. 4c, d, and 5h).

Description. Medium-sized insects. Male: integument of head rugose, except on dorsum and postocular area. Fastigium slightly excavated, apex slightly concave. Interocular distance equal to the width of fastigium apex. Eyes rather prominent and subcircular, exceeding the level of vertex in lateral view. Integument of prozona faveolated on dorsum and sides; metazona reticulate. Prozona as long as or slightly longer than metazoan. Mid-dorsal longitudinal carina of pronotum almost obsolete, cut by three transverse sulci. Transverse sulci very deep and well-marked on dorsum and sides. Anterior margin of pronotum emarginated in the middle, posterior margin of disc very open/wide V-shaped, almost straight. Prosternal tubercle straight with rounded apex. Tegmina and hind wings exceeding the end of abdomen, with rounded apex. Tegmina with irregular transverse veins without delimiting cells, and with small light brown spots on them. Cerci wide at base, narrowing gradually, barely exceeding the end of epiproct. Epiproct short, with rounded lateral edges, and posterior edge angulate, large furculae place apart from the midline, with the tips directed inwards. Phallic complex ( Figs. 10n, 11n, and 12a, b): valves of cingulum C-shaped in lateral view, narrow base, and expanded distal portion. Dorsal valves of aedeagus short and thick. Cingulum wide Ushaped, with wide zygoma. Epiphallus with lophi parallel to the bridge, extended but without reaching the posterior processes of lateral plates; triangular shape in frontal view.

Chromatic characters. Body color greenish black with light brown ( Fig. 4c, d). Head with a wide mid-dorsal longitudinal band light brown that continues along the pronotum disc. Light brown antennae. Pronotum black or greenish black, with anterior and posterior margins of lateral lobes light brown. Disc of pronotum with spots on both sides of the median carina within the areas delimited by the transverse sulci. Meso and metapleurae dark green. Tegmina with small light brown spots on the transverse veins; longitudinal veins dark brown. Hind wings ocher yellow. Legs: anterior and middle light brown. Hind leg light brown with a black or greenish-black longitudinal band on outer face of femur; inner face of femur black-greenish; lower face of femur and hind tibia bright red. Abdomen ocher, apex of cerci, tubercles of epiproct and tips of furculae black.

Females. Similar to males, but more robust. Tegmina and hind wings not exceeding the end of abdomen ( Fig. 5h).

Measurements (in mm). Body length: males: 27.5 (27–28); female: 33. Hind femur length: males: 14; female: 18.5. Tegmina length: males: 19.5 (19–20); female: 23.

Distribution. This species is distributed in Brazil (Paraná) ( Fig. 13).