Parapyrrhicia diamantina, Hemp & Heller & Warchałowska-Śliwa & Grzywacz & Hemp, 2017

Hemp, Claudia, Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta, Grzywacz, Beata & Hemp, Andreas, 2017, Review of the East African species of the phaneropterine genus Parapyrrhicia Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1891 (Insecta: Orthoptera): secret communication of a forest-bound taxon, Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 17 (1), pp. 231-250 : 237-238

Parapyrrhicia diamantina n. sp. C. Hemp

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile. org:TaxonName:492598

Holotype male: Tanzania, West Usambara Mountains , Lutindi forest, 5°04′00″ S 38°22′00″ E, submontane forest, 1250 m, December 2014; leg. C Hemp. Depository: MfN.

Paratype. 1 female, same data as holotype but March 2014; leg. C Hemp. Depository: MfN .

Further paratype material: two males, four females, same data as holotype but March 2014, January 2015 and September 2015; leg. C Hemp (collection C. Hemp) .

Description Male ( Fig. 4c ). Color green, tegmina dark green with dark brown to black patch on stridulatory area of left tegmen, in the central part around stridulatory file shiny white ( Fig. 11 ). On pronotum, abdomen and legs numerous reddish dots. Head and antennae: Antennae green, thin, about total length of insect. Fastigium as for genus, compressed and narrower than first antennal segment, sulcate above, concave in profile. Eyes circular, prominent, in life white often with one dark median stripe, sometimes with up to three thinner stripes before median broader stripe, sometimes mixed white and red or green, glinting. Rarely with dark eyes ( Fig. 4d ). Thorax: Pronotum without lateral carinae, surface smooth. Tegmina and wings: Both pairs of wings fully developed, alae surpassing tegmina. Stridulatory file as in Fig. 12e with 66 teeth (n = 1). Legs: Legs long and slender, fore tibiae with oval, open tympana, slightly thickened in this area. Fore femora with one anterior ventral row of tiny brown-tipped spinules; spinules irregularly distributed over femoral length, about six to ten. Mid femora with one posterior ventral row of three to six spinules. Hind femora with two to ten tiny spinules ventrally on anterior side. Fore and mid tibiae with two to four dorsal spurs and with a pair of ventral spurs. Hind tibiae with three apical spurs on each side and four rows of numerous small spinules getting denser distally. Tarsi cream to white. Abdomen: Abdomen green with numerous reddish dots, venter whitish. Laterally on each side ivory white patch, often stigmata also marked white ( Fig. 11 ). Cerci stout till about half length and setose producing midway a sclerotized dent ( Fig. 12a, c ; Fig. 6b ), then laterally compressed and expanded ending in two tips, one stouter and incurved the other a flat finger-like projection ( Fig. 12d , arrow). Subgenital plate very large, elongated, deeply divided into two laterally compressed and apically expanded lobes ( Fig. 12a–c ). Between supra-anal plate and subgenital plate medially thorn-like elongated titillator with sclerotized tip ( Fig. 12b ).

Female. As male but without dark and white patch on left tegmen but often with two dark patches at the tegmina bases and brown costal margins ( Fig. 4d ). The tenth abdominal tergite evenly curved with shallow incision medially. Ovipositor as in Fig. 7e , subgenital plate as in Fig. 7f , elongated and divided into two lobes.

Nymphs. Similar to adults ( Fig. 13 ).

Measurements Males (n = 2): Total length of body, 19.5– 22 mm (including subgenital plate); median length of pronotum, 4.5–4.6 mm; length of hind femur, 19.5– 20.5 mm; length of tegmina 34–35 mm.

Measurements Females (n = 6). Total length of body, 20– 22.5 mm; median length of pronotum, 5.2–5.3 mm; length of hind femur, 21.5–23 mm; length of tegmina, 35–37 mm; ovipositor, 9.5–10 mm.

Etymology. The eyes are sparkling like a diamond in many specimens, therefore diamantina .

Habitat. Submontane forest.

Biology. Night active species of the tree layer within closed forest. Seasonal species, adults only found from about November/December to March/April.

Distribution. At present only known from the type locality, Lutindi forest in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.

Figures

Fig. 4 Habitus photos of Parapyrrhicia species. a Male and b female of P. acutilobata. c Male and d female of P. diamantina n. sp. e Male and f female of P. abdita n. sp.

Fig. 11 Male P. diamantina n. sp. with ivory patch on lateral abdomen (arrow), reddish dots on pronotum and head and striped glinting eyes. Stridulatory area of left tegmen dark with shiny white inner area

Fig. 12 Morphological details of male Parapyrrhicia diamantina n. sp. Lateral (a) and semilateral (c) view on abdominal apex b Subgenital plate and titillator. d Cercus with arrow pointing at finger-like process. e Stridulatory file

Fig. 6 Apices of alive male Parapyrrhicia species. a P. acutilobata. b P. diamantina n. sp. c P. abdita n. sp.

Fig. 7 Morphological details of Parapyrrhicia females. a, b P. zanzibarica, ovipositor lateral and subgenital plate. c, d P. acutilobata, ovipositor lateral and subgenital plate. e, f P. diamantina n. sp., ovipositor and subgenital plate. g, h P. abdita n. sp., ovipositor lateral and subgenital plate

Fig. 13 Last instar of male P. diamantina n. sp. West Usambara Mountains, Lutindi forest, 1250 m, December 2014