Raggophyllum spinosum Nickle, 1967

Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello & Rafael, José Albertino, 2021, Redescription of Raggophyllum Nickle, 1967 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) with description of a new species from Brazilian Amazon Rainforest and placement in Microcentrini Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, Zootaxa 4950 (3), pp. 547-560 : 549-554

Raggophyllum spinosum Nickle, 1967

Figures 2–7 and 13

Raggophyllum spinosum Nickle, 1967: 7 ; Cigliano et al., 2020 (online catalog).

Diagnosis. Femora brownish-green; Apex of hind femur brown; Tibiae light brown ( Fig. 7 ). Tergite XI with straight triangular projection, in lateral view ( Fig. 3K ). Cercus inward curved, in dorsal and ventral view; Apex of cercus with a small blunt projection ( Fig. 3I ). Styles wider at base in lateral view ( Fig. 3K ). Titillator sclerite slender and with an acuminate apex ( Fig. 6F ).

Redescription. Male.

Thorax. Furcal suture connected, laterally curved ( Fig. 3C ). Lateral lobe of mesobasisternum triangular, anterolaterally rounded, laterally and posteriorly straight, posterolaterally forming an angle of 90º ( Fig. 3E ). Metabasisternum triangular, anteriorly convex with a rounded lateral projection each side ( Fig. 3E ); lateral lobe triangular, anterolaterally and laterally convex, posteriorly straight and posterolaterally forming an angle of 130º ( Fig. 3E ).

Wings. Vein MA with four branches reaching wing margin ( Fig. 4 ). Left stridulatory file with 131 teeth, length of 3 mm and greatest width of the vein of 0.7 mm ( Fig. 5A ). Right stridulatory file with 96 teeth, length of 1.9 mm and greatest width of the vein of 0.5 mm ( Fig. 5B ).

Abdomen. Tergite XI with straight triangular projection, in lateral view ( Fig. 3K ). Cercus inward curved, in dorsal and ventral view; Apex of cercus with a small blunt projection ( Fig. 3I ). Styles with base width larger than distal portion, in lateral view ( Fig. 3K ).

Internal male genitalia. Dorsal lobes with anterior margin with elongated and lobed projection ( Fig. 6A–B ). Titillator sclerite slender and with acuminated apex ( Fig. 6F ). Lower folds of the ventral lobe short, asymmetrical and do not extend beyond the posterior margin of dorsal lobe ( Figs. 6A–D ).

Coloration. Described based on photos of live specimens ( Fig. 7 ). Body dark green; abdomen light green ventrally. Light brown eyes with black spots. Fastigium-vertex with beige side stain. Mandible beige clear. Palpus light brown. Pronotal disc margin with a narrow beige-brownish band. Tegmina dark green, with a stridulatory dark brown region; posterior margin of the tegmina with a narrow yellow band. Fore and mid legs light brown with patches of light green. Hind femur light green with light brown spots. Hind tibia light brown.

Material examined. BRASIL, Acre, Bujari, Floresta Estadual Antimary , 09°20’01”S / 68°19’17”W, 25– 27.viii.2016, armadilha luminosa, D.M.M. Mendes, F.F. Xavier F°, A.A. Agudelo & J.A.Rafael leg. (4♂ – INPA and 2♂ – MZSP) .

Measurements (mm). Male: TL: 26,5–25,7; TegL: 39,9–39,3; TegH: 19–18,3; WF: 3,9–3,5; PL: 5,9–5,4; PH: 5,9–5,8; FF: 7,5–7,3; FT: 8,3–7,9; MF: 9,9–9,5; MT: 11,3–10,2; HF: 24,3–23,3; HT: 25,5–25; Lplac: 3,9–3,8; LC: 3,9–3,5.

Geographical records. Brazil (new record): Acre ; Peru: Huallaga (type locality), Huanaco , Loreto and Pasco ; Bolivia: Beni ( Fig. 13 ) .

Habitat. The specimens from Brazil (Acre) were collected in a terra firme upland forest with high bamboo density ( Guadua sp.), locally called “taboca”. As discussed by Mendes & Rafael (2020) for Acropsis tectiformis ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878) , possibly R. spinosum distribution is associated with Amazonian bamboo forests from the foot of the Andes ( Peru and part of Bolivia) to the Brazilian Amazon.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pictorial key for adult male species of Raggophyllum Nickle, 1967.

FIGURE 3. Raggophyllum spinosum, male. A: habitus, lateral view; B: head, frontal view; C: head and pronotum, dorsal view; D: head and pronotum, lateral view; E: Thoracic sternites, ventral view; F: foreleg, lateral view; G: midleg, lateral view; H: hindleg, lateral view; I–J: Terminalia in ventral and dorsal view respectively; K:Apex of cerci, dorsal view.Abbreviations: Mes: mesobasisternum; Met: metabasisternum; Cer: cerci; Sty: styli; Pl: subgenital plate.

FIGURE 4. Raggophyllum spinosum, left tegmina of male in dorsal view. Abbreviations: AP: Posterior anal vein; AA: anterior anal vein; CuA: anterior cubital vein; CuP: posterior cubital vein; MA: anterior median vein; MP: posterior median vein; R: radial vein; Sc: subcostal vein.

FIGURE 5. Raggophyllum spinosum, stridulatory file of male. A: left file; B: right file.

FIGURE 6. Raggophyllum spinosum, male internal genitalia.A–B: phallus, ventral view; C–D: phallus, dorsal view; E: phallus with titillator sclerite, ventral view; F: titillator sclerite. Abbreviations: AP: sclerites of apodemes; DF: dorsal fold; DL: dorsal lobe(s); EV: ejaculatory vesicles; TS: titillator sclerite; TI: titillator process; Lw. vl.: lower folds of ventral lobe; Up. vl.: upper folds of ventral lobe.

FIGURE 7. Raggophyllum spinosum, male specimen alive.

FIGURE 13. Map of Raggophyllum species geographical records.