Odontoxiphidium Morse 1901

Woo, Brandon, 2024, A new species of Meadow Katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalini) from the Apalachicola River Basin of Florida, USA, Zootaxa 5523 (1), pp. 100-112 : 101-102

Genus Odontoxiphidium Morse 1901

Type species: Odontoxiphidium apterum Morse , by original monotypy Morse. 1901. Canadian Entomologist 33(5):129.

Etymology: From odonto = relating to a tooth or teeth, and Xiphidium , an old name for members of Conocephalus Thunberg 1815 .

Diagnosis (from Morse 1901): “Allied to Ziphidium [sic], from which it is probably derived. Distinguished from that genus by the form of the anal cerci of the male, which are elongate, straight, with the lateral tooth reduced in size, and an additional tooth upon the dorsal side near the base; and, in the type, by the form of the pronotum, which is sub-sellate and prolonged backward, covering the base of the abdomen both above and on the sides, in correlation with the absence of flight-organs”.

Updated diagnosis of the genus: Similar to members of Conocephalus , differing primarily in the morphology of the male cerci and tegmina. Prosternum armed with two short spines. Pronotum without lateral carinae, posteriorly covering abdominal base. Two narrow longitudinal stripes present on dorsal pronotum, ranging from white to turquoise in life. Exposed portion of male tegmina ⅔ as long as pronotum; male hind wings absent; tegmina and wings absent in female. Hind femora thickened at base, with dark maculation, hind knees black. Male cerci straight and evenly tapering, bearing two lateral, inwardly directly teeth; basalmost tooth extremely short, about ⅕ length of distal tooth. Male subgenital plate not extending past basalmost cercal tooth, bearing two short styli. Titillator sclerite elongated, gently curving; apices slightly expanded and bearing small dark teeth. Female cerci conical, tapered at apex. Ovipositor shorter than hind femur, mostly straight throughout basal and middle sections, gently upcurved or downcurved at apex. Female subgenital plate broadly rounded, bilobed, with lobes forming a rounded notch at apex.