Tiyantiyana, Cigliano & Pocco & Lange, 2011

Cigliano, María Marta, Pocco, Martina E. & Lange, Carlos E., 2011, Grasshoppers of the Andes: new Melanoplinae and Gomphocerinae taxa (Insecta, Orthoptera, Acrididae) from Huascarán National Park and Callejón de Huaylas, Ancash, Peru, Zoosystema 33 (4), pp. 523-544 : 525-530

Genus Tiyantiyana n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Tiyantiyana sunipenis n. gen., n. sp.

ETYMOLOGY. — “Tiyantiyan” means cricket in Quechua native language. In the Huascarán region, grasshoppers are called crickets.

DISTRIBUTION. — Peru, Ancash (see distribution in OSF).

DIAGNOSIS. — Among the South American Melanoplinae , Tiyantiyana n. gen. is characterized by the unique shape of the aedeagus with the ventral valves very long, protruding beneath the pallium, highly surpassing the level of the epiproct, sheath of aedeagus with numerous spines ( Figs 1 I-L; 4C-D).

DESCRIPTION

Small sized apterous insects.Body colour highly variable with multiple short carinulae on tegument.

Males Head globed-shape, fastigium declivent, with lateral carinae weakly indicated, rounded at the joint of frontal costa; eyes subcircular ( Figs 1 A-C; 4A). Lateral foveolae of fastigium visible from above ( Fig. 1C ). Antennae short, shorter than head and pronotum, with flattened segments ( Fig. 1A ; 4A ). Pronotal disk flat, trapezoidal, weakly constricted at the middle; lateral and mid longitudinal carinae weakly indicated; transverse sulci not indicated on pronotal disk, only evident on lateral lobes of pronotum; hind margin emarginated ( Fig.1C ). Meso, metanoto and abdominal tergites with lateral carinulae at the sides of mid longitudinal carina. Prosternal process collar-shaped. Cerci conical,width tapering towards the apex,barely reaching the tip of epiproct ( Fig. 1D, E ). Epiproct triangular;furculae not developed( Fig.1D ). Abdominal terminalia swollen and upcurved.Pallium thick, highly elevated ( Fig.1E ). Subgenital plate short, with rounded distal margin, with the apex surpassing the tip of epiproct. Legs with femora robust, mostly the hind ones ( Figs 1A ; 4A ). Phallic complex ( Figs 1 I-M; 4C-E): cingulum with reduced rami, zygoma and apodemes well developed. Basal endophallic plates barely developed comparatively to the apical plates. Valves of aedeagus very long, protruding beneath the pallium, highly surpassing the level of the epiproct, apex bent downwards; sheath of aedeagus covering ⅔ of the valves of aedeagus with numerous spines; arch of cingulum large.Epiphallus with lophi widely developed horizontally.

Females

Similar to males, but more robust and with the pronotum constricted at the middle. Tegument with clearly indicated carinulae ( Fig. 4B ). Head with fastigium more prominent; eyes subtrigonal ( Figs 1F ; 4B ). Ovipositor valves strong and long, with serrate margins ( Fig. 1H ).

RELATIONSHIPS

Despite the lack of the spur on the prosternum (that may be related to the apterism condition), Tiyantiyana n. gen. shares the remaining diagnostic characters of the subfamily Melanoplinae : frons convex, profile of face and fastigium united in the same curve; male abdominal terminalia swollen and upcurved, palium coriaceous; male phallic complex with the middle part of the endophallic sclerites constituted by one dorso-lateral piece; cingulum with arch clearly developed. Based on the morphological evidence it was not possible to assign the genus to any of the three tribes described for the South American Melanoplinae ( Amédégnato et al. 2003; Carbonell et al. 2006): Jivarini Hebard, 1924 , Dichroplini Rehn & Randell, 1963 and Parascopini Ronderos, 1983. However, molecular analyses currently underway have shown that Tiyantiyana n. gen. is grouped with the remaining Andean melanoplines genera (unpublished observations).

Figures

FIG. 1. — Tiyantiyana sunipenis n. gen, n. sp.: A, male habitus, lateral view; B, C, male head and pronotum, lateral and dorsal views; D, E, male distal abdominal segments, dorsal and lateral views; F, G, female head and pronotum, lateral and dorsal views; H, female ovipositor valves;I, phallic complex,lateral view;J, L, endophallic plates,cingulum and aedeagal valves with sheath, dorsal and lateral views; K, distal portion of aedeagus and aedeagal valves, ventral view; M, epiphallus, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Ap, apodemes of cingulum; Ar, arch of aedeagus; Av, aedeagal valves; Ep, endophallic plates;L, lophi of epiphallus; Rm, rami; Sh, sheath of aedeagus, Zy, zygoma. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 4. — Tiyantiyana sunipenis n. gen., n. sp.: A, male habitus, lateral view; B, female habitus, lateral view; C, D, endophallic plates, cingulum and aedeagal valves with sheath, lateral and dorsal views; E, epiphallus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 5 mm.