Ewanella breviuscula, Gorochov, 2009

Gorochov, Andrej V., 2009, Katydids of the genus Ewanella and of the subgenus Megalotheca (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 435-435 : 437-439

Ewanella breviuscula sp. n.

Figs 5–9

Etymology: From Latin breviusculus (slightly shortened).

Description:

Male.

Coloration distinctly spotted (almost as in Fig. 9 ), yellowish with following marks: head with a pair of small light brown spots under antennal cavities, a pair of similar spots on upper part of clypeus, 2 or 3 pairs of similar spots on genae, a pair of brownish grey stripes along dorsal edge of antennal cavities, a small brown spot on dorsal part of rostral base, brown or light brown marks of different shape and size on hind part of vertex, brownish apical ring on each scape, brownish on majority of segments of antennal flagellum (these segments with yellowish basal ring); pronotum with mostly brown or dark brown pronotal edges, a pair of small to rather large brownish spots on anterior part of disc, a few brown or dark brown vertical lines on lateral lobes, and a rather large light brown spot or a few such spots on each of lateral lobes behind these lines; legs with 3 brown bands on fore and middle femora, an additional dark brown spot at base of each middle femur, brown reticular ornament on outer surface of proximal half of hind femora, several large brownish spots on dorsal part of these femora, 2 brown bands on fore tibiae and 3 on middle tibiae, light brown area on distal part of hind tibiae, dark brown 3 rd and sometimes 2 nd segments of fore and middle tarsi, brown or brownish on most of hind tarsal venter, and dark brown base of 3 rd segment of hind tarsi and apex of its pulvilli; tegmina with 4 or 5 large brown or brownish spots in costal area (spots crossed by light crossveins), 3 or 4 such spots at interradial area, 4 or 5 similar spots at medial area, 2 at radial area (at its distal part), light brown membranes between crossveins of proximal and middle parts of this area, brown on majority of membranes between M and CuA (before MP+CuA1 anastomosis) and along anal edge of tegmina, transparent stridulatory areas of lower tegmen, and brownish thick sclerite at basal part of this tegmen; hind wings with transparent membranes, dark brown longitudinal veins, and almost whitish crossveins; abdomen with weakly distinct brownish spots on tergites. Rostrum very narrow and with slight dorsal notch near apex; lamellar lobes of medial edges of antennal cavities large, angular, almost reaching rostral apex; these lobes hardly wider than this apex and 5 times narrower than scape; eyes large (width of each eye almost equal to distance between them). Pronotum with hind edge oblique in profile (slightly more oblique than that of E. longipes ; see Naskrecki 1994, fig. 17). All femora with 2 pairs of small apical spines and a few small ventral spines situated on inner keel in fore legs, outer keel in middle legs, and both keels in hind legs (spines of hind femora distinctly larger than those of other femora); fore and middle tibiae with 2 rows of small numerous ventral spines (including apical ones) and 2 rows of a few similar dorsal spines (these spines developed in proximal and distal parts of tibiae, but apical ones developed only on outer side in fore tibiae (1 spine) and on inner side in middle tibiae (1 spine); sometimes latter spine absent); hind tibiae with 2 rows of small numerous ventral spines (developed only in distal half) and 2 rows of hardly larger numerous dorsal spines situated in both halves except for small proximal and small distal parts of these tibiae (ventral apical spines of these tibiae distinctly larger than all other spines of legs, inner one almost twice as large as outer one); hind tarsi with a pair of rather large plantulae slightly longer than half of hind basitarsus. Wings slightly shortened, distinctly not reaching hind femoral apex (ratio tegmen/hind femur 0.75–0.8); distal part of tegmen almost twice as narrow as widest part of proximal half (except in region of stridulatory apparatus); tegminal apex narrowly rounded; tegminal subcostal area almost without crossveins; tegminal R with 2 branches in distal third; area between tegminal M and CuA narrow ( Fig. 5 : a); area between place of basal articulation of lower tegmen and thick sclerite of its basal part ( Fig. 5 : b) rather wide (distinctly wider than in E. longipes ; Fig. 1 : b); this sclerite chartacteristic in shape (for comparison see Figs 1 and 5 : s); mirror of lower tegmen ( Fig. 5 : m) with thin and straight lateral edge, almost angular posteromedial corner and distinctly thickened and widely rounded hind edge provided with very small setae; area between hind part of this mirror and medial (anal) edge of tegmen narrow (distinctly narrower than in E. longipes ; see Figs 1 and 5 ); stridulatory vein of upper tegmen with 37–41 (37 in holotype) normal darkened teeth; length of this darkened stridulatory file 0.85–0.9 mm. Apical part of hind wings slightly or hardly exposed behind tegmina in rest position. Cerci and genital plate as in Figs 6, 7 .

Female.

Coloration and structure of body similar to those of male, but pronotal disc with brownish marks on hind half, darkened tegminal spots somewhat larger and partly fused with each other, and wings slightly longer (ratio tegmen/hind femur 0.9–0.95) ( Fig. 9 ). Genital plate with rounded posterolateral corners and distinct, almost angular apical notch ( Fig. 8 ); ovipositor 0.6–0.7 times shorter than hind femur, hardly curved upwards, and with gradually narrowing distal part having numerous small denticles on dorsal and ventral edges, small tubercles on both lateral surfaces, and acute apex.

Length (mm): Body: ♂ 13–15, ♀14 –17; body with wings: ♂ 18–19.5, ♀23 –25; pronotum: ♂ 2.7–2.9, ♀3.2 –3.5; tegmen: ♂ 13–14, ♀17.5 –19; hind femur: ♂ 16.5–18, ♀19 – 21; ovipositor 11.5–14.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape, about 80 km WWWS of Upington [28 ° 30'S: 20 ° 31'E], Augrabies National Park , 300–400 m, semidesert nr Orange R. ( Fig. 10 ), on succulent bush, at night, 5– 6.i.2008, A. Gorochov & A. Sotshivko ( NMSA).

Paratypes: 4 ♂ 5 ♀same data as holotype ( ZIAS, NMSA), but 2 specimens collected on ground ( Fig. 9 ) .

Comparison: The differences between the new species and E. longipes are given in the key. It is necessary to add that the males of E. breviuscula are distinctly more spotted than the holotype of E. longipes (only one male is known in this species), and that females of these species are distinguished from each other only by the shape of the genital plate.

Figures

Figs 1–8. Species of Ewanella: (1–4) E. longipes [after Naskrecki (1994) and Eades & Otte (2009)], stridulatory apparatus of male right tegmen (1), male cercus ventrally (2), male genital plate ventrally (3), female genital plate ventrally (4); (5–8) E. breviuscula sp. n., stridulatory apparatus of male right tegmen (5), male cercus ventrally (6), male genital plate ventrally (7), female genital plate ventrally (8). Abbreviations: (a) area between M and CuA, (b) area between place of basal articulation and sclerite ‘s’, (m) mirror, (s) thick sclerite of basal part.

Fig. 9. Female of Ewanella breviuscula sp. n. in living condition. (Photo courtesy A. Sochivko)

Fig. 10. Type locality of of Ewanella breviuscula sp. n. (Photo courtesy A. Sochivko)