Luzaridella susurra Martins

Martins, Luciano De P., Da Silva, Luciene G., Henriques, Augusto L. & Zefa, Edison, 2013, First record of the genera Luzarida Hebard, 1928 and Luzaridella Desutter- Grandcolas, 1992 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Phalangopsinae) from Brazil, including a new species and description of the female of Luzarida lata Gorochov, 2011, Zootaxa 3609 (4), pp. 421-430 : 426-429

Luzaridella susurra Martins & da Silva, sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin susurra (= whisper) and refers to the very low calling song of the males.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (i) male tegmina short not surpassing the forth tergite posterior margin; (ii) teeth present only on the initial portion of stridulatory file, not exceeding 12 teeth; (iii) male genitalia: sclerite A of pseudepiphallic arm curved inward with rounded apex and proximal portion with dorsal expansion; sclerite B of pseudepiphallic arm with strong notch in median portion; (iv) ovipositor straight, shorter than femur III in length; (v) copulatory papilla: rectangular, slightly concave at apex; proximal portion with v-shaped margin, in ventral view.

Description. Male Holotype ( Figs. 24, 26, 27 , 30–38 ). Measurements (mm): body length, 12.72; pronotum length, 2.35; pronotum width, 3.23; head width, 2.59; length of femur III, 9.28; length of tibia III, 8.58; tegmen length, 5.28; tegmen width, 4.85; dorsal field width, 3.47; lateral field width, 1.38. Head. Vertex brown with five yellow longitudinal stripes, the median one narrower ( Fig. 30 ). Occiput yellow dorsally with fine pubescence. Eyes black outlined of light brown. Three ocelli arranged in triangle, the lateral ones slightly farther. Apical portion of gena and adjacent occiput brown ( Fig. 31 ). Median and basal portion of gena yellow whitish with a transverse dark brown band separating them ( Fig. 31 ). Fastigium brown with a light yellow central spot. Frons brown with three light yellow triangular spots. Scape light yellow with brown markings. Pedicel light brown. First articles of flagellum light brown darkening towards the apex. Clypeus whitish with two brown basal-center spots and a brown lateral band. Labrum whitish. Pleurostoma brown. Mandible yellow-whitish outlined of dark brown. Maxillary palpus whitish with brow spots laterally, fifth segment whitish with apical oblique truncation. Labial palpus whitish with third segment rounded at apex. Thorax. Pronotal disc slightly concave anteriorly and convex posteriorly ( Fig. 30 ). Pronotal disc with light brown broad longitudinal band situated in central region sculptured with brown, and light yellow lateral band ( Fig. 30 ). Pronotal lateral lobe light yellow with long bristles, its superior portion with dark brown longitudinal band ( Fig. 31 ). Antero-basal portion of lateral lobe rounded and ascending upward, visible dorsally ( Fig. 30 ). Pronotum outlined of brown. Legs yellow, pubescent; legs I and II with brown rings; tibia I with a oval tympanum on outer face and an elongated and larger one on inner face; femur III sculptured in brown; outer face with oblique striae and brown apex ( Fig. 32 ); inner face with two spots in the distal third, light yellow proximal third, and brown apex; tibia III with a brown ring in proximal portion, brown apex; four dorsal spurs and three apical ones on both faces of tibiae III; denticles presents on almost the entire length of tibia III, absents on proximal portion; first tarsomere light yellow in proximal portion and dark brown in distal portion, two rows of denticles: seven in inner face and 11 in outer one. Right tegmen ( Fig. 33 ), light brown, stridulatory apparatus reduced to few light yellow veins; dorsal field with a light yellow band adjacent to median vein, and a brown band along the median vein; lateral field with three dark brown longitudinal veins; stridulatory file strongly reduced with nine spaced teeth on inner portion of the vein. Abdomen from yellow to light brown with transversally elongated spots in tergites three (14), four (13), five (13), six (11) and seven (2); apex of supra-anal plate subtruncated ( Fig. 34 ); subgenital plate rectangular and truncated at apex ( Fig. 35 ). Cerci yellow. Male genitalia ( Figs. 36–38 ), sclerite A of pseudepiphallic arm curved inward ( Fig. 36 ), with rounded apex and proximal portion with dorsal expansion ( Fig. 38 ); sclerite B of pseudepiphallic arm with strong notch in median portion ( Fig. 38 ). Observations in paratypes. Male genitália with two arrangement patterns of the sclerite A of pseudepiphallic arm: extended sclerite (as in Holotype, see Fig. 36 ) and flexed sclerite ( Fig. 39 ). Stridulatory file of right tegmen with 4–12 spaced teeth (n=9) in inner portion of the vein. Dorsal field of left tegmen almost all hyaline, well marked veins ( Fig. 40 ), without stridulatory file. Hindwings absent. Metanotal gland with wide depression ( Fig. 41 ). Female ( Figs. 25, 28, 29 , 42–47 ), body shape and color pattern very similar to Holotype, showing only the following differences: tegmina reduced, covering only the first two tergites, dorsal field with seven veins little marked, lateral field with four dark brown well marked veins ( Fig. 42 ) and dark brown longitudinal band in its superior portion continuous to the dark brown band of pronotal lateral lobe ( Fig. 25 ); distal margin of supra-anal plate rounded ( Fig. 43 ); distal margin of subgenital plate v-shaped ( Fig. 44 ); ovipositor brown, shorter than femur III, straight, ventral valves slightly longer than the dorsal ones; Copulatory papilla ( Figs. 45–47 ) rectangular, distal margin slightly concave, and proximal margin with v-shaped notch, seen in ventral view ( Fig. 46 ).

Calling song (n=2, 24.2 and 25.3°C, Fig. 23 ): quite low intensity sound, that renders detection of singing males in the field extremely difficult. Chirp duration of 35.73 ± 3.16 ms (29–38, n=11). Each chirp with five to seven very briefs pulses, pulse duration of 2.45 ± 0.50 ms (2–3, n=38). Inter-chirp interval of 2138 ± 1195 ms (1115–4837, n=11) and inter-puse interval of 3.97 ± 0.47 ms (3–5, n=32). Extremely broad frequency band, ranging from 2.3 kHz to more than 10 kHz. Chirp rate ranged from 24 to 42 chirps/min and pulse rate from 142 to 167 pulses/s.

Habitat and male calling site. Males and females live in litter. The calling song recorded specimens were stridulating in litter on dry leaves; some males were found on litter with raised tegmina, but no apparent sound emission.

Measurements (mm). Male (n=9, excluding holotype). body length, 12.59 ± 0.80 (11.48–13.68); pronotum length, 2.64 ± 0.26 (2.40–2.85); pronotum width, 3.17 ± 0.26 (2.82–3.65); head width, 2.72 ± 0.17 (2.51–3.02); length of femur III, 9.93 ± 0.89 (8.75–11.44); length of tibia III, 9.06 ± 0.68 (8.09–9.93); tegmen length, 5.49 ± 0.26 (5.14–5.81); tegmen width, 4.73 ± 0.30 (4.24–5.18); dorsal field width, 3.30 ± 0.19 (2.92–3.55); lateral field width, 1.43 ± 0.13 (1.30–1.63). Female (n=9): body length, 14.43 ± 1.16 (13.01–16.09); pronotum length, 3.43 ± 0.28 (3.04–3.72); pronotum width, 3.89 ± 0.23 (3.65–4.25); head width, 3.05 ± 0.15 (2.86–3.23); length of femur III, 12.04 ± 0.71 (10.56–12.63); length of tibia III, 10.71 ± 0.92 (9.42–11.81); ovipositor length, 10.91 ± 0.92 (10.05–11.58).

Type material. Holotype 3: BRASIL, AM[azonas], Manaus, R[eserva] F[lorestal] Adolpho Ducke, AM-010, 26-31.viii.2011, 02º55’49”S, 59°58'31"W. Coleta ativa. L. P. Martins & V. Linard (INPA). Holotype condition: detached left tegmen and right leg II; genitalia placed in microvial with glycerin; all parts are maintained in holotype's tube. Paratypes: same data of Holotype (13, 1Ƥ, MZUSP). idem 23-28.ix.2011 (23 INPA). idem 01- 03.xi.2010 L. P. Martins & D. Mendes (23 INPA). idem 15-19.xii.2010 (63, 6Ƥ INPA). idem 21-24.iv.2011. L. P. Martins (3Ƥ INPA, 2Ƥ MZUSP). idem / 89PROSET (13 INPA). idem 23-28.ix.2011 (13, 1Ƥ INPA; 23 MZUSP). idem 14-19.x.2011. L. P. Martins & A. Souza / 147PROSET (13 INPA).

Other material examined (INPA). Same data of Holotype (33). idem 01-03.xi.2010. L. P. Martins & D. Mendes (33, 5Ƥ). idem 15-19.xii.2010 (13, 3Ƥ). idem 21-24.iv.2011. L. P. Martins (53, 3Ƥ). idem 23-28.ix.2011 (13). idem 14-19.x.2011. L. P. Martins & A. Souza (63, 3Ƥ).

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 29. Habitus of Luzaridella susurra sp. nov. 24 – — male, habitus, dorsal view; 25 — female, habitus, dorsal view; 26 – 27 — Holotype, habitus; 26 — dorsal view; 27 — ventral view; 28 – 29 — female paratype, habitus; 28 — dorsal view; 29 — ventral view.

FIGURES 30 – 47. Luzaridella susurra sp. nov. 30 – 38 — Holotype; 30 — head and pronotum, dorsal view; 31 — head and pronotum, lateral view; 32 — outer side of femur III; 33 — right tegmen, dorsal view; 34 — supra-anal plate; 35 — subgenital plate; 36 – 38 — genitalia, A sclerite of the pseudoepiphallic arm extended; 36 — dorsal view; 37 — ventral view; 38 — lateral view; 39 – 47 — paratypes; 39 — male genitalia, dorsal view, A sclerite of the pseudoepiphallic arm flexioned; 40 — male left tegmina, dorsal view; 41 — male metanotal gland, dorsal view; 42 — female right tegmen, dorsal view; 43 — female supra-anal plate; 44 — female subgenital plate; 45 – 47 — copulatory papilla; 45 — dorsal view; 46 — ventral view; 47 — lateral view.

FIGURES 17 – 23. Calling perches of Luzarida lata and spectrograms of L. lata and Luzaridella susurra sp. nov. 17 — Male of L. lata stridulating in the trunk of a tree, positioned perpendicular to the ground; 18 — Male of L. lata stridulating in a ravine on dry leaves; 19 – 22 — spectrograms of L. lata; 19 — pulses almost regularly separated; 20 — pulses irregularly separated but without clear groups; 21 — pulses irregularly separated forming groups of four pulses (1 + 3); 22 — transition between a calling song section with pulses irregularly separated forming groups of three and four pulses (a) and section with pulses irregularly separated but without clear groups (b); 23 — spectrogram with three phrases of L. susurra sp. nov paratype.