Paramacroxiphus tessellatus (Karny, 1912) Ingrisch, 2008

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2008, Revision of the genera Paramacroxiphus C. Willemse 1961 and Pseudomacroxiphus C. Willemse 1961 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini), Zootaxa 1755 (1), pp. 1-34 : 27-28

Paramacroxiphus tessellatus (Karny, 1912) comb. n.

Figs. 5 , 69 , 95

Nicsara tessellata Karny 1912 , Abh. Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden 14(2): 10

Holotype (female): Papua New Guinea: West Sepik, Toricelli mountains , 720 m, i.1910, Dr. Schlaginhaufen . Holotype in Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden, Germany .

Description. Fastigium verticis: eye length = 1.4: 2.3 mm; projecting 0.9 mm in front of eyes. Femora with the following number of spines on ventral margins: profemur 6–8 external, 5 internal; mesofemur 6–7 external, 3 internal; postfemur 14–15 external, 13–14 internal.

Male. unknown.

Female. Subgenital plate divided in middle by a narrow membranous suture; very broad at base with central part elevated and with three shallow impressions at each side; lateral areas at very base forming a deep groove below elevated central part; apical half narrow, forming two acute-triangular projections ( Fig. 69 ).

Coloration. Ochre, legs with brown marmoration. Frons with two dark brown bands from antennal scrobae to base of mandibles; tip of fastigium frontis and mandibles dark brown ( Fig. 5 ). Vertex with a brown band behind eyes. Pronotum with a dark brown band in dorsal area of paranota filled with light dots. Tegmen brownish transparent with dark brown spots and most transverse veinlets yellow; dorsal area almost completely pale. Postfemur with three brown marks including pale dots: a large spot in middle at dorsal area, a preapical ring and a spot at hind knee. Subgenital plate black, apical triangular projections light brown. Ovipositor medium brown.

Measurements of female: body 28; pronotum 10; tegmen 44; postfemur 22.5; ovipositor 26 mm; ovipositor-height 3.3.

Diagnosis. The species is unique for the female subgenital plate with a broad upcurved base and a narrow remaining area that is triangularly excised at apex. The black vertical bands of the face are shared with P. bifasciatus , of which only the male is known. It differs by the wider face and comparatively longer wings (see above). The species was originally described under Nicsara Walker, 1869 . The general characters fully agree with Paramacroxiphus ; also the shape of the ovipositor and the groundplan of the subgenital plate are those of Paramacroxiphus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus (1–2), ovipositor (3), and face (4–6) of Paramacroxiphus species: 1–4, P. aberrans (1, 4, male paratype; 2–3, female paratype); 5, P. tessellatus female holotype; 6, P. bifasciatus male holotype.

FIGURES 67–79. Female subgenital plate of Paramacroxiphus species in ventral view (67, 69, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78), lateral view (68, 71, 73, 75, 77) or recurved (79): 67–68, P. aberrans allotype (67) and paratype (68); 69, P. tessellatus holotype [the white arrow points at the apical cones]; 70–71, P. maculatus allotype; 72–73, P. uniformis holotype; 74–75, P. securiformis allotype; 76–77, P.rufus allotype (76) and paratype (77); 78, P.armatus paratype; 79, P. brunneus allotype. Abbreviations: ac apical cone; m membranous area; po pits at very base of ovipositor; ps pits at lateral area of subgenital plate; sd inner [= dorsal] surface of recurved subgenital plate; vv base of ventral valves of ovipositor usually hidden under subgenital plate.