Loveridgacris tectiferus Hemp, 2024
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.3897/dez.71.125877 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8108C5B0-40C9-40CA-A38B-8805F173900D |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13962055 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/464F4730-F67C-58A0-945C-8B5DFC83AF2C |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Loveridgacris tectiferus Hemp |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Loveridgacris tectiferus Hemp sp. nov.
Figs 3 A – H View Figure 3 , 4 A, B View Figure 4 , 5 C, D View Figure 5
Holotype.
Tanzania. • male; Udzungwa Mountains, Mang´ula ; in disturbed lowland wet forest at border to National Park; Sep. 2022; Claudia Hemp leg.; Depository: CCH.
Paratypes.
Tanzania. • 2 females; same data as for holotype. Depository: CCH .
Measurements.
(mm) Males (n = 1): Body length: 51.20; Median length of pronotum: 13.60; length of hind femur: 25.00. Females (n = 2): Body length: 47.70–53.60; Median length of pronotum: 21.50–21.70; length of hind femur: 23.90–24.60.
Diagnosis.
Loveridgacris tectiferus sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. impotens by the coloration of the antennae and hind tibiae. In L. impotens , the antennae are light or reddish brown, while in L. tectiferus sp. nov., segments alternate between black and orange (Fig. 4 C, D View Figure 4 ). Similarly, the hind tibiae are uniformly brown and become darker at their apical parts in L. impotens , but are black with a median dull orange part in L. tectiferus sp. nov. The most noticeable difference between the two species is the shape of the tegmina, which are lobe-like and attached to the abdomen in L. impotens , while tectiform in L. tectiferus sp. nov. Both species are very similar in the overall shape of the head, pronotum, legs, and body, as well as in the tegminal pattern of darker veins on a light brown ground and their size. The epiphallus of both species is also very similar, consisting of hooked lophi and elongate appendices with bulbous end parts. However, in L. tectiferus sp. nov., the lophi are slender, and the hooks are slightly longer than those in L. impotens . Additionally, the appendices of the epiphallus are stouter in L. impotens , and the bridge of the epiphallus is slightly longer than that in L. tectiferus sp. nov. (see Fig. 5 F View Figure 5 and 6 C View Figure 6 for comparison).
Description.
Male. General coloration. Overall, color brown with antennae with conspicuously black and orange colored segments. Eyes and labrum black. Hind femora ventrally black, hind tibiae black with dull orange middle part (Fig. 4 A View Figure 4 ). Head and antennae. Antennae thick, rod-like with basal segments black, and then alternating one or two segments orange and black (Fig. 3 A, C View Figure 3 ). Antennae slightly shorter than head and pronotum together. Fastigium of vertex upcurved, slightly concave in the middle, with acute-angular apex. Frons incurved. Frontal ridge narrow, constricted between antennae (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ). Pronotum and wings. Pronotum in front of first sulcus with large hump, remaining pronotum strongly rugose with elevated ridges and tubercles. Median carina irregular, obtuse, lateral carinae absent. Posterior margin of pronotum with ridge-like tubercles along the edge. Prosternal process low, subpyramidal. Mesosternal interspace wider than long, with deep grooves (Fig. 3 E View Figure 3 ). Tegmina tectiform, shortened, slightly exceeding abdominal segment 3. Hind wings absent. Abdomen. All abdominal segments with dorsal tubercles. Male supra-anal plate triangular (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ), cerci laterally compressed, black, with blunt apex. Subgenital plate obtusely conical (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). Internal morphology. Epiphallus typical for Dictyophorini . Lophi of epiphallus strongly sclerotized with well-developed dorsolaterally directed apical hooks. Appendix of the epiphallus with angular externolateral sclerotized processes running parallel to the lophi; apices knob-like with ventral directed dent. Bridge little sclerotized and comparatively narrow.
Female. Larger and stouter than the male, with the same coloration as male; predominantly brown with antennae with black and orange segments, black eyes, and labrum. Underside of hind femora black, hind tibia black with median dull orange part (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Antennae, head, and pronotum as male. Supra-anal plate triangular with blunt apex (Fig. 5 C View Figure 5 ). Cerci laterally compressed, black (Fig. 5 C, D View Figure 5 ). Ovipositor valves black, straight, rounded, with blunt apices (Fig. 5 C, D View Figure 5 ).
Etymology.
From Latin: - tectum = roof, because of the tectiform-shaped tegmina.
Habitat.
A geophilous species of lowland wet forest.
Ecology.
In captivity, individuals have the same preference for monocotyledonous plants as observed for Dictyophorus griseus ( Rowell et al. 2015) . Even when offered various other plants, they preferred to feed on Liliaceae leaves and flowers. Mating took approximately half an hour, and the male sat on top of the female, bending its abdomen under that of the female for copulation (Fig. 5 E View Figure 5 ). Even when roughly handled, no reflex bleeding was observed, as is common in other Dictyophorini species and also observed in L. impotens (Fig. 1 F View Figure 1 ).
Nymphs. Unknown but are probably similar to nymphs of L. impotens (Fig. 1 E View Figure 1 ).
Distribution.
Tanzania, Udzungwa Mountains.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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