Colossopus parvicavus, Ünal, Mustafa & Beccaloni, George W., 2017

Ünal, Mustafa & Beccaloni, George W., 2017, Revision of the Madagascan genera Oncodopus Brongniart and Colossopus Saussure (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae; Euconchophorini), with description of Malagasopus gen. nov., Zootaxa 4341 (2) : 220-222

Colossopus parvicavus sp. nov.

( Figs. 98–108 , 111 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org: TaxonName :499692 Type locality. Madagascar, Toliara Prov., W. Marovato. Holotype male (CAS).

Description. Male (Holotype): Body size smallest in the genus ( Tab. 4 ). Fastigium of vertex ( Figs. 98, 99 ) with three-pronged horn; above 2 arms equal and shorter, directed slightly upwards; lower one placed between the above arms, longer and slightly directed downwards; 1.5 times narrower than diameter of eye; its basal part as wide as antennal scape. Fastigium of frons ( Fig. 99 ) with a large simple spiniform tooth. Face slightly convex, with tubercles some of which look like short spiniform teeth. Pronotum ( Figs. 98, 99 ) slightly longer than wide, 3 times longer than its height; anterior margin convex, posterior margin with a shallow rounded median incision; prozona 2.3 times longer than metazona. Tegmina ( Figs. 98, 99 ) wavy, clearly protruding from under pronotum, reaching beyond middle half of metanotum (in other male reaching to end of metanotum). Prothoracic auditory spiracle ( Fig. 101 ) almost closed except for a small rounded hole which is visible in lateral view. Mesothoracic auricle ( Fig. 101 ) visible in lateral view, its inner gap long, oval, with a long ventral lobe. Prosternum with two long, V-shaped spines. Fore coxa with a short dorsal spine. Fore femur ( Fig. 98 ) with a large inner spine on anterio-lateral margin; with a large inner and a large outer apical spine ventrally; with 5 additional ventral spines on inner side (in the other male, inner side of fore femur with 6 ventral spines). Fore tibia ( Fig. 98 ) with 5 inner and 6 smaller outer spines ventrally (in other male outer side of fore tibia with 4–5 ventral spines). Mid femur with 2 ventral spines on outer side (in other male with 1 spine); hind femur without ventral spines. Hind tibia with 6–8 dorsal spines on inner side; with a single apical spur on inner side dorsally; with 4 apical spurs ventrally, inner 2 shorter than outer ones. Last abdominal tergite ( Fig. 102 ) large, elongated backwards, with a small and narrow median incision. Cercus ( Fig. 103 ) small, almost 1.5 mm, basal part broad, end of basal part with a small tooth on inner side; apical part narrow, slightly incurved (in other male apical part more incurved); with a very distinct incurved apical tooth. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 104 ) slightly longer than wide, its styli longer than depth of posterior incision of plate.

Female: Head as in male, including the ratios. Pronotum ( Figs. 105, 106 ) slightly longer than wide (in other female slightly wider than long); prozona 4.6 times longer than metazona; anterior margin convex, posterior margin concave. No tegmina. Prothoracic auditory spiracle almost closed except for a small rounded hole. Mesothoracic auricle as in male, not covered by pronotum; its ventral lobe smaller than that of female. Fore femur ( Fig. 105 ) with a large inner spine on anterio-lateral margin; with a large inner and a large outer apical spine ventrally; with 4–5 additional ventral spines on inner side. Fore tibia ( Fig. 105 ) with 5 inner and 5 outer spines ventrally; mid and hind legs as in male. Last abdominal tergite very broad and narrow, posterior margin with a distinct median incision which separates the posterior margin into two rounded lobes. Cercus narrow, longer than last abdominal tergite; its apex slightly incurved. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 108 ) short and broad, hind margin narrowed and elongated backwards; with a large, almost rectangular median carina, lateral parts of plate with distinct transverse ridges. Ovipositor ( Fig. 107 ) long and straight, slightly more than twice as long as hind femur and 1.4–1.5 times longer than abdomen; apical part of ventral valve with small teeth.

Colour (dry specimens). Body milky and light brown with dark brown transverse bands. Face light brown, its tubercles with black or dark brown tips. Legs milky brown, their spines with black tips; Pronotum light brown hind margin with a large dark brown transverse band. Male tegmina milky brown. Hind margin of each abdominal tergite with a thin black transverse band. Basal third of ovipositor milky brown, apical two thirds dark brown.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to C. redtenbacheri in its colouration, male cercus and subgenital plate. It differs from it in that its prothoracic auditory spiracle opening is reduced to a small hole, that the male pronotum has a shallow posterior incision, in the absence of ventral spines on the hind femur, in the ratios of ovipositor/hind femur and ovipositor/abdomen, and in its smaller size. The ratios of ovipositor/hind femur and ovipositor/abdomen are similar to C. grandidieri , but it differs from C. grandidieri by its much smaller size, its colouration (milky brown in the new species, distinctly darker in C. grandidieri ), its prothoracic auditory spiracle (with a small hole in the new species, and a large opening in C. grandidieri ), in the absence of ventral spines on the hind femur, and that the male pronotum has a shallow posterior incision.

Material examined. Madagascar, Toliara Prov., Réserve Spéciale de cap Sainte Marie , 12.3 km 262°W Marovato, elev. 200 m, 11–15 Feb. 2002, 25 ° 34'54" S, 45 ° 10'6" E, 2 males (including Holotype), 2 females (leg. Fisher, Griswold et al.), in spiny forest thicket ( CAS) .

Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): Body length: 34.2; pronotum length: 9.4; width of pronotum: 8.7; fore femur length: 10.4; width of fore femur: 4.3; fore tibia length: 9.2; hind femur length: 11.4. See Table 4 for the range of measurements of the other type specimens.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin words “parvus” and “cavum” meaning small and hole respectively. This refers to the structure of the prothoracic auditory spiracle which has a very small opening

Distribution. Only known from the southern tip of Madagascar ( Fig. 111 ). Toliara Province: Marovato.

Habitat. This species was found in spiny forest.

Phenology. Adults were collected in February.

Figures

FIGURES 98 – 108. Colossopus parvicavus sp. nov. Male: 98 forelegs, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 99 head and pronotum, lateral view, 100 habitus, dorso-lateral view, 101 prothoracic auditory spiracle and mesothoracic auricle, 102 last abdominal tergite, 103 cercus, 104 subgenital plate. Female: 105 forelegs, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 106 head and pronotum, lateral view, 107 habitus, dorso-lateral view, 108 subgenital plate. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 109 – 111. Maps. 109 map of Madagascar, 110 distributions of Oncodopus spp., 111 distributions of Malagasopus spp. and Colossopus spp.