Gryllacris (Gigantogryllacris) ternatensis ( Karny, 1928d )

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2018, New taxa and records of Gryllacrididae (Orthoptera, Stenopelmatoidea) from South East Asia and New Guinea with a key to the genera, Zootaxa 4510 (1), pp. 1-278 : 65-67

Gryllacris (Gigantogryllacris) ternatensis ( Karny, 1928d)

Figs. 18 A–F

Material examined. Indonesia: Maluku, Ternate, N. Tolire Lake , elev. 100 m (0°50'3''N, 127°18'31''E), 29.i.2005, leg. A. Weigel— 1 female (Erfurt NKME) .

Discussion. The female at hand agrees with the holotype of G. ternatensis (in SMF), except for the median process of the subgenital plate that is truncate at tip while in the type it is very faintly bilobate. This process, in the type, is rectangularly down-curved at base with the down-curved area furrowed in midline. That base is partly covered by the apical area of the seventh abdominal sternite, while it is fully covered in the specimen at hand. I have not seen a male of this species in collections so far.

Description. Large species. Head: Face ovoid, robust; forehead with fine riffles and scattered impressed dots; fastigium verticis little wider than scapus; medium and lateral ocelli long-oval, whitish yellow; fastigium frontis separated from fastigium verticis by a distinct straight suture; subocular furrow distinct ( Fig. 18B ). Abdominal tergites two and three each with two rows of very minute stridulatory pegs (5, 7; 6, 10; n = 1 female; Fig. 18D ).

Wings reaching to about middle of stretched hind tibiae ( Fig. 18A ). Tegmen: Radius with RS branching little before middle of tegmen; both veins forked near tip. Media anterior fused at base with radius, dividing in basal third and afterwards single-branched; media posterior absent; cubitus anterior divides into two veins little before mid-length of tegmen; cubitus posterior undivided, free throughout; with 4 anal veins.

Legs: Fore coxa with a large spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore and mid tibiae with four pairs of large ventral spines and one pair of ventral spurs; hind femur with 8 external and 12 internal spines on ventral margins; hind tibia with spaced spines on both dorsal margins, ventral margins with one pre-apical spine; with 3 apical spurs on both sides.

Coloration. General color uniformly medium dark brown. Face yellowish brown, towards genae, antennae and labrum medium or reddish brown. Tegmen yellowish brown, veins of about same color; towards base darker with light veins; hind wing yellowish, basal area dark brown; cross veins brown near rim, otherwise black and bordered on both sides by dark brown bands, the width of those bands increasing from rim to base; base of wing completely dark brown.

Female. Seventh abdominal sternite wider than long; strongly setose in apical half; hiding base of subgenital plate. Subgenital plate in about basal half with strongly converging margins, then with only faintly converging margins; apex slightly bi-lobate; in centre of plate with a flattened process widening apicad and with truncate tip ( Figs. 18 E–F). Ovipositor elongate but curved throughout, with faintly approaching margins; tip with a slight preapical expansion ( Fig. 18C ).

Measurements (1 female).—body w/wings: 57; body w/o wings: 40; pronotum: 10; tegmen: 39; hind femur: 28; antenna: 200; ovipositor: 28 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 18. A–F: Gryllacris (Gigantogryllacris) ternatensis (Karny, 1928) female: A, Habitus dorsal view; B, face; C, ovipositor; D, stridulatory pegs on second and third abdominal tergites (front is left); E, apical area of female abdomen with seventh abdominal sternite, subgenital plate and base of ovipositor in ventral view (E); do. lateral view (F)—G: Gryllacris (Gigantogryllacris) adjutrix (Brunner, 1888) male syntype: abdominal apex, the arrow marks the black obtuse projection from the inner side of the apical margin of the ninth abdominal tergite. Scales 10 mm (body), 5 mm (head).