Lithoxenus miramae, (Veltishchev, 1940)

Korsunovskaya, Olga, 2024, Drymadusini katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Tettigoniinae): intraspecific variability-morphs or subspecies?, Zootaxa 5403 (1), pp. 42-50 : 48-49

L. miramae (Veltishchev, 1940) .

This species was described based on the male from Kyrgyzstan. Later, this katydid was added to the identification key of the three species known at that time (Bei-Bienko, 1951).

L. miramae is much similar to L. heptapotamicus and differs from it, according to the key of Bey-Bienko (1951), by the presence of a weak humeral notch on the lateral lobe of the pronotum ( Fig. 2K ) and a large number of spines on the hind tibiae (22–26). However, morphological analysis of L. heptapotamicus topotypes (Childebaev et al., 2013) has shown that both the presence of a humeral notch and the number of spines on the hind tibiae are not reliable characters for differentiating L. heptapotamicus and L. miramae . In the population of L. heptapotamicus (topotypes), studied by Childebaev with co-authors, some individuals had a greater number of hind tibia spines (18– 26 in males, mean 21) and, judging by the authors’ photograph, pronotum had a weak humeral notch (Childebaev et al., 2013: Table 1 and Fig. 2 ). Male cerci of two species (holotype specimens) are also very similar ( Fig. 2C, M ).

Thus, the characters that were used to separate L. heptapotamicus and L. miramae have proven unreliable. A comparison of the male genitalia of the type specimens of the two species showed that in L. heptapotamicus the basal part is more massive than the distal part ( Fig. 2G ). On this basis, we identified three males from Uzbekistan as L. miramae . Their titillators, like those of the type specimen ( Fig. 2O ), had similar thicknesses in the basal and distal parts ( Fig.2P ). The number of spines on the hind tibia (19–22, 1 male) and lifetime coloration turned out to be similar to those of topotypes of L. heptapotamicus (Childebaev et al., 2013) . It is possible that additional materials will make it possible to lower the rank of L. miramae to the subspecies of L. heptapotamicus .

Below we provide a description of males from Uzbekistan ( Fig.2J, N, P ).

Descriptive notes. Body coloration ( Fig. 2J ) in living insects light brown with small darker dots, reminiscent of marble pattern, the upper side of abdomen with a lighter wide stripe, with paired dark spots in the center. Posterior margin of the abdominal tergites with a stripe of small dark spots. In dry specimens the coloration becomes more uniform, but the stripe spots along the posterior margin of the abdominal tergites remains. Fastigium twice as wide as the first antennal segment. Lateral lobes of pronotum with weakly defined humeral notch as in Fig. 2K . Tegmina dark brown, almost black, their apical part with numerous transverse veins, and partly the longitudinal veins are light. The stridulatory file as in holotype ( Fig. 2L ) hidden under pronotum. Apices of tegmina nearly reach middle of the second abdominal tergite. The last abdominal tergite black apart from light central part, divided by a deep depression into two triangular lobes. IX tergite darkened at the edges ( Fig. 2N ). Hind tibiae with 19–22 spines. The cerci L-shaped, almost cylindrical before bending inward ( Fig. 2N ). Subgenital plate with a shallow rounded triangular notch. Titillators ( Fig. 2P ) have basal and distal parts of approximately equal width. In the holotype titillator the distal part is slightly narrower than the basal part. In the narrowest section (up to the apical part with several small denticles) it is approximately 2 times narrower than the middle of the basal part.

Material examined

1 ♂ (holotype). Kyrgyzian Alatau, Aleksandrovsky ridge, gorge Teres-Bulak, 30.8.193 2 (Veltishchev), stone scattering, under large stones, 1500 a.s.l.; 3 ♂. Uzbekistan: 100 km E Tashkent, Chimgan ridge, 22.VIII.2005, N. Zinenko leg.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Habitus and details of body structure of Lithoxenus katydids. A—habitus of the male of L. h. heptapotamicus (holotype); B—pronotum of L. h. heptapotamicus (holotype), lateral view; C—male supra-anal plate and cerci of L. h. heptapotamicus (holotype), dorsal view; D—habitus of the male of L. h. minutus (holotype), lateral view; E—male supraanal plate and cerci of L. h. minutus (holotype), dorsal view; F—titillator of L. h. minutus (holotype); G—same of L. h. heptapotamicus (holotype); H—habitus of the female of L. h. minutus (paratype), lateral view; I—female subgenital plate of L. h. minutus (paratype). J—habitus of the male of L. miramae (Uzbekistan); K—habitus of the male of L. miramae (holotype), lateral viev; L—male stridulatory file (left tegmen) of L. miramae (holotype); M—male supra-anal plate and cerci of L. miramae (holotype), dorsal view; N—same of L. miramae (Uzbekistan); O—titillators of L. miramae (holoptype); P—same of males from Uzbekistan. Scale 5 mm (A, B, D, H, J, K), 1 mm (C, E–G, I), 500 µ (O, P).