Copiphora cultricornis Pictet, 1888

Piotr Naskrecki, 2000, Katydids of Costa Rica / Vol. 1, Systematics and bioacoustics of the cone-head katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae sensu lato)., Philadelphia, PA: The Orthopterists Society at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, : 38-39

Copiphora cultricornis Pictet, 1888

Common name: Yellow-faced spear bearer

Figs. 8 A-D, 42C, 55A-C, Map 6

1888 Pictet, Mem. Soc. Geneve 30 (6): 47; type locality:

Panama; type depository: Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Geneva

Diagnostic description.— Body large, with wings in both sexes extending well beyond apex of abdomen. Fastigium of vertex forming large horn, somewhat flattened laterally, especially in its apical part, sometimes fastigium somewhat dilated subapically ( Fig. 8 C); fastigium 3.5-4 times as long as eye diameter; dorsal part of fastigium granulose ( Fig. 8 B). Face convex; genal carinae of head well developed, granulose. Pronotum smooth, flat dorsally; anterior dorsal margin straight, posterior one weakly convex; lateral lobe of pronotum 1.6 times longer than high. Male stridulatory file nearly straight, 3.5 mm long, 270 μm wide, with 164 teeth; teeth in proximal half of file wider, thinner and more densely arranged, transition between the two types sudden ( Fig. 42 B); mirror approximately oval, with small, parallel vein next to AA

1

.

Ventral spines of femora relatively short and thin, green; all genicular lobes armed with sharp spines, sometimes spine on anterior lobes of fore femora obtuse. Male cercus thick, blunt, and somewhat incurved, slightly thicker at midlength than at base; ventral, subapical spine of cercus long and thin ( Fig. 8 D); apex of cercus with sharply triangular lobe underneath. Male subgenital plate narrowed toward apex, apex straight; styli short, about 2.5 times as long as wide. Female subgenital plate approximately triangular, with distinct, triangular apical incision. Ovipositor extremely long, straight, more than 3 times as long as hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 3-3.4).

Coloration.— General coloration light green. Fastigium of vertex yellow and remainder of head yellow; face yellow with 4 or 6 small black dots ( Fig. 8 A). Pronotum green, with four white spots (2 in prozona, 2 in metazona). Tegmina green, occasionally mottled with few, small brownish dots; male stridulatory file usually green; legs green, with green femoral spines. Abdomen green.

Measurements.— Table 4 .

Bioacoustics.— The call of this species is low duty and relatively high Q, with a clear energy peak around 9.3 kHz (although higher harmonics may occur in the ultrasonic frequency range). It consists of irregular, widely spaced series of chirps ( Fig. 55 A). Individual chirps last 91.9-117.2 ms, and consist of 5-6 pulses ( Fig. 55 B).

Both males and females tremulate during courtship, although female tremulations are both shorter and weaker that those of males. Each bout of male tremulation lasts 7-8 s (at 26°C) and consists of about 25 individual pulses ( Fig. 55 C).

Distribution.— In Costa Rica, this species seems to be restricted to the Pacific Lowland Evergreen Forest zone (southern Puntarenas Prov.) ( Map 6 ). It is also known from Chiriquí, Panama.

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Prov., Albergue, Cerro de Oro, 5 - 9 May 1995 (coll. B. Gamboa) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 150 m, 30 August 1995 (coll. B. Gamboa) - 1 female ( INBio); Dominical, approx. 27 km SW San Isidro del General, 1-5 May 1998 (coll. P. Naskrecki) – 2 males, 1 female; Corcovado N. P., Península de Osa, 11 March 1979 (coll. D.H. Janzen) - 2 females ( INBio); same locality, 22 March 1979 (coll. D.H. Janzen) - 1 female ( INBio); Est. Esquinas, Península de Osa, elev. 0 m, 15 May 1993 (coll. F. Quesada) - 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Queb. Bonita, Res. Biol. Carara, elev. 50 m, 15 June 1990 (coll. E. Belllo) - 1 female ( INBio); Fila Guerra, Península de Osa, elev. 1 - 100 m, 15 March 1991 (coll. J. Quesada) - 1 female ( INBio); Golfito, 17 July 1957 (coll. A. Menke) - 1 female (Bishop Museum, Honolulu); Osa, Palmar Norte, Caña Blanca , elev. 30 m, 13 - 15 February 1996 (coll. A.M. Maroto) - 1 female ( INBio); P. N. Manuel Antonio, Quepos, elev. 80 m, 15 March 1991 (coll. R. Zuniga) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 80 m, 15 April 1991 (coll. R. Zuniga) - 2 males, 1 female ( INBio); Península de Osa, Corcovado N. P. , elev. 10 - 100 m, 25 March 1977 (coll. D.H. Janzen) - 1 male, 2 females ( INBio); same locality, elev. 10 - 100 m, 7 July 1977 (coll. D.H. Janzen) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 10 - 100 m, 23 March 1978 (coll. D.H. Janzen) - 2 females ( INBio); same locality, elev. 10 - 100 m, 27 March 1982 (coll. D.H. Janzen and W. Hallwachs) - 1 male ( INBio); Península de Osa, Corcovado N. P., Estac. Sirena , 27 March 1981 (coll. D.H. Janzen and W. Hallwachs) - 3 males, 4 females ( INBio); Península de Osa, Corcovado N. P., Sirena , 7 - 14 March 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male, 1 female ( PN collection); Península de Osa, Estac. Esquinas , elev. 200 m, 15 September 1993 (coll. M. Segura) - 1 male ( INBio); Penisula de Osa, Rancho Quemado , elev. 200 m, 31 March 1992 (coll. A. Marín) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 200 m, 15 April 1992 (coll. D. Brenes) - 1 female ( INBio); Rancho Quemado, Península de Osa, elev. 200 m, 24 July 1992 (coll. M.A. Zumbado) - 1 female ( INBio); Sirena, Corcovado N.P., elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 April 1989 (coll. R. Blanco and G. Fonseca) - 1 male, 2 females ( INBio); same locality, elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 November 1989 (coll. G. Fonseca) - 1 female ( INBio); same locality, elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 November 1990 (coll. J.C. Saborio) - 1 female ( INBio); same locality, elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 November 1990 (coll. G. Fonseca) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 April 1992 (coll. G. Rodríguez) - 1 male, 1 female ( INBio); Valle de Coto Brus, Las Cruces, Wilson Botanical Gardens, elev. 700 - 1000 m, 1 - 6 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 nymph ( PN collection); PANAMA: Chiriquí, (coll. Staudinger) - 1 female ( NHMW).

Figures

FIG. 8. Costa Rican Copiphora spp. A-D: C. cultricornis; A. male face, B. male head and pronotum, dorsal view, C. male head and pronotum, lateral view, D. male cerci, dorsal view; E-H: C. brevicauda costaricensis; E. male head and pronotum, lateral view, F. male face, G. ovipositor, H. male cerci.

FIG. 42. Stridulatory files of species of Lirometopum and Copiphora. A. L. coronatum, B. C. cultricornis, C. C. hastata, D. C. brevicauda brevicauda, E. C. brevicauda costaricensis, F. C. ottei.

FIG. 55. Oscillograms of male airborne calls and substrate tremulations of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Copiphora cultricornis, airborne call, B. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, C. ditto, substrate tremulations, D. Copiphora hastata, E. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, F. Copiphora brevicauda costaricensis, G. ditto, 0.5 s fragment.

MAPS 1 - 6. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 1. Conocephalus angustifrons, C. cinereus, 2. Conocephalus saltator, C. ictus, 3. Conocephalus magdalenae, Orchelimum fraternum, Lipotactomimus rowelli, 4. Lirometopum coronatum, Acantheremus colwelli, 5. Copiphora rhinoceros, C. cochleata, C. brevicauda costaricensis, 6. Copiphora hastata, C. cultricornis, C. ottei.