Subria sylvestris Naskrecki and Morris

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, : 121-122

Subria sylvestris Naskrecki and Morris , sp. n.

Common name: Forest subria

Figs. 33 A-B, 33I-K, 36H, 38D, 58C-D, Map 17

Type locality: Costa Rica: Heredia Prov., La Selva

Biological Station; type depository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – holotype male

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above. Male pronotum short, barely covering basal half of stridulatory apparatus ( Fig. 33 B). Tegmina surpassing apices of hind femora by about 1/3 of their length ( Fig. 33 A, 36H) (in one female from La Selva Biological Station tegmina are abnormally long, surpassing the apices of the hind femora by more than half the length of the tegmen). Stridulatory file of male weakly curved, 2.1 mm long, with 170-179 (n=3) wide and thin teeth, maximum width of file 142 μm ( Fig. 51 A); teeth of file uniform in thickness, evenly spaced and smoothly narrowing towards proximal end. Male cercus weakly incurved, with incised apex, and large, blunt, ventral tooth subapically ( Fig. 38 D). Ovipositor distinctly curved upwards and slightly widened midlength, slightly longer than half of hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.65- 0.74) ( Fig. 33 J).

Coloration — Unlike other species of the genus, S. sylvestris exhibits a remarkable color dimorphism, having both green and brown ( Fig. 36 H) color morphs occurring within the same population. The material examined included 35% of brown individuals and 65% of green ones (including olive green ones). There seem to be no correlation between the color and season or geographical distribution. Most individuals of the species lack a wide, dark band on the pronotum, typical of the remaining two species of the genus. Instead, the sides of pronotum have two, thin, white or light brown stripes. Occasionally the brown band, or intermediate stages are present. Tegmina often have several irregularly distributed, diffused dark spots. The outer pagina of the hind femur may or may not have a distinct reticulate pattern (the pattern is present in most brown individuals but is only rarely distinct in green ones).

Measurements.— Table 25 .

Bioacoustics.— The call of S. sylvestris is low duty, with sound production accounting for only about 14% of the calling cycle. It consists of short (147-175 ms) phrases produced at intervals of 0.85 - 4.0 S, each phrase consists of two short (38 - 78 ms) pulses ( Figs. 58 C-D) (all data apply to songs recorded at temperature 26½C). Typical of most Tettigoniidae , it is a low Q call, with most energy allocated between 6 and 12 kHz in the audible range, and above 20 kHz (the upper frequency range of the call is unknown because call components above 22 kHz were not recorded due to technical constraints of the equipment used). Males start calling at dusk and continue probably all night. Calls are undetectable in field conditions, even on relatively quiet nights. In laboratory conditions the calls are audible from a distance of about 1-1.5 m.

Remarks — Subria sylvestris is one of the most common species of Copiphorinae in the lowland rain forests of Costa Rica, occurring in both primary and secondary forests at elevations ranging from sea level to about 700 m ( Map 17 ). It can be found on broad leafed understory vegetation as well as in the canopy. In the field individuals of this species have been seen eating generative parts of plants (e.g. flowers of Costus sp., fallen fruits), decaying leaves, tree bark ( Pentaclethra macroloba ( Mimosaceae )), and occasionally insects. In laboratory conditions they can thrive for months on a diet consisting of lettuce, carrot, and apples.

This new species is very closely related to S. nitida , from which it differs in the shape of male cerci and female subgenital plate ( Fig. 33 L).

Etymology.— The specific epithet simply reflects the preferred habitat of the new species.

Material examined (holotype and paratypes). — COSTA RICA: Las Ánimas, 18 April 1930 (coll. C.H. Lankester) - 1 female ( ANSP); Alajuela Prov., Sector San Ramón, P.N. Guanacaste, elev. 620 m, 15 August - 2 September 1994 (coll. H. García) - 2 females ( INBio); Guanacaste Prov., Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S. Santa Cecilia, elev. 700 m, 15 June 1993 (coll. C. Moraga) - 9 females ( INBio); Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S. Santa Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, elev. 700 m, 3 June 1993 (coll. C. Moraga) - 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Pitilla, 9 km St. Cecilia, elev. 700 m, 15 July 1988 (coll. GNP Biodiversity Survey) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, 15 May 1989 (coll. GNP Biodiversity Survey) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, 15 August 1994 (coll. C. Moraga) - 1 male ( INBio); Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, elev. 700 m, 15 September 1989 (coll. C. Moraga and P. Rios) - 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, elev. 700 m, 15 May 1991 (coll. P. Rios, C. Moraga and R. Blanco) - 1 female ( INBio); Heredia Prov., Estac. Magsasay, P.N. Braulio Carillo, elev. 200 m, 15 June 1990 (coll. E. Alcazar) - 4 females ( INBio); Puerto Viejo, La Selva Biological Station, elev. 50 - 150 m, 10° 26' N, 84° 1' W, 17 - 22 February 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male ( PN collection); same locality, 15 March 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 males, 3 females ( PN collection); same locality, 1 - 4 April 1994 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 6 males, 1 female, 1 nymph (incl. holotype, allotype) ( ANSP); same locality, 7 - 10 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 2 males ( PN collection); same locality, 13 April - 10 May 1998 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male, 1 female ( PN collection); Limón Prov., Cuatro Esquinas, Tortuguero N. P., 15 September 1989 (coll. J. Solano) - 1 female ( INBio); same locality, elev. 100 m, 15 January 1990 (coll. J. Solano) - 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Hitoy-Cerere Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere, Río Cerere, elev. 100 m, 15 May 1991 (coll. A. Moreno) - 1 male ( INBio); same locality, elev. 100 m, 20 June 1992 (coll. F.A. Quesada) - 1 female ( INBio); La Emilia, near Guápiles, elev. 304.8 m, 24 August 1923 - 1 female ( ANSP); La Lola (0.5 mi. W Madre de Dios), 2 October 1961 (coll. Hubbell, Cantrall, Cohn) - 4 females ( UMMZ); Puntarenas Prov., Las Cruces, 1 July - 31 August 1991 (coll. J. Doubles) - 1 male, 1 female ( UMMZ); PANAMA: Barro Colorado Island, 28 June 1933 (coll. H.H. Hood) - 1 female ( ANSP); Canal Zone, Barro Colorado, 18 July 1924 (coll. N. Banks) - 1 female ( ANSP).

Figures

FIG. 33. Subria spp. A. S. sylvestris - male, habitus, B. S. sylvestris - male head and pronotum, dorsal view, C. S. scutellaris - ditto, D. S. crassicerca - ditto, E. S. scutellaris - male head and pronotum, lateral view, F. S. crassicerca - ditto, G. S. scutellaris - apex of right titillator, H. S. crassicerca - ditto, I. S. sylvestris - titillators, J. S. sylvestris - ovipositor, K. S. sylvestris - female subgenital plate, L. S. nitida - ditto.

FIG. 36. Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Conocephalus angustifrons - male, B. Caulopsis cuspidata - female, C. Acantheremus colwelli - male, D. Vestria punctata - male and female, in copula, E. Copiphora hastata - male, F. Podacanthophorus vargasi - female, G. Copiphora rhinoceros - male eating a snail, H. Subria sylvestris - male, brown form.

FIG. 38. Eggs and cerci of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A-C. eggs, with enlarged fragments of the chorion: A. Copiphora rhinoceros, B. Lirometopum coronatum, C. Erioloides longipennis, hatched egg, D-F. male right cerci of Subria spp., dorsal views: D. S. sylvestris, E. S. scutellaris, F. S. crassicerca.

FIG. 51. Stridulatory files of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Subria sylvestris, C. Podacanthophorus maylinae, C. Podacanthophorus alas, D. Podacanthophorus vargasi, E. Pluviasilva levis, F. Pluviasilva mexicana.

FIG. 58. Oscillograms of male airborne calls of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Vestria puncta, B. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, C. Subria sylvestris, D. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, E. Subria scutellaris, F. ditto, 0.5 s fragment, G. Podacanthophorus alas, 0.5 s fragment.

MAPS 13 - 18. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 13. Sphyrometopa femorata, S. atlantica, Eppia truncatipennis, 14. Erioloides longipennis, E. macrocephalus, E. longinoi, E. brevipennis, 15. Erioloides, consobrinus, E. acutidentis, E. latiscobinus, E. sikesi, 16. Eriolus aculeus, E. acutipennis, E. duplidentis, E. penicillus, 17. Subria sylvestris, S. crassicerca, S. scutellaris, 18. Podacanthophorus alas, P. nelciae, P. vargasi, P. maylinae.