Erioloides macrocephalus (Carl, 1908)

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, : 88

Erioloides macrocephalus (Carl, 1908) n. comb.

(Big-headed scimitar)

Figs. 20 A-G, 49C, Map 14

1908 Carl, Rev. Suisse Zool. 16: 132. >> Eriolus ; type

locality: Costa Rica, Monte Aquacate, 600 m; type depository: Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Geneva – holotype female

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above. The largest species of the genus, body robust; wings in both sexes surpassing apices of hind femora by about half their length ( Fig. 20 A). Fastigium of vertex blunt, about as long as eye diameter and twice as wide as scapus ( Fig. 20 B). Face convex, distinctly punctate; genal carinae of head poorly developed but usually discernible. Dorsal surface of pronotum relatively rugose; flat; anterior margin of pronotum straight, posterior one convex ( Fig. 20 C); lateral lobes of pronotum about 1.7 times longer than high. Male stridulatory file straight, 1.8 mm long, 229 μm wide, with 187 closely spaced and relatively very wide, lamelliform teeth; teeth in proximal half of file much thinner and more closely arranged than in distal part; teeth on proximal end of file peg-like, irregularly clustered ( Fig. 49 C); mirror approximately rectangular, slightly longer than wide; secondary veinlet next to AA1 present, well developed; stridulatory area of left wing devoid of secondary venation, secondary veinlet next to AA1 present, somewhat divergent from AA

1

.

Male 10th tergite with two short, rounded lobes ( Fig. 20 E); female 10th tergite with deep, narrowly triangular incision. Male cercus relatively robust, distinctly incurved; its apex constricted; subapical inner spine small, blunt ( Figs. 20 D-E). Female cercus simple, elongately conical, distinctly curved. Titillators flattened, squamose, distinctly dilated apically, apices multidentate ( Fig. 20 F). Male subgenital plate with distinct ventral keel and deep triangular incision apically; female subgenital plate widely triangular, with wide, semicircular incision at apex. Ovipositor robust, with distinct file of pegs along midline of upper valvula ( Fig. 20 G); ratio ovipositor/hind femur 1.04-1.07.

Coloration.— General coloration light green. Upper portion of face green, lower portion of face, upper half of clypeus, and mandibles black; lower half of clypeus and labrum yellow ( Fig. 20 B). Tegmina green, with contrastingly yellow venation. Legs green; abdomen light green; ovipositor brown, with dark, nearly black apex.

Measurements.— Table 15.

Bioacoustics.— Call unknown.

Remarks.— This species is known only from a few individuals collected in Costa Rica (southern Puntarenas Prov.) ( Map 14) and Panama. Nothing is known about its biology except that individuals of E. macrocephalus sometimes come to light, suggesting nocturnal activity.

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Prov., Aquas Buenas, Centro Juvenil Tropical, elev. 100 m, 3 - 13 July 1997 (coll. A. Azofeifa) - 1 female ( INBio); Bosque Esquinas, Península de Osa, elev. 200 m, 1 - 30 May 1994 (coll. J. Quesada) - 1 female ( INBio); Sirena, Corcovado N.P., elev. 0 - 100 m, 15 February 1994 (coll. G. Fonseca) - 1 male ( INBio); PANAMA: Chiriquí Prov., 16 February 1960 (coll. D.F. Veirs) - 1 male ( ANIC).