Podacanthophorus alas Naskrecki

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, : 127-128

Podacanthophorus alas Naskrecki , sp. n.

Figs. 34 A-C, 35A-C, 35K, 51C, 58G, Map 18

Type locality: Costa Rica, Heredia Prov., La Selva Biological Station; type depository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia – holotype male

Diagnostic description.— The smallest species of the genus; general characteristics as described above; wings in both sexes hardly reaching apices of hind femora or slightly surpassing them ( Fig. 34 A). Fastigium of vertex 2.5-3 times as long as eye diameter, narrowly rounded apically, with distinct dorsal furrow dorsally; ventral keel of fastigium somewhat undulant ( Figs. 35 A-C). Male stridulatory file weakly curved, 0.9 mm long, 89 μm wide, with 284 closely spaced and relatively very wide teeth ( Fig. 51 C); stridulatory area on male without secondary venation; mirror square; secondary veinlet next to AA1 present, divergent from AA

1

. Ventral anterior spines of hind femora as long as width of hind femur below knee ( Fig. 35 K).

Tenth tergite of male with two somewhat divergent, wide lobes; female 10th tergite with lobes much narrower, pointed; male cercus straight, basal internal spine nearly straight, distinctly constricted apically ( Fig. 34 B); female cercus simple, elongately conical, somewhat curved. Male titillators needle-like, sinusoidal ( Fig. 34 C). Ovipositor short, sickle-shaped, about as long as half of hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 0.50-0.60) ( Fig. 34 A).

Coloration.— General coloration light green; face creamy white; fastigium reddish-brown; clypeus and mandibles dark purple; metazona of pronotum in male with large, brown, usually heart-shaped spot; venation of tegmina and posterior edge of tegmina contrastingly yellow.

Measurements.— Table 27.

Bioacoustics.— The call of P. alas is low Q and low duty. Most of the energy is probably allocated in the ultrasonic frequencies, which unfortunately I was unable to record. The audible portion of the call consists of irregularly produced, paired lisps, with each lisp lasting 8.2- 14.5 ms (n=20) at 28°C ( Fig. 58 G). The interval between the lisps ranged from 168 to 763 ms. The audible portion of the call does not have a clearly defined frequency peak, although frequencies between 9-12 kHz seem to have more energy.

Distribution.— This new species been collected so far only at La Selva Biological Station, Heredia Prov. ( Map 18 ).

(all measurements are lengths in mm: range, mean±SD)

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Heredia Prov., Puerto Viejo, La Selva Biological Station, elev. 50 - 150 m, 10° 26' N, 84° 1' W, 1 October 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 nymph ( ALAS ); same locality, 4 October 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 female ( allotype) ( ANSP); same locality, 10 - 15 November 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male ( holotype) ( ANSP); same locality, 7 - 10 December 1995 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 male, 1 female ( paratypes) ( PN collection); same locality, 13 April - 10 May 1998 (coll. P. Naskrecki) - 1 female ( paratype) ( PN collection).

Etymology.— This species is named after the project ALAS (Arthropoda of La Selva) – the first large scale inventory of the Arthropoda of the tropical rainforest.

Figures

FIG. 34 Costa Rican species of Podacanthophorus. A-C. P. alas: A. female, habitus, B. male cerci, ventral view, C. titillators, D-E. P. vargasi:, D. male cerci, ventral view, E. titillators, F-G. P. maylinae: F. male cerci, ventral view, G. titillators.

FIG. 35. Costa Rican species of Podacanthophorus. A. P. alas - male face, B-F. head and pronotum, dorsal views: B. P. alas - female, C. P. alas - male, D. P. vargasi - male, E. P. maylinae - male, F. P. nelciae - female; G-I. head and pronotum, lateral views: G. P. vargasi - male, H. P. maylinae - male, I. P. nelciae - female; J. P. nelciae - ovipositor; K-N. left hind femora, outer views: K. P. alas, L. P. vargasi, M. P. maylinae, N. P. nelciae.

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.

Tables

TABLE 27. Body measurements of species of Podacanthophorus

maylinae male female