Paralethus cerezoi Cadena-Castañeda & Monzón, 2014

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J. & Monzón-Sierra, José, 2014, Studies in Guatemalan Caelifera: New grasshoppers and monkey grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acridoidea & Eumastacoidea) and an updated checklist, Zootaxa 3857 (3), pp. 379-411 : 384-386

Paralethus cerezoi Cadena-Castañeda & Monzón , new species

(figs. 8–15)

Diagnosis. Ten antennal segments, antenomeres invaginated in dorsal view from fifth to apical segments. Subgenital plate without undulations on lateral borders, but with a moderate undulation between cerci.

Holotype. ♂ Guatemala, Baja Verapáz, Cerca Purulha. Hotel Ranchitos del Quetzal 1656 m. 2 February 2014. Latitude: 15.215747 Longitude: -90.219087. Monzón y Camposeco leg (MUD).

Paratype. ♀. Same data as holotype.

Description. Male: Head, anterior and medial femora, dorsal margin of pronotum and toracic and abodominal sterines grey, rest of body light brown. Antennae with ten segments, invaginating dorsally from fifth to apical segments, apical antenomere with a small antennal organ in the meso-internal marign, fastigium slightly pronounced in the middle of the eyes in lateral view, vertex in dorsal view with five pairs of grey dots, eyes subovoid. Thorax. Pronotum quadrangular, medial carina elevated. Apterous. Legs characteristic for the genus, femora unarmed, anterior and medial tibiae armed with small ventral spinules, posterior tibiae armed with 20 spines on dorso-external margin and 16 on the dorso-internal margin. Abdomen progressively curving upwards to the terminal region. Tenth terguite widened and slightly emarginated to the front, epiproctum triangular with sharp apex, cerci curving towards internal margin from meso-apical region (more curved than previously described species), apex without modifications. Subgenital plate with apex producing between cerci, distal margin not sharp and with six spinules. Phallic complex: subepiphagic sack absent, dorsal shield sclerotized, rounded and bifurcated. Ectophallus well sclerotized, dorsal and ventral sclerites present, rounded and with a sharp lateral spine. Epiphallus with disc ribbon shaped, frontal margin smoothly shaped, lophi hook shaped with sharp apex.

Female. Usually dark brown, with the exception of head dorsal margin, pronotum and abdomen that are light brown. Ovipositor as in figure 10., subgenital plate typical for the genus, apex “m” shaped in ventral view, medial prolongation sharp and shorter than the two lateral prolongations; in lateral view lateral prolongations are rounded and don’t cover completely the base of inferior valvae.

Etymology. We are proud to name this species after Marco Vinicio Cerezo for his great contribution in conservation in Guatemala. He has devoted his life to creating and preserving reserves mainly in the eastern department of Izabal.

Measurements (mm) ♂/ ♀. Tl: 12/14, P: 2.5/3, Hf: 7.5/8, Ht: 8.5/9.5, Sp: 1.5/1.9.