Eugryllacris tiga, Yin & Shen, 2021

Yin, Zi-Xu & Shen, Si-Zhong, 2021, New and little-known Eugryllacris from Yunnan, China (Orthoptera Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae), Zootaxa 5026 (4), pp. 541-554 : 542-545

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5026.4.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D06D785A-9CC0-407A-B346-C22DADEB3DC8
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5307740
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/71298E4D-FFE3-FFB1-1198-D5FECCEEFE36
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Eugryllacris tiga
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Eugryllacris tiga View in CoL sp. nov. (迪AEÄffi⁂)

Holotype: ♀, China, Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Gasa County, Dahei Mountain , (21°53’10”N, 100°41’15”E, Alt. 1580), 7-IV-2021, coll. Ce Hui. GoogleMaps

Paratype: 2♂ 2♀, same data as in holotype . 2♂, China, Yunnan Province, Puer City, Folian Mountain , (22°46’40”N, 101°0’10”E, Alt. 1410), 15-VI-2018, coll. Haoran Gao. GoogleMaps

Description. Medium-large species. Fastigium verticis about 2.5 times wider than scapus ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ; Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 AD). Scapus elongate, shorter than the length of eyes; pedicel and first segment of flagellum combined as long as eyes ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Eyes elongate and oval, protruding outwards; ocelli indistinct ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Face smooth; subocular furrows distinct; clypeo-frontal structure contains two distinct black dots, one at each side ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Anterior margin of pronotum projecting in the middle, posterior margin nearly straight; lateral lobes as long as deep, ventral margin straight ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 AB; Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 AD).

Tegmen surpassing hind knees ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 AD). R releases RS in mid-length of tegmen, RS forked into three branches near tip; MA fused with R in basal third; MP absent; CuA with a single branch that forks between basal third and mid-length into two veins, CuA1 and CuA2; CuP undivided, free throughout; with five Anal veins ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ; Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 AD).

Fore coxa with a spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore tibiae ventrally with 5 pairs of large spines, basal area of internal spines each with a black dot; mid tibiae ventrally with 5 pairs of spines, dorsally with an internal apical spur, basal area of external spines each with a black dot but lighter than those of fore tibiae; hind femora ventrally with 3-7 external and 3-6 internal spinules; hind tibiae dorsally with 5-6 external and 5-7 internal spines and a pair of apical spurs, ventrally with 2 preapical spines and an apical spur on both sides.

Female. Seventh abdominal sternite of normal size, posterior margin with a slight concave ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ). Subgenital plate in basal area rather wide, gradually narrows with shallow triangular concave at margin and broad obtuse tip ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ). Ovipositor long and slightly upcurved, reach to hind tarsus when stretched ( Fig. 1G View FIGURE 1 ).

Male. Ninth abdominal tergite downcurved in apical area, descending in posterior area and split into two hemiglobular regions; two black coarse granular oval contact at the splitting midline. Terminal of each split region contains a rod-like projection which concaves up towards mediad without overlapping. Subgenital plate about twice as wide as long, lateral margin slightly converging. Posterior margin with a medial obtuse-trangularly concave. Styli insert laterally at posterior margin. ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 )

Coloration. General color green when alive. Face overall unicolored, green when alive; base area of mandible pink and transits into black in inner and tip area when alive; clypeo-frontal suture white, contains a distinct black dot. Disc of pronotum green when alive, with two distinct black dots on each side. Tegmen semi-transparent with green veins when alive; cells at basal area dark brown; hind wings semi-transparent with brown veins and veinlets, cells with large dark brown maculae. Legs of general color; fore and mid tibia spines yellow; fore tibia internal spines and mid tibia external spines with distinct black dots at basal area; hind femora spines black; hind tibia spines yellowish green with black tips; all tarsus orangish yellow. Abdomen yellowish green. Ovipositor brown when alive.

Measurements (mm). Body (from head to tip of abdomen): 26.6–35.3; pronotum: 6.5–7.0; tegmen: 29.1–31.5; fore femur: 8.9–10.3; median femur: 9.1–10.0; hind femur: 16.1–16.9; fore tibia: 10.8–11.0; median tibia: 10.7–11.0; hind tibia: 15.6–16.7; ovipositor: 22.5.

Natural history. E. tiga is univoltine. Hatchlings emerge generally around July to September and reach adulthood in around April to June the next year. Female adults were observed to lay eggs into wet rotten wood in lab ( Fig. 10B View FIGURE 10 ). Eggs undergo a hatching period about 50 days before hatchlings emerge ( Fig. 11C View FIGURE 11 ). Larger nymphs and adults show threat behavior when facing stimulus, with parts of the labrum hides under clypeus showing the jagged mandibles ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 BD).

Notes. E. tiga is unique, can be recognized by the distinct black dots on legs and pronotum. This species is also characterized by the pair of rod-like projections on terminal of male 9 th abdominal tergite and a concave on female 7 th abdominal sternite.

Etymology. This species is named after Ultraman Tiga, a character in the famous tokusatsu television series Ultraman. Species from genus Eugryllacris are always referred to as “Ultraman katydid” among katydid enthusiasts in China. They get this nickname because of their representative yellowish or reddish eyes. According to the Ultraman series, Tiga is the mysterious giant that wakes up from his petrified body and protects human beings. 2021 is the 25 th anniversary of Tiga debuting, so we name this new species as Tiga in memory of the widely welcomed TV series Ultraman Tiga.

Distribution. Yunnan, China. Known only from the type locality.