Phlaurocentrum morettanum, Massa, 2023

Massa, Bruno, 2023, Biodiversity hotspot in the Sangha Trinational Protected Area revealed through Orthoptera Tettigoniidae, Zootaxa 5331 (1), pp. 1-67 : 28-30

Phlaurocentrum morettanum n. sp.

Figs. 16d, 16e, 16f

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Material examined. Côte d’Ivoire, Taï National Park , Research Station 4.IV.2017, P. Moretto (♁ holotypus, 3♁ paratypi) ( BMPC); from the same locality and date a female specimen was collected, but it is poorly preserved and it is not possible to check the subgenital plate, generally considered a diagnostic character.

Diagnosis. P. morettanum n. sp. is well characterized by its narrow tegmina, with the costal area narrow. The stridulatory area of the left tegmen is short. Characters differentiating P.morettanum n. sp. from other Phlaurocentrum species are the following: the male 10 th tergite ends with two squared apices, pointed on each apical side, separated by a wide triangular emargination. Cerci are long and bent at an obtuse angle, with fine apices. Titillators are long and flat, apically bent; their upper margin is thin. The stridulatory area of the left tegmen of the male is short and yellow (cf. Table 1 ).

Description. Male. Colour. Brown; upper part of the head and pronotum and posterior margin of tegmina darker than the rest of the body. Antennae brown. Stridulatory area of the male is yellow-ivory coloured. Legs yellowish. Legs: long, fore coxae armed, fore femora with 6–8 spines on the inner ventral margin, fore tibiae with 4–5 spines on inner and on outer ventral margins, mid femora with 4–5 spines on inner ventral margin, mid tibiae with 6–8 spines on inner ventral and 9–10 on outer ventral margin, hind femora with 6–8 spines on ventral margins, hind tibiae with 10–12 spines on outer and 5–7 on inner ventral margin. Tegmina. Stridulatory area not particularly raised, stridulatory file under the left tegmen with ca. 150 teeth very closely packed. Abdomen. The 10 th tergite ends with two squared apices, apically pointed on each side, separated by a wide triangular emargination. Cerci are long, bent at obtuse angle, with fine apex superiorly covered by very small teeth. The sub-genital plate is narrow, styli are quite long. Titillators are long and flat, apically bent; the superior margin is thin.

Measurements (mm). Males. Total length: 20.0–21.9; length of pronotum: 4.7–5.0; height of pronotum: 4.0– 4.1; length of hind femora: 25.8–26.2; length of tegmina: 32.9–34.5; width of tegmina: 7.0–7.2.

Etymology. Named after my friend and skilful entomologist Philippe Moretto, collector of the specimens in Côte d’Ivoire.

Distribution. Presently known only from Taï National Park ( Côte d’Ivoire).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Tenth tergite, cerci and titillators of Phlaurocentrum latevittatum (a), P. elegans (b), P. lobatum (= P. morettoi) (c), P. morettanum n. sp. (d); head, pronotum and stridulatory area of P. morettanum n. sp. (e); stridulatory file of P. morettanum n. sp. (f).