Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum, Massa, 2023

Massa, Bruno, 2023, Biodiversity hotspot in the Sangha Trinational Protected Area revealed through Orthoptera Tettigoniidae, Zootaxa 5331 (1), pp. 1-67 : 41-43

Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum n. sp. ( Figs. 25a–25f , 26a–26d )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C4856261-6D37-4083-9E90-C383C6B7F0A0

Material examined. Central African Republic, Ndoki N.P ., Lac 1, 4–5.II.2012, UV, P. Moretto (♁ holotypus, 1♀ paratypus) ; Côte d’Ivoire, Taï N.P ., Research Station (platform 40m) 16.III.2017, B. Massa (2♀ paratypi) ( BMPC) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , N-N NP, Bomassa camp (secondary forest) (353m), 02°12’36.9”N, 16°11’30.2”E, 18.VI–3.VII.2022, MV Light Trap, V. Dérozier (2♀ paratypi) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , NN NP, Bomassa camp (secondary for.) 02°12’36.9”N, 16°11’30.2”E, 16–23.IX.2022, MV Light Trap, V. Dérozier, B. Fouka, A. Kirk-Spriggs, H. Takano (3♁, 2♀ paratypi) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , N-N NP, Bomassa camp (secondary for.) (341m) 02°12’36.9”N, 16°11’30.2”E, 10–16.X.2022, MV Light Trap, V. Dérozier, B. Fouka, A. Kirk-Spriggs, H. Takano (1♀ paratypus) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , N-N NP, Bomassa Camp (341m), 6–14.V.2023, Actinic light trap, V. Dérozier, A. Kirk-Spriggs, G. László, S. Mvouende (1♀ paratypus) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , N-N NP, Bomassa Camp (341m), 6–14.V.2023, MV light trap, V. Dérozier, A. Kirk-Spriggs, G. László, S. Mvouende (1♀ paratypus) ( ANHRT) ; Republic of Congo, Sangha prov. , N-N NP, Bomassa camp (secondary for.) 16–23.IX.2022, MV Light Trap, V. Dérozier, B. Fouka, A. Kirk-Spriggs, H. Takano (1♁, 1♀ paratypi) (Coll. C. Hemp, Bayreuth) .

Description. Male. General habitus & colour. Small-sized species, green with some darker spots on the posterior margin of tegmina; typical are whitish oblique veinlets ( Figs. 25a ). Head and antennae. Antennae thin. Fastigium of vertex about 1.5 times as wide as scapus of antenna ( Figs. 25b, 25c ); fastigium verticis meeting equally broad fastigium of frons along a horizontal line; face with evident frontogenal carinae; eyes elongate and oval ( Fig. 25c ). Thorax. Pronotum as long as high, with evident lateral carinae, flat and smooth disc, anterior margin broadly incurved, posterior margin rounded ( Figs. 25b, 25d ). Wings. Both pairs of wings fully developed; tegmina rounded at tips, narrow, 4.5 times longer as broad. Stridulatory file arched, consisting of ca. 80 evenly spaced teeth ( Fig. 25f ). Legs. Fore coxa unarmed. Fore femora dorsally unarmed, ventrally with 3 spines. Mid femora with 2 ventral spines. Hind femora with 3 ventral outer and inner spines. Fore tibiae with an open tympanum on both sides, dorsal margin rounded ( Fig. 25e ), with a ventral double row of 4 spines; mid tibiae with ventral double row of 6 spines. Hind tibiae with double row of 12 spines on ventral side and many on dorsal side; 3 slender sclerotized spurs on each side. Abdomen. Last abdominal tergite unmodified, ending with two imperceptible lateral tips, between them the margin is concave. Cerci are stout, apically narrowing and incurved with a pointed tip. Subgenital plate is straight with two small apical tips, similar to styli ( Figs. 26c, 26d ).

Female. Same characteristics of the male, but tegmina are 3.8–3.9 times longer as broad, ovipositor short, subgenital plate triangularly pointed, with two lateral basal bulges ( Figs. 26a, 26b ).

Measurements (mm). Males. Body length: 14.5–15.0; pronotum length: 3.1–3.2; pronotum height: 3.1–3.2; length of tegmina: 22.6–23.8; width of tegmina: 4.9–5.2; length of hind femur: 12.5–12.7. Females. Body length: 14.2–16.0; pronotum length: 3.1–3.2; pronotum height: 3.1–3.2; length of tegmina: 21.2–24.9; width of tegmina: 6.0–6.5; length of hind femur: 12.0–14.0; ovipositor: 4.9–5.1.

Diagnosis. Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum gen. and sp. n. is very characteristic for the absence of a spine on the fore coxae, the rounded dorsal margin of the fore tibiae, and the pronotum as long as it is high.

Distribution. Known from Dzanga-Ndoki National Park ( Central African Republic), Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park ( Republic of Congo) and Taï National Park ( Côte d’Ivoire).

Etymology. Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum gen. and sp. n. is dedicated to my late mother Emanuela ‘Nela’ Civiletti (1912–1961) and her paternal family, which also included the famous sculptor Benedetto Civiletti (1845– 1899).

Remarks. Following the key provided by Chopard (1954), among the species with open tympana lacking the spine on the fore coxae Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum n. sp. results in being recovered near the genus Bueacola Sj ̂stedt, 1912, which contains only one species ( B. cornigera from Cameroon). However, Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum n. sp. has very peculiar pronotal and frontogenal carinae and elongate eyes similar to those of the species of the genus Eurycorypha . Presently it seems difficult to establish the tribe to which the genera Bueacola and Pseudoeurycorypha may belong, but very likely they are related to Amblycoryphini , despite the absence of the spine on the fore coxae.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Habitus (a), dorsal view of the head, pronotum and stridulatory area (b), frontal view of the head (c), lateral view of the head and pronotum (d), dorsal rounded margin of fore tibia (e), and stridulatory file under the left tegmen (f) of male of Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum n. gen. n. sp. Arrows indicate the peculiar shape of pronotum carinae.

FIGURE 26. Habitus of the female (a), ventral view of the subgenital plate and ovipositor (b), male subgenital plate and cerci (c) and dorsal view of male cerci (d) of Pseudoeurycorypha civilettorum n. gen. n. sp. The arrow shows the bulges on lateral sides of the ovipositor.