Paranisitra flavofacia, Baroga-Barbecho & Yap & Tan & Robillard, 2019

Baroga-Barbecho, Jessica B., Yap, Sheryl A., Tan, Ming Kai & Robillard, Tony, 2019, Taxonomic review of the genus Paranisitra Chopard (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Eneopterinae: Nisitrini) with description of a new species from Mindanao, Zootaxa 4568 (1), pp. 81-96 : 88-92

Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp.

( Figs 1 , 3–7 )

Type material. Holotype male. Philippines. [ Mindanao Island ]: [Zamboanga del Sur]: 32 km NW of Milbuk, rain forest, light trap, 900 m, 6.viii.1958 ( JBB386 ), coll. H.E. Milliron ( BPBM) . Allotype female. Philippines. [Mindanao Island]: [Misamis Occidental]: Don Victoriano, Lake Duminagat, 1395 asl, Agro-ecosystem , grass dominated, 17.xi.2003 ( JBB243 ), coll. M.C. Espallardo, left fore leg for molecular analysis (N38) (IWEP-Taxo. Lab-02989) . Paratypes. Philippines. [Mindanao Island]: [Misamis Oriental]: Mt. Kibungol , 20 km SE of Gingoog, 700–800 m, 1♀ ( JBB390 ) , 2♀ ( JBB392 -JBB393), 9–18.iv.1960, coll. W. Torrevillas ( BPBM) . Minalwang , 1050 m, 1♀ ( JBB394 ) , 24.iii. 4.iv.1961, coll. W Torrevillas ( BPBM) . Minubatan , 1050-1200 m, 1♀ ( JBB395 ) , 5– 9.iv.1961, coll. H Torrevillas ( BPBM) . Mt. Empagatao , 1050-1200 m, 3♀ ( JBB396 -JBB398), 19–30.iv.1961, coll. H Torrevillas ( BPBM) . [Zamboanga del Sur]: 24 km NW of Milbuk nr. Lebak , 450–900 m, 1♀ ( JBB387 ) , 6– 7.viii.1958, coll. H. E. Milliron ( BPBM) . [Agusan]: San Francisco 10 km, SE, 1♀ ( JBB388 ) , 15.xi.1959, coll. C.M. Yoshimoto ( BPBM) . Dos Arcos , 1♀ ( JBB389 ) 19–23.xi.1959, coll. C. M. Yoshimoto ( BPBM) . Mindanao , 1♀, coll. Br. v.W. [Brunner von Wattenwyl], 21.181, identified Paranisitra longipes by T. Robillard (MNHN-EO- ENSIF648) .

Other material examined. Philippines. [Mindanao]: [Surigao del Norte]: Siargao Island, Del Carmen: Brgy. Esperanza, 01–05.x.2016, 2 ♀ ( JBB140,142 ), coll. S.A. Yap; left middle leg of JBB140 for molecular analysis (N41) (UPLBMNH), 1♀ ( JBB141 ) (MNHN-EO-ENSIF1548), 2♂ 6♀ (UPLBMNH). Brgy. Katipunan N9.87637 E126.00936, 34.5± 4.7 m.a.s.l, 07.iv.2018, rainy, coll. J.B. Baroga-Barbecho, S.A. Yap, M.K. Tan, & H. Yeo, 1 ♂ (UPLBMNH), 1♂ (Siargao 18_04), 1♀ (Siargao 18_21) (ZRC), 1♀, molecular sample N50 (MNHN-EO- ENSIF4123). Brgy. Sayak N9.86026 E126.03296, 51.1 ± 6.4 m.a.s.l, 08.iv.2018, rainy, coll. J.B. Baroga-Barbecho, S.A. Yap, M.K. Tan, & H. Yeo, 3 ♂, 1 ♀ (UPLBMNH), 1 ♂, molecular sample N51 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4121), 1♀ (MNHN), 1♀ (Siargao 18_29) (ZRC). [Mindanao Island]: [Misamis Oriental]: Mt. Kibungol , 20 km SE of Gingoog, 700–800 m, 1 juvenile ( JBB391 ), 9–18.iv.1960, coll. W. Torrevillas (BPBM).

Type locality. Philippines, Mindanao Island : Zamboanga del Sur .

Distribution. Philippines, Mindanao: Mindanao Island, Zamboanga Peninsula,Siargao Island.

Etymology. The name of the species comes from the combination of the Latin words "flavo" meaning yellow and "faciem" meaning face.

Diagnosis. Species of average size, characterized as in P. diluta by its entirely yellow face, without transverse band; differing from P. diluta by male genitalia with pseudepiphallic lophi longer than wide and forming a triangle (shorter and rounded in P. diluta ), and by lateral arms of endophallic sclerite curved anteriorly.

Description. Size average for the genus ( Fig. 3 ). Coloration yellow to golden brown. Head vertex ( Fig. 4a ) black, with some yellow to brown patterns, covered with whitish setae. Fastigium black, area posterior to ocelli brown; ocelli rounded, protruding and outlined with black. Scapes and antennae yellow to dark brown with whitish rings widely spaced out. Entire face and mouthparts yellow, without transverse band ( Fig. 4b ); maxillary palpi whitish to yellowsh. Frons with a dark brown marking. Head lateral side yellowish ( Fig. 4c ), area below eyes brown. Dorsal disc of pronotum brown, with dark brown markings. Lateral lobes of pronotum dark brown, covered with short white setae; ventral margin golden brown. Legs brown to dark brown. Fore- and median femora orange brown, covered with dark setae. Hind femora yellowish basally, darker apically, with white markings and longitudinal bands on external face; knees dark brown. Tibiae dark brown, lighter basally. Tarsomeres brown apically, lighter basally. Tarsomeres III-1 with 3–10 spines on dorso-external edge. Abdomen orange brown to golden brown, mottled with black markings. Cerci homogenously dark brown, without markings and rings, covered with hairs.

Male. Male genitalia ( Fig. 5 a–c). Pseudepiphallus wide and slightly conical, its anterior margin slightly indented. Lophi membranous, thin and elongated, forming short triangles slightly indented laterally. Rami long, curved and converging apically. Pseudepiphallic parameres narrow, fused to pseudepiphallus dorsally, with strong rounded lateral sclerites, narrowing apically. Ectophallic apodemes long, reaching half of size of rami, parallel. Endophallic sclerite sclerotized, its posterior apex with long divergent lateral arms and with a short triangular median expansion. Endophallic apodeme including wide and thick lateral lamellas, and a long strongly sclerotized dorsal crest.

Female. Habitus similar to males ( Fig. 3 ), but body coloration (including fastigium vertex, legs and abdomen) tends to be less dark. Third abdominal tergite with dark median patterns. Ovipositor shorter than hind femora, apex black, fainter apically, its apex smooth and pointed. Copulatory papilla ( Fig. 5 d–e) wider than long laterally and longer than wide dorsally, with a basal sclerotized ring; apex slightly bent.

Juveniles. Coloration pattern similar to adults, except face, back with a vertical yellow stripe.

Measurements in mm. see Table 2.

Remarks. We observed minor difference in the features of the face of materials from Siargao. Compared with the type material, Siargao specimens are 1.2 times smaller and exhibit small differences in male genitalia, which are not sufficient to support description of a separate species. More information from other localities in Mindanao Island and near Siargao Island and molecular data will be necessary to test whether there are several closely related species. In addition, in both Mindanao and Siargao islands specimens, a few females are strikingly darker than the rest of the series, showing a face almost entirely black and wide black longitudinal band on FIII. However, despite this difference of melanization, the light/dark patterns are more or less similar.

Habitat and life history traits. Materials from Siargao were collected in an agro-forestry area dominated with coconut trees. Courting and mating were observed on top of vegetation both in field and secondary herbaceous areas during night time ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Paranisitra species.

FIGURE 3. Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp. Male holotype in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views; Female allotype in dorsal (C) and lateral (D) views. Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIGURE 4. Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp. head in dorsal (A), facial (B), and lateral (C) views. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp. Male genitalia in dorsal (A), ventral (B), and lateral (C) views. Female copulatory papilla in ventral (D) and lateral (E) views. Scale bars: A–C, 1 mm; D–E, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp. Male (A) and female (B) in natural habitat at night on vegetation along the trail in Del Carmen, Siargao. Photo by M-K Tan.

FIGURE 7. Paranisitra flavofacia n. sp. Male and female mating during night (A) on vegetation along the trail (B) in Del Carmen, Siargao.