Pseudotrigonidium personatum, Desutter-Grandcolas, 2009

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2009, New and little known crickets from Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu (Insecta, Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Pseudotrigonidium Chopard, 1915, Phaloriinae and Nemobiinae p. p.), Zoosystema 31 (3), pp. 619-659 : 623-628

Pseudotrigonidium personatum n. sp. ( Figs 1 ; 2 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Vanuatu. [Sanma province], Espiritu Santo [Island], Big Bay, Matantas , Vatthé Conservation Area , 15°20’S, 166°95’E, nuit, sur plante, 27.X.2006, T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (fn TR393) ( MNHN- ENSIF2066 ).

Allotype: Vanuatu. Espiritu Santo , Peavot, 14°59’37”S, 166°47’4”E, 38 m alt., rive N de la rivière principale, terrasse, forêt secondaire (ancien jardin), jour, sur tronc, 20.X.2006, L.Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 74) ( MNHN- ENSIF2067 ).

Paratypes: 8 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀. Same locality as holotype, nuit, sur plante, 21.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 68) (MNHN-ENSIF2080). — Nuit, sur plante de sous-bois, 26.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 50) (MNHN-ENSIF2081). — Jour, sous l’écorce soulevée d’un tronc à contreforts, 70 cm de diamètre, 1.80 m H, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 19) (MNHN-ENSIF2082). — Nuit, sur plante, 27.X.2006, T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (fn TR394) ; L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 56) (MNHN-ENSIF2083, 2084). — Jour, sous l’écorce soulevée d’un tronc à contreforts, 1.40 m H, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 1) ( MNHN- ENSIF2085 ) .

Butmas, 600 m alt., forêt du plateau de Tankara, 15°21’56”S, 166°59’E, jour, litière aérienne, fougère arborescente, dans tige morte, 13.X.2006, L. Desutter- Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 14) (MNHN-ENSIF2086). — Jour, dans branche morte 60 cm diamètre, 1.50 m H, bois pulvérulent, 14.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀

(fn 8) (MNHN-ENSIF2087). — Nuit, sur plante, 17.X.2006, T. Robillard, 1 ♂ (fn TR157) ( MNHN- ENSIF2076 ) ; L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 1) (MNHN-ENSIF2077).

Nattawa, forêt pâturée, 15°19’29”S, 167°12’9”E, jour, battage des herbes et plantes basses près de petites lianes, 29.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 38) (MNHN-ENSIF2078).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 8 juveniles. Same locality as holotype, jour, sous l’écorce soulevée d’une chandelle, 50 cm de diamètre, 1.50 m H, 26.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 17) (MNHN-ENSIF2079). — Nuit, sur plante de sousbois, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 juvenile ♀ (fn 51) (MNHN-ENSIF2088). — Jour, sous feuille d’arbuste, 2 m H, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 juvenile ♀ (fn 18) (MNHN-ENSIF2089). — Nuit, sur plante de sous-bois, 27.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 juvenile ♂ (fn 57) (MNHN-ENSIF2090).

Butmas, 600 m alt., forêt du plateau de Tankara, 15°21’56”S, 166°59’E, nuit, 15.X.2006, L. Desutter- Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 30) (MNHN-ENSIF2091). — Jour, litière aérienne, fougère arborescente, dans tige morte, 13.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 15), 1 juvenile ♂ (fn 17) (MNHN-ENSIF2092, 2093). — Jour, litière aérienne, fougère arborescente, battage, T. Robillard, 1 juvenile ♀ (fn TR13) (MNHN-ENSIF2094). — Nuit, sur plante de sous-bois, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 juvenile ♂ (fn 24) (MNHN-ENSIF2095). — Jour, dans fougère épiphyte à 2 m H, 14.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♀ (fn 9) (MNHN-ENSIF2096). — Jour, fougère arborescente, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 ♂ (fn 10) (MNHN-ENSIF2097).

Peavot, Mt Nouresororo, 14°59’26”S, 166°45’, 636 m alt., forêt de brume, nuit, sur plante de sous-bois, 22.X.2006, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, 1 juvenile ♂ (fn 7) ( MNHN- ENSIF2095).

Penaoru, malaise sol, 1200 m, A, MG12A1, 8-18.XI.2006, 1 juvenile ♀; malaise sol, 600 m B, MG06B1, 6-18. XI.2006, 1 ♀ (MNHN-ENSIF2100, 2001), both last identifications uncertained (material preserved in alcohol).

[ Nouvelles-Hébrides], I. Ambrym, Mts Marum et Bembow, 1935-1936, 1 ♀ (E. Aubert de la Rüe) ( MNHN- ENSIF2099).

ETYMOLOGY. — Personatus , -a, -um, masked, according to the distinctive face colouration of this species.

DISTRIBUTION. — Vanuatu (Espiritu Santo and Ambrym islands).

HABITAT. — According to our observations ( Table 1), P. personatum n. sp. is a forest-inhabiting species, active at night on undergrowth plants. During the day, it hides most often on tree ferns or under raised barks of tree trunks, and occasionally in epiphytic ferns or dead branches. It has been found by day on few occasions on tree trunks, under tree leaves or in low vegetation, but these observations may be associated with disturbed specimens. P. personatum n. sp. has never been collected in leaf litter, but its capture in malaise traps may indicate occasional moves between plants.

These data are congruent with previous observations made on P. noctifolia in New Caledonia, although juveniles of the latter species were found regularly in the leaf litter (Desutter-Grandcolas 1997). No additional data are available on the habitat of Pseudotrigonidium species ; other new caledonian species originate from “tall rainforests” ( Otte et al. 1987), and one species from the Solomon islands has been found in “grass area on ridge behind camp” ( Gorochov 1999).

DIAGNOSIS. — Species very close to P. duplum Gorochov, 1999 from Banks islands ( Vanuatu) and P. pulchellum Gorochov, 1999 from the Solomon islands, but easily separated by the distinctive colouration of its face (see below) and its male genitalia ( Table 2). Otherwise, P.personatum n. sp. appears variable in size and colouration, with small, dark individuals and larger, lighter ones, with all intermediate conditions.

DESCRIPTION

Global size and shape as in other species of the genus ( Otte et al. 1987: fig. 21). Colouration light yellow, greatly ornamented with black and brown.

Head small, vertical. Eyes highly protruding anteriorly and laterally ( Fig. 1A, B ). Fastigium wide, nearly as wide as scapes, and not separate from the vertex. Ocelli located on fastigium; median ocellus vertical in apical position; lateral ocelli at fastigium base; distance between lateral ocelli slightly shorter than the distance between median and one lateral ocellus. Palpi short; joint 3 slightly longer than joint 4; joint 5 nearly twice as long as joint 4, slightly and regularly widened toward apex, truncated straight at apex. Pronotum transverse; anterior margin concave dorsally; posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 1C ); lateral lobes somewhat raised dorsally, their posterior angle truncated ( Fig. 1D ). FWs welldeveloped in both males and females, covering the whole abdomen. Wings present, slightly shorter or longer than FWs. Legs long and thin. FIII wide and thick in basal third, and extremely narrow on apical third. Inner tympana narrow and elongate. Outer tympana lacking, often replaced by a shallow furrow. TI with 2 ventral apical spurs, the outer slightly longer. TII with 2 ventral apical spurs, the inner the longest. TIII with 3 outer apical spurs, the median the longest; 3 inner apical spurs, the dorsal spur one third longer than the median, and longer than half basitarsus III; 4 pairs of subapical spurs, the inner spurs slightly lower on TIII than the outer spurs. Cerci long and thin.

Colouration

Colouration identical in males and females, but dorsal disc of pronotum more spotted with yellow, and FI and FII less spotted with brown in females. Face yellow to light brown, with black brown ornamentation ( Fig. 1A ); a wide longitudinal, black band under the median ocellus, including a small, median yellow spot just below the ocellus; this band prolonged down to the clypeus, but enlarged on the face, where it is broadly triangular; a smaller triangular black brown spot joining the lower margin of each antennal pit and the lower angle of each eye. Cheeks yellow, with irregular brown spots, their lower half somewhat darker; a wide black band behind the eyes ( Figs 1B, D ). Eyes silvery, their lower margins brown. Head dorsum ( Fig. 1B ) light brown, except for black brown fastigium; a thin yellow line behind the median ocellus and two thinner, lateral ones; a wide black area between the eyes, and a thin, longitudinal black line along the inner margin of each eye. Palpi light yellow; joints 4 and 5 dark brown basally; apical third of joint 5 brownish. Scapes brownish with irregular yellow lines and spots. Antennae light brown, annulated with many lighter or yellow articles. Pronotum brown, with yellow lines and spots; dorsal disc ( Fig. 1C ) with a median longitudinal yellow band, more or less subdivided into two or three segments, and several diffused yellowish spots on anterior two thirds; lateral lobes dark brown with a transverse en s

en a yellow band along anterior three fourths, their lower margins bordered with yellowish ( Fig. 1D ). Legs light yellow, with dark brown and black spots. FI and FII with one small, subapical, and 2 larger distal, black brown rings; FII with an additional, subbasal, brown spot. TI and TII with one apical, and 1 or 2 respectively subapical, dark rings. Coxae I and II whitish with a black spot on outer margins, wider on coxae I. TIII with 4 dark rings, including one apical, their base more or less spotted dorsally. FIII with one apical ring and one subapical spot in their narrowed apical fourth; 4 additional, more or less complete and dark, rings on dorso-inner sides; dorso-outer sides greatly striated with dark brown; lower outer sides light yellow. TIII with 4 dark rings, including one apical; basally, more or less spotted dorsally. Basitarsi light yellow, brown apically. Tarsomeres 3 brown at base and apex, yellow otherwise. Tarsal claws brown. Apical spurs brown. Subapical spurs light yellow, with a median brown spot. Cerci brown with a wide lighter ring at their base.

Male

FWs only slightly widened compared to the pronotum, their lateral margins almost parallel. Limit between dorsal and lateral fields made by CuP in FW anterior third, and CuA in FW posterior half. Apical field reduced, with 3 or 4 rows of small cells. Lateral field: intermedian area greatly widened at mid length; R with 15 or 16 transverse bifurcations. Stridulatory apparatus well developed and complete ( Fig. 1 E-G): harp with 4 main, oblique and parallel veins, and with 1 to 3 veinlets in FW antero-outer angle; CuP well developed, crossing 1 or 2 main harp veins; mirror as wide as long, or slightly wider, crossed by 2 transverse veins; diagonal and the vein separating c1 and c2 cells fused anteriorly to the mirror or not (compare Fig. 1E, F and G ). Stridulatory file with 185-222 teeth (mean number 207, n = 5). Harp, mirror and c1 surfaces partly undulated. Harp area just above the mirror anterior angle cambered and ivory coloured; dorsal field otherwise yellowish, mottled with brown; veins yellow more or less marked with brown, black in apical field; plectrum area ivory coloured. Lateral field: intermedian area light yellow; MA and MP yellow, transverse veins lighter; a few brown spots between distal transverse veins; R yellow, except for black brown basal and distal parts; R bifurcations mostly black brown, separated with light yellow. Sternites light brown, mottled with brown, their posterior margins lighter. Subgenital plate triangular, indented at apex ( Fig. 2A ); dark brown.

Male genitalia. Pseudepiphallic sclerite transverse; pseudepiphallic lophi widely separate, the area between them variously deep, but with the posterior margin of pseudepiphallic sclerite straight ( Fig. 2B ); lophi widened and rectangular basally, and broadly triangular apically. Pseudepiphallic parameres wide, with 2 well-developed apical spines (one dorsal, one ventral), and most often an additional, small median one ( Fig. 2C, D ). Rami not separate from pseudepiphallic sclerite, their lower margins straight. Ectophallic fold very large, protruding dorsally between pseudepiphallic parameres and lophi, and ventrally as two longitudinal ridges; dorsally enlarged before apex, truncated and not deeply indented on apical margin. Ectophallic apodemes wide; arc narrow, complete. Ventral valves very small, in very anterior position. Endophallic sclerite U-shaped; two very long, narrow, lateral branches, running along the inner sides of ectophallic fold ventral ridges, and abruptly more separated the one from the other at mid length. Endophallic apodeme originating at the junction of the two endophallic lateral branches, as in Podoscirtinae crickets, and having the shape of a very high crest extended longitudinally.

Female

FW dorsal field venation made of longitudinal parallel veins (A1-A3, CuP bifurcated 2 or 3 times; CuA bifurcated once or twice), separated by regularly spaced transverse veins ( Fig. 1H ). Lateral field: R bifurcated 8 times. Dorsal field yellow to light brown, mottled with dark along CuA and along an oblique pattern in FW basal third; 4 clear spots separated by brown areas along CuA, the two distal ones whitish; veins brown to black, except light ochre basal half of CuP; most veins more or less marked with brown. Lateral field yellow, the veins marked with brown. Subgenital plate transverse, its posterior margin slightly concave; lightly coloured, sometimes with a median dark spot. Ovipositor very short, as in other species of the genus; apex dark and ball-like; apex of dorsal valves with 3 successive, transverse crests; apex of ventral valves with 4 high apical teeth ( Fig. 2E, F ).

Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla very small and little sclerotized; more or less squared; posterior margin indented ( Fig. 2G, H ).

Measurements

See Table 3.

VARIATION

Smaller specimens are usually darker in colouration, with the same general pattern as larger specimens; males have also slightly fewer teeth on stridulatory file (185-204, mean 195, n = 2). Colouration: Black spots on the cheeks sometimes fused as a continuous line. In the darkest specimens, head dorsum almost entirely brown, except for a yellow line behind median ocellus. Pronotum lateral lobes clearly bordered with yellow along their lower margins, and with a transverse yellow band over their whole width. Male FW: cambered area of the harp of the same dark colouration as surrounding areas ( Fig. 1G ). One female from Butmas (MNHN- ENSIF2092; identification uncertain), has almost completely dark FWs, with a row of yellow spots between CuP bifurcations; its copulatory papilla is also extremely indented apically.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Pseudotrigonidium personatum n. sp.: A, face; B, head dorsum; C, dorsal disc of pronotum; D, cheek and lateral lobe of pronotum; E-G, male forewing dorsal field venation,holotype (E), paratype MNHN-ENSIF2081 (F), ♂ MNHN-ENSIF2091 (G); H, female forewing dorsal field venation, allotype. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 2. — Pseudotrigonidium personatum n.sp.:A, male subgenital plate;B-D, male genitalia,dorsal (B), lateral (C, ♂ MNHN-ENSIF2091; D, ♂ MNHN-ENSIF2083); E, F, female ovipositor, dorsal (E), right lateral (F), ventral valves marked with grey; G, H, female copulatory papilla, lateral (G), dorsal (H). Scale bars: A, 1 mm; B-D, 0.1 mm; E-H, 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: see text.