Dolichopoda christos-nifoni, Di Russo & Rampini, 2018

Russo, Claudio Di, Rampini, Mauro, Chimenti, Claudio & Alexiou, Sotiris, 2018, New species of Dolichopoda Bolívar, 1880 (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae) from the Aegean Islands of Andros, Paros and Kinaros (Greece), Zoosystema 40 (20), pp. 469-479 : 475

Dolichopoda christos-nifoni

Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp.

( Fig. 4 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3D83A120-FF73-457B-BF6C-BDAD795FC6FF

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Greece, Kiklades , Andros Isl. , Aladinos, Aladinou Cave, 1 ♂, 02.XII.2015, S. Alexiou leg. ( MZUR).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 1 ♀, 02.XII.2015 ( MZUR); 2 ♀, 7 nymphs, 18.VI.2015 ( ZMUA). Same locality and collector as the holotype .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Andros is the northernmost island of the Cyclades and with a size of 380 km 2, it is the second largest after Naxos. It lies close to the large island of the west Aegean, Evvia (Euboea), separated from the latter by the Kafireas Straits , a channel of 12 km. Mt Gerakones (680 m) is one of the four small mountains of Andros island , the highest being Mt Kouvaras (or Petalon), which reaches 994 m. Between these two mountains lies Messaria , the central valley of Andros. At the foot of northern slopes of Mt Gerakonas , facing Messaria , the cave Aladinou or Foros is located, at an altitude of 120 m a.s.l., near the village Aladinou and about 4 km from Chora. In contrast to most of the Cyclades , the rocks on Andros are mostly schists of various types ( Snogerup et al. 2006). Limestone is found only in small areas, the most extensive being a row of low cliffs along the northwest flank of Mt Gerakones .

The cave Aladinou is one of the biggest caves found in the Cyclades, filed 15 th in the official list of the Hellenic Speleological Society ( HSS) of chronologically discovered caves in Greece. The cave was first explored in 1937 by Ioannis and Anna Petrochilou. In 1962, A. Petrochilou and S. Diakogiannis, as members of the H.S.S. were assigned to chart the cave. The results were published one year later ( Petrochilou 1963). The cave has a size of about 500 m 2. Temperature inside the cave is 16-17° C and humidity is 75%. The cave has stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, hanging rocks, colorful limestone and gour formations. The cave is maintained by the Cultural Society of Aladinou ‘Agia Triada’ and a permit is needed to enter. A traditionally paved road a few hundred meters long, leads from the village to the cave, over an old bridge, that crosses the river. The entrance of the cave is artificially blocked, in order to prevent damage from visitors. Steps made of concrete lead to the main chamber and artificial light has been placed in this first part. There is no guano present on the floor and only one bat was observed, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Schreber, 1774) entering obviously from a smaller natural entrance.

ETYMOLOGY. — The new species name refers to one of the authors’ (SA) son, Christos-Nifon Alexiou, who at the age of 7, accompanied his father and actively took part in the collection of specimens from Andros.

DIAGNOSIS. — The size is relatively small with the hind legs elongated. This species shows a combination of morphological characters that, in a way, appears similar to those of the Evvian Dolichopoda , while others are close to the Cycladic species. In particular, D. christos-nifoni Di Russo & Rampini , n. sp. shares the bifurcate apex of the epiphallus and the shape of the female subgenital plate with D. makrykapa and D. ochtoniai from Evvia. On the contrary, it shares the tenth tergum and the plica dorsalis with the other species of the Cyclades (Paros, Naxos) and the species from Kinaros (Dodecanissos).

DESCRIPTION

Male

Size relatively small. Body color yellow-brown with the posterior margins of the terga darker. Legs long, slender and yellowish in color with the femora unarmed. Fore tibiae armed with 5/6 spines on both sides of inferior edge, 4/5 spines on upper edge, a pair of spurs of equal length on apex. Mid tibiae with 3/7 short spines on both sides of upper edge, 4/6 spines on lower edge and two apical spurs similar to those of fore tibiae. Hind tibiae longer, with 21/23 spines of varying length on both sides of upper edge and 1/1 homogeneous spines on the lower edge. Posterior edge of the tenth tergum with two elongated triangular lateral lobes with an acute apex ( Fig. 4A ).

Subgenital plate globular at bottom, with a large median incision that runs for half of total length; symmetrical lateral lobes triangular with rounded posterior edges, styli cylindrical and short ( Fig. 4B, C ). Epiphallus sclerotized showing a relatively short median process, with a bifurcated apex; from the side, median process slightly curved; basal processes quite well developed ( Fig. 4D, E ). Plica dorsalis similar to that of D. margiolis Di Russo & Rampini , n. sp., differing by being strongly sclerotized on the basal lobes and by having cylindrical protuberance occurring in the middle of apical part ( Fig. 4F ).

Length (mm): body 13.5; pronotum 3.5; fore femora 13.8; middle femora 13.0; hind femora 21.4; fore tibia 14.4; middle tibia 14.6; hind tibia 24.8; hind tarsus 9.7; hind basitarsomere 5.7.

Female

Body length ranging between 12.3-14 mm (ovipositor excluded) and general form similar to male. Tergum IX not complete in the middle and covered by a wide extension of the tergite VIII. Subgenital plate trapezoidal ( Fig. 4G ), with the distal part more sclerotized, bilobate with an incision on the middle of the posterior margin.

Ovipositor, uniformly curved, 9 mm length in average, showing a pointed apex curved upwards. Shorter inferior valves, slightly curved on the superior edge, with 15-17 denticles ( Fig. 4H ).

REMARK

The fauna of the Cave Aladinou is very poor and the population of D. christos-nifoni Di Russo & Rampini , n. sp. seems to be sparse. On our first visit, no adult male could be traced and a second visit was needed in order to locate and collect adult males.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Dolichopoda christos-nifoni Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp.: A, male tenth tergum; B, male subgenital plate (ventral view); C, male subgenital plate (lateral view); D, median process of epiphallus (dorsal view); E, median process of epiphallus (lateral view); F, plica dorsalis; G, female subgenital plate; H, ovipositor (lateral view). Scale bars: 1 mm.