Dolichopoda bakolitsasi Rampini, Di Russo

Russo, Claudio Di, Alexiou, Sotiris & Rampini, Mauro, 2017, A new species of Dolichopoda (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae; Dolichopodainae) from Western Greece, Zootaxa 4290 (2), pp. 380-384 : 381-382

Dolichopoda bakolitsasi Rampini, Di Russo sp. n. ( Figs. 2–6 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:497883

Diagnosis. The size is relatively big, with the hind legs elongated. This species shows affinities with D. giachinoi , another species occupying caves at Aetolia-Acarnania, described from Megalo Spilio cave of Mountain Serekas, as well as to D. gaSparoi, D. paveSii and D. patrizii from the Southern Ionian Islands of Lefkada, Kefallonia and Petalas, respectively. It differs from them mainly by the tergum X of the male, which has two peculiar lobes, forceps-shaped distally, with the apex curved inwards. The subgenital plate of the female is also similar to the previously mentioned species, but differs in lacking a protuberance on the ninth sternite, which on the contrary is flattened and completely arched.

Type locality. Dovrena Cave is situated in the Aetolia-Acarnania, near the town of Agrinio, N38°41.512’, E 21°17.191’. The entrance of the cave is at the elevation of 73 m a.s.l., on the South-Eastern slope of the Mountain Thiamon (or Petalas), near Lepenou village . The entrance to the cave is achieved through a narrow chasm and a descent with the use of ropes for about 15 m. Inside the cave, humidity (HR) and temperature resulted 71% and 14 °C respectively.

Type material. Holotype male. Greece, Aetolia-Acarnania , Lepenou Vill. (Mt. Thiamon), Dovrena Cave, 20.02.2016, K. Bakolitsas leg. Paratypes: 1 male, 3 females and 1 female nymph ; 2 males same data and locality C. Di Russo leg . 2 females same collector as for holotype, 13.02.2016, K. Bakolitsas leg. (MZUR, ZMUA, cSA).

Description. Male (Holotype). Body colour uniformly brown-yellowish. Legs very long, slender, yellow-testaceous, with unarmed femora, only two short spines are present on both sides of their distal margins. Coxal apophisis pronounced. Fore tibia armed with 3/7 spines on both sides of the inferior edge and a pair of spurs of equal length on the apex. Mid tibia with both sides of the upper edge unarmed, 4/5 spines on the lower edge and two apical spurs similar to those of the fore tibia. The hind tibia is longer, with 16/20 spines of different length on both sides of the upper edge and 5/7 homogeneous spines on the lower edge. All the genicular lobes of the tibiae show a spine on both sides. Tenth tergum very sclerotized on the posterior edge with two elongated and flattened lateral lobes, lobes forceps-shaped at the distal parts, with their apex curved inwards ( Fig. 2 ). The two lobes are separated by a large concavity showing an elevated ridge on the posterior margin. Subgenital plate globular at the bottom, with a wide median incision that runs for half of the total length; symmetrical lateral lobes triangular with rounded posterior edges finely haired, styli cylindrical and short ( Fig.3 ).

Epiphallus sclerotized, its median process relatively long, slender, finely haired, with a strongly acuminated apex; from the side, the median process is uniformly curved; the basal processes are rather well developed ( Figs 4 a–4b). The accessory apparatus is slightly sclerotized, trilobate, with a conical median lobe.

Measurements. Length (mm): body 18.52; pronotum 3.93; fore femur 18.00; middle femur 19.04; hind femur 26.72; fore tibia 19.65; middle tibia 19.71; hind tibia 34.10; hind tarsus 12.60; 1st article of hind tarsus 6.40.

Female. The length of the body ranges between 17.66–20.44 mm (ovipositor excluded) and the general form of the female is similar to the male. Urotergum IX wide and with the posterior margin strongly arched. Subgenital plate triangular ( Fig. 5 ), with a protuberance sclerotized and thickened, slightly bilobate, on the middle of the posterior margin.

The uniformly elongated ovipositor has an average length of 12.5 mm, distally it appears narrower with a pointed apex, curved upwards. The shorter inferior valves, enlarged at the base and little curved on the superior edge, have 12 denticles ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. The species name refers to our friend, biospeleologist Konstantinos Bakolitsas (Agrinio), who collected the first specimens of the new species during his research activity in the western Greece.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 6. Male: 2. X tergite, dorsal view 3. Subgenital plate, ventral view. 4. Epiphallus dorsal view (a) and lateral view (b), Female: 5. Subgenital plate, ventral view. 6. Ovipositor, lateral view (scale bar = 1 mm)