Obolopteryx eurycerca, Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina, Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Y., Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro & Correa-Sandoval, Alfonso, 2016

Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina, Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Y., Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro & Correa-Sandoval, Alfonso, 2016, Additional new species of the genus Obolopteryx Cohn et al. 2014 (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae) from Northeastern Mexico, Zootaxa 4168 (3), pp. 401-452 : 404-410

Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp., Barrientos-Lozano & Rocha-Sánchez

Figs. 1–17

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:491292

Type material. Holotype ♂ and allotype ♀. Mexico, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo. Hwy. 85, Cd. Victoria–Monterrey, Km 49, El Sauz, 224 m, 26.IX.2010, Lat. 24°06’58.5’’N, Long . 99°46’07.5’’W, De León Báez M.R.

Paratypes, Tamaulipas: 3 ♀, Hwy. 85 Cd. Victoria-Monterrey, Km 57, Ejido (Ej.) Oyama , 224 m, 26.IX.2010, Lat. 24°07’39.89’’N, Long . 99°15’44.08’’W, De León Báez M. R.; 2 ♀ (nymphs), Hwy. 85 Cd. Victoria-Monterrey, Ej. El Progreso, 247 m, 30.VIII.2010, Lat. 24°07’06.4’’N, Long. 99°16’34.0’’W, De León Báez M. R.; 2 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Hwy. 85 Cd. Victoria-Monterrey, Km 84, 350 m, Lat. 24°18’21.18’’N, Long. 99°27’13.40’’W, 11.XI.2014, Barrientos-Lozano L. & Rocha-Sánchez A.Y.

Diagnosis. At first sight s imilar to O. castanea (Rehn & Hebard, 1914) , easily distinguished from the latter species by its smaller size (14.1±1.9 vs. 17.9± 2.7 mm). Fastigium of vertex more delicate, smaller and less prominent (Fig. 3a vs. 19a); fastigium frontalis, in ventral view, not as broad as in O. castanea , distally more produced and compressed (Fig. 3b vs. 19b). Pronotum shorter and different tegmina ( Fig. 2 vs. 18). The length of the stridulatory file is 6.6 mm, with ca. 92 teeth, average 14 (10–22) teeth/mm, in O. castanea the length of the stridulatory file is 8.3 mm approximately, with ca. 147 teeth and an average of 18 (8–35) teeth/mm ( Fig. 4 vs. 20). The tenth tergite’s membranous distal projection ( Fig. 5 vs. 22) and the epiproct (Fig. 6 vs. 22) are clearly different. The cerci ( Figs. 5, 7–8 vs. 21, 23–24), subgenital plate ( Fig. 8 vs. 24), and internal genitalia (Figs. 9–10 vs. 25–26) are dissimilar of analogous structures in O. castanea . In females the whitish-creme postocular band that extends onto pronotum sides is very delicate, and the pronotum typical carinae is wide U-shape ( Fig. 12 vs. 27), these characters are not so in O. castanea . Tegmina are mostly dark brown, except for the ventral margin band and veins that are white, in O. castanea the tegmina are almost entirely white ( Figs. 12, 16a vs. 27, 32a, 32b). The ovipositor, subgenital plate and basal sclerites differ from homologous structures in O. castanea (Figs. 13–15 vs. 28–30).

Description of males alive. Small size (14.1± 1.9 mm)., compared to congeneric species. Body slender. General color light green. Face yellowish-green, eyes elliptical very prominent, vertex and occiput brown. Fastigium of vertex compressed, almost in contact with the fastigium frontalis, in dorsal view; fastigium frontalis small sub–conical, compressed, distally rounded, in frontal view; antennae reddish-brown-proximally, remaining portion blackish with whitish-creme joints, white post ocular band delicate, extending onto sides of pronotum and abdomen ( Figs. 1 –3, 16b). Pronotum ( Figs. 1–2 , 16 b) dark brown-reddish, constricted mesially; typical sulcus on pronotal disc deep U-shape over the metazone; anterior and posterior margins moderately emarginated; lateral lobes of pronotum about twice wider than deep. Tegmina ( Figs. 1–2 ) short, slightly surpassing the posterior margin of the first abdominal tergite, mostly brown, except for a broad ventral margin band and veins that are white. Length of stridulatory file 6.6 mm ( Fig. 4 ) with ca. 92 teeth, average 14 (10–22) teeth/mm. Fore and mid femora with proximal third green color, remaining portion reddish-orange, hind femora proximal half green, then reddish– orange, distally black; tibiae reddish-orange proximally, remaining external portion black, internal face-yellowish– orange. Abdomen ( Fig. 16 b) dorsally dark-green-brown, with minute dark brown spots, two dorso lateral bands on each side, the lower one white and delicate, above this a conspicuous dark brown-black band; tenth tergite distodorsal projection ( Fig. 5) shallow U-shape forming two broad distal angles. Cerci ( Figs. 5, 7–8) made up of two processes, a robust and moderately elongated dorsal thumb ventrally concave with rounded apex; a ventral shaft very produced and curved inwards, moderately broad proximal, tapering gradually towards the acute apex. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 8 ) elongated, lateral margins emarginated, distally shallow V-shape with broad emarginated margins, lateral angles diverging. Internal genitalia as shown in Figs. 9–10.

Description of females (alive). Similar to the males, but more robust ( Figs. 11, 16a ). General body color lightgreen, fastigium brown, vertex and occiput green with a broad dark brown band on each side; antennae’s socket green, scape, pedicel and basal segments reddish-orange, remaining portion brown-blackish with whitish-creme joints. Pronotum brown-green with reddish-brown marks, a broad reddish-brown band along midline, constricted mesially, posterior margin reddish-brown, with white marks, white post ocular band delicate and extending onto sides of pronotum and abdomen. Tegmina very short, reaching the caudal margin of metanotum, widely separated from each other, about twice broader than long, ventral margin white, the remaining portion reddish-brown with white veins. Abdomen with delicate dark brown lateral bands, one each side ( Fig. 16a ), and tiny brown spots dorsally and ventrally. Ovipositor (Fig. 13, 16a) moderately produced and visibly curved, length about head and pronotum combined, dorsal margin reddish-brown with 10–11 pairs of spines distally, a second row of six smaller spines distally along the ovipositor’s mid line; ventral margin with 9 pairs of spines distally and a second row of 8– 9 external smaller spines. Subgenital plate ( Figs. 14 –15) represented by two robust sub-triangular pilose structures, ovipositor’s lobe (Figs. 13–14) sub-trapezoidal; basal sclerites ( Figs. 14 –15) sub-circular, in ventral view, the outer portion broader projected between the ovipositor’s lobe and the subgenital plate, and the inner portion projected ventrally.

Measurements (mm). Males: Body length from vertex to end of abdomen: 14.1±1.9 (12.8–15.5). Pronotum length: 3.1±0.5 (2.8–3.5). Tegmina length: 3.1. Fore femur length: 11.3±1.9 (10.0–12.7). Mid femur length: 12.6±1.5. Hind femur length 25.6. Females: Body length from vertex to end of abdomen: 14.7 (±1.4). Pronotum length: 3.7 ± 0.1 (3.6–3.8). Tegmina length: 1.0±0.2 (0.8–1.1). Fore femur length: 8.7±0.3 (8.5–8.9). Mid femur length: 9.6±0.8 (8.7–10.2). Hind femur length: 20.0±1.9 (17.9–21.2). Ovipositor: 7.4±0.6 (6.7–7.8). Inter–tegmina space: 1.0±0.1 (1.0–1.1).

Distribution ( Fig. 130 ). O. eurycerca n. sp., is known from three localities at Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Mexico: El Sauz, Oyama and El Progreso. Elevation range between 200– 250 m.

Habitat ( Fig. 17 ). The Municipality of Hidalgo, Tamaulipas is set at the Biogeographic Province of the Eastern Sierra Madre (ESM). Physiography in the area is steep and rugged. Elevation ranges from 200 m in the lowlands to 1760 m towards the western portion highlands. Three types of vegetation are present: deciduous forest (walnut, oak, pine) at the highlands, thorn less bushes at the midland and thorny scrub dominates the lowlands. Today the latter ecosystems show traces of many disturbances, possibly being largely secondary. At the mid and low lands the most common species are Prosopis sp., Acacia farnesiana (Fabaceae) , Leucophyllum sp., ( Scrophulariaceae ), Castela tortuosa (Simaroubaceae) , Celtis pallida (Ulmaceae) , Havardia pallens (Fabaceae) , Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae) , Ebenopsis ebano (Fabaceae) , Zaluzania sp., ( Asteraceae ), Opuntia sp., ( Cactaceae ). Climate in the area is sub-humid, semi-warm and extreme; temperature ranges between 2 and 41°C. Mean annual temperature is about 23°C, with a minimum and maximum averaging 16 and 30°C, respectively. The average annual rainfall is 945 mm, with minimum and maximum average of 24 (February) and 137 mm (September), respectively. O. eurycerca n. sp., inhabits the eastern low lands, characterized by thorny shrub vegetation, it feeds on bushes of the aforementioned species and/or on secondary vegetation.

Etymology. The name of this taxa “ eurycerca ” refers to the broader and more expanded cerci’s dorsal thumb and shaft compared to congeneric species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Male habitus.

FIGURE 4. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen.

FIGURE 8. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Male cerci and subgenital plate, in ventral view. FIGURE 9. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Male titillators, in dorsal view.

FIGURE 14. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Female ovipositor’s lobe, and basal sclerites, in lateral view. FIGURE 15. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Female subgenital plate.

FIGURE 17. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Habitat, grassland and shrubland at Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

FIGURE 130. Distribution map. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp., O. nigra n. sp., O. tamaholipana n. sp., O. castanea, O. huastecana n. sp., O. poecila, O. tanchipae n. sp., and O. truncoangulata.

FIGURE 16 a. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Female alive. FIGURE 16 b. Obolopteryx eurycerca n. sp. Male alive.