Amedegnatiana, Massa, Bruno & Fontana, Paolo, 2011

Massa, Bruno & Fontana, Paolo, 2011, Supraspecific taxonomy of Palaearctic Platycleidini with unarmed prosternum: a morphological approach (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Tettigoniinae), Zootaxa 2837, pp. 1-47 : 12-13

9) Amedegnatiana new genus ( Figs. 10 , 58 , 96 , 120)

Parnassiana vicheti from Mediterranean France has been tentatively ascribed to Parnassiana (cf. Delmas & Rambier 1950; Chopard 1951), but its affinity with Balkan Parnassiana is questioning and recently Heller (2006) has hypothesized that it probably belongs to a different taxon. It shows the pronotum comparatively longer than other species of Parnassiana and other characters which consent to treat it within a separate taxon. Additionally, its song is more related to a Metrioptera than to a Parnassiana (K.-G. Heller, pers. comm.). Thus, we consider the French taxon not belonging to any described genus and name it Amedegnatiana new genus.

Description. Head just larger than long, ratio maximum width/length of head (from vertex to clipeus): 1.1–1.2. Micropterous, pronotum is comparatively longer than in taxa ascribed to Parnassiana (ratio length/height of pronotum 3Ƥ: 1.4–1.5), flat, humeral excision just evident, hind border of pronotum well protruding over the metanotum, keel present. Ƥ subgenital plate has a just incised hind margin and the ovipositor is stout and greyish, ca. 1.3– 1.4 as long as pronotum and laterally compressed. Ƥ VI–VII th sternites are not modified; hind femora very short, hind femora/pronotum length 3Ƥ: 2.3–2.4; 3 X th tergite depressed in middle and deeply incised, processes are triangularly pointed. Cerci are rounded and provided with an inner teeth in the fourth portion. Titillators folded at right angle, their basal arms with spines. Colour of lateral lobes of the pronotum is black bordered with a white stripe.

Derivatio nominis. The genus is named after the late French orthopterist Christiane Amedegnato, who some years ago nicely received us in the Museum of Natural History of Paris.

Remarks. Well characterized by long metazona, humeral excision just evident, very short hind femora, male processes of X th tergite, female subgenital plate and short and stout ovipositor.

Number of species known: 1) vicheti ( Delmas et Rambier, 1950) (type species) (specimens examined: 3 males and 4 females from Hérault, France).

10) Alticolana Zeuner, 1941 ( Figs. 7 , 59 )

Characters. Micropterous, pronotum rounded, excision just evident, median keel more or less evident; Ƥ subgenital plate small, straight on hind margin, raised in the middle near the base, with a shallow comma-shaped furrow; ovipositor ca. ½ hind femur, well curved upwards; Ƥ VII th sternite enlarged, with two sublateral tubercles; hind femora/pronotum length 3Ƥ: 3.1–3.3; 3 X th tergite with short processes, in the middle with a narrow longitudinal groove behind hind margin carinate, cerci cylindrical with pre-apical tooth. Colour of lateral lobes of the pronotum is blackish-grey bordered with a white stripe.

Distribution. Central Asia.

Remarks. This altomontane genus is probably related to Squamiana . Bei-Bienko (1951) described two species of ‘ Metrioptera ’, atroflava and crassipes ; while he included the former in the subgenus Alticolana , was not able to decide the supraspecific taxon of the latter (of which only the female was available) and wrote Metrioptera (?) crassipes , because it was characterized by the subgenital plate transverse, smooth, with straight hind margin, seeming obtuse emarginate from below. In addition, Bei-Bienko (1951) pointed out that it was a little related to Eumetrioptera by its short hind femora (hind femora/pronotum length: 2.1–2.4); the ovipositor shape is similar to that of Pravdiniana , but the subgenital plate is different from it. Ragge (1990) correctly included only two species within the taxon Alticolana , alticola and atroflava . The first author who listed crassipes within Alticolana was Otte (1997), followed by Eades & Otte (2008) and Eades et al. (2010). We think that this species does not belong to Alticolana , but in the absence of the male, we leave it in this genus.

Number of species known (after Eades et al. 2010): 3: 1) alticola ( Tarbinsky, 1930) (type species); 2) atroflava ( Bei-Bienko, 1951) ; 3) crassipes ( Bei-Bienko, 1951) (it probably does not belong to Alticolana ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Lateral view of the pronotum of 10 species of Platycleidini (Platycleis, Tessellana, Montana, Sardoplatycleis, Modestana, Alticolana, Parnassiana, Ariagona, Amedegnatiana).

FIGURES 48 – 63. Lateral view of the ovipositor of 16 species of Platycleidini (Platycleis, Sardoplatycleis, Sepiana, Metrioptera, Roeseliana, Bicolorana, Chizuella, Eobiana, Modestana, Sphagniana, Amedegnatiana, Alticolana, Parnassiana, Squamiana, Eumetrioptera).

FIGURES 94 – 101. Subgenital plate of the female of other 8 species of Platycleidini (Sepiana, Parnassiana, Amedegnatiana, Modestana, Sphagniana, Squamiana, Uludaghia).