Leleja khao, Tan, Ming Kai & Artchawakom, Taksin, 2017

Tan, Ming Kai & Artchawakom, Taksin, 2017, New species of Leleja (Orthoptera: Gryllinae; Gryllini) with first female description for the genus, Zootaxa 4236 (3), pp. 592-600 : 594-599

Leleja khao , new species

( Figs. 2–5 )

Material examined. Holotype (male): Thailand, Nakhon Ratchasima, Sakaerat Environmental Research Station , dry dipterocarp forest, N14.50914, E101.93811, 355.7 ± 5.3 m, on ground, 30 June 2014, 2110 hours, coll. M. K. Tan, H. Yeo & S. T. Toh ( SERS.14.141) ( ZRC).

Paratype: Thailand, same locality, dry dipterocarp forest: 1 female ( SERS.14.83), N14.50921, E101.93700, 398.3 ± 6.0m, on grassy patch, 26 June 2014, 2228 hours ; 1 male (SERS.14.144) and 1 female (SERS.14.145), N14.50944, E101.93826, 353.2 ± 4.8 m, on ground, 30 June 2014, 2148 hours; all coll. M. K. Tan, H. Yeo & S. T. Toh (all ZRC).

Diagnosis. Posteromedial process of epiphallus distinctly protruding to produce rectangular lobe; proximal part of medial lobe of ectoparamere narrow, elongated slender process with acute apex, pointing posteriorly and touching each other at apex, with hairs at apex.

Comparison with congeners. This new species differs from Leleja arkadiyi by male genitalia: transverse bridge of epiphallus narrower and with a few long hairs along posterior margin (wider in L. arkadiyi ); anterolateral apodemes of epiphallus very short, not reaching anterior end of endoparamere (longer and surpassing anterior end of endoparamere in L. arkadiyi ); posteromedial process of epiphallus distinctly protruding to produce rectangular lobe (less distinctly protruding in L. arkadiyi ); ectoparamere with basal part stouter; proximal part of medial lobe of ectoparamere narrow, elongated slender process with acute apex (instead of a short lobe with obtuse apex in L. arkadiyi ), pointing posteriorly and touching each other at apex, with hairs at apex (not touching each other and without hair at apex in L. arkadiyi ); and ramus shorter.

The two species also differ in their distribution and natural habitat: Leleja arkadiyi from Nong Bun Nak at about 200 m a.s.l. (part of the Khorat plateau) and the new species from Sakaerat at about 350 m a.s.l. (part of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains and Sankamphaeng range) ( Fig. 1 ). Further sampling in the region is needed to ascertain if they are allopatric or sympatric species.

Description. Habitus typical for the genus ( Fig. 2 A). General shape rather stout. Head very large, 1.2 times longer than pronotum, clypeal suture to dorsum of head about as tall or slightly taller than pronotal lateral lobe; distinctly globular ( Fig. 3 A). Fastigium verticis and fastigium frontis fused, forming a frontal rostrum; inflated in profile ( Fig. 3 A). Ocelli placed in a strongly transverse triangle; medial ocellus at the top of the frontal rostrum; lateral ocellus dorsad of scapus ( Fig. 3 B). Frons below medial ocellus to above clypeal suture smooth and inflated; clypeal suture distinct and transverse, ending above mandible and at anterior margin of eye ( Fig. 3 B). Mandible stout; labrum large, wider and longer than clypeus ( Fig. 3 B). Maxillary palps slender, apical (fifth) segment longest, followed by third and then fourth (subapical) segments; basal (first) and second segments stout; apical segment with posterior margin oblique ( Fig. 3 A). Pronotal dorsal disc distinctly wider than long, with lateral margins narrowing posteriorly, anterior margin straight, posterior margin slightly concave; longitudinal suture distinct ( Fig. 2 A). Pronotal lateral lobe taller than long ( Fig. 3 A). Legs rather short and pubescent. Anterior and middle legs with some thicker and spine-like hairs dorsally; first and second tarsal segments with stout hairs arranged in rows ventrally. Anterior tibia with one outer apical spine and two longer inner apical spines; a large, oblong external tympanum, internal tympanum absent. Middle tibia with two outer and two longer inner apical spines; dorsal ones much shorter than ventral ones. Posterior femur strongly dilated, slightly narrowing towards apex. Posterior tibia with 5 internal and 6 external subapical spurs; 3 internal and 3 external apical spurs. Posterior tarsus with 5 internal and 7 external dorsal spines.

Male. Tegmen truncated, reaching 3rd abdominal tergite, the stridulatory apparatus functional ( Fig. 3 C). Stridulatory area of tegmen with 2 sinuous oblique veins (= harp veins) and 2 broadly rounded cord veins; mirror broader than long, pyriform, without dividing vein ( Fig. 3 C). Lateral field of tegmen with 7-8 longitudinal veins (= Sc branches). Supra-anal plate longer than broad; plate basal half rectangular and transverse with a longitudinal furrow in middle, forming lateral lobe at the posterior angle; apical half depressed in the middle, longer than wide with apical margin truncated ( Fig. 3 D). Subgenital plate simple, elongated and tapering into subacute apex.

Phallus ( Figs. 3 E–I): Epiphallus H-shaped; transverse bridge narrow and with few long hairs along posterior margin ( Figs. 3 E, 3F); anterolateral apodemes of epiphallus very short, not reaching anterior end of endoparamere ( Figs. 3 E, 3F); posterolateral process elongated, posterior half of process tapers into an obtuse apex with some short hairs in profile, apex of process bent internally in dorsal/ ventral views ( Figs. 3 E–H), in profile curved dorsally and separated from the epiphallus bridge by deep dorsal notch ( Fig. 3 I); posteromedial process (not to be confused with median posteroventral projection) very stout, dorsad of posterolateral process ( Fig. 3 E), in profile distinctly protruding to produce rectangular lobe with dense long hairs along posterior margin ( Fig. 3 I). Ectoparamere with basal (= anterior) part stout and stick-like, distal (= posterior) part broadly rounded ( Fig. 3 G); distal part of medial lobe of ectoparamere vertical, flattened and elongated, slightly membranous and apex truncated; proximal part of medial lobe of ectoparamere narrow (much narrower than distal part in profile), curved inwards and posteriorly to produce elongated slender process with acute apex; rachis pointing posteriorly and touching each other at apex, with hairs at apex, valve between process distinctly long ( Figs. 3 E–H). Endoparamere slender, forming an M-shaped and fused at the end ( Figs. 3 F, 3H). Ramus relatively stouter ( Figs. 3 F, 3H). Virga lost during dissection.

Female. Habitus larger than male ( Fig. 2 B). Head large, but not distinctly longer than pronotum ( Fig. 4 A). Pronotal dorsal disc with lateral margins feebly narrowing posteriorly; anterior margin feebly emarginated in middle, posterior margin substraight ( Fig. 2 B); pronotal lateral lobe longer than tall ( Fig. 4 A). Tegmen truncate posteriorly, reaching middle of 2nd tergite, touching each other only at basal area; dorsal and lateral fields with 6-7 longitudinal veins each ( Figs. 4 A, 4B). Supra-anal plate about as wide as long; plate basal half rectangular, transverse with a longitudinal furrow in middle, setose and slightly bulbous between the furrow; apical half more flattened with margins setose and apical margin truncated ( Fig. 4 C). Subgenital plate triangular, apex truncated. Ovipositor slender and long, longer than posterior femur, slightly curved dorsally; apical dorsal valves slightly shorter than ventral valves ( Fig. 4 D).

Colouration: Head dark red brown; ocelli pale yellow ( Figs. 3 A, 3B, 4A). Frons and genae usually lighter red brown ( Figs. 3 A, 3B), with a light vertical band in females ( Fig. 4 A). Mouthparts medium brown to castaneous; clypeus dark brown with ventral margins and a medial band often castaneous; mandibles yellow brown; palpi pale yellow to yellow brown ( Fig. 3 B). Pronotum dark brown, with a white band along anterior margin that runs from pronotal disc to posterior margin of pronotal lateral lobe ( Fig. 3 A); in females white band not reaching posterior margin of pronotal lateral lobe but form a patch on anterior ventral half of lateral lobe ( Fig. 4 A). Tegmen dark brown; in males, basal third of lateral field white ( Fig. 3 A); in females, veins in lateral field and medial margin white ( Figs. 4 A, 4B). Abdominal tergites blackish brown to red brown; sternites pale yellow. Cerci dark brown. Anterior and middle legs light to medium brown with dark hairs, with some small dark dorsal spots at base of hairs, knees slightly darker; tibiae with ventral surface slightly darker brown. Posterior femur castaneous to red brown and striated, sometimes darker near knees; posterior tibia red brown at base, light brown with dense dark hairs.

Measurement. See Table 1 .

Etymology. The species name refers to highlands in which the cricket is found compared to the type species found at lower elevation. From Thai, khao = mountain.

Ecology and natural history. These ground-dwelling crickets can be found at night foraging beneath and among tall grasses ( Fig. 5 ) of dry dipterocarp forest in Sakaerat Environmental Research Station ( Fig. 6 ). They were observed to feed on the grasses. We did not observe any burrow or male calling during the survey.

Short remark. In Tan et al. (2015a), a typological mistake was found in the description of Velarifictorus (Pseudocoiblemmus) bilobus : Median paramere of epiphallus (= pm) should be correctly labelled as median paramere of ectoparamere.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing the known distribution of the two species of Leleja (Google Earth Pro, 2016).

FIGURE 2. Leleja khao sp. n.: male (A) and female (B) adult habitus in dorsal view. Scale bars: 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Leleja khao sp. n. male: head and pronotum in profile (A); head in frontal view (B); tegmen in dorsal view (C); abdominal apex in dorsal view (D); phallus in postero-dorsal (E), dorsal (F), ventral (G, H) views and profile (I). Scale bars: 2 mm (A), 1 mm (B – D); 0.5 mm (F, H, I).

FIGURE 4. Leleja khao sp. n. female: head and pronotum in profile (A), tegmen in dorsal view (B); abdominal apex in dorsal view (C); apex of ovipositor in profile (D). Scale bars: 2 mm (A), 1 mm (B, C), 0.5 mm (D).

FIGURE 5. Leleja khao sp. n. female nymph (A) and adult (B) in its natural habitat, dry dipterocarp forest of Sakaerat.

FIGURE 6. Dry dipterocarp forest in Sakaerat Environmental Research Station.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements (in mm) of Leleja khao sp. n. (mean values in brackets).

	BL	HL	PL	PW	TL	HFL	HTL	OL
SERS.14.141	18.3	3.9	3.4	5.3	3.9	12.4	8.5	-
SERS.14.144	18.4	3.9	3.3	5.1	3.9	12.4	8.2	-
Male (n = 2)	(18.4)	(3.9)	(3.4)	(5.2)	(3.9)	(12.4)	(8.4)	-
SERS.14.83	23.5	3.8	4.7	6.3	3.5	15.6	10.8	16.0
SERS.14.145	24.2	4.0	4.3	6.0	3.6	15.1	10.0	15.8
Female (n =2)	(23.9)	(3.9)	(4.5)	(6.2)	(3.6)	(15.4)	(10.4)	(15.9)