Paracinipe suezensis Ünal & Massa, 2016

Ünal, Mustafa, 2016, Pamphagidae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) from the Palaearctic Region: taxonomy, classification, keys to genera and a review of the tribe Nocarodeini I. Bolívar, Zootaxa 4206 (1), pp. 1-223 : 73-74

Paracinipe suezensis Ünal & Massa , sp. nov.

( Figs. 316–320 , 839 )

Type locality. Egypt: Suez. Holotype: female ( MfN).

Material examined. EGYPT: Suez, April 1909, 1 ♀ (Holotype) ( MfN).

Description. Female (Holotype): Body ( Figs. 316, 317 ) size on average relatively stout as for the genus. Fastigium of vertex almost pentagonal, very slightly sloping, lateral margins raised, with smooth surface. Frontal ridge ( Fig. 318 ) strongly protruded above the median ocellus, with a deep frontal sulcus, slightly widening towards the clypeus. Vertex between the eyes broad, 1.1 times wider than vertical diameter and 1.6 times wider than transversal diameter of eye; vertex convex in lateral view, with smooth surface; median carinula weak; lateral carinulae very short and weak, supraocular foveola indistinct; supraocellar foveola very distinct. Eye ( Fig. 318 ) regularly oval, 1.4 times longer than wide. Antennae with 13 segments. Facial carina raised, very distinct in the middle part. Pronotum ( Fig. 318 ) stout, compressed laterally, with large longitudinal tubercles of which a larger one between the 2nd and 3rd transversal sulci; lateral carina in prozona indistinct, in metazona like a slightly elongated tubercle; prozona strongly raised, almost arcuate; metazona much lower, 3.1 times shorter than prozona; anterior and posterior margins of paranota with short longitudinal black tubercles; anterior margin of pronotum triangularly protruded with narrowly rounded apex, posterior margin concave with a weak median projection in dorsal view. Tegmina ( Figs. 317, 318 ) squamipterous, rounded at apex, very narrow, 4.1 times longer than wide, reaching posterior margin of tympanum and completely covering it. Prosternum ( Fig. 319 ) strongly swollen; anterior margin strongly raised, almost M-shaped, its median incision concave; posterior part roundly sloping with many small tubercles. Mesosternal interspace ( Fig. 320 ) narrow, 2.4 times narrower than its length and 2.7 times narrower than mesosternal lobes. Metasternal interspace ( Fig. 320 ) almost 3 times wider than its length. Pronotum after the half of prozona descending, metanotum and first abdominal tergite ascending in lateral view, so pronotum, metanotum and first abdominal tergite make a saddle-shape ( Fig. 318 ). Metanotum and first abdominal tergite with strong irregular longitudinal tubercles. Abdominal tergites ( Fig. 316, 317 ) with weak median carina, not raised. The highest part of abdomen is at the end of first tergite. Fore and mid legs smooth. Hind femur 2 times longer than its height, the highest point at base, regularly narrowing towards genicular lobes; dorsal margin straight, ventral margin slightly convex in proximal part, straight in distal part. Hind tibia with 9–10 inner, 9 outer spines. Arolium very narrow and short, not reaching 1/3 of claws. Krauss’ organ narrow, with smooth surface. Supra-anal plate relatively wide, with a broad and shallow longitudinal groove in the middle of basal part, apical part with narrower and weaker groove, with strongly downcurved and pointed apex. Subgenital plate slightly wider than its length, posterior margin with two rounded lateral and one triangular median projections.

Male: Unknown.

Coloration. Body greyish-brown with various shades of brown, cream and black spots and pattern. Gena, anterior part of lateral carinula of fastigium and dorsal surface of apical part of antenna cream. Dorsal surface of head light milky brown. First several segments of antennae weakly bluish-grey. Eyes brown with light brown vertical stripes. Anterior and posterior margins of pronotum cream with disitinct black or brown tubercles, remaining part greyish-brown. Fore and mid legs unicolor, pale light greyish-brown. Outer surface of hind femur as fore legs but with many small cream spots; inner and ventral surfaces pale light milky brown. Outer surface of hind tibia cream; inner surface brownish-black, with basal parts of spines which are yellow with black tips. Tarsus creamish light brown. Abdominal tergites with many small cream tubercles; posterior margins milky brown with short longitudinal brown stripes. Ovipositor cream, with black margins. All sternites yellowish cream with light brown and greenish-grey short stripes, spots and stains.

Diagnosis. This new species is a member of the P. zebrata species group by the strongly tuberculated and wrinkled metanotum and the first abdominal tergite, the pronotum with strong tubercles. It is related to P. marmarica (Salfi, 1925) ( Fig. 321 ) by the stout body, the pronotum with large tubercles and its thickened anterior and posterior margins with white-black bands, but, it is different by the more protruded frontal ridge above the ocellus (clearly less protruded in P. marmarica ), the strongly raised prozona of pronotum (less raised and undulate in P. marmarica ), the prosternum with many small tubercles posteriorly (with 2 small tubercles in P. marmarica ), the supra-anal plate with much wider longitudinal groove, the black inner surface of hind tibia (yellowish, bluish, pinkish or reddish in P. marmarica ). The same differences are also valid for P. foreli (Pictet & Saussure, 1893) ( Fig. 323 ), but the stouter body, the supra-anal plate, the shape of pronotum and the coloration of hind tibia are different (body much more slender, hind tibia bluish, supra-anal plate with very narrow longitudinal groove, prozona of pronotum slightly convex in P. foreli ). It has more similar frontal ridge to P. baccettii Massa, 1996 ( Fig. 322 ), but the stouter body, wider vertex with less distinct carinulae, relatively more protruded frontal ridge, the antennae with 13 segments, less distinct facial carina, wider prosternum, strongly raised prozona, the supra-anal plate with much wider groove and its strongly downcurved apex are very different (body more slender, antennae with 15 segments, prosternum much narrower, prozona slightly convex, supra-anal plate with much narrower and deep groove, pronotum, metanotum and first abdominal tergite not make the saddle-shape in P. baccettii ). The pronotum, with strongly raised prozona is relatively similar to P. orientalis (Werner, 1908) , but this similarity is superficial and all the other characters are very different. The distribution of the new species and P. zebrata ( Brunner, 1882) ( Figs. 313–315 ) overlap, but morphologically they are distinct. The prosternum with many small tubercles posteriorly (posterior part of prosternal swelling smooth, without tubercles in P. zebrata ), the wider mesosternal lobes, only slightly longer than its width (distinctly narrower, almost 2 times longer than its width in P. zebrata ), strongly raised prozona of pronotum (almost straight or slightly convex in P. zebrata ), the black hind tibia (yellowish-cream with dark spots, sometimes darkened bases of spines in P. zebrata ), the wider longitudinal groove of supra-anal plate, the shape of stouter and shorter valves of ovipositor, with lateral projection of ventral valves (more slender and longer valves, without lateral projection of ventral valves in P. zebrata ) are very different (see also Massa, 1996, 2013).

Measurements (mm). Holotype (female): body length 53.2; pronotum length 10.7 (prozona 8.1, metazona 2.6); pronotum height 10.8; pronotum width anterior 8.8; pronotum width posterior 11; tegmina length 9; tegmina width 2.2; hind femur length 9; hind femur height 4.5.

Etymology. This species is named after the Egyptian city “ Suez ” where it was collected.

Remarks. This new species is described from one female. It is most related to P. marmarica , but although the large variabilities of the characters of P. marmarica given by Massa (1996, 2013) this specimen has some distinct characters which are outside the variation of P. marmarica (see diagnosis). In addition, the geographical distribution supports its separate state. P. marmarica is known from North Libya, and till now unrecorded from Egypt, the new species was found in eastern Egypt ( Fig. 839 ). However, the male sex, especially its phallic complex, is needed to understand the relationship with P. marmarica and other species of the zebrata group.

Figures

FIGURE 839. Distribution of the new species and subspecies of the tribes Thrinchini, Pamphagini and Tropidauchenini.

FIGURES 312 – 329. Habitus and body parts. 312 – 315 Paracinipe zebrata, 312 male habitus; 313 female habitus; 314 female prosternum; 315 female mesosternal interspace. 316 – 320 Paracinipe suezensis, female holotype 316 habitus lateral; 317 ditto dorsal; 318 head, pronotum and tegmina; 319 prosternum; 320 mesosternal interspace. 321 – 323 habitus of female of Paracinipe spp., (provided by B. Massa), 321 Paracinipe marmarica; 322 Paracinipe baccettii; 323 Paracinipe foreli. 324 – 325 hind femur, 324 Tropidauchen escalerai; 325 Saxetania (s. str.) cultricolle cultricolle. 326 – 327 male tegmina, 326 Saxetania (Mistshenkoella) gorochovi, holotype; 327 Saxetania (Cryptonothrotes) pseudoaptera. 328 – 329 Tropidauchen escalerai, habitus, 328 male, 329 female.