Philmontis lobatus, Naskrecki, Piotr & Rentz, David C. F., 2010

Naskrecki, Piotr & Rentz, David C. F., 2010, Studies in the orthopteran fauna of Melanesia: New katydids of the tribe Agraeciini from Papua New Guinea (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae), Zootaxa 2664, pp. 1-35 : 24-26

Philmontis lobatus n. sp.

(Fig. 10A–J)

Type locality. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Western Province, Muller Range, Gugusu (5°43'45.3''S, 142°15'47.8''E), 515 m, 3–10.ix.2009, coll. P. Naskrecki & D.C.F. Rentz—male holotype ( ANSP)

Differential diagnosis. In overall appearance and coloration this species resembles P. nigrofasciatus Willemse , but can be easily distinguished from it by the presence of long, lobe-like projections on the 10th abdominal tergite of the male (Fig. 10C). The male cercus is shaped differently in the new species (Figs. 10C, D) than in P. nigrofasciatus (Figs. 10K, L), and the metazona of the male pronotum is not as enlarged and convex as it is in P. nigrofasciatus . These two species also differ in the development of the titillators of the phallus (Figs. 10E, M), and the shape of the female subgenital plate (in P. nigrofasciatus it possesses two long and very narrow posterior lobes.)

General. Body cylindrical, of medium size, slender; macropterous (Fig. 10B).

Head. Frons flat, oblique, smooth; lateral carinae absent (Fig. 10A). Fastigium of frons well developed, separated from fastigium of vertex by distinct gap; fastigium of vertex roughly triangular, blunt apically, very narrow, only as wide as 1/6–1/5 of scapus, barely reaching base of scapus. Eyes circular, weakly protruding; median ocellus reduced, indicated only by light spot; lateral ocelli present, but also strongly reduced; antennal scapus unarmed; antennae more than twice as long as body.

Thorax. Pronotum surface smooth; anterior margin of pronotum straight, flat; metazona flat, posterior edge of metazona broadly rounded (Fig. 10J); lateral lobe about 1.5 times as long as high; humeral sinus of pronotum absent; marginal fold of pronotum very narrow, smooth. Thoracic auditory spiracle large, oval, completely hidden under pronotum. Sternum slightly concave; prosternum armed with two long spines directed posteriad; mesosternum and metasternum unarmed.

Legs. Legs long and slender. Front coxa armed with long spine; front femur armed on both margins; genicular lobes of front femur with single spine on both sides; front tibia unarmed dorsally, with 8–9 spines on FIGURE 10. Philmontis lobatus n. sp.: A. face; B. paratype male; C. male 10th tergite and cerci, dorsal view; D. male left cercus, lateral view; E. titillators; F. female subgenital plate; G. male subgenital plate; H. stridulatory file; I. ovipositor; J. male head and pronotum, dorsal view; P. nigrofasciatus Willemse : K. male cercus, lateral (inner) view; L. ditto, dorsal view; M. titillators (specimen from Muller Range, Apalu Reke.)

posterior and 10–11 on anterior ventral margin, spines slightly shorter than tibia diameter; tympanum bilaterally closed, with narrow, forward facing slits. Mid coxa armed with small but distinct spine; mid femur armed on both ventral margins, but posterior (inner) margin with only 2–3 small, spines at base; genicular lobes of mid femur armed with single spine on both sides, mid tibia with 8–9 spines on posterior and 10–11 on anterior ventral margin. Hind femur armed on both ventral margins, spines on posterior margin only at base of femur, minute; genicular lobes of hind femur with 2 spines on each side, lower spine minute; hind tibia armed on both dorsal and ventral margins, spines on ventral margins smaller and more sparsely distributed.

Wings. Tegmen surpassing apex of abdomen but not reaching apex of hind femur (Fig. 10B); costal field proportionately very wide, at base wider than width of tegmen between Sc and posterior margin of tegmen; anterior margin of tegmen straight; apex of tegmen narrowly rounded. Veins Sc and R diverging towards apex of tegmen; Rs absent; right stridulatory area with large, fully developed mirror; mirror narrowly rectangular. Stridulatory file flat, weakly bent, 1.38 mm long, 0.12 mm wide, with 45 teeth (Fig. 10H). Hind wing as long as tegmen.

Abdomen. Tenth tergite with posterior edge modified into two, long lobe-like projections separated by narrow, oval gap (Fig. 10C). Cercus cylindrical, slightly bent inwards, apically divided into lower apical lobe and upper apical spine (Fig. 10D). Epiproct with distinct dorsal invagination, rounded apically. Phallus with strongly sclerotized titillators; apex of titillators with wide, bilobed flanges (Fig. 10E). Subgenital plate elongate, narrowly trapezoidal, with deep, rounded apical incision (Fig. 10G); styli cylindrical, about twice as long as wide, distinctly divergent apically. Female subgenital plate with pair of deep invaginations at base; apex with deep, triangular incision (Fig. 10F).

Ovipositor. Ovipositor slightly longer than half of hind femur (ratio femur/ovipositor 0.56–0.58); weakly curved and slightly dilated about mid-length, apex with both valvulae smooth, pointed (Fig. 10I).

Coloration. Coloration light green with black markings (Fig. 10B); face light yellow, without darker markings (Fig. 10A); occiput with black band extending to upper portion of gena. Pronotum with light brown dorsal portion, lateral lobes black. Legs light green; tegmen mostly black, posterior edge light brown that forms light stripe, in repose continuous with that on pronotum; hind wing hyaline; abdominal sterna without markings; abdominal terga yellow.

Measurements (5 males, 3 females). body w/wings: male 25–34.5 (31.5±3.7), female 38–40.5 (39.2±1.3); body w/o wings: male 24–32 (28.6±3), female 27.5–30 (28.8±1.3); pronotum: male 6.5–7 (6.8±.3), female 7–8 (7.4±.5); tegmen: male 22–26 (23.8±1.9), female 25–29 (27±2); hind femur: male 21.5– 24 (22.6±1), female 23–26 (24.6±1.5); ovipositor: 13–15 (14±1) mm.

Material examined (8 specimens). Papua New Guinea: Western Province, Muller Range, Gugusu , elev. 515 m (5°43'45.3''S, 142°15'47.8''E), 3–10.ix.2009, coll. P. Naskrecki & D.C.F. Rentz— 2 females, 5 males (incl. holotype, 6 paratypes) ( ANSP, MCZ); Muller Range, Sawetau , elev. 1550–1700 m (5°39'23.7''S, 142°18'16.5''E), 11–17.ix.2009, coll. P. Naskrecki & D.C.F. Rentz— 1 female (paratype) ( MCZ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the presence of prominent lobes on the 10th abdominal tergite of the male.