Xenodoxus nobilis Carl, 1914

Massa, Bruno, 2017, New taxa of Orthoptera (Insecta Tettigoniidae Phaneropterinae) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 4242 (2), pp. 299-312 : 300

Xenodoxus nobilis Carl, 1914

( Figs 1 A–1H)

Material examined. Madagascar, surroundings of Rogez (1♂) ; Madagascar, Ampanefena (1♂) ; Madagascar, Vahémar (1♂, 2♀) ( NHMP).

Remarks. These are the first records after the description of Xenodoxus nobilis from Madagascar. Below peculiar characters of the species are reported.

Characters. Tegmina bicolored, anteriorly cream, posteriorly brown, hind wings dark, hind legs with black and white stripes ( Figs 1 A, 1B, 1H). Fastigium of vertex very narrow, eyes round, prominent, fronto-genal keels absent ( Fig. 1 G). Antennae very long, exceeding ca. 3 cm extended hind legs. Stridulatory file with big teeth in the distal part and smaller and evenly spaced teeth in proximal part ( Fig. 1 C); in the right tegmina only 11–12 teeth behind the speculum. Fore coxae armed, fore femora unarmed, fore tibiae with open tympana on both sides, superiorly furrowed, with 4 inner and outer ventral spines + 1 spur on each side, 2 inner dorsal + 1 spur; mid femora unarmed, mid tibiae with 6 inner and 9 outer ventral spines + 1 spur on each side, 1 inner dorsal + 1 spur. Genicular lobes with a pair of small spines. Last tergite ending with two lateral hook-like up-curved and pointed appendixes, apically crossing ( Figs 1 A, 1D). Cerci in-curved, stout at their base, then more slender, up-curved and pointed. Male subgenital plate narrow and long, with a deep concavity, its apices divergent and pointed ( Fig. 1 D). Ovipositor long and laterally flat, superiorly and inferiorly denticulate in the apical part ( Fig. 1 B). Female subgenital plate rhomboidal ( Fig. 1 F).

Measurements. Males. Body length: 12.3–15.0; length of pronotum: 2.6–2.9; length of tegmina: 19.0–21.3; width of tegmina: 3.2–4.0; length of hind femora: 16.1–17.5. Females. Body length: 14.4–15.6; length of pronotum: 2.7–2.8; length of tegmina: 19.0–20.0; width of tegmina: 2.8–3.2; length of hind femora: 16.5–18.0; ovipositor: 7.5–7.8.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Xenodoxus nobilis, male: habitus (A), stridulatory file (C), lateral view of last abdominal segments (D), subgenital plate (E), dorsal view of head, pronotum and stridulatory area (G), stridulatory area of left and right tegmina (H); female: lateral view (B), subgenital plate (F).