Proamytta (Proamytta) spinifera, Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008

Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008, New species of arboreal predatory katydids from West Africa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae), Zootaxa 1732, pp. 1-28 : 3-4

Proamytta (Proamytta) spinifera n. sp.

(Figs. 2A–C, 4A, K)

Differential diagnosis. P. s p i n i f e r a can be distinguished from all its congeners by the presence of highly modified paraprocts (fig. 2A) and an unsual development of the male subgenital plate, which is strongly thickened dorso-ventrally and bears a pair of vertical, dorsal spines (fig. 2B). It appears to be most closely related to P. straminea , which has similarly shaped male cerci and the stridulatory area of the tegmen, with exceptionally small stridulatory file, but lacks the enlarged paraprocts, and its subgenital plate is not modified.

Description (male only, female unknown).

General. Body small, slender; macropterous.

Head. Fastigium of vertex triangular, blunt apically, not reaching apex of antennal sockets, flat dorsally; antennae about twice as long as body; frons slightly convex, vertical; eyes circular, weakly protruding.

Thorax. Pronotum surface smooth; lateral lobe wider than high; humeral sinus of pronotum absent; anterior margin of pronotum flat; metazona slightly raised, distinctly convex; posterior edge of metazona narrowly rounded.

Legs. Legs slender. Front tibia unarmed dorsally, with 5 spines on posterior and 4 on anterior ventral margin; tympanum bilaterally open, small, oval; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed; front femur unarmed ventrally. Mid tibia with 4 spines on posterior and 5 on anterior ventral margin; mid femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed. Hind femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed.

Wings. Tegmen distinctly surpassing apex of abdomen; hind wing as long as tegmen. Costal field clearly widened at base; veins Sc and R close together, parallel along their entire length; vein Rs branching off in middle of tegmen, with 2 apical branches; right stridulatory area with small but well developed, rectangular mirror ( Fig. 4 K) Stridulatory file exceptionally short, elevated on thickened vein, straight, with 49 teeth, 0.24 mm long, 0.04 mm wide (fig. 4A).

Abdomen. Tenth tergite unmodified. Cercus with small inner lobe halfway, long and slender, bent inwards; apex slightly flattened dorso-ventrally (fig. 2A); paraprocts strongly enlarged, forming paired, bulbous structures covered with tiny spinules (fig. 2C); subgenital plate strongly modified, thick, with 2 large, vertical spines on dorsal surface (fig. 2B); styli cylindrical, about 4 times as long as wide.

Coloration. Coloration light green; antennae with dark annulations; eyes uniformly colored; face pale green; occiput without markings; pronotum without markings; prozona green; tegmen green, with small, brown patch behind stridulatory field; hind wing hyaline; hind legs uniformly colored; abdominal sterna and subgenital plate without markings.

Measurements (1 male). body w/wings: 16; body w/o wings: 13; pronotum: 6; tegmen: 12.5; hind femur: 11.2 mm.

Material examined. GHANA: Eastern Region, Atewa Range, Asiakwa (South), elev. 690 m (6°15'44.3''N, 0°33'18.8''W), 11–16.vi. 2006, coll. P. Naskrecki (Camp 2) - 1 male (holotype) ( ANSP).

Etymology. Named with reference to a pair of long, vertical spines on the subgenital plate of the male of this new species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A – J. Stridulatory files: A. Proamytta spinifera; B. Amyttopsis palmulicerca; C. X. bakowskii; D. Anepitacta wrightae; E. Brachyamytta rapidoaestima; F. B. mcculloughae; G. B. maculipes; H. Amyttosa insectivora; I. Xiphidiolahokei; J. X. lobaticerca; K – T. Left tegmina of males: K. Proamytta spinifera; L. Amyttopsis palmulicerca; M. X. bakowskii; N. Anepitacta wrightae; O. Brachyamytta rapidoaestima; P. B. mcculloughae; Q. B. maculipes; R. Amyttosa insectivora; S. Xiphidiola hokei; T. X. lobaticerca.