Asiophlugis philippina ( Jin, 1993 )

Tan, Ming Kai, Jin, Xing-Bao, Baroga-Barbecho, Jessica B. & Yap, Sheryl A., 2020, Taxonomy and bioacoustics of Meconematinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Laguna (Philippines: Luzon), Zootaxa 4732 (4), pp. 527-544 : 537-539

Asiophlugis philippina ( Jin, 1993)

( Figs. 8–12 )

Phlugis philippina — Jin, 1993: 1599 ; Asiophlugis philippina — Gorochov and Tan, 2011: 129 .

Material examined. 4 males and 2 females, Philippines, Luzon, Laguna, Paete, Brgy Ilaya Norte, UP Laguna Land Grant , all coll. M.K. Tan, J.B. Baroga-Barbecho, and S.A. Yap : 2 males (UPLBLG.19.4, 5), N14.40063, E121.54218, 312.3±6.0 m, 2011 h, 11 May 2019; 1 female (UPLBLG.19.10), N14.40081, E121.54195, 324.4± 6.8 m, 0905 h, 12 May 2019; 1 male (UPLBLG.19.35), N14.40032, E121.54284, 342.9± 6.1 m, 1954 h, 12 May 2019; 1 male (UPLBLG.19.39), N14.39944, E121.54413, 336.2± 6.5 m, 2041 h, 12 May 2019; 1 female (UPLBLG.19.66), N14.39983, E121.54133, 320.5± 5.1 m, 1835 h, 7 September 2019.

New diagnosis. This species is particularly unique among Asiatic Phlugidini and differs from congeners by male tegmen tear-shaped, male stridulatory anatomy obscure, presence of long, finger-like lateral process on male tenth abdominal tergite, male cercus complex, and shape of female subgenital plate.

Distribution. UP Land Grant, Laguna on Luzon Island.

Redescription. Habitus typical of Asiophlugis but with contrasting patterns on body ( Figs. 8 , 9 ). Eye very large, almost globular, somewhat longitudinally elongate; antennal cavity nearly contacting with each other; rostral tubercles absent; face high, oblique and hardly concave in profile. Pronotum dorsal disc slender and elongated, with metazona barely elevated, having broadly rounded posterior margin. Pronotum lateral lobe distinctly longer than tall. Thoracic auditory foramen tiny, thoracic spiracle slit. Outer and inner tympana on fore tibia open, oval and large. Fore coxa with very long and thin spine, slightly curved; fore femur with 3–4 and 1 ventral spines on the inner and outer edges respectively, fore tibia with 5 and 3–4 long and thin ventral spines on the inner and outer edges respectively; middle leg with one tibial spine; hind leg with only moderately numerous small spinules on both dorsal edges of tibia, hind knee lobe blunt.

First description of male. Tegmina tear-shaped, not reaching beyond hind margin of first tergite. Venation and stridulatory anatomy obscure ( Fig. 12A ). Last abdominal tergite concealed beneath ninth abdominal tergite, apical margin slightly produced in the middle, laterally produced into a pair of long processes; apical lateral process fingerlike, long and surpasses epiproct, dorso-ventrally flattened, straight but slightly bent outwards at apical third before tapering into a subobtuse apex ( Figs. 10B, 10E ). Epiproct simple, broadly rounded with longitudinal furrow ( Figs. 10B, 10E ). Cercus complicated: with inner basal process (ibp) long and flattened, narrow abruptly in the middle and then strongly curved (nearly perpendicularly) into an obtuse apex; bent dorsad in the middle when viewed laterally; with ventral lobe (vl) in the middle long, curved, flattened, slightly dilated apically and with apex subacute; apex with two lobes; dorso-inner apical lobe (dil) spine-liked, slightly sinuous, sclerotized with acute apex, ventro-outer apical lobe (vol) shorter, stout with apex obtuse ( Figs. 10 A–E). Subgenital plate stout, about as long as broad, with lateral margin faintly converging apically, posterior margin broadly rounded and slightly convex, with lateral lobe barely produced; stylus stout with obtuse apex ( Fig. 10F ).

Female ( Fig. 11 ). Well described in the original description by Jin (1993).

Colouration. Green or yellow-green when alive, yellow when preserved in ethanol. Head green, face, gena and mouthparts pale green; apex of palpal segments brownish. Scapus green, pedicel yellow green; antennal segments yellow and black. Eye pale yellow with red longitudinal band that continues towards posterior end of eye. Pronotum green, with yellow brown longitudinal band in the middle of pronotum dorsal disc; posterior margin brown. Fore and middle femora pale green with spurs brownish; knees yellow brown. Fore and middle tibiae also pale green, basally and apically yellow brown; area around tympanum also yellow brown; spurs with tint of brown and black. Hind femur green, apically yellow brown and with a black ring around knee. Hind tibia pale brown, apical end pale, then black. Hind tarsus black. Tegmen transparent, with anal and apical ends brown. Abdominal tergite pale to pale green, with yellow brown dorsal longitudinal band in the middle. With numerous black spots along this longitudinal band that become more defined apically. Lateral process of tenth abdominal tergite pale green, with inner margin yellow brown and apical third black. Epiproct with black spot. Cercus pale green, inner basal process, ventral lobe, dorso-inner apical lobe and ventro-outer apical lobe all black. Stylus mostly black.

Measurements (mean in brackets; in mm). Males (n = 4): BL = 11.4–12.6 (11.9), HL = 1.4–1.9 (1.7), HW = 3.0 (3.0), PL = 3.7–4.3 (4.0), PW = 1.9–2.0 (2.0), TL = 2.1–2.6 (2.4), HFL = 12.3–13.1 (12.7), HTL = 13.0–13.6 (13.3); females (n = 2): BL = 13.4–14.8 (14.1), HL = 1.5–1.9 (1.7), HW = 2.8–3.0 (2.9), PL = 3.6–3.8 (3.7), PW = 2.0 (2.0), TL = 2.4 (2.4), HFL = 12.2–12.3 (12.3), HTL = 13.0 (13.0), OL = 5.6 (5.6).

Bioacoustics. At 29.1±0.4 ºC (28.6–29.9 ºC), the calling song is made up of rapid-decay pulses ( Fig. 12B ). Each rapid-decay pulse is about 65.7±9.6 ms (n = 78 pulses) in duration. Each pulse comprises of multiple impulses, and the first two impulses has the highest amplitude, followed by ca. four impulses with much lower amplitude ( Figs. 12B, 12C ). The pulse repetition rate and hence down time between consecutive pulses can be highly variable. The mean peak frequency is 36.2±3.1 kHz (25.3–38.3 kHz) ( Fig. 12D ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Asiophlugis philippina (Jin, 1993) male adult when alive.

FIGURE 9. Asiophlugis philippina (Jin, 1993) male nymph (A) and female adult (B) in their natural environment.

FIGURE 10. Asiophlugis philippina (Jin, 1993) male abdominal apex in lateral (A), dorsal (B), ventro-posterior (C), lateroposterior (D), posterior (E), and ventral (F) views. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 11. Asiophlugis philippina (Jin, 1993) female wings in lateral view (A), abdominal apex in dorsal (B), ventral (C), and lateral (D) views.

FIGURE 12. Asiophlugis philippina (Jin, 1993) male left tegmen in ventral view (A), male calling song: oscillograms (B, C) and power spectrum (D). Scale bar: 1 mm.