Aiolopus obariensis, Usmani, 2008

Usmani, Mohammad Kamil, 2008, A new species of the genus Aiolopus Fieber (Oedipodinae: Acrididae) from Libya, Insecta Mundi 2008 (41), pp. 1-14 : 2-3

Aiolopus obariensis sp. n.

(Fig. 1, 2 A-H)

Description. Male holotype (Fig. 1). Size medium; integument strongly rugulose; right antennae 24-segmented, as long as head and pronotum together, left antennae 4-segmented; fastigium of vertex wide, convex, slightly depressed in middle, as long as wide, apex very narrow; fastigial foveolae trapezoid, shallow, coarsely pitted, situated more anterior to eyes; frontal ridge wide, coarsely tuberculate, with parallel margins depressed at ocellus, strongly narrowed towards apex; eyes oval, about one and a half times as long as wide; pronotum narrow, median carina distinct; prozona cylindrical above, constricted medially, metazona rather flat, one and a half times as long as prozona, posterior margin obtuse-angular; mesosternal interspace trapezoid, wider than long, mesosternal lobes rounded at its inner margins; tegmina exceeding apex of hind femur; hind wings hyaline, slightly opaque at apex; hind femur broad, three and a quarter times as long as wide; hind tibia shorter than hind femur with 9 outer and 10 inner spines, inner apical spurs slightly less than one and a half times as long as outer pair; arolium small, about one-third length of claw.

Genitalia. Supra-anal plate elongate- angular, longer than wide, lateral margins curved medially, apex obtuse-angular; cercus elongate, broad, slightly more than twice as long as wide, apex obtuse ( Fig. 2G ). Subgenital plate ( Fig. 2H ) broadly angular, one and a half times as wide as long, apex obtuseangular. Epiphallus ( Fig. 2E ), bridge moderately narrow, undivided; ancorae moderately broad, curved and pointed at tips; lophi lobiform; lateral plates and their anterior projections well developed, posterior projections broadly angular. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2F ), apical valve upcurved, much narrower and shorter than basal valve, apex pointed.

General coloration. Resembles A. simulatrix (Walker) , brown with ochraceous and blackish markings; pronotum uniformly brownish; tegmina with two ochraceous transverse fasciae, apex spotted; hind wings hyaline, base pale-yellow, slightly smoked apically; hind femur with blue dark spots on upper carinae, with two dark fasciae on inner surface, hind

knee dark; hind tibia black with two broad

ochraceous rings basally and medially, spines pale

yellowish with black apex.

Measurements (length in mm). Body 22.0;

pronotum 5.0; tegmen 21.5; hind femur 13.0.

Female. Similar to male but larger, right anten-

nae slender, 25-segmented; left antennae 5-seg-

mented, apical segment club-shaped.

Genitalia. Supra-anal plate as long as wide,

apex obtuse-angular, cercus broad, twice as long as

wide, with obtuse apex ( Fig. 2A ). Subgenital plate

( Fig. 2B ) with posterior margin wavy, slightly con-

vex in middle, setose marginally; Jannone’s organs

streaked; egg-guide tubular, of uniform width, about

three times as long as wide; apex obtusely-conical.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 2C ) with apical diverticulum

short and tubercle-like, pre-apical diverticulum well

developed and sac-like. Ovipositor ( Fig. 2D ) valves Figure 1. Aiolopus obariensis sp. n., male holotype.

elongate, moderately robust, acute, curved and

slightly shorter than lateral apodeme; dorsal valve moderately broad, more than three times as long as wide, apical tip elongate and sub-acute; external edge tuberculate, dorsal condyle prominent; ventral valve with slope slightly concave, apical tip subacute, mesial tooth distinct, basal sclerite broad; mesial valve dilated apically with apical tip down curved and pointed.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE male, LIBYA: Fezzan province , Wadi Haya region, Altitude 470 m., Obari, on alfalfa, 30.v.95 (M. K. Usmani) . Paratypes 2 male, 2 female (same data as for holotype). Depository: Zoology Museum, Sebha University , Brack , Libya .

Variation. Measurements of four males and four females gave the following ranges and means: Males. Body 22.0-23.0 mm (mean 22.4 mm); pronotum 5.0- 5.6mm (mean 5.3); tegmen 21.5-22.3 mm (mean 21.8 mm); hind femur 13.0- 14.3 mm (mean 13.7 mm). Females. Body 26.0- 26.6 mm (mean 26.3 mm); pronotum 6.3-6.9 mm (mean 6.6 mm); tegmen 26.0-26.8 (mean 26.4 mm); hind femur 15.0-16.0 (mean 15.5.0).

Remarks. This new species is similar to A. simulatrix (Walker) but differs from it by the key characters outlined in the key to the species above.

Etymology. The species name is based on the city of Obari in Wadi Haya region of Fezzan Province in Libya.

Figures

Figure 2. Aiolopus obariensis sp. n. A) Female supra-anal plate and cerci. B) Female subgenital plate. C) Spermatheca. D) Ovipositor. E) Epiphallus. F) Aedeagus. G) Male supra-anal plate and cerci. H) Male subgenital plate.