Pseudomastax, Bolívar, 1914

Olivier, Renan Da Silva, 2018, Pseudomastax graciollii sp. nov., a new monkey-grasshopper species from the Amazon and comments on other species of the genus (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae: Pseudomastacinae), Zootaxa 4514 (4), pp. 529-541 : 537

Pseudomastax sp.

( Fig. 4 C–E)

Examined material. 1 female nymph—Coleção Campos Seabra \ Tabatinga, Amazonas, Brasil, IX.1978, B. Silva \ Pseudomastax sp. Renan Olivier det. (2016) ( MNRJ) ; 1 female—Coleção Campos Seabra \ Tabatinga, Amazonas, Brasil, II.1979, C.S. Peixoto \ Pseudomasta x sp. Renan Olivier det. (2016) ( MNRJ) ; 1 female— Tabatinga , Amazonas, Brasil, IX.1984, B. Silva \ Pseudomastax sp. Renan Olivier det. (2016) ( MNRJ) .

Remarks. Morphology: These three unidentified specimens studied here, two adult females and one female nymph, are, overall, very similar to the female described herein as P. personata , and differentiated by the following characters: frons without a central sub-circular yellow plate ( Fig. 4E ). Costal area of tegmen approximately half the width of subcostal area. Rs with or without bifurcation in the ¼ distal. Bifurcation of Ma in the ¼ distal located a little beyond the bifurcation of Rs when present. Cu1 and Cu2 as in P. personata or Cu1 fused to A1 a little beyond the median region, and Cu2 ending a little before the union between Cu1 and A1 ( Figs. 4C and D ). Outer margins of the dorsal valves of ovipositor with 13-14 distinct teeth, and outer margins of the ventral vales of ovipositor with 10-12 distinct teeth, including the apical ones.

Although alar venation of tegmina has been briefly described here, it should be noted that variations do occurs, even between right and left tegmina intraspecifically. The measurements of the adult specimens studied here are shown in Table 2.

Taxonomy: While sympatric and morphologically very similar to the female of P. personata described here, it is unlikely that this unidentified species represent a variation of P. personata . Instead, these specimens could belong to P. imitatrix , which still does not have a correlated female. Curiously, the type locality of P. imitatrix is Olivença (currently São Paulo de Olivença), and the locality where these three specimens were collected is Tabatinga, both neighboring cities in western Amazonas State bordering Colombia.

Descamps (1970) highlighted the strong similarity between males of P. personata and P. imitatrix , indicating the possibility that females may also be morphologically similar. However, by the absence of male and female specimens collected together in a same locality, a more precise identification for these studied specimens cannot be provided.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pseudomastax nigroplagiata Descamps, 1970, male from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil (A and B) and Pseudomastax sp., female from Tabatinga, Amazonas, Brazil (C–E). (A and C) habitus; (D) dorsal view; (B and E) head in frontal view.