Paraxantia tibetensis Liu & Kang

Liu, Chun-Xiang & Kang, Le, 2009, A new genus, Paraxantia gen. nov., with descriptions of four new species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from China, Zootaxa 2031, pp. 36-52 : 38-40

Paraxantia tibetensis Liu & Kang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 6 , 11 , 16 , 21, 26, 27, 38, 48, 50, 55, 60, 67–69)

Holotype: male, at light, CHINA: Tibet: Linzhi County, Pailong, 2100m, 2.ix.2005, Coll. Chen Xiaolin ( IZAS).

Paratype: 1 male, at light, CHINA: Tibet: Bomi County, Tongmai, 2100m, 30.viii.2005, Coll. Chen Xiaolin ( IZAS); 2 males, at light, China: Tibet: Motuo County, Hanmi, 2120m, 29.36637ºN, 95.12770ºE, vii. 2006, Coll. Liu Chunxiang ( IZAS).

Description: Male (holotype). Size large for typical phaneropterine insects. Pronotal disk ( Figs. 6 , 11 ) with deeply engraved first transverse groove, lying at basal fourth, and indistinct middle transverse groove, lying slightly before middle; one oblique strongly granular line beginning in middle of each lateral carina, then ending in middle of posterior margin. Anterior femur armed with 4–6 strong spines on ventro-anterior margin; median femur armed with 9–10 strong spines on ventro-anterior margin; posterior femur with 21 anterior and 0–2 subapical posterior strong spines on ventral margins. Anterior genicular lobe with an indistinct, small median spine; median and posterior genicular lobes, respectively, possessing a distinct, sharp median spine ( Figs. 67, 69 ). Anterior tibiae with 2–4 dorsal spines on posterior margins; median tibiae with 7 dorsal spines on posterior margin; posterior tibiae with 19–20 anterior and 24–25 posterior dorsal spines. Tegmen: Wings developed well. Hind wing longer than tegmen. Tegmen extending beyond apex of hind femur. Radial vein of tegmen with two other oblique branches reaching posterior margin after radial sector vein ( Fig. 68 ). Stridulatory area (Fig. 26) with posterior margin sharply angular, greatest width between CuM vein and posterior margin rather large, about 6.3–6.4 millimeters. Stridulatory vein long, with cambered fine stridulatory file composed of about 140 densely arranged teeth, which are gradually becoming smaller from base to end ( Fig. 38 ). Right stridulatory area with distinct irregular quadrangular mirror (Fig. 27).

Epiproct sharply triangular. Cerci robust, bifurcate at distal third, dorsal one produced inwards and downwards, with basal half gradually tapering, apical half shaped into a sharp spine; ventral one long, produced backwards with ventral margin slightly convex, dorsal margin distinctly concave ( Fig. 55 ). Subgenital plate broader than long, with distinct middle carina; apical margin with a small triangular notch at middle; styli small, just slightly longer than notch (Fig. 50). Each camber lower sclerite of phallus sheet-like, smooth on surface except for denticulate exterior margin, with upper arm distinctly longer than lower one ( Fig. 60 ).

Female unknown.

Color: Green, just compound eyes, tip of tibial spines, spines of internal fork of cercus and sclerites of genitalia brown.

Measurements of male (mm): Length of body 39.0; length of pronotum 11.5; length of tegmen 68.0; width of tegmen 33.0; greatest width of tegminal dorsal part 6.3–6.4; length of hind wing 74.1; length of anterior femur 11.0; length of middle femur 15.2; length of posterior femur 32.8.

Etymology: The new species is named after the type locality.

Discussion: The new species resembles Paraxantia sinica ( Liu, 1993) in the general view, including the structure of head, common characteristics of pronotum, wings, legs and abdominal apex in Paraxantia . These two species differ in the details of pronotum, tegmen, legs and abdominal apex. Paraxantia tibetensis differs from P, sinensis by its much larger size, indistinct middle transverse groove and comparatively large granules in the pronotal disk, strong spines on legs, posterior margins of anterior and median tibiae with distinct dorsal spines, strongly angular stridulatory area, specific cerci and genitalia.

Distribution: China: Tibet: Motuo, Bomi.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. head Paraxantia gen. nov. in caudal view. Fig. 1, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 2, P. sin ica (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 3, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 4, P. p a r a s i n i c a sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 5, P. bicornis sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 6 – 10. head and pronotum of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 6, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 7, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 8, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 9, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 10, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 11 – 15. head and pronotum of Paraxantia gen. nov. in lateral view. Fig. 11, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 12, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 13, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 14, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 15, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 16 – 25. Photograph of head of Paraxantia gen. nov. Figs. 16, 21, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 17, 22, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Figs. 18, 23, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 19, 24, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 20, 25, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 16 – 20, head in caudical view; Figs. 21 – 25, head of Paraxantia sp. in dorsal view. (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 65, 69. lateral views; Figs. 66, 67, hind femur in lateral view; Fig. 68, genicular lobe of hind femur of Paraxantia gen. nov. in lateral view. Figs. 65, 66, Xantia borneensis, Figs. 67 – 69, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype). [Figs. 65, 66, after Brunner von Wattenwyl 1878: 112] (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 38 – 43. male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen of Paraxantia gen. nov. Fig. 38, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 39, 40, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (Fig. 39, paratype from Fujian; Fig. 40, another paratype from Fujian); Fig. 41, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 42, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 43, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype).

FIGURES 55 – 59. male cerci of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 55, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 56, P. sinica (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 57, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 58, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 59, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 60 – 64. male concealed sclerotized genitalia of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 60, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 61, P. s i n i ca (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 62, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 63, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 64, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)