Gomphocerus ningxiaensis, Li & Qin & Li, 2024

Li, Ming-Yang, Qin, Guo-Qing & Li, Xin-Jiang, 2024, A new species of the genus Gomphocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Gomphocerinae) from Ningxia, China, Zootaxa 5437 (3), pp. 448-450 : 448-449

Gomphocerus ningxiaensis sp. nov. (Figs 1. a–g)

Type materials Holotype: ♁, paratypes 1 ♁, 2 ♀, Liupanshan , Guyuan, Ningxia, China. 2013-VII-8 collected by Jianxue Wang & Hongyan Han.

Etymology. The specific epithet is named after Ningxia the type locality.

External morphology:

Male. Body small ( fig. a ). Head shorter than pronotum, frons slightly oblique in profile. Fastigium right angle. The distance between eyes 2 times than the width of frontal costa between antennae foveolae. Fastigial foveolae distinct, the length of fastigial foveolae 3 times than width. Frontal ridge with a longitudinal groove in median ocellus. Eyes oval, vertical diameter 1.4 times than transverse. Antennae over the posterior margin of pronotum, terminal clubbed ( fig. b ). Pronotum curvature slightly. Both median carina and lateral carinae distinct, the widest of lateral carinae 2 times than narrowest. The length of prozona 1.5 times than metazona. Prosternal process slightly elevated. The length of mesosternal interspace is 1.5 times the width. Tegmina shorter, reaching the middle of hind femur ( fig. a ). Precostal area expand in basal, terminal narrow, not reaching the median of tegmina. Anterior cuitus (Cua) and posterior cuitus (Cup) merged in basal. The widest of medial area 1.5 times than the widest of cubital area ( fig. c ). Wings smaller, not reached the half of tegmina. Fore tibia compared to middle tibia slightly enlarged, and the length of fore tibia is 5 times than the widest part of the enlargement ( fig. d ). Hind femur with stridulatory pegs in inner lower carinula, both upper and lower lateral genicular lobes round. Hind tibia with 12–10 spines on the inner side and 11–10 spines on the outer side, external apical spine absent. Arolium between claws small, not reached the median of claws. Tympanal organ developed, with semicircular tympanal lobe. Subgenital plate short, conical, blunt rounded in terminal. Epiproct semicircular ( fig. e ). Cerci process conical, slightly reached the epiproct terminal. Epiphallus as shown in fig. f .

Female. Body robust, larger than male in size ( fig g ). The widest of lateral carinae in pronotum 3.5 times than the narrowest. Tegmina short, reached 4th abdomere tergum. The widest of medial area 4–5 times than cubital area. Cua and Cup not merged in basal. Ovipositor slender with a smooth outer margin.

Coloration. Body yellowish brown. Antennae yellowish brown, dark in terminal. Pronotum dark brown. Lateral genicular lobes of the hind femur black, the upper side of hind femur sometimes with dark transverse spots. Hind tibia yellowish-brown. Either the epiproct lateral margin or the entire margin black.

Measurement (in mm): Length of body:♁15.7–15.3, ♀ 19.8–20.3. Length of tegmina: ♁ 6.2–6.9, ♀ 9.4–10.4. Length of hind femur: ♁ 9.5–10.5, ♀ 12.0–13.2.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Gomphocerus licenti Chang, 1937 . The major differences are listed in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURES a–g. Gomphocerus ningxiaensis sp. nov. a. Body in lateral view ♁; b. Antennae ♁; c. Tegmina ♁; d. Fore tibia ♁; e. Epiproct ♁; f. Epiphallus ♁; g. Body, lateral view ♀.