Mecomera
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5047.4.7 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:621F7C09-3353-4AC1-A718-00494D41E954 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F9C25E-FFB1-8033-AC95-278DCBDBB8F5 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Mecomera |
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Mecomera View in CoL ze sp. nov.
Etymology. The epithet is a Portuguese word commonly used to nickname people called “José”. It is a noun in apposition. Furthermore, it is also a tribute to my mentor Dr. José Albertino Rafael, who is kindly called “Zé” by many. Dr. Albertino has done important work on Brazilian entomology by mentoring several students who study neglected orders, such as Dermaptera, Mantodea, Orthoptera, Phasmatodea and Zoraptera.
Examined material. Holotype male, 3 paratype males and 1 paratype female: “ vii-1993, ESALQ-USP, Piracicaba , São Paulo, Cerignoni, J.A. [collector], coletado em casca de sibipiruna [collected under Caesalpina L. bark].”
Diagnosis. The new species is placed in Mecomera according to the diagnosis adapted from Brindle (1968): pronotum ellipsoidal, not strongly narrowed basally; pygidium conspicuous; paramere of male genitalia broadened basally.
Body dark brown, tegmina shiny light-yellow ( Figs. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Pronotum as wide as head, with apical margin light-yellow ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Male cercus with one dorsal-pointed spine at base and with one inward spine slightly past half the cercus length ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Pygidium with four flattened projections at apical portion, having conspicuous emarginations between each projection; lateral-most projections rounded ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 D-F). Male genitalia with paramere drop-shaped, gradually narrowing from base to apex, with lateral margins slightly curved; apex conspicuously flexible ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). Basal vesicle with base of anterior half narrow, widened towards the apex, light-brown; posterior half narrower than anterior half dark-brown, bearing conspicuous emargination slightly after half the length; posterior half with conspicuous lateral projection ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ).
Description of male. Male body dark brown, shiny light-yellow, cercus reddish-brown ( Fig 1A View FIGURE 1 ).
Head cordiform, rugose ( Figs. 1A, C View FIGURE 1 ). Frons and vertex with inconspicuous postfrontal and coronal sutures. Post-ocular area with postero-lateral margin rounded; vertex conspicuously concave ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Eyes black, ellipsoidal, 1.3 times shorter than post-ocular area ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Antenna with 14 antennomeres, setose, light yellow with dark-brown spots at apex of each antennomere ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); scape 2.7 times longer than pedicel and 1.6 times longer than flagellomere 1. Maxillary and labial palps yellow, setose.
Pronotum 1.2 times longer than wide when measured at widest point, broadening from base to apex, wider at middle, rugose; basal, lateral and apical margins convex, apical margin light yellow ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); mid-longitudinal sulcus conspicuous and deep. Meso- and metanota covered by tegmina and posterior wings, respectively. Prosternum dark brown, sternal plate with oblong basal margin, sinuous lateral margin, apical margin straight ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Meso- and metasternum dark brown; mesosternum trapezoidal, with basal and apical margin straight, lateral margin sinuous ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Metasternum broadening from base to middle length, then narrowing towards apex ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); apex conspiculously emarginated, bearing several setae.
Tegmina elongated, 2.7 times longer than wide, dark brown; surface roughened, postero-laterally slightly emarginated ( Figs. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Posterior wing with squama and apical area shiny light yellow, remaining hyaline.
Legs ( Figs. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ) with all femora widened, with small setae, except for ventral region. All tibiae and tarsi densely setose. Tarsomere I 1.6 times longer than tarsomere 2; tarsomere II 1.4 times longer than tarsomere I and 2.2 times longer than tarsomere 2. Claws conspicuously falciform, conspicuously widened at anterior, narrowing from posterior half towards apex. Arolium absent.
Abdomen with lateral margins parallel-sided, covered dorsally and ventrally with small, scattered setae, smooth; all segments apically smooth ( Figs. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Tergites 1‒9 rectangular, with apical margin inconspicuously concave ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Eighth tergite 3.7 times wider than long; ninth tergite 7.8 times wider than long ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Tenth tergite rectangular, 1.5 times wider than long, with straight basal and lateral margins; latero-apical margins excised; posterior margin emarginated ( Figs. 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ). Pygidium with four flattened posterior projections, having conspicuous emarginations between each projection; lateral-most projections rounded ( Figs. 1D‒F View FIGURE 1 ). Male cercus with one dorsally pointed spine at base and with one inward spine slightly past half the cercus length; anterior and posterior margins slightly sinuous; cercus length approximately the same as that of abdomen ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Abdominal sterna dark brown ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Sternites 2‒7 trapezoidal, with lateral margin somewhat straight, apical margin emarginated, slightly concave ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Sternite 8 rectangular, 2.6 times wider than long, apically slightly concave ( Figs. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Sternite 9 (penultimate) rectangular, with basal and lateral margins straight, apical margin inconspicuously concave at middle, bearing conspicuous long, shiny, light yellow setae ( Figs. 1B, E View FIGURE 1 ).
Basal vesicle of genitalia ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A-C) with base of anterior half narrow, widened towards apex, light brown; posterior half narrower than anterior half, dark brown, bearing conspicuous emargination slightly after half the length; posterior half with conspicuous lateral projection. Virga with short sclerotized portion, membranous portion inconspicuous. Penis lobe widened, dome-shaped, smooth. Paramere sclerotized, drop-shaped, gradually narrowing from base to medial third, then abruptly narrowing to conspicuous slender apical third; with lateral margins slightly curved; apex conspicuously flexible ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ).
Measurements (mm) (n=4). Body length 12‒12.3; head width 1.6‒1.7; pronotum length 2.1; pronotum width 1.7; cercus length 6‒6.3.
Distribution. Brazil: State of São Paulo, municipality of Piracicaba.
Description of female. Similar to male, but body and cercus shorter. Cercus also wider. Additional differences: cercus without spines but with conspicuous broad projection slightly after half length ( Figs. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ). Pygidium slightly shorter ( Figs. 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ). Sternite 9 dome-shaped with inconspicuous, light yellow setae.
Measurements (mm) (n=1). Body length 10.3; head width 1.3; pronotum length 1.8; pronotum width 1.3; cercus length 4.
Remarks. Mecomera ze sp. nov. has unique traits that allow for straightforward identification: pronotum and head widths equal, pronotum with light yellow posterior margin, and unique characters of the pygidium, cerci and genitalia. It should be mentioned that the new species has a pygidium shape similar to that of M. chacoensis ( Borelli, 1912) . They can be differentiated by the flattened projections of the pygidium of M. ze sp. nov., with emarginations between each projection, vs. the pygidium of M. chacoensis having cylindrical projections, with a single emargination between apical projections. Mecomera ze sp. nov. also resembles M. reichardti in that both have cerci as long as the abdomen. However, M. reichardti has an inconspicuous basal projection and a more acute conspicuous projection at middle, whereas M. ze sp. nov. has a more conspicuous basal projection and less conspicuous middle projection.
These species also differ in the shape of the basal vesicle. In M. chacoensis the basal vesicle has an elongated crab-claw shape, connected to a “C” shaped structure, whereas in M. reichardti the basal vesicle has the anterior half slender and posterior half rounded, giving the structure a comma shape. The basal vesicle in Mecomera ze sp. nov. has a relatively complex shape, with base of the anterior half narrow, widening towards apex, and the posterior half narrower than than anterior half, bearing conspicuous emargination slightly after half the length. The posterior half also has a conspicuous lateral projection.
Another noteworthy character is the distance from the apex of basal vesicle to the base of parameres: in M. brunnea this distance is 1.5 times longer than the paramere, whilst in M. chacoensis it is 1.9 times longer, in M. reichardti it is 2.5 times longer and in Mecomera ze sp. nov., the shortest, 1.2 times the length of the paramere.
Finally, the paramere of Mecomera ze sp. nov. is drop-shaped, widened in the basal two-thirds then abruptly narrow to its flexible and slender apex, with slightly curved lateral margins. In M. brunnea the basal third of the paramere is bacilliform, gradually narrowing towards the apex, with the lateral margins conspicuously curved mesally. The parameres of M. chacoensis and M. reichardti are similar to that of M. brunnea , sharing the shape and the lateral, mesally curved margins, but the posterior half is conspicuously more slender than in the former species and longer than in the latter species.
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