Larnaca (Larnaca) xizangensis Su, Duan & Shi, 2024

Su, Jie, Duan, Yanhao, Li, Yonghui & Shi, Fuming, 2024, Description of three new species of Larnaca Walker, 1869 (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae) from Xizang, China, Zootaxa 5453 (1), pp. 105-112 : 109-111

Larnaca (Larnaca) xizangensis Su, Duan & Shi sp. nov., Chinese name ƱĦ原ssdz

( Fig. 4 )

Description. Male. Body medium and stout. Head. Face narrowly oval, nearly smooth. Eyes ovoid, slightly protruding forwards. Median ocellus distinct; lateral ocelli small ( Fig. 4B ). Fastigium verticis broad, width as about 2 times that of antennal scape. Anterior margin of pronotum lightly protruding forwards, posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 4A ).

Wings. Squamipterous. Tegmen squamous, reaching anterior margin of second abdominal tergite, not overlapping in midline, with 8 nearly parallel veins. Hind wing absent ( Fig. 4A, C ).

Legs. Fore coxa with 1 spine. Fore and middle femora without ventral spines; tibiae with 4 pairs of ventral spines and 1 pair of ventro-apical spurs. Hind femur with 6–9 internal and external spines on ventral surface severally; tibia with 6–7 internal and external spines on dorsal surface respectively, apex with 1 pair of dorsal and 2 pairs of ventral spurs, as well as 1 pair of pre-apical spurs on ventral surface.

Abdomen. Lateral areas of second and third abdominal tergites with 2 rows of stridulatory pegs separately. Eighth abdominal tergite strongly prolonged backwards, about 3 times as long as seventh abdominal tergite ( Fig. 4E ). Ninth abdominal tergite curved downwards, furrowed in midline; then splits and terminates into a pair of short processes with apices rounded and sclerotized, which curved forwards at base and crossed each other ( Fig. 4D–G ). Cerci conical and long, apices acute and pointed upwards ( Fig. 4E, G ). Subgenital plate with apical half gradually narrowing, posterior margin feebly concave. Styli cylindrical and long, inserted on the middle of lateral margins of subgenital plate ( Fig. 4G ).

Coloration. General color yellowish brown. Face light red, median ocellus yellow and lateral ocelli dark red. Eyes dark brown, inner margin of antennal socket black ( Fig. 4A–C ). Fore and middle tibiae with spines dark brown which apices light. Spines and spurs of hind femur and tibia black. First to seventh abdominal tergites with basal halves dark brown and apical halves yellow. Eighth abdominal tergite black. Ninth abdominal tergite dark brown with posterior processes light ( Fig. 4D–G ).

Female. Similar to male except for the following characteristics: body slightly larger than male. Seventh abdominal sternite transverse with lateral margins feebly protruding outwards, posterior margin with a semicircular and small notch in the middle. Subgenital plate narrowly leaf-shaped, gradually narrowing, anterior margin faintly concave, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 4H ). Ovipositor short, strongly curved dorsally, dorsal and ventral margins smooth, apex subacute ( Fig. 4I ).

Specimens examined. Holotype: ♂, Damu Lhoba, Mêdog, Xizang, China. 11 July, 2023, collected by Jie Su. Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype .

Measurements (mm). Body length: ♂ 23.1, ♀ 25.8; pronotum length: ♂ 6.3, ♀ 7.7; tegmen length: ♂ 2.9, ♀ 3.3; hind femur length: ♂ 15.2, ♀ 15.3; ovipositor length: ♀ 8.8.

Discussion. The tegmina of Larnaca (Larnaca) xizangensis sp. nov. are squamous that still show a distinct venation, while hind wings are absent. This new species is similar to Larnaca (Larnaca) squamiptera Ingrisch, 2018 , which was recorded merely female. The new species differs from the latter in: face and pronotum unicolor without any patterns; lateral areas of female seventh abdominal sternite protruding outwards, and posterior margin with a small and semicircular notch; subgenital plate narrowly leaf-shaped, anterior margin faintly concave and posterior margin rounded.

Etymology. The name of this new species is named for the type locality.

Distribution. Xizang ( China).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Larnaca (Larnaca) xizangensis Su, Duan & Shi sp. nov., male: A–C. head and pronotum: A. dorsal view; B. face; C. lateral view; D–G. apex of abdomen: D. ventro-apical view; E. dorsal view; F, G. ventral view; female: H. seventh abdominal sternite and subgenital plate in ventral view; I. ovipositor in lateral view.