Criotettix gidhavensis, Gupta, Sunil Kumar & Chandra, Kailash, 2018

Gupta, Sunil Kumar & Chandra, Kailash, 2018, Two new species of the genus Criotettix Bolivar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Scelimeninae) from India, Zootaxa 4375 (1), pp. 143-150 : 145-147

Criotettix gidhavensis Sp. nov.

( Fig.1 )

Material examined (6 specimens). Holotype ♀, India, Chhattisgarh, Dhamtari, Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Gidhava , 20°15’18’’N, 82°05’49.4’’E, 457 m a.s.l., 21.x.2012, coll. S. K. Gupta & party, Reg. No. 18425/H5 . Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype, Reg. No. 18426/H5 ; 1♀, Chhattisgarh, Dhamtari, Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhiragaon , 21°14’56’’N, 81°59’50’’E, 430 m a.s.l., 18.ii.2014, coll. S. K. Gupta & party, Reg. No. 18427/H5 ; 1♂, NC, Chhattisgarh, Dhamtari, Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sankra Rest House , 20°17’15.6’’N, 81°59’45.1’’E, 478 m a.s.l., 26.ii.2014, coll. S. K. Gupta & party, Reg. No. 18428/H5 ; 1♀, ♂, DC same data as holotype, Reg. No. 18429-30/H5.

Description. Female (Holotype). Body small. Head not exerted above the pronotal surface. Width of vertex equal to width of an eye, anterior margin of vertex straight, not protruding beyond eyes. Lateral ridge raised, median carina distinctly, in profile, vertex and frontal ridge forming triangulate. Frontal ridge protruding archly between antennae. Eyes globose, lateral ocelli placed on middle of anterior margin of eyes. Frontal costa bifurcates into facial carinae between the lateral ocelli and facial carinae run parallel to the median ocelli forming broad scutellum. Antennal grooves situated above of the inferior margin of compound eyes. Eyes in frontal view subglobular, in lateral view sub-globular. Pronotum truncate anteriorly, extend beyond the apices of posterior femora, disc of pronotum granulose, with small tubercles, anterior margin of pronotum straight, median carina of pronotum in complete (half distinct and posterior region indistinct. upper margin of pronotum undulated in profile. Lateral keels of prozona parallel, humeral angle an obtuse round shape, with large tubercles between shoulder, distinct, caudal end of pronotum narrow, long cone shaped. Lateral lobes of pronotum turning downwardly, posterior angles directed slightly transversely, apex of posterior angles obtuse, straight, posterior margin of each lateral lobe with two bisinuate. Tegmina long, elongate. Hind wings developed, reaching up to apex of pronotum. Fore legs: femora 3.4 times as long as wide, upper and lower margins of femur straight, tibia clothed with 3 spines and some small white hairs; second tarsal segments 3 times longer than first. Mid legs: femora 3.3 times as long as wide, upper and lower margins of mid femur undulate, width of midfemur1.3 times narrower than width of tegmen; tibiae clothed with 5 spines and some hairs; second tarsal segments 3 times longer than first. Hind legs: femora robust 2.8 times as long as wide, upper margins serrated, antigenicular and genicular denticles acute. Tibiae with 8 outer and 7 inner spines. Outer and inner spurs present, inner spurs slightly longer than outer spurs. first tarsal segments 1.7 times longer than third; first pulvilli small, IInd larger than IIIrd pulvilli, all pulvilli with obtuse apex. Ovipositor elongated, upper and lower valvulae with slender saw like teeth. Cerci long, conical with narrowly rounded apex.

Male: Body size smaller than female. Subgenital plate cone shaped, apex acute.

Colour: Body dark brown. Hind femur brown. Median external area of hind femur dark black.

Measurements. Female. Body length (from the tip of the vertex to the end of the abdomen):10.5–11.0; Pronotum length: 14.5–15.0. width: 3.0–3.5. Fore leg: femur length: 1.4–1.8; tibia length: 1.5–2.0; Mid leg: femur length 1.5–2.0; tibial length 2.0–2.5; Hind leg: femur length: 5.5–6.0; tibia length: 4.5–5.0; abdomen length: 6.0–6.5; Wings: tegmen length: 1.5–2.0, dorsal ovipositor valves length: 2.0–2.5; ventral ovipositor valves length: 1.5–2.0.

Measurements. Male. Body length (from the tip of the vertex to the end of the abdomen): 9.0–9.5; Pronotum length: 13.5–14; Fore leg: femur length: 1.0–1.5; tibia length: 1.0–1.4; Mid leg: femur length: 1.0–1.4; tibia length:1.0–1.5; Hind leg: femur length: 5.0–5.5; tibia length: 4.0–4.5; abdomen length: 4.5–5.0; Subgenital plate length: 1.0–1.5.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Criotettix bispinosus ( Dalman, 1818) . The major differences are listed in Table 1 .

Etymology. Named after the type locality Gidhava.

Figures

FIGURE 1 A, B, C, E, G, H. Criotettix gidhavensis sp. nov. female A, dorsal view; B, lateral view; C, frontal ridge; E, tegmen; G, Ovipositor; H, posterior angle of lateral lobe of pronotum; D, F, Criotettix bispinosus (Dalman, 1818) D, frontal ridge; F, tegmen.

Tables

TABLE 1. Comparison of Criotettix gidhavensis sp. nov. and C. bispinosus (Dalman, 1818).

Characters	Criotettix gidhavensis sp. nov.	Criotettix bispinosus ( Dalman, 1818)
Vertex	Width of vertex equal to the width of an eye. Median carina of vertex presents.	Vertex distinctly broader than an eye. Large granules in a series presents, instead of median carina of vertex to the anterior to the end of posterior region of head.
Antennal grooves	Antennal grooves are situated on the above of lower margin of the compound eyes.	Antennal grooves are situated at the below of lower margin of the compound eyes.
Frontal costa	Scutellum wider in between antenna, facial carinae are sinuated in between antenna and diverging	Scutellum narrower in between antenna, facial carinae without sinuated in between antenna and then converges slightly towards fusion into frontal costa.
Mid keel of pronotum	Median carina of pronotum interrupted, dorsal surface of pronotum with large tubercles, undulating in profile.	Median carina of pronotum completed, dorsal surface of pronotum smooth, straight.
Posterior angle of lateral lobes	Posterior angle of lateral lobes of pronotum dilated and laminated, apex of anterior margin provided with an obtuse spine, straight.	Posterior angle of lateral lobes of pronotum dilated and laminated, apex of anterior margin provided with a sharp pointed spine, directed distinctly backwards.
Tegmina	Tegmina elongated.	Tegmina oval.
pulvilli	II pulvillus larger than IIIrd and Ist pulvillus of first segment of posterior tarsi equal.	All the pulvilli of first segment of posterior tarsi equal.