Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis Storozhenko

Storozhenko, Sergey Yu., 2015, First record of the subfamily Anoplophilinae (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) from Russia with description of a new species of the genus Alpinanoplophilus Ishikawa, 1993, Zootaxa 3973 (2), pp. 391-397 : 392-396

Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis Storozhenko , sp. nov.

Figs 1–13

Material examined. Holotype—male, Russia: Kunashir Island, between Dokuchaevo and Neskuchnoe, mouth of Dalniy River, 8.VIII.2013 (K. Makarov); deposited in the Zoological Institute (St. Petersburg). Paratypes: 1 male, Russia: Kunashir Island, 3 km SE Mys Prasolova, middle stream of Zolotoy Klyuch, 24.VIII.2013 (K. Makarov); 1 male deutonymph, 1 female deutonymph, Russia: Kunashir Island, Dokuchaevo, 3.VIII.2013 (Yu. Sundukov).

Description. Male. Body rather stout. Head hemispherical form in profile; short oval form in frontal view, 1.2– 1.3 times as high as wide. Pro-, meso- and metanotum smooth, without remarkable impression. Pronotum transverse, 1.1–1.2 times as wide as long. Lateral lobes of pronotum 1.8-1.9 times as long as high. Fore femora 1.4 times longer than pronotal length, unarmed. Fore tibiae dorsally with a pair of upper small apical spurs and 2–3 small movable outer spines (in paratype spines absent), ventrally with 3 small movable spines on each side and a pair of very small apical spurs. First segment of fore tarsi 1.6 times longer than combined length of 2nd and 3rd segments, but 1.1 times shorter than 4th segment (without claws). Mid femora 1.4 times longer than pronotum, without inner apical spine; armature of mid tibiae as in fore ones. Hind femora stout, 3.9–4.2 times as long as wide; lower outer and inner margins unarmed. Hind tibiae with 13–14 outer and 11–13 inner dorsal unmovable spines as well as with three pairs of apical spurs; inner upper dorsal spur 1.1 times longer than outer one. First segment of hind tarsi (basitarsus) with a row of 3–5 dorsal spines, the apical spine very large, almost reaching the apex of second segment; 1st segment (without apical spine) 1.9–2.0 times longer than combined length of 2nd and 3rd segments, and equal to 4th segment (without claws). Posterior margin of 9th tergite almost straight; 10th tergite slightly incised near the middle, and partly fused with epiproct. Paraprocts rather small, oviform, and unmodified. Cerci with rounded apex, 4.8-5.2 times as long as wide near the base; straight in dorsal view and feebly curved in lateral view. Subgenital plate trapezoid, 1.3–1.4 times as wide as long; stylus short. Male genitalia consists of six completely membranous lobes; dorsomedian lobe transverse, somewhat longer than dorsolateral lobes; dorsolateral lobes deeply notched at apex and provided by a row of short apical hairs; ventromedian lobe transverse, with two sclerotized areas covered by numerous tuberles and situated near the base of lobe; ventrolateral lobes long, incurved, dorsal side of each lobe with row of short hairs, ventral side with numerous, irregularly situated short hairs.

Body from above brownish black, from below whitish brown. Upper half of head brown, lower half including genae light brown; eyes black; antennae light brown; maxillary palpi whitish; disc of pronotum blackish with median longitudinal brown stripe; lateral lobes of pronotum brown; meso- and metanotum blackish brown; fore and mid legs light brown; hind femora light brown with numerous blackish maculae in outer surface; hind knees dark brown; hind tibiae blackish brown; hind basitarsus brown with black spines, second and third tarsal segments blackish brown, four tarsal segment brown with blackish apex; tergites black with indistinct brown stripes along posterior margin; apical part of 10-th tergite and the base of epiproct with whitish mark; cerci blackish brown with whitish apex; sternites whitish with brown bands along anterior margins; basal part of subgenital plate whitish, lateral and apical parts black.

Variability. The fixed in alcohol male paratype was pined and dried. As result the shape of pronotum was considerably changed from typical for holotype and almost convex dorsal surface of pronotum ( Fig. 10 ) to distinctly depressed and provided by “lateral carinae” disc ( Fig. 13 ). This artefact probably depends on the present of weakly and strongly scerotized areas in the cuticle of pronotal disc of living specimens.

Female. Unknown.

Male deutonymph. Similar to male, but smaller. The shape of head, pronotum and tergites (except terminalia) as in adult. Fore femora 1.1 times longer than pronotal length. Hind femora 3.8 times as long as wide. Hind tibiae with 12 outer and 13 inner dorsal spines. First segment of hind tarsi with 4 dorsal spines including an apical one; the proportions of segments as in male. Cerci straight, 4.8 times as long as wide near the base. Subgenital plate 1.7 times as wide as long.

Body from above black with broad longitudinal brown stripe, from below light brown. Head coloured as in male; antennae light brown with numerous black rings; lateral lobes of pronotum black; fore and mid femora light brown with indistinct black marks; fore and mid tibiae blackish with two narrow light brown rings; hind femora brown; hind tibiae black; all tarsi coloured as in male; lateral sides of tergites black with indistinct brown marks; cerci blackish brown; subgenital plate black.

Female deutonymph. Similar to deutonymph of male, but larger. Fore femora 1.3 times longer than pronotum. Hind femora 3.5 times as long as wide. Hind tibiae with 15 outer and 13 inner dorsal spines. First segment of hind tarsi with 3–4 dorsal spines including an apical one; the proportions of segments as in male. Cerci straight, 4.4 times as long as wide near the base. Subgenital plate triangle, with pointed apex, 1.3 times as long as wide near the base. Ovipositor curved upward, 1.9 times as long as pronotal length; lower margin of lower valvae with 5 scalloped serrations at apex.

Body from above blackish brown with broad median light stripe on pronotum only, from below light brown. Head, antennae, fore and mid legs coloured as in male deutonymph; lateral lobes of pronotum brownish black; hind femora brown; hind tibiae and cerci blackish brown; subgenital plate brown; ovipositor light brown with blackish apex.

Measurements (in mm). Male: length of body (from rostrum to the apex of epiproct) 14.5–16.5; maximal width of body 4.3–5.0; length of pronotum 3.5–3.6; width of pronotum near posterior margin 4.1–4.4; length of fore femur 4.9; length of fore tibia: 4.9–5.4; length of mid femur 5.0; length of mid tibia 5.0–5.1; length of hind femur 10.5– 10.7; length of hind tibia 10.3–10.4; length of first segment of hind tarsi (without apical spine) 1.6; length of second segment 0.5; length of third segment 0.3; length of fourth segment (without claws) 1.6; length of cercus 2.9.

Deutonymph of male: length of body 12.8; maximal width of body 3.3; length of pronotum 3.0; width of pronotum near posterior margin 3.3; length of fore femur 3.1; length of fore tibia 3.1; length of mid femur 3.9; length of mid tibia 4.0; length of hind femur 8.7; length of hind tibia 8.1; length of cercus 2.1.

Deutonymph of female: length of body 14.3; maximal width of body 4.0; length of pronotum 3.1; width of pronotum near posterior margin 3.7; length of fore femur 4.2; length of fore tibia 4.5; length of mid femur 4.5; length of mid tibia 4.6; length of hind femur 9.5; length of hind tibia 9.2; length of cercus 2.0; length of ovipositor 5.9.

Distribution. Russia: Kurile Islands, northernmost part of Kunashir Island.

Diagnosis. Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis sp. nov. is most similar to A. matsumotoi in the shape and colour of body and appendages but distinguished from it by the shorter male cerci (in former species cerci 3.6–3.7 times shorter than hind femur; in A. matsumotoi cerci 2.9–3.2 times shorter than hind femur). The differences of new species from other congeners are given it the key below.

Habitat. New species was found in the coniferous-broad-leaved forests on the terraces situated near the sea shore at elevation 20–30 m above sea level ( Fig. 14 ). These forests are composed by dense stand of trees, such as Acer mayrii Scher. , Phellodendron sachalinense (Fr. Schmidt) Sarg. , Kalopanax septemlobus (Thunb. ex Murray) Koidz. , Betula ermanii Cham. , Alnus hirsuta (Spach) Fisch. ex Rupr. , and Abies sachalinensis Fr. Schmidt ; the ground is covered by Kurile bamboo, Sasa kurilensis (Rupr.) ( Fig. 15 ). All specimens were collected under the bark of die out but erect broad-leaved trees during the daytime. Probably Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis sp. nov. is nocturnal species. On the contrary to Japanese species of Alpinanoplophilus which occupied mountains regions (ca. 300–2300 m above sea level) far from sea the new species inhabits the forests near sea shore in the northern part of Kunashir Island only.

Etymology. The name of new species is originated from its type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis sp. nov., male. 1, head and pronotum, lateral view; 2, the same, dorsal view; 3, hind right tibia and tarsus, dorsal view; 4, apex of left hind tibia and tarsus, lateral view; 5, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 6, the same, dorsal view; 7, subgenital plate, ventral view; 8, genitalia, dorsal view; 9, the same, ventral view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 10 – 13. Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis sp. nov., male. 10, holotype, body, dorsal view; 11, the same, lateral view; 12, the same, ventral view; 13, paratype, head and pronotum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 14, 15. Type locality of Alpinanoplophilus kurilensis sp. nov. 14, Dalniy River (Kunashir Island, between Dokuchaevo and Neskuchnoe); 15, forest near the mouth of Dalniy River (photo of Yu. N. Sundukov).