Narea Walker

Rentz, Dcf, Su, You Ning & Ueshima, Norihiro, 2015, Studies in Australian Katydids: A Review of the Australian Snub-nosed Sylvan katydids (Tettigoniidae; Pseudophyllinae; Simoderini), Zootaxa 3946 (1), pp. 1-54 : 26-27

Narea Walker , stat. nov.

Southern Snob-noses

Narea Walker, 1870 Catalogue of the Specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria in the Collection of the British Museum 3: 482. Type species: Narea compacta Walker 1870 by monotypy.

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Mastighapha Karsch, 1891 Entom. Nachricht. 17(7): 103. Type species: Mastighapha crassicornis Karsch by monotypy. Syn. nov.

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Comparison of the types of the type species of both of the above generic taxa leave little doubt to the synonymy of the two. Brunner’s M. elongata , formerly included in Mastighapha , is a pure synonym of crassicornis .

Narea now comprises three species that occur in the southern portion of Australia, well south of the tropics where most of the Australian Simoderini occur. Very few specimens are present in collections and this has hampered our taxonomic decisions to some extent.

Narea species seem to be very unpredictable in their occurrence and several attempts to collect them have proved unsuccessful. This seems in contrast to notes on some of the material suggesting that they can be present in large numbers in some years.

The elongate, narrow tegmina of Narea species ( Fig. 20 I) distinguish it from Mastigaphoides and the armature of the pronotum readily distinguishes it from Tallebudgeroptera (see Fig. 11 ). The pronotal armature is very similar to that found in some Chloracantha but the thickened antennae of all known Narea species ( Fig. 12A, B ) and the distinctive male and female genitalia are different from all the other simoderine genera. The male stridulatory region is markedly different.

Narea species are associated with temperate Eucalyptus-Acacia woodlands, whereas Mastigaphoides and Chloracantha species are wholly confined to the northern tropics and subtropics where they live primarily in rainforests.

Differential diagnosis. Male/Female. Overall body shape similar to that of Chloracantha but species usually larger. Males are much smaller than females and are quadrate to cylindrical in body shape. Males have the apex of the tegmen obtuse, females acute. The armature of the pronotum is very similar to that of Chloracantha . The antennae are distinctive in being more thickened than in any other Australian simoderine genus and the thoracic auditory opening is larger than observed in the other genera. The ovipositor is very elongate, subapically minutely serrate on the dorsal margin and apically rather blunt. Narea species are darker green than seen in other simoderine genera and the legs are reddish brown. Narea is closer to Chloracantha than any other known simoderine genus.

General. Body quadrate in outline ( Fig. 12A ), rather robust, of moderate to large size for tribe; males with tegmina surpassing apex of abdomen, females with longer tegmina and more acutely shaped. Ovipositor very elongate (Table, 6, Figs. 12K–L ), gracefully upcurved, armed subapically on dorsal margin with minute serrations, apex relatively blunt.

Head. Head very narrow in dorsal view, not slanting and much narrower than cephalic margin of pronotum; frons flat, without carinae and sulci. Fastigium of frons low, blunt, not produced between antennal scrobes ( Fig. 12B ); fastigium of vertex ( Fig. 12B ) elongate, sulcate; antennal scrobes high internally, flagellum of antenna disproportionately thickened, very elongate, about 1.5–2.0 times length of insect.

Thorax. Pronotum with surface flat, regularly tuberculate, cut by 2 sulci, one in the middle, the other in anterior one-third ( Figs. 12B ); anterior margin of disk straight to feebly produced in the middle; posterior margin of disk truncate to lightly produced in the middle; lateral margins of disk with short spikes, 3 on prozona, 2 larger and more blunt teeth on mesozona, 3–5 smaller, less distinct teeth on metazona. Lateral lobes longer than deep, anterior and posterior margins oblique, ventral margin truncate; entire margin of lateral lobe minutely tuberculate; surface sparsely tuberculate. Thoracic auditory spiracle larger than in Chloracantha , ovoid, not concealed by pronotum.

Sternum with prosternum armed with a pair of elongate, closely spaced spikes; mesosternum with a semicircular structure, minutely tuberculate on anterior and lateral margins or smooth, posterior margin acute; metasternum with a larger, more shallow semicircular structure, margins smooth, not tuberculate, apex acute.

Legs. Legs rather elongate, resembling stems of eucalypts. Fore coxa armed with a minute, blunt spine. All femora slender, only feebly curved, unarmed on all surfaces; genicular lobes unarmed; hind femur about 3 times length of middle femur. Fore tibia quadrate in cross section, dorsal surface unarmed, ventral surface armed on both margins with a series of minute spines, one on each side apical in position; middle tibia quadrate in cross section, unarmed dorsally, ventral surface with a series of small spines on each margin, one on each side apical in position; hind tibia quadrate, dorsally sulcate, armed dorsally with a series of short spines which end well before the apex, ventral surface with a smaller number of shorter spines on each margin, one on each side apical in position.

Wings. Tegmina reaching well beyond apex of abdomen in both sexes ( Figs. 11 , 12A , 20 I). Tegminal venation normally developed; costal field occupying about half tegmen; veins Sc and R parallel for their entire length, not diverging apically; Rs and M poorly defined or absent; male tegmen apically blunt, female acute; stridulatory region not well differentiated from remainder of tegmen, mirror poorly defined.

Abdomen. Male. Tenth tergite hood-like, concealing all other genitalic parts ( Figs. 12H, I ); cercus ( Figs. 12H ) species distinctive, short and robust and completely concealed beneath tenth tergite. The supra-anal plate ( Fig. 12I ) is elongate, tongue-like, thin and protrudes as a flexible flap. The phallus ( Fig. 12J ) is a distinctive arrow-shaped, well sclerotised flat structure with an acute apex. The subgenital plate is elongate, scoop-shaped ( Fig. 12H ), with median carina, apex with shallow impression; styles absent.

Female. Tenth tergite highly distinctive with supra-anal plate broad at base but extending caudad and protruding well beyond anus; cercus very short, stout, conical, subgenital plate quadrate, lateral margins carinate, slightly “cupped”, apex produced feebly in the middle, obtuse or elongate, surface smooth, apex with shallow Vshaped median incision, depending on species. Ovipositor very elongate, heavy ( Fig. 12K ). dorsal margin smooth or with minute subapical serrations.

Colour. Overall colour dark green, legs reddish brown ( Fig. 11 ). Pronotum green or brown, lateral margins often light creamish yellow. Tegmina uniformly green, veins darker. Tegmina lacking any spots.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Narea sp. probably compacta. See text, p. 27. R. Farrow photo.

FIGURE 20. Tegmina of simoderine species. A, Chloracantha lampra, male Mt Lewis. B, same, female, Mt Lewis, Qld., C, C. angularis Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., male. D, same species female. E, C. garradunga Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., topotype male. F, same species female topotype. G, C. hilleri, Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., male holotype. H, same species, female topotype. I, Narea kungaree Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., holotype male. J, same species, female, Powelltown, Vic., K, N. elongata no data, female. L, same species, female, Jenolan Caves, NSW. M, Tallebuderoptera spininota Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp nov., female topotype.

FIGURE 12, A – L. Narea kungaree Rentz, Su, Ueshima, sp. nov. A, holotype male. B, head and pronotum, dorsal view. C, pronotum, lateral view, Majors Creek, NSW. D, auditory spiracle, holotype male. E, coxal spine, holotype. F, thorax, holotype. G, right tegmen, stridulatory area, holotype. H, tip of abdomen, male, ventral view, Powelltown, Vic. I, tip of abdomen, male, Majors Creek, NSW. J, titillator, Majors Creek, NSW. K, ovipositor, Powelltown, Vic. L, same, ovipositor showing dorsal serrations.