Tafalisca elongata elongata ( Chopard, 1912 ) elongata (Chopard, 1912

Campos, Lucas Denadai De & Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2020, The Paroecanthini crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Gryllidae: Oecanthinae) from French Guiana, Zoosystema 42 (20), pp. 355-398 : 358-362

Tafalisca elongata elongata ( Chopard, 1912) n. comb.

( Figs 2-4 )

Pseudogryllus elongatus Chopard, 1912: 412 .

Tafalisca elongata – Chopard 1968: 416.

Pseudogryllus elongatus elongatus – Gorochov 2011: 268.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Nouveau Chantier, French Guiana.

DISTRIBUTION. — French Guiana.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. French Guiana • ♀; Nouveau Chantier ; Collection Le Moult; MNHN-EO-ENSIF6594; MNHN.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — French Guiana • 1♂; Inselberg, Mitaraka Nord PL; 54°52.908”N, 02°27.613”O; 670 m; 28.X.2004 - 3 XI.2004; J.-P. Champenois leg.; Molec 2014 LDG499; MNHN- EO-ENSIF10876; MNHN . • 1♀; P[i]st[e] [de] KAW, Patawa; 15.X. 2005; J.-A. Cerda leg.; Malaise; MNHN .

DIAGNOSIS. — This species is separated from the other species of Tafalisca by the following characters: occiput dark brown; pronotum DD light brown surrounded by a thin line medium to dark brown, with two median maculae horizontally drop-shaped and dark brown; FWs light brown, with dark brown veins, lateral margin of dorsal field dark brown. Male genitalia: LLophi apex curved inwards; MLophi almost as long as LLophi in dorsal view; EctAp reaching the anterior margin of pseudepiphallic sclerite, upcurved in lateral view. Female: lateral margins of ovipositor apex serrulated, posterior tip almost straight. Female genitalia: copulatory papilla opened ventrally, anterior margin convex in dorsal view; with a median projection flattened dorso-ventrally, curved upwards in lateral view.

REDESCRIPTION

General morphology

Body. Size large, general coloration light brown, body covered by small, light bristles, except FWs and HWs.

Head. Occiput and vertex covered by small bristles; occiput dark brown, vertex light brown. Fastigium as long as wide, pubescent, dark brown ( Fig. 2 A-E). Three ocelli, the median slightly elliptical, under the line of lateral ones in frontal view; lateral ocelli rounded, larger than median ocellus. Frons smooth, central region with few bristles, light brown ( Fig. 2E ). Eyes longer than wide in lateral view, ommatids reddish-brown to dark brown ( Fig. 2B, D ). Antennal scape as long as wide, light brown, inner margin with brown bristles; antennomeres light brown. Gena light brown in frontal and lateral views. Mandibles yellowish brown, apex dark brown. Epistomal suture and clypeus light brown; labrum light brown, apex dark brown ( Fig. 2E ). Maxillary palpi slightly pubescent, article 5 enlarged, articles 3 and 4 almost same-sized, light brown.

Pronotum. DD slightly wider than long, with short bristles, light brown, surrounded by a thin line medium to dark brown; with two dark brown median maculae horizontally drop-shaped in dorsal view. DD cephalic margin slightly concave; caudal margin slightly convex, dark brown ( Fig. 2A, C ). LL light brown; ventro-cephalic angle rounded; ventro-caudal angle gradually ascendant in lateral view ( Fig. 2B, D ).

Wings. FWs covering entire abdomen; FWs somewhat translucent, light brown, with dark brown veins; lateral margin of dorsal field dark brown ( Fig. 2 A-D). HWs longer than FWs in dorsal and lateral views.

Legs. Legs I and II with yellowish bristles. FI and FII light brown, apical margin dark brown.TI and TII with small protuberance on dorsal side of proximal region, without bristles (arrow on Fig. 2B ); tympana absent. TI and TII medium to dark brown.TI with three apical spurs: two ventral same-sized; one dorsal, inner, almost as long as ventral ones. TII with two ventral spurs, same-sized, two dorsal spurs smaller than ventral ones. FIII longer than TIII; with yellowish bristles, light brown, reddish-brown to dark brown apically; dorsal part with a median dark brown macula, outer side divided by a dark brown stripe ( Fig. 2B, D ). TIII reddish-brown to dark brown, with yellowish bristles.TIII subapical spurs 5/4, with one spine between each inner and outer pair of successive spurs, three or four spines above uppermost outer subapical spur, two or three spines above uppermost inner subapical spurs. TIII apical spurs 3/3, longer on inner side; inner apical spurs: dorsal longest (iad), median shorter than dorsal (iam), ventral smallest (iav) (iad>iam>iav); outer apical spurs: median longest (oam), dorsal slightly shorter (oad), ventral almost as long as dorsal (oav) (oam>oad>oav). TIII subapical spurs, spines and apical spurs reddish-brown, apex dark brown almost black ( Fig. 2B, D ). Basitarsus dorsal spines 3/1, apical spine the longest; inner apical spur longer than basitarsus, outer apical spur slightly smaller than outer apical spur. Basitarsus reddish-brown.

Abdomen. Tergites slightly pubescent, medium to dark brown. Cerci pubescent, dark brown, with medium to dark brown setae. Supra anal plate with yellowish bristles, dark brown; posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 2G ).

Male

Morphology. Metanotum without projections, antero-lateral regions inflated, with bristles; medio-posterior region somewhat elevated ( Fig. 2F ). FWs bearing 8-9 parallel veins, dorsal field without stridulatory apparatus; PCu vein slightly curved inwards on anterior region (arrow on Fig. 2A ), without stridulatory teeth ventrally. Lateral field with c. 15 parallel veins, dark brown. Subgenital plate posterior margin rounded, strongly pubescent; dark brown with yellow bristles. ( Fig. 2H ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 3 A-C, 4). Pseudepiphallus: pseudepiphallic sclerite apex upcurved in lateral view, anterior margin concave in dorsal view; MLophi and LLophi thin in dorsal view. LLophi wider than MLophi in ventral view; apex curved inwards, inner margin of anterior region somewhat rounded in ventral view. MLophi almost as long as LLophi in dorsal view. PsP well sclerotized, shorter than pseudepiphallic sclerite, not surpassing its posterior margin; anterior half curved outwards, thinner than posterior half in ventral view; posterior half longer than wide, posterior margin rounded. R elongated, almost as long as pseudepiphallic sclerite; anterior half slightly rounded, wider than posterior half. Ectophallic invagination: EctAp reaching the anterior margin of pseudepiphallic sclerite, upcurved in lateral view; Arc not complete; ventral projections of ectophallic invagination almost as long as EctAp in ventral view. EctF shorter than EndSc, membranous, posterior margin rounded in ventral view. Endophallus: EndSc well sclerotized, longer than wide, shorter than EctAp, somewhat triangular in ventral view; posterior margin rounded, lateral margins folded ventrally. EndAp shorter than EndSc.

Female

Morphology. Body larger than male, general coloration similar to male ( Fig. 2C, D ). Subgenital plate wider than long, posterior margin concave medially; dark brown almost black, median region reddish-brown, covered by yellowish bristles ( Fig. 2I ). Ovipositor upcurved, dark brown ( Fig. 2D ); lateral margins serrulated at apex, posterior tip almost straight, reddish-brown ( Fig. 2J, K ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 3 D-F). Copulatory papilla longer than wide, somewhat cylindrical, with a ventral aperture; posterior half lateral margins slightly curved inwards in dorsal and ventral views, posterior margin rounded in dorsal and ventral views. Anterior margin convex in dorsal view; with a median projection flattened dorso-ventrally, curved upwards in lateral view.

REMARKS

The holotype (female) of Pseudogryllus elongatus Chopard, 1912 and specimens collected close to its type locality were analyzed (male and female). This species has all the diagnostic characters of Tafalisca , and there are no remarkable characters to support the genus Pseudogryllus Chopard, 1912 . Thus, Pseudogryllus is considered a junior synonym of Tafalisca . The subspecies Tafalisca elongata gigas ( Gorochov, 2011) from Colombia was also described by a single female. Because of the geographical distance and the diversity of Tafalisca genus, both subspecies probably correspond to different species. However, without at least the description of the copulatory papilla of T. elongata gigas , it is not possible to compare both taxa properly and propose taxonomic rearrangements. Holotype images and more information of Pseudogryllus elongatus Chopard, 1912 are available in MNHN collection website (http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/eo/ensif6594).

Measurements (mm)

Male (n = 1, non-type): HW, 6.5; IOD, 3; PL, 5.1; PW, 7; FWL, 28.2; FWW, 7; HWL, 29; LFIII, 19.3; WFIII; 6.2; LTIII, 12.6; LBtarsIII, 2.5.

Female (n = 1, non-type): HW, 7.2; IOD, 3; PL, 6.1; PW, 7.4; FWL, 30.9; FWW, 7.2; HWL, 32; LFIII, 20.7; WFIII, 6.9; LTIII, 13.2; LBtarsIII, 2.2; OL, 18.7.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Tafalisca elongata elongata (Chopard, 1912) n. comb., male and female: A, male habitus, dorsal; B, male habitus, lateral; C, female habitus, dorsal; D, female habitus, lateral; E, male head, frontal; F, male metanotum, dorsal; G, male supra anal plate; H, male subgenital plate; I, female subgenital plate; J, ovipositor apex, dorsal; K, ovipositor apex, ventral. Scale bars: A-D, 5 mm; E-K, 1 mm.

FIG. 3. — Tafalisca elongata elongata (Chopard, 1912) n. comb., male phallic complex: A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, lateral. Female copulatory papilla: D, dorsal; E, ventral; F, lateral. Scale bars: A-C, 1 mm; D-F, 0.5 mm.

FIG. 4. — Tafalisca elongata elongata (Chopard,1912) n. comb., male phallic complex: A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, lateral. Abbreviations:see Material & Methods. Scale bar: 1 mm.