Zvierckia montana ( Günther, 1937 ) Skejo & Husemann & Jr & Tumbrinck & Pushkar & Pavlović & Mohagan & Pamin & Kasalo, 2024

Skejo, Josip, Husemann, Martin, Jr, Romeo Patano, Tumbrinck, Josef, Pushkar, Taras I., Pavlović, Marko, Mohagan, Alma, Pamin, Jan-Henrik & Kasalo, Niko, 2024, Revision of the polyphyletic genus Hirrius Bolívar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), with descriptions of three new genera and insights into antennal sensilla morphology, Zootaxa 5524 (1), pp. 1-61 : 38-39

Zvierckia montana ( Günther, 1937) , comb. nov.

Vernacular name: “Salokko Pygmy Devil” ( Fig. 23 , 24 )

Historical mentions: As Hirrius montanus Günther 1937: 176 ; Günther 1938: 303; Blackith & Blackith 1987: 2; Blackith 1992: 90; As Zvierckia montana Skejo, 2017: 191 ; unavailable according to Article 13.1 of the Code ( ICZN, 1999).

Type specimen. 1♂ holotype ‘SO Celebes Berg Tangke Salokko 1500 m 1-15.1932 G. Heinrich’ ‘ Hirrius montanus n. sp. K. Günther’ ‘Typus’ ( MfN) .

Diagnosis. In lateral view, the disc of the pronotum with undulated median carina which is low in prozona, then elevated between prozona and metazona, and then weakly undulated at the apical descending portion. Lateral lobes of the pronotum projected outwards, but with a truncated, blunt apex (without spikes, VL projections). Vertex 1.47 times as wide as an eye in males. Face 3.56 times as wide as an eye in males. Male antennae black with bright yellow-orange rigs between the basal antennomeres, and with especially wide pale ring on the subapical and apical antennomeres. General color black, but there are many yellow-orange (or red) dots on the median carina and on the lateral carinae of the pronotum. Hind tibia with yellow rings.

Holotype measurements (male). Body length from tip of head to the tip of pronotum 13.45 mm; eye width 0.70 mm, vertex width 1.05 mm; pronotum length 12.35 mm; pronotum width (at shoulders) 4.40 mm; tegmen length 1.25 mm; tegmen width 0.30 mm; fore femur length 3.25 mm; fore femur width 0.75 mm; mid femur length 3.70 mm; mid femur width 0.90 mm; hind femur length 6.65 mm; hind femur width 2.45 mm.

Distribution, habitat, and doubtful records. Indonesia, Southeastern Sulawesi, endemic to the mountainous tropical rainforests of Tangke Salokko hills at 1500 m a. s. l. in the Mekongga Mountains above Kolaka (approximately 3.67S, 121.18E). Blackith’s (1987) report of Z. montana comb. nov. from Sulawesi Tengah, Mount Tambusisi (1200 m a. s. l.) (approximately 1.656S, 121.373E) 3.- 13.4.1980. leg. Brendell (BMNH) needs to be checked as it may represent another undescribed species.

Note. The only specimen of Z. montanta comb. nov, that for sure represents this species is male holotype, collected by German entomologist and ornithologist Gerd Hermann Heinrich during the expedition to Mekongga Mts. in early January 1932.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Comparison of head in frontal view in the members of the genus Zvierckia gen. nov.: Z. montana (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., Z. sarasinorum (Günther, 1937) comb. nov., and Z. storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck sp. nov..

FIGURE 24. Zvierckia montana (Günther, 1937) comb. nov. ♂ holotype from SO Celebes Berg Tangke Salokko.A) left lateral view, B) dorsal view, C) labels, D) head in frontal view. Photo E. Nguyen.