Catoptropterigini, Massa, Bruno, 2016

Massa, Bruno, 2016, The identity of the tropical African Polichnemukonja Griffini, 1908 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae), ZooKeys 621, pp. 37-44 : 41-42

Taxon classification Animalia Orthoptera Tettigoniidae

Catoptropterigini trib. n.

Type genus.

Catoptropteryx Karsch, 1890.

Currently the genus Catoptropteryx Karsch, 1890 belongs to the species group Ephippithytae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, together with another eleven genera found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. This group of species is very heterogeneous and probably the sole character that brings them together is the reduction of the female ovipositor, even if its structure is much different in some of them. To include the African genus Catoptropteryx in this heterogeneous group of Australasian genera seems like a biogeographical nonsense. As a first step, the comparison of the African species Polichne mukonja described by Griffini (1908) was carried out on the type species Polichne parvicauda ( Stål, 1861) (♀ from Australia, NMW), originally described as Phaneroptera , and the following differences were noticed (Fig. 8): presence of fronto-genal carinae, eyes oval, fastigium sulcate, short ovipositor, but not as reduced as in mukonja , pronotum with a deep humeral excision, just longer than high, of different shape compared to mukonja . Then, the type species of the genus Ephippitytha 1 Serville, 1838 [ Ephippithyta trigintiduoguttata (Serville, 1838)] was examined (6 specimens of both sexes from Australia, NMW). It has clear fronto-genal carinae, large spines on both margins of the hind femora, one spine on both apices of fore, mid and hind femur knees, pronotum centrally narrowed, similar to a saddle, ovipositor much reduced, but slender and pointed. In addition, the ovipositor of the other nine genera in the Ephippithytae group is heterogeneous even if reduced, eyes may be round or elongate and fronto-genal carinae may be both present or absent.

When the first species of Catoptropteryx were discovered, they were described within the Australian genus Caedicia Stål, 1874 (e.g.: afra: Karsch 1888; apicalis: Bolívar 1893), also included in the Ephippithytae group. Thus, when Karsch (1890) erected for them the genus Catoptropteryx it was considered logical at the time to include this genus in the Ephippithytae group, erected by Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1878. However, also Caedicia is evidently different from Catoptropteryx (examined 6♂ of the type species of the genus, Caedicia pictipes Stål, 1874, and a few specimens of the other six species, Caedicia marginata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, Caedicia concisa Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, Caedicia septentrionalis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, Caedicia simplex (Walker, 1869), Caedicia inermis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, and Caedicia scalaris Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, all from Australia, NMW, coll. Brunner von Wattenwyl). The characteristics of this genus are: eyes round, small spines on femur knees, presence of spines on lower margins of femora, fronto-genal carinae. While these characters are evident in the type species, they are not always present in other species (e.g.: eyes may be oval, spines in femur knees may be absent). Overall, it may be confirmed that the Ephippithytae group is very heterogeneous and therefore it cannot be considered as a tribe.

Presently, in the light of the revision of the genus Catoptropteryx by Huxley (1970) and the discovery of the identity of the African Polichne mukonja Griffini, 1908 (now Griffinipteryx mukonja ), the new tribe Catoptropterigini seems a logical taxonomical consequence.

Characters of the tribe are the following. Fastigium narrower than first antennal segment, furrowed, face smooth without fronto-genal carinae, eyes round, very small spines or unarmed lower margins of fore and mid femora, hind femora with few small spines or unarmed, tegmina longer than wings, ovipositor very reduced.