Sphenarium occidentalis Sanabria-Urbán, Song & Cueva

Sanabria-Urbán, Salomón, Song, Hojun, Oyama, Ken, González-Rodríguez, Antonio & Castillo, Raúl Cueva Del, 2017, Integrative taxonomy reveals cryptic diversity in neotropical grasshoppers: taxonomy, phylogenetics, and evolution of the genus Sphenarium Charpentier, 1842 (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae), Zootaxa 4274 (1), pp. 1-86 : 52-54

Sphenarium occidentalis Sanabria-Urbán, Song & Cueva del Castillo sp.n.

(http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:495098)

Description. External morphology ( Fig. 20 K, L, M, N): total body length ranging from 32.58 to 43.67 mm in females and from 30.84 to 43.03 mm in males; antennae filiform, slightly shorter in females or longer than head and pronotum together in males; head conical notably longer than wide with oval eyes in both sexes; fastigium moderately elongated, nearly half the length of interocular space in females or notably elongated, nearly as long as the interocular space in males; tegmina strap-like in both sexes; subgenital plate of males somewhat tapered in the apex; dorsal ovipositor valves rounded or lanceolate slightly elongated towards the apex. Male genitalia: bridge of epiphallus slightly longer than the length of lateral plates ( Fig. 21 J-I). Ectophallus in dorsal view ( Fig. 21 J-II) small with lateral borders of ramus convergent, straight or slightly rounded; basal emargination of cingulum mostly slightly developed; interspace between the apodemal plates notably closed. Ectophallus in posterior view ( Fig.

21K) with a conspicuous sclerotized hollow in the sheath moderately open; valves of cingulum arrow-like, relatively small; inflections of supraramus moderately developed whit distal borders laterally directed. Ectophallus in lateral view ( Fig. 21 L) with valves of cingulum not developed posteriorly. Endophallus in lateral view ( Fig. 21 J- III) with a short pseudoarch tightly joined to the valves of cingulum; aedeagal valves very small, tapered in the apex without apical spine; aedeagal valves and sclerites ranging from one half to ¾ the length of dorsal inflections of endophallic apodemes.

Colouration. round colours vary from yellow to green. Body uniformly coloured or with the following colour traits: antennae black, gray or dark blue; fastigium blue or brown; lateral postocular bands frequently present, wide and yellowish; dorsomedial line frequently present, wide and yellowish; dorsal shades dark blue to dark green covering partially the dorsal portion of the body, frequently present in northern populations ( Fig. 20 K, L) or absent in southern populations ( Fig. 20 M, N); lateral shades often present, black or dark blue; lateral bands of blotches frequently present, yellow to pale orange; ventral bands of pronotum often present, wide, whitish to bluish; pronotum sometimes with white lateral carinas and small strips and dots in the posterior margin; mesonotum yellow or pale orange; frequently mesonotum and metanotum laterally white; lateral blotches of 1st abdominal segment frequently present and whitish; hind femora uniformly coloured with knees laterally black laterally, dorsally bluish or brownish.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to S. histrio both externally and in male genital structures. Nevertheless, S. occidentalis sp.n. differs from S. histrio by the following combination of characters: if present lateral bands of blotches yellow to pale orange but never red, sclerotized hollow in the sheath moderately open, inflections of supraramus moderately developed whit distal borders laterally directed, and valves of cingulum although similar in form (specially to S. histrio morphotype 1) somewhat larger than in S. histrio .

Distribution. This species is distributed in elevations ranging approximately from 30 to 750m a.s.l. and is apparently restricted to the western portion of the Balsas River Basin and the Pacific Cost in Michoacan and Guerrero, Mexico ( Fig. 7 A).

Material examined. Holotype m ( Fig. 20 K) from Mexico: Michoacan, Cuchurumuco , 18.67008°N, - 101.670625°W, 241 m a.s.l., IX-22-2012 (Sanabria-Urbán S. #P39); measurements: BS = 41.36 mm, FL = 1.66 mm, PL = 9.98 mm, HF = 19.25 mm. Paratypes from Mexico: Michoacan: 7 m, 7 f, same data as holotype ; 1 m, 20 mi E Nueva Italia (on La Huacana rd. ), IX-25-1959 (I. J. Cantrall & T. J. Cohn #174) ; 1 m, 23 mi E Nueva Italia (on La Huacana rd. ), IX-25-1959 (I. J. Cantrall & T. J. Cohn #175) ; 1 m, 31mi S Nueva Italia (on Arteaga rd), 550 ft, IX-26-1959 (I. J. Cantrall & T. J. Cohn #182) ; 1 m, 11 mi SW La Huacana , 1600 ft, XII-4-1959 (T. J. Cohn #346) ; 1 m, 26 rd. mi NE Arteaga on Hwy. 37 (rd. mi SW Rancho Nuevo), 2060 ft, XI-3-1974 (T.J. & J. W. Cohn #121); 1 m, 3rd mi SW Arteaga church (0.1mi E Hwy. 37), 2460 ft, XI-3-1974 (T.J. & J. W. Cohn #122) ; 1 m, 7.2 mi NE Playa Azul (on Hwy. 37) 2.8 mi. NE La Mira Jct., 700 ft, XI-6-1974 (T.J. & J. W. Cohn #123) ; 1 m, 1 f, 15mi W Caleta de Campos (W playa Azul ), X-9-1981 (Otte #62) ; 1 m, 1 f, 12mi W Caleta de Campos (W playa Azul ), X-9- 1981 (Otte #63) ; 1 m, 1 f, 26mi n La Mira , VIII-9-1981 (Otte #59) ; 1 m, 1 f, 16-20km NE Rt 200 Ixtapa-Altamirano Rd., VIII-9-1981 (Otte #60); 6 M, 6 F, Las Peñitas , 17.99 0621°N, - 102.026924°W, 36 m a.s.l., IX-23-2012 (Sanabria-Urbán S. # P40 [L7 MS1]); 1 M, 1 f, Zicuirán Carr. 120 Km 144, 18.881308°N, - 101.967336°W, 239 m a.s.l., IX-22-2012 (Sanabria-Urbán S. # P38 [L8 MS1]) ; 1 m, 1 f, Carr. 37 D Km 236, 18.3868°N, - 101.89475°W, 197 m a.s.l., IX- 23-2012 (Sanabria-Urbán S. # M055). Guerrero: 1 m, 5mi N Acapulco , IX-15-1940 (C. Bolivar & H. R. Roberts) ; 2 m, 1 f, 13mi SW Tierra Colourada , 1000 ft, XII-11-1958 (T. J. Cohn # 368) ; 6 m, 4 f, Rio Papagayo Carr. 200, 16.773689°N,- 99.608538°W, 56 m a.s.l., X-5-2011 (Sanabria-Urbán S. # 16 ACA [L9 MS1]). The holotype was deposited at IBUNAM and paratypes were deposited at IBUNAM and TAMUIC. Additional material: 3 m, 3 f, same locality as holotype ; 64 m, 59 m, from other 25 localities (Appendix Table 5).

Taxonomic discussion. This species is closely related morphologically to S. histrio . In deed material of this new species was identified as S. m. histrio in previous studies ( Boyle 1974; Kevan 1977). Nevertheless, S. occidentalis sp.n. shows a unique combination of morphologic traits, in both external and male genitalia structures, relatively high levels of interspecific genetic differentiation ( Table 3) and is geographically separated from its congeners. All these lines of evidence support the recognition of S. occidentalis sp.n. as a valid species.

Recently, Sanabria-Urbán et al. (2015) identified specimens of this new species as Sphenarium sp.n. 1, whereas Pedraza-Lara et al. (2015) recognised two taxa of uncertain identity, Sphenarium sp. Gro6 and Sphenarium sp. Gro9, collected within the distribution ranges of S. occidentalis sp.n. During this revision we examined multiple specimens collected near to the localities of Sphenarium sp. Gro6 and Gro9 (e.g. L09, L309, and L307, L315; Appendix Table 5) that were undoubtedly S. occidentalis sp.n. Moreover, CO1 sequences of Sphenarium sp. Gro6 of S. occidentalis sp.n. formed a well supported (PP Ż 0.95) monophyletic group ( Fig. 11 ). Therefore, we consider that Sphenarium sp. Gro6 and Sphenarium sp. Gro9 probably represent additional populations of S. occidentalis sp.n.

Etymology. This species is named after its distribution in the occidental region of Mexico.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Geographic distribution of Sphenarium species. Numbers within parenthesis in front of taxa names indicate the number of identified morphotype within the species. White surrounded areas and upper case abbreviations denote the Mexican biogeographic provinces. AC, Altos de Chiapas; AL, Altiplano Sur; BRB, Balsas River Basin; GMC, Gulf of Mexico Coast; MVB, Mexican Volcanic Belt; PC, Pacific Coast; SMOC, Sierra Madre Occidental; SMOR, Sierra Madre Oriental; SMS, Sierra Madre Sur; SO, Soconusco; and SOX, Sierra de Oaxaca.

FIGURE 11. Bayesian phylogeny of Sphenarium species based on CO 1 sequences of Pedraza-Lara et al. (2015) and this study. The analysis was conducted using the substitution model estimated previously and under the same conditions above specified for the concatenated phylogenetic analysis in methods section. Terminals of different colours represent the 17 recognized species in this study. Black dots behind the nodes indicate PP values greater than 95 %. Black bottom bars are equal to 0.04 substitutions per site.

FIGURE 20. External morphology of S. histrio: morphotype 2 m (A and C) and f (B and D), morphotype 3 m (E) and f (F), morphotype 4 m (G) and f (H), and morphotype 5 m (I) and f (J); S. occidentalis sp. n. holotype m (K) and paratypes m # 2 (M), f # 3 (L) and f # 4 (N); S. totonacum sp. n. holotype m (O) and paratype f # 1 (P); S. adelinae sp. n. holotype m (Q) and paratype f # 1 (R); S. miztecum sp. n. holotype m (S) and paratype f # 1 (T) (Scale bars = 1 cm).

FIGURE 21. Male genital structures of S. histrio: morphotype 3 (A – C), morphotype 4 (D – F), and morphotype 5 (G – I); and S. occidentalis sp. n. holotype (J – l). For all taxa left squares show epiphallus (I) and ectophallus (II) in dorsal view, and endophallus in lateral view (III); meddle squares show ectophallus in posterior view; and right squares show a close up of ectophallus in lateral view (Scale bars = 1 mm).