Australiagraecia helleri Rentz, Su and Ueshima, 2021

Rentz, Dcf, Su, You Ning & Ueshima, Norihiro, 2021, Studies in Australian Tettigoniidae: New short-winged Agraeciini from Australia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Conocephalinae; Agraeciini), Zootaxa 5059 (2), pp. 1-72 : 12-13

Australiagraecia helleri Rentz, Su and Ueshima Gen. et sp. nov.

ANIC number, Gen. Nov. 9, sp.

( Figs 1A, C, D ; Figs 4 A-E; Figs 22a D-E; Table 1 , Map 1 )

4 Named in honour of Dr Klaus Gerhard-Heller for his continued interest in the study of Tettigoniidae .

Common name. Heller’s Heath-loving Katydid

Holotype male. (in alcohol). 1. “ Australia Western Australia Tutanning Wildlife Reserve (near Pingelly ) 7- 10.IV.1989 leg. K.-G. Heller, M. Volleth ”. 2. “ ANIC database #14008744” . Holotype in Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.

Paratypes. Western Australia. 33 o 45’S 123 o 17’E Fisheries Rd 6 km SE. of Mt Baring, Cape Arid Nat. Park , 15.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 68, 1 female, collected as nymph, matured in laboratory, 2.xi.1982, ANIC) . 33 o 42’S 123 o 33’E Fisheries Rd, 13 km E. of Price Hill, Cape Arid Nat. Park , 15.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 72, 1 male, collected as nymph, matured in laboratory 1.xi.1982, Cytol. prep. 82-154, ANIC) . 33 o 43’S 123 o 26’E Fisheries Rd, 2 km ESE of Price Hill, Cape Arid Nat. Park , 15.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 70, 2 females, ANIC.

33 o 59’S 122 o 08’E 1 km NNW of Mt Le Grand Nat. Park, SE of Esperance , 11.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 61, 1 male, ANIC) . 33 o 59’S 132 o 13’E Lucky Bay , Cape Le Grand Nat. Park, SE of Esperance, 12.x.1982 DCF Rentz, Stop 63, 2 males, one collected as nymph, matured in laboratory 24.x.1982, ANIC ). 34 o 01’S 132 o 10’E Hellfire Bay , Cape Le Grand Nat. Park, 13.i.1991 (DCF Rentz, N. Wedell, K. McCarron, Stop 12, 1 male, ANIC) . 33 o 51’S 123 o 01’E Thomas River , 23 km NW by W of Mt Arid , Cape Arid Nat. Park, 13.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 65, 6 males, five collected as nymphs, matured in laboratory 28.x.1982, Cytol. preps. 82-135, -140, -142, -144, -146, -147; 3 females, two collected as nymphs, matured in laboratory 24.x.1982, 10.xi.1982, ANIC) . 33 o 45’S 123 o 15’E Fisheries Rd , 4 km S of Mt Baring, Cape Arid Nat. Park, 15.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 66, 3 females, one collected as nymph, matured in laboratory 1.xii.1982, ANIC) . 33 o 42’S 123 o 26’E Fisheries Rd , 2 km ESE of Price Hill, Cape Arid Nat. Park, 16.x.1982 (DCF Rentz, Stop 73, 1 male, collected as nymph, matured in laboratory 4.xi.1982, DCF Rentz, Cytol. prep. 82-151; 1 female, collected as nymph, matured in laboratory 10.xii.1982, ANIC) . 32 o 6’S 115 o 51’E Perth , Jandakot (Princep-Berrgan Rds, across from “Putter’s Green”. 1.xi.1999 (DCF Rentz, YN Su, Stop 155, 1 male, 2 females, ANIC) . 33 o 43’S 115 o 45’E, Burns Beach , Rd, Neerabup Ground Water Treatment Plant, 8.xi.1999 (DCF Rentz, YN Su, 1 male, 2 females, ANIC) . Stirling Ranges , Chester Pass Rd., 23.xii.1984 (DT Gwynne, 1 male, ANIC) . Ca . 34 o 22’S 118 o 15’E Bluff Knoll , Stirling Range, Nat. Park, 280m, 31.xii. 1985 ( CAM Reid, 1 female at base of Xanthorrhoea sp. , ANIC) . 33 o 50’S 119 o 48’E 35 km SW by S of Ravensthorpe , Fitzgerald River Nat. Park, 1.xi.1984 (DCF Rentz, 1 male, 1 female, Stop 84, ANIC) . 33 o 56’S 119 o 59’E Mylies Beach , Fitzgerald River Nat. Park, 31.x.1984 (DCF Rentz, Stop 82, 1 female, ex Gahnia, ANIC ) . 33 o 37’S 120 o 23’E 32 km E by N of Ravensthorpe , 1.xi.1984 (DCF Rentz, Stop 85b, 1 female, ANIC) . 33 o 51’S 120 o 09’E Fitzgerald River Nat. Park , 12 km N by E of Hopetoun, 10.ii.1980 (DCF & BGF Rentz, Stop 41, 1 male, ANIC) . 33 o 54’S 119 o 04’E 29 km E by N of Needilup , 30.x.1984 (DCF Rentz, Stop 77, 1 female, ANIC) . 33 o 44’S 119 o 42’E 35 km WSW of Ravensthorpe , 11.ii.1980 (DCF Rentz, Stop 43, 3 females, ANIC) . 33 o 48’S 119 o 27’E 60 km WSW of Ravensthorpe , 11.ii.1980 (DCF & BGF Rentz, Stop 44, 2 females, ANIC) . 33 o 40’S 120 o 37’E 20.4 km E. by S. Ravensthorpe , 16.xi.1969 (KHL Key, MS Upton, Key’s fieldnotes, trip 163, stop 19983.6, 1 last or second last instar female, ANIC). 33 o 36’S 115 o 49’E 3 km S by W of Donnybrook , 28.iv.1983 (ES Nielsen, ED Edwards, 1 female, ANIC) .

Type locality. The type locality is the same as described for A. spina , p. 10.

Measurements. See Table 1

Differential diagnosis. Male. Antenna about 1.5 times the length of the body. Eye round, bulging, positioned very high on head. Hind tibia armed dorsally with numerous spines, alternating in lengths; apex with a pair of relatively delicate short spurs positioned subapically; ventral surface with a smaller number of longer spines on each side and with a single pair of much longer apical spurs. Prothorax with processes elongate, slender, rather closely set; meso- and metathoracic processes prominent, slanting. Tegmen short ( Table 1 ) stridulatory file positioned on raised swelling. Cercus ( Fig. 4C ) apically curved inwards, surface clothed with stiff, dark brown setae. Abdomen with tenth tergite soft, membranous, with shallow median impression; supra-anal plate ( Fig. 4B ) broadly triangular, with a few stiff setae and a median sulcus; paraprocts not well indicated ( Fig. 4B ); phallic complex ( Fig. 4E ) with forked rod at base. Subgenital plate about 1.5 times as long as broad; styles elongate, narrowly spaced, clothed with dark brown setae.

Female. Differs from male in following. Cercus elongate, slender, not curving inwards, surface clothed with stiff, brown setae. Subgenital plate about as long as broad, apex with narrow, shallow median incision. Ovipositor very elongate ( Table 1 ), very gracefully upcurved.

Colouration. Colour not different from A. spina . However, dorsal stripe becoming less intense apically ( Fig. 4B ). Cerci clothed with stiff, brown setae ( Fig. 4C ).

Distribution. Common in suitable habitats across the southern coastal sand plain from Cape Pasely north to Moura, Western Australia ( Map 1 )

Habitat. A common inhabitant of typical Coastal Sand Plain heath. The katydids hide in the dense tangle of twigs and stems in dense heath during the day and emerge after dark to feed and mate.

Seasonal occurrence. Adults of this species can be found from mid spring into mid-summer.

Song. Song not recorded.

Karyotype. 2n male = 31 (30t +Xt), Figs 22a D-E. Fig. 22a D Upper karyotype, lower left diakinesis, right first metaphase.

Recognition. A. helleri is recognised in males by the combination of the elongate cercus curved apically ( Fig. 4C ) and the forked minute sclerites at the base of the phallic complex ( Fig. 4E ). Females have the subgenital plate about as long as broad and a gracefully upcurved and elongate ovipositor.

Discussion. This species occurs over a broad range of Western Australia where it is associated with heath habitats ( Map 1 ). At Tutanning Nature Reserve ( Fig. 1A ) it has been found sympatrically with A. spina .

Figures

FIG. 1. Legends for Habitats. A. Tutanning Nature Reserve, Western Australia. B. Vicinity of Eneabba, Western Australia. C. Stirling Ranges, Western Australia. D. Jandakot, Western Australia. E. Silver Valley Rd, Queensland. F. Near Coolgardie, Western Australia. G. Cooloola National Park, Queensland. H. Stirling Ranges, Western Australia. I. Vicinity of Narrogin, Western Australia.

FIG. 4. Australiagraecia helleri. A. Holotype male, dorsal view. B. Holotype male, tip of abdomen. Note broad supra-anal plate. C. Left male cercus. D. Holotype male, tip of abdomen ventral view. Note elongate styles of subgenital plate. E. Phallic complex. Note divided rod-like sclerites at base.

FIG. 22A. Cytology. A. Australiagraecia spina holotype. B. Australiagraecia spina, Cytol. prep. 81-81. C. Australiagraecia spina, South Australia Cytol. prep. 78-32. D. Australiagraecia helleri, Cytol. prep. 81-154. E. Australiagraecia helleri, Cytol. prep. 82-147. F. Australiagraecia minuta, Holotype. G. Australiagraecia tagera, Cytol. prep. 81-111.

MAP. 1.