Gomphomastax nigrovittata Usmani, 2008

Usmani, M. Kamil, Reshi, Shabir A. & Azim, M. Nayyar, 2008, A new species of the genus Gomphomastax Brunner von Wattenwyl (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae: Gomphomastacinae) from Indian Kashmir, Insecta Mundi 2008 (33), pp. 1-5 : 2-4

Gomphomastax nigrovittata Usmani sp. n.

( Fig. 1-2 )

Diagnosis. This new species is allied to Gomphomastax antennata and Gomphomastax disparilis but with a black longitudinal stripe on each side of the whole body and female subgenital plate ends with a single median cusp.

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 1 A-D, 2A): Size small, integument rugulose.

Head. Not projecting above the pronotum; vertex elongate, flat, without raised margin, not separated from front; occiput with median carina slightly visible, foveolae not distinct; frontal ridge with a groove throughout its length, shallowed towards clypeus; eyes large, oval, projecting sideways, the greater diameter of eye about 1.19 times the length of subocular groove; interocular space about 3 times the width of frontal ridge between antennae; antennae filiform, slightly thickened and black apically, with antennal organ in apical fifth, 21-segmented, as long as head and pronotum together.

Thorax. Pronotum nearly saddle shaped, truncated behind, median carina visible but not much raised, lateral carinae absent; prosternal process absent; posterior lower angle of pronotum broadly rounded, anterior lower angle nearly right angled; meso- and metasternal interspace open but metasternal interspace not as wide as mesosternal interspace; width of mesosternal interspace about 1.1 mm; tegmina and wings completely absent; hind femur with 6 distal spines and with spinules along upper carina and carinula; tibiae with two rows of spines on lower side, the spines of inner row longer than the outer one, spines black apically; apex of hind tibia with two pairs of spurs, the outer one of inner pair being longer than the rest; basal segment of tarsus with two rows of spines on lower side; arolium present, as long as lesser claw and shorter than larger claw.

Abdomen. Genitalia: Ovipositor ( Fig. 2B ), valves elongate, slightly curved and distinctly longer than lateral apodeme; dorsal valve moderately broad, four times as long as wide, apical tip narrow and acute, external ridge dentate; ventral valve moderately broad, apical tip elongate, acute and slightly curved, mesial tooth distinct, basivalvular sclerite narrow, elongate; mesial valve dilated apically. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 2C ), lateral and posterior margins convex and without setae; with one median cusp at the end; Jannone’s organs present. Supra-anal plate short, triangular, longer than broad, scarcely setose; cercus broad, narrowing towards apex, about two times longer than its maximum width; apex rounded ( Fig. 2D ).

General coloration. Olive green with black longitudinal stripe on each side of entire body; pronotum yellowish green, hind femur blackish green; hind tibiae with spines black apically.

Male. Not known.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE female, INDIA: Kashmir (J&K), Sheikhpura Tulail Gureez, Altitude 8,000 ft., latitude 34.633 o north, longitude 37.26 o- 80.30 o east, on Cynodon dactylon , 9.x.2006, Coll. S. A. Reshi, det. by M. K. Usmani . Paratypes 5 f, with same data as holotype. Depository : Zoological Museum , Department of Zoology , Aligarh Muslim University , Aligarh, India ( ZDAMU) .

Host. Cynodon dactylon (L.) ( Poaceae ). Measurements. Body 20 mm; head 4 mm; antenna 5 mm; pronotum 2.5 mm; hind femur 11 mm; hind tibia 10 mm.

Measurements of six females give the following ranges and means: Body length, 19.0- 22.5 mm (mean 20.5 mm); head length, 3.5-4.5 mm (mean 4.0 mm); antenna length, 4.7-5.3 mm (mean 5.0 mm); pronotum length, 2.3-2.8 mm (mean 2.5 mm); hind femur length, 11.0- 12.5 mm (mean 11.5 mm); hind tibia length, 9.8-10.6 mm (mean 10.2 mm).

Etymology. The name of new species is derived from Latin nigro - (black) and vittatus (stripe) in reference to the new species having a black stripe on each side of entire body from head to abdomen.

Discussion. The G. nigrovittata resembles G. gussakovskii Mishchenko from Tadzhikistan in having a black longitudinal stripe on both sides of the body but differs in several respects. Gomphomastax nigrovittata has the antennae black apically without light end; antennae in female distinctly longer than half of hind femora; and empodium between claws hardly longer than lesser claw and distinctly shorter than greater claw.

Careful study of key characters for species in the genus Gomphomastax presented by Bei-Bienko (1963) gives an impression that G. nigrovittata is closest to G. antennata , G. disparilis , and G. kashmirica (all from Kashmir) in having antennae black apically without light end. However, G. nigrovittata is distinct from G. disparilis and G. antennata in the following features: female subgenital plate ends with 1 median cusp and blunt process on each side; the entire body with a longitudinal black stripe on each side. Gomphomastax nigrovittata also differs from G. kashmirica in that the vertex does not form an angle with frons but passes into it arcuately, while it differs from all three previously described species from Kashmir in having an antennal organ on the apical fifth segment which are absent in the latter species.

Figures

Figure 1. Gomphomastax nigrovittata sp. n., holotype female. A) Habitus. B) Antennae. C) Head and pronotum in dorsal view. D) Abdomen in lateral view.

Figure 2. Gomphomastax nigrovittata sp. n. A) Female in its natural habitat. B) Ovipositor. C) Subgenital plate. D) Supra anal plate and cerci. E) Apex of antenna (a= antennal organ).