Markia arizae Cadena-Castañeda, 2013

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., 2013, The tribe Dysoniini part II: The genus Markia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae), new species and some clarifications, Zootaxa 3599 (6), pp. 501-518 : 507

Markia arizae Cadena-Castañeda n. sp.

(Plate 2; Plate 8 figs. D. and E.)

Diagnosis — Fastigium slightly curved forward. Distance between the pronotal spines in the following way: at the bases 1.8–2.0 mm; at the apices 5.7–6.0 mm. Metazonal spine 1.5 times as long as the fastigium and with the base as wide as three-quarters of its the length. Dorsal spine of the fore tibia longer than the width of the tympanum. Branches of male cerci similar in form and without denticulations on the ventral edge.

Holotype — 3 Colombia, Caquetá Department. 21 November 1998. J.J. Zuluaga leg. [MUD].

Paratype— 3 Ecuador, Sucumbios Province, “Pandos-Tungurahua”. 25 January 1987. K. Riede leg. [ SMNK].

Description

Male

Head: Fastigium projecting forward, forming an angle of 135° with the vertex and the anterior pronotal spine. Ventral margin of the fastigium curved towards the posterior margin, dorsal margin undulated from the proximal to the mesal region; from there to the apex straight. Scapus twice as long as the pedicellus, fronto-basal region of the scapus armed with a tubercle. Thorax. Pronotum: Prozonal spine 1.5 times as long as that the fastigium, metazonal spine 1.5 times high and twice as wide than the prozonal spine, with posterior margin curving to front. Legs: fore femur cylindrical, armed with two ventro-external spines on distal region. Fore tibia with square crosssection and armed with two spines on the dorsal margin above the tympanum, ventral margin with five spinules. Middle femur with three ventro-lateral spines, spines of middle tibia organized as follows: two on the dorsointernal margin and two on the dorso-external margin of the proximal region. Hind femur slender and laterally flattened, armed with seven spines on outer ventral margin, increasing in size from the proximal to distal end, ventro-internal margin with four spines with the same form as the previous ones. Tegmina apex obliquely truncated. Abdomen tenth tergite without modification. Cerci densely pubescent, internal and external branch of similar size and shape, with sclerotized apices. Subgenital plate with broad base, tapering toward the apex, with ushaped emargination. Styli cylindrical, as long as 0.2 times the subgenital plate.

Female: Unknown.

Measurements (mm): Total length: 61, Pronotum: 10.3, Tegmina: 46, Fore femur: 9, Fore tibia: 11, Middle femur: 12, Middle tibia: 14, Hind femur: 27, Hind tibia: 27, Subgenital plate: 2.4, Cerci: 2.5.

Etymology: Dedicated to Gloria Ariza, mantid specialist at the Universidad del Tolima ( Colombia).

Hystrix Group

The species of this group are medium-sized (50–54 mm). Pronotal spines are enlarged; at least the metazonal spine is distinctly longer than the fastigium. Spines of the legs are elongated, outer margin of hind femur with seven or eight spines projecting towards the sides, the sixth spine being usually strongly raised beyond the dorsal margin. Branches of the cerci are armed with ventral or apical denticulations. The known distribution of this group is mostly Central American, with one species in the Colombian Pacific coast and possibly extending to Ecuador.