Nicephora curvata, Su & Wang & Chang, 2023

Su, Jie, Wang, Haijian & Chang, Yanlin, 2023, Two new species of the genus Nicephora Bolívar, 1900 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae Meconematinae) from Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 5297 (1), pp. 133-138 : 134

Nicephora curvata sp. nov., Chinese name ŔOENJ⁂

( Fig. 1 )

Description. Male. Body small. Fastigium verticis conical, with weak dorsal sulcus in the midline, apex rounded. Apical segment of maxillary palpus equal in length to subapical one ( Fig. 1B ), apex slightly inflated. Eyes ovoid, slightly protruding forwards and outwards.Anterior margin of pronotum almost straight, posterior margin protruding semicircularly ( Fig. 1A ); lateral lobe longer than deep, humeral sinus absent ( Fig. 1B ); thoracic auditory spiracle exposed completely, peanut-shaped. Tegmina short, reaching middle area of second abdominal tergite, hind wings reduced. All femora without spines on ventral surfaces, fore tibial tympana open on both sides. Ventral surfaces of fore tibiae with 4–5 spines on outer and inner margins respectively. Middle tibiae with 4 spines on both sides respectively. Hind tibiae with 24–28 short spines on internal and external margins of dorsal surfaces separately, as well as 1 pair of dorsal apical spurs and ventral apical ones respectively.

Posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite concave ( Fig. 1D, E ). Cercus stout at base, inner margin with an elongate depressed process on ventral surface, the middle area of apex slightly concave ( Fig. 1E ); inner margin of near middle area with a short lamellar process on dorsal surface, apex rounded; apical half slender and cylindrical, curved inwards significantly, apex rounded ( Fig. 1C, D, E, F ). Genitalia lamellar, short, apex rounded. Basal margin of subgenital plate concave, with a distinct sulcus in the midline; posterior margin with V-shaped concavity ( Fig. 1F ), lateral lobes nearly triangular; styli short, inserted on ventral surface of subapex of lateral lobes, apices rounded.

Female. Appearance is similar to male. Tegmina reaching middle area of second abdominal tergite, overlapping in internal margins. Subgenital plate wider than long, nearly pentagonal, posterior margin lightly concave ( Fig. 1G ). Ovipositor straight, stout at base, apices of ventral valvulae weakly hook-shaped ( Fig. 1H ).

Coloration. Body brown. Eyes dark brown. Flagella of antennae with annulate dark stripes. Pronotal disc with a pair of dark brown stripes, the middle area light, apical half slightly extended. Dorsal area of abdomen with a longitudinal brown stripe. Dorsal spines of hind tibiae with apices blackish brown.

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Tongbiguan, Yingjiang, Yunnan, China, 27 October, 2019, coll. Peng Cui. Paratypes: 1♁, Tongbiguan, Yingjiang, Yunnan, China, 29 October, 2019, coll. Peng Cui; 1♀ , Tongbiguan, Yingjiang, Yunnan, China, 27 October, 2019, coll. Peng Cui; 4♀ , Tongbiguan, Yingjiang, Yunnan, China, 28 October, 2019, coll. Peng Cui.

Measurements (mm). Body length: ♁8.2–8.4, ♀ 8.9–10.3; pronotum length: ♁2.6–2.8, ♀ 3.3–3.6; hind femur length: ♁7.2–7.8, ♀ 7.9–8.5; tegmen length: ♁1.3–1.4, ♀ 1.7–2.1; ovipositor length: 7.1–7.2.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Discussion. This new species resembles Nicephora (Nicephora) subulata Bolívar, 1900 . The differences are: Inner margin with an elongate depressed process on ventral surface of male cercus, as well as a short lamellar process in near middle area; genitalia with a short and lamellar sclerite, apex rounded.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the acutely incurved cerci of male, Latin “ curv- ” (curving).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nicephora curvata sp. nov. male: A–B. head and pronotum: A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C–F. apex of abdomen: C. lateral view; D. dorsal view; E. dorso-apical view; F. ventral view; female: G. subgenital plate in ventral view; H. ovipositor in lateral view.