Paraxiphidium iriodes Mendes & Oliveira, 2019

Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello & Oliveira, Jomara Cavalcante De, 2019, The Little Harlequin Katydid-a new species of Paraxiphidium Redtenbacher, 1891 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae; Conocephalini) from the Amazonian Rainforest, Zootaxa 4623 (1), pp. 151-162 : 152-159

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.1.10
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C844F8D1-6BBE-4AC9-A933-2A963CBBC529
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0385FF65-FFA5-7969-59C6-F923ECB6F85E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Paraxiphidium iriodes Mendes & Oliveira
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Paraxiphidium iriodes Mendes & Oliveira View in CoL , sp. nov.

Figures 1–11 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 View FIGURE 11

Diagnosis. Cercus apex bifurcate, with recurved triangular lateral projection, with the same length of apical projection ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ); base with narrow and curved projection ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Head dorsally with two brown bands ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ); compound eyes dark blue. Pronotum dorsally with a black band ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ); pronotal spot light blue under pronotal black band ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ). Hind femur with overall reddish coloration and green and blue spots ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ).

Etymology. From Latin iriodes = like the rainbow. It refers to the bright and colorful body of this katydid, resembling the color of a rainbow.

Type material. Holotype ♂: BRASIL, Amazonas, Tefé, Estrada da EMADE, km 20, Comunidade Bom Jesus, 06°07’29”S / 68°02’41”W, 25.xi.2018, coleta manual, D.M.M. Mendes & J.C. Oliveira leg. (INPA); Paratypes: idem, 18.ii.2018 (2♀–INPA).

Geographical records. Brazil: Amazonas ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ).

Description. Holotype Male.

Head. Head apex rounded, with fastigium-vertex short, slightly projecting, apex obtuse (Fig. 1B–D). Frons wrinkled and covered by short bristles (Fig. 1B). Compound eyes rounded (Fig. 1D).

Thorax. Head with apex rounded, fastigium of vertex short feebly prominent, apically truncate (Fig. 2B–C). Posterior portion of pronotal disc projecting and divided by a transverse suture (Fig. 2E); lateral lobes cephalically straight, medially curved and posteriorly slightly concave to the apex, when viewed laterally (Fig. 2D). Mesobasis- ternum and metabasisternum trapezoidal, posteriorly with triangular concavity (Fig. 2F).

Wings. Tegmina short, apex not meeting middle of abdomen (Fig. 2A); stridulatory region subrectangular, right tegmen with membranous region elliptical ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ); tegminal apex with a row of short bristles ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). Right stridulatory file with base curved and apex slightly curved ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ); total length 2 mm, greater width of the vein of 0.2 mm and 83 teeth; left stridulatory file with base curved and apex straight ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ), total length of 1.5 mm, greater width of the vein of 0.1 mm and 68 teeth; medial teeth similar, short, broad and very close to each other ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–B); basal teeth rounded, spaced and decreasing in size towards base; apical teeth close to each other and decreasing towards apex ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–B) Legs. Fore and middle femora without spines ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 G–H). Fore tibia with tympanic region slightly enlarged and with six ventral spines ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ). Hind femur basally thick, narrowing medially and becoming narrower apically; bearing five ventral spines ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ).

Abdomen. Cercus and subgenital plate bearing numerous bristles ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K), slightly curved, with medial portion wider than the apex and the base ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K); apex bifurcate, with lateral projection curved and triangular, as long as apical projection ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K); base with projection narrow and curved ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K). Subgenital plate trapezoidal, with lateral margins slightly convex, apex bilobed ( Fig. 2J View FIGURE 2 ); styli short, curved inwards ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K).

Internal male genitalia. Ejaculatory vesicles elliptical ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 A–D). Upper folds of ventral lobe asymmetrical, not connected. Titillator a double sclerite slightly curved and opposing. Apodemes sclerites short and curved ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 A–D). Lower folds of ventral lobe split, curved, lobed with numerous small rounded nodules, in dorsal view ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 A–B); dorsal folds elongate and bilobed, in ventral view; dorsal lobes rounded ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 C–D).

Coloration. Described based on photos of live specimens ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Body light green mixed with some areas dark green. Scape light blue, pedicel brown, flagellum brown with black spots. Compound eyes gray-blue. Head dorsally with two brown bands. Pronotal disc dorsally with a black band with two light blue bands laterally parallel. Lateral pronotal lobes with a spot medially light brown and other areas dark green. Tegmina dorsally light brown and laterally dark green. Fore and mid femur light green, with brown and blue-green spots. Hind femur dark red, basally with yellowish-green spots and medially with light blue and dark green spots. Hind tibia basally dark red and medially with shades of light red to the apex. Abdomen dorsally dark red, with light blue bands on three segments; ventrally light green. Cerci light green with dark red apex. Subgenital plate and styles dark red.

Female. Morphologically similar to the male, except by the following characteristics:

Wings. ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Tegmina reduced, barely crossing pronotal disc ( Fig. 7C and 7E View FIGURE 7 ).

Abdomen. Cerci with numerous bristles, with the smallest at the apex ( Fig. 7H View FIGURE 7 ); shape conical, slightly curved, with apex straight and acuminate ( Fig. 7H View FIGURE 7 ). Subgenital plate trapezoidal, with apex slightly convex ( Fig. 7I View FIGURE 7 ). Ovipositor slightly curved, with smooth margins ( Fig. 7J View FIGURE 7 ), apex acuminate, with the dorsal valve crossing the apex of ventral valve ( Fig. 7J View FIGURE 7 ). Ovipositor length almost equal to body length ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ).

Coloration. Described based on photos of live specimens ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ). Compound eyes dark blue with gray spots. Cerci and subgenital plate light green. Ovipositor light red.

Nymph. Old nymphs are very similar to adults, with differences only in the coloration and terminalia morphology ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 B–C). However, the young nymphs have a different aspect from the adults, which for a long time intrigued the authors of this work about what would be the true identity of this katydid. Only with the rearing of the old nymphs and adults it was possible to realize this association.

Young nymphs ( Fig. 9A View FIGURE 9 ). Compound eyes light blue. Antennae dark red with blue bands. Body bright red with many spots and light blue bands. Femur dark red with blue bands. Fore and mid tibia light green medially with blue and brown bands. Hind tibia brown with light green bands. Abdomen dorsally with dark green band.

Old nymphs ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 B–C). Compound eyes dark blue. Body dark red dorsally and gradually shifting to light green ventrally. Legs light green with blue bands. Hind femur apex with a black spot. Hind tibia black with two white bands. Abdomen dorsally with light green band and a lateral rectangular black spot. Last instar nymphs ( Fig. 9C View FIGURE 9 ) are very similar in coloration to adults, however differing themselves by the black antennae with white bands and the lighter reddish shade of the body.

Measurements. Holotype ♂: TL: 11,2; TegL: 3,5; TegH: 1,3; WF: 3,4; PL: 4,5; PH: 3,3; FF: 4,1; FT: 3,9; MF: 4,9: MT: 4,5; HF: 9,9; HT: 10,7; Lplac: 2,1; LC: 1,9. Paratypes: Female: TL: 13,9; WF: 3,5; PL: 4,9; PH: 3,4; FF: 4,8: FT: 4,9; MF: 3,8: MT: 4,1; HF: 13,4; HT: 13,1; Lplac: 1,2; LC: 1,5; OL: 11,5. Male (Nymph): TL: 10,8; WF: 3,3; PL: 3,5; PH: 3,1; FF: 3,5; FT: 3,3; MF: 3,4: MT: 3,9; HF: 9,7; HT: 10,3; Lplac: 1,7; LC: 1,3.

Observation on behaviour. Adult specimens were collected at Terra Firme Rainforest diurnally, in open areas or edges of the forest with transition to a secondary vegetation. Adults are very active, with a very fast behavior, fleeing rapidly with the collector approach.

Immatures were found only at night, mainly in leaves of Conceveiba sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ) ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ). This type of plant is commonly found on the edges of forests and is also widely used for other katydid, with emphasis on some species of Meconematinae ( Mendes et al. 2017; Mendes et al. 2018).