Kurtguentheria brachyxipha Gorochov, 2008

Gorochov, Andrej V. & Mostovski, Mike B., 2008, Apterous crickets of the tribe Gryllini from South Africa and Namibia (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), African Invertebrates 49 (1), pp. 109-109 : 114-117

Kurtguentheria brachyxipha Gorochov , sp. n.

Figs 6–9

Etymology: From Greek brachys (short) and xiphos (sword).

Description:

Male.

Coloration uniformly yellowish. Head large, hemispherical, with medium-sized eyes and moderately wide area between antennae (distance between antennal cavities somewhat smaller than width of eye and almost 1.5 times as great as width of scape); clypeal suture distinct, almost straight; mandibles comparatively short. Structure of pronotum and legs similar to that of K. macroxipha , but hind tibiae somewhat more inflated in middle and distinctly narrowed (in profile) in distal part, with 4 pairs of articulated spines and 3 pairs of apical spurs (2 upper pairs of spurs significantly longer than half of basitarsal length; spines gradually increase in length from proximal to distal position, longest of them almost equal in length to upper outer spur); hind basitarsus comparatively thin and slightly curved in profile, with 6 inner and 5–7 outer denticles on dorsal surface (in holotype; paratype with 5 denticles on each side of hind basitarsus). Abdominal tergites and anal plate similar to those of K. macroxipha ; genital plate mediumsized, elongated (but not long), with distinct median notch at apex. Epiphallus not significantly long, distinctly curved in profile, with moderately deep hind notch, without any distinct membranous area in dorsal part; lateral lobes of epiphallus each with 1 short apical denticle, dorsal ridge almost indistinct in profile; first ectoparameres not very narrow, comparatively short; second ectoparameres narrow and much longer than first ones; each endoparamere with elongate lateral apodeme in middle; spermatophore sac with a few loops; virga rather narrow, but not significantly long ( Figs 6–8 ).

Female.

Coloration and structure of majority of body parts similar to male, but apex of longest of hind tibial spurs almost reaching apex of hind basitarsus, which has slightly less numerous denticles on dorsal surface. Abdominal apex simple, genital plate as in K. macroxipha ; ovipositor strongly shortened, its apical part acute, somewhat reduced and possibly unsuitable for digging ( Fig. 9 ).

Length (in mm) (_ paratype smaller than holotype): Body: _ 10.5–11.5, ^13; pronotum: _ 1.9–2.1, ^2.3; hind femur: _ 6.8–7.2, ^7.6; hind tibia: _ 4.5–4.8, ^5.1; hind basitarsus: _ 2.4–2.6, ^2.8; ovipositor 1.8.

Holotype: _ SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: “ Port Nolloth 4 m NE. C.P., S.Afr. 18:ix:1967 H.D. Brown ” ( SANC).

Paratypes: 1 _ 1^with same data as holotype ( ZIAS, SANC) .

Comparison: The main differences of the new species from all congeners are given in the key.Additionally it differs from them in the uniformly light coloration and/or much shorter ovipositor. The new species is also distinguished from the most closely related K. laciniosa with similarly reduced ovipositor by a slightly longer remnant of this organ (see Figs 9, 13 ).

Figures

Figs 6–14. Kurtguentheria: (6–9) K. brachyxipha sp. n., male genitalia of holotype dorsally (6), their distal half ventrally (7) and laterally (8), ovipositor laterally (9); (10–13) K. laciniosa (after Gorochov 1996), male genitalia dorsally (10), ventrally (11) and laterally (12), ovipositor laterally (13); (14) K.? fasciata (after Otte 1987), distal half of male genitalia laterally.Abbreviations as in Figs 1–5.