Amyttopsis palmulicerca, Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008

Naskrecki, Piotr, 2008, New species of arboreal predatory katydids from West Africa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae), Zootaxa 1732, pp. 1-28 : 6-7

Amyttopsis palmulicerca n. sp.

(Figs. 1A–E; 4B, L; 5B; 6A–C)

Differential diagnosis. This species is diagnosed by the unique combination of long, paddle-shaped cerci of the male and the presence of a partially sclerotized epiphallus, which is evenly covered with tiny denticles and has a pair of large, dorsal tubercles. A. palmulicerca seems to be most closely related to A. vinculata Beier , from which it can be distinguished by the shape of the cercus (cercus with sides nearly parallel in A. vinculata , distinctly narrowing towards apex in A. palmulicerca ). From A. podicealata Beier it differs in the development of the basal part of the cercal lobe (with a nearly rectangular projection in A. podicealata , smoothly rounded in A. palmulicerca ).

Description.

General. Body small, slender; macropterous ( Fig. 6 A–C).

Head. Fastigium of vertex triangular, blunt apically, not reaching apex of antennal sockets, flat dorsally; antennae about twice as long as body; frons flat, vertical; eyes circular, weakly protruding.

Thorax. Lateral lobe of pronotum higher than wide; humeral sinus of pronotum present ( Fig. 6 A); anterior margin of pronotum flat; metazona flat; posterior edge of metazona narrowly rounded.

Legs. Legs slender. Front tibia unarmed dorsally, with 5 spines on posterior and 4 on anterior ventral margin; tympanum bilaterally open; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed; front femur unarmed ventrally. Mid tibia unarmed dorsally; thickened in proximal 3/4. with 4 spines on posterior and 5 on anterior ventral margin; mid femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed. Hind femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of hind femur unarmed.

Wings. Tegmen narrowly rounded, surpassing apex of hind femur; anterior margin straight; hind wing slightly longer than tegmen. Costal field not dilated at base; veins Sc and R slightly diverging towards apex of tegmen; vein Rs branching off before middle of tegmen, with 3 apical branches; right stridulatory area with small but well developed mirror; left stridulatory area with small, roughly rectangular mirror ( Fig. 4 L). Stridulatory file elevated on thickened vein, straight, with 94 teeth, 0.84 mm long, 0.04 mm wide ( Fig. 4B ).

Abdomen. Tenth tergite with posterior, lower corners forming pair of elongate, apically flattened projections (Fig. 1B); epiproct small, triangular. Cercus unarmed, strongly dilated and extended apically, paddlelike; apex strongly flattened dorso-ventrally, narrower than base of cercal lobe (Figs. 1A, C); paraprocts unmodified; epiphallus evenly covered with minute denticles, with pair of large tubercles basally ( Fig. 5B ). Subgenital plate unmodified. broadly trapezoidal; with deep, triangular incision; styli cylindrical, about 3 times as long as wide (Fig. 1B). Female subgenital plate broadly trapezoidal, with very shallow apical incision (Fig. 1D).

Ovipositor. Ovipositor slightly curved, shorter than hind femur (ratio femur/ovipositor 1.13); apex pointed, with both valvulae smooth, dorsal edge of upper valvula parallel to lower valvula (Fig. 1E).

Coloration. Coloration light green; antennae concolorous; eyes uniformly colored; face without darker markings; occiput without markings; pronotum without markings; prozona green; tegmen without markings; without any markings; hind wing hyaline; hind legs uniformly colored; abdominal sterna and subgenital plate without markings.

Measurements (5 males, 2 females). body w/wings: male 21–23 (22±1), female 21–23 (22±1.4); body w/o wings: male 12–15 (13.5±1.4), female 17.5–18.5 (18±.7); pronotum: male 4–4.3 (4.1±.1), female 3.5–4 (3.8±.4); tegmen: male 18–19 (18.5±.5), female 16.5–19 (17.8±1.8); hind femur: male 9.5–10 (9.8±.4), female 9; ovipositor: 7.5–8 (7.8±.4) mm.

Material examined. GHANA: Eastern Region, Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve, elev. 300–320 m (6°22'2.3''N, 1°1'58''W), 26–30.viii. 2006, coll. P. Naskrecki, V. Awotwe-Pratt and M. Bakowski (Camp 1) – male holotype ( ANSP), 2 females, 4 males (paratypes) ( ANSP, MCZ); Atewa Range, Asiakwa (South), elev. 690 m (6°15'44.3''N, 0°33'18.8''W), 11–16.vi. 2006, coll. P. Naskrecki (Camp 2) - 1 male (paratype) ( MCZ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word “palmula”, or the blade of the oar, with respect to the paddle-like shape of the male’s cercus.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Amyttopsis palmulicerca: A. male pronotum; B. male; C. female; Anepitacta wrightae: D. male pronotum; E. male; Xiphidiola lobaticerca: F. male pronotum; G. male; X. hokei: H. male pronotum; I. male.

FIGURE 4. A – J. Stridulatory files: A. Proamytta spinifera; B. Amyttopsis palmulicerca; C. X. bakowskii; D. Anepitacta wrightae; E. Brachyamytta rapidoaestima; F. B. mcculloughae; G. B. maculipes; H. Amyttosa insectivora; I. Xiphidiolahokei; J. X. lobaticerca; K – T. Left tegmina of males: K. Proamytta spinifera; L. Amyttopsis palmulicerca; M. X. bakowskii; N. Anepitacta wrightae; O. Brachyamytta rapidoaestima; P. B. mcculloughae; Q. B. maculipes; R. Amyttosa insectivora; S. Xiphidiola hokei; T. X. lobaticerca.

FIGURE 5. A – C. Epiphallus: A. Anepitacta wrightae; B. Amyttopsis palmulicerca; C. A. bakowskii; D – G. Eggs: D & E. Amyttosa insectivora; F. Gonamytta occidentalis; G. Brachyamytta maculipes; H – I. Male pronota: H. G. occidentalis; I. Anepitacta guentheri.