Albascopia baudoensis, Cadena-Castañeda, 2025

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., 2025, Studies on stick grasshoppers: New Proscopiini taxa from Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae), Zootaxa 5729 (1), pp. 105-134 : 126-131

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5729.1.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:936B239A-F185-400F-AA4C-470745FEAE36
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17907837
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03907C79-F538-3530-E0AD-F98E25BCF843
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Albascopia baudoensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Albascopia baudoensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 14–18 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 , Map 1)

Type material. Holotype. Male. COLOMBIA, Chocó , Nuquí. 5°43’40.91”N, 77°13’7.35”O. 320 m. 11 September 2013. M. Marquez leg. ( CAUD) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Male, Female, and subadult female, same data as holotype ( CAUD) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male. Slender and large ( 60 mm). General body coloration black-greyish; dark brown ( Fig. 14A View FIGURE 14 ); sternites yellowish brown from the first to last abdominal sternite. Head moderately constricted below the eyes (compared with the other species except A. afroensis comb. nov.); fastigium truncated at apex in frontal view ( Fig.14B View FIGURE 14 ), triangular in lateral view, reaching to the fifth antennal segment, almost straight and slightly curved forward dorsally, the ventral margin is straight ( Fig. 14C View FIGURE 14 ). Antennae with eight segments, not flattened; the last segment as long as the segment fourth to seventh segments together, and armed with an antennal organ close to the middle of its length in frontal view ( Fig. 14B View FIGURE 14 ). Eyes globose, occupying less than one-third of the cephalic capsule ( Fig. 14C View FIGURE 14 ). Thorax. Pronotum rugose, covered with multiple granules throughout. Mesonotum is a hexagonal plate, longer than wide. Metanotum divided into two plates: anterior plate larger, longer than wide; posterior plate is half the size of the anterior one, wider than long ( Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 ). Legs. Fore and mid legs slender, and similar in shape. Hind femur moderately dilated at basal half, then tapering toward the apex. Hind tibia slender, armed with 16 spines along the outer and inner dorsal margin with 10 spines along the inner. Abdomen. Epiproct lanceolate, longer than wide, with angled apex ( Fig. 14E View FIGURE 14 ). Cerci cylindrical, half the length of the epiproct ( Fig. 14F View FIGURE 14 ), apex moderately dilated, obliquely truncated, and dorsally with a small and conical projection ( Fig. 14G View FIGURE 14 ). Pallium without projections or modifications; distal margin curved, forming a shallow angular emargination at midline ( Fig. 14F View FIGURE 14 ). Genitalia. Hooks (Hk) thick, curved inward and upward, apex rounded ( Fig. 15A View FIGURE 15 ); lateral plates (EpLP) thin and slim ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Phallotreme (Ph), simple, moderately sclerotized, and covered mainly by the epiphallic membrane ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Ectophallic valves (EcV) reduced and surround the phallotreme; sclerotized membrane (SM) well developed and separated at apex posteriorly ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Anterior supplementary plate (ASP) is connected to the lateral articulation (LA) and then connected to sublophal sclerites (SLS); these three sclerites or structures, together in lateral view, are U-shaped. Sublophal sclerites (SLS) spatulated and thin, standing out over the SM ( Fig. 15C View FIGURE 15 ); apex of SLS sharp and divergent ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Ejaculatory duct (EjD) and sclerite (EjDS) as the other known species of the genus ( Fig. 15D View FIGURE 15 ).

Female. Similar to the male, but noticeably longer and robust ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ). Head conical and elongated, moderately constricted behind the eyes ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ); fastigium conical, truncated in frontal view, slightly curved forward in lateral view ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ); antenna with eight segments ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ). Thorax. Pronotum as described for the genus, mid-tubercle on the metanotum poorly elevated ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ). Abdomen. Last two tergites constricted, dorsally almost divided; epiproct lanceolate, and basal section divided as a triangular plate, with apex rounded ( Fig. 16D View FIGURE 16 ). Ovipositor valves strong and almost smooth, with minute denticulations ( Fig. 16E View FIGURE 16 ); subgenital plate rectangular, longer than wide, and posterior margin rounded, with a small medial projection ( Fig. 16F View FIGURE 16 ). Spermatheca. Copulatory chamber (CC), tubuliform and membranous ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ). Duct (Dt) with conspicuous prolongations are grouped into three main branches, each with subramifications ( Fig. 17B View FIGURE 17 ). Apical diverticula (AD) rectangular and slim; lateral right side truncated with a small dorsal prolongation; lateral left side rounded, and the middle section of AD undulated ( Fig. 17B View FIGURE 17 ).

Measurements (in mm.) male / female. Tl: 57–65 / 103. Hl: 10.5–11 / 20. Pr: 20–21.5 / 28. Meso: 2–2.5 / 6. Meta: 4–4.5 / 7. Hf: 24.5–26 / 42. Ht: 26–29 / 45.

Etymology. The name derives from the “Serranía del Baudó”, a mountain range parallel to Colombia’s Pacific coast, where this new species was recorded.

Comparison. A. baudoensis sp. nov. is more similar to A. afroensis comb. nov. than to the other species within the genus. However, it differs primarily from A. columbica and A. caldensis comb. nov. by having less conspicuous eyes and a distinctly narrower head below the eyes.

A. baudoensis sp. nov. resembles A. afroensis comb. nov. in its overall dark coloration, ranging from black to blackish-grey. Nonetheless, a clear distinction lies in the hind legs of the males: in A. afroensis comb. nov., these are green, whereas in A. baudoensis sp. nov., they are blackish-grey, matching the rest of the body. In addition, the male cerci of A. baudoensis sp. nov. have an apical hook-like modification ( Figs. 14F, 14G View FIGURE 14 ), in contrast to the simple, unmodified cerci of A. afroensis comb. nov. ( Fig. 9F View FIGURE 9 ).

Male genitalia differ in several key characters. The SLS of A. baudoensis sp. nov. are more developed and clearly protrude beyond the epiphallic membrane ( Fig. 15C View FIGURE 15 ), unlike in A. afroensis comb. nov., where they are shorter and entirely covered by the membrane ( Fig. 10C View FIGURE 10 ). The SM of the new species is broader and apically divided ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ), a condition not observed in A. afroensis comb. nov. ( Fig. 10B View FIGURE 10 ). Additionally, the base of the EjDS is thinner and more sinuous in A. baudoensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 15C View FIGURE 15 ) than in A. afroensis comb. nov. ( Fig. 10C View FIGURE 10 )

Females of both species are externally quite similar. However, the head below the eyes is narrower in A. baudoensis sp. nov. than in A. afroensis comb. nov. Another useful external character for distinguishing females is a light grey dorsal stripe, present in A. baudoensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ) and absent in A. afroensis comb. nov. ( Fig. 11A View FIGURE 11 ). The subgenital plate is rectangular in both species, but in A. afroensis comb. nov., the posterior margin is nearly straight and features a subtriangular median projection ( Fig. 11F View FIGURE 11 ). In contrast, the posterior margin of the subgenital plate in A. baudoensis sp. nov. is rounded, moderately projected, and the median projection is smaller and less pronounced in comparison with the other species ( Fig. 16F View FIGURE 16 ).

The spermathecae also provide reliable diagnostic characters for distinguishing the two species. The DT exhibits conspicuous extensions in both species, though they are longer and more numerous in A. baudoensis sp. nov. females ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 ). The AD shows the greatest divergence between the two: in the new species, it is narrow, rectangular, and nearly symmetrical ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 ), whereas in A. afroensis comb. nov., it is more globular and boot-shaped ( Figs. 12A, 12B View FIGURE 12 ).

Comments. The male holotype lost its original coloration after the dissection of the genitalia and prolonged preservation in alcohol. However, the paratypes still retain their natural coloration.

This new species is very similar to A. afroensis comb. nov., as previously described. A. baudoensis sp. nov. inhabits the Serranía del Baudó, a narrow mountain range parallel to Colombia’s Pacific coast (Map 1). This range is isolated from the Andes and is characterized by high biodiversity and endemism. It lies within the most rain-soaked forests on Earth and remains poorly explored.

The new species was discovered in the mountainous areas surrounding the municipality of Nuquí, in the department of Chocó.Additional records from iNaturalist suggest a broader distribution attributable to A. baudoensis sp. nov. A female from Utría National Natural Park, Chocó (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/201650721), matches the external features of the studied paratype female ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 ). Moreover, a male individual was recorded near Arusí (part of Nuquí’s jurisdiction) (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8226913), further expanding the known distribution of the species in this biodiverse and endemic-rich region (Map 1). Evidently, this area has served as a zone of divergence for Albascopia species recognized in the Colombian Pacific region.