Markia hystrix ( Westwood 1844 )

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., 2013, The tribe Dysoniini part II: The genus Markia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae), new species and some clarifications, Zootaxa 3599 (6), pp. 501-518 : 507-509

Markia hystrix ( Westwood 1844)

(Plate 3; Plate 7 figs. C and D; Plate 8 figs. E. and F; Plate 10.)

Diagnosis — Fastigium spine directed dorso-anteriorly. Dorsal spines on fore tibia near the tympanum shorter than longitudinal extension of tympanum. Lateral branches of male cerci internally strongly sclerotized, internal branch rounded and laterally blackish with denticulations on the ventral margin. Ovipositor uniformly and strongly, almost perpendicularly upcurved; subgenital plate of the female with truncated apex.

Redescription

Male: Head: Fastigium spine 0.9 times as long as the prozonal spine; face rounded, as deep as wide. Thorax. Pronotum: anterior spine expanding from the base to the mesal region, thereafter curving to the apex. Metazonal spine longer and much broader than the prozonal spine, abruptly curved forward. Legs: fore femur cylindrical, armed on ventral margin with two internal spines. Middle femur cylindrical, armed with three ventro-external spines. Middle tibia with two spines on dorso-external margin and a spinule in the middle of these, dorso-internal margin with a medial spine. Hind femur with seven spines ventro-externally and four ventro-internal ones, increasing in size from base to apex. Tegmina with the apex obliquely truncated. Abdomen: tenth tergite without modification. Cerci pincer-shaped: external branch sclerotic and curving to internal margin, internal branch slimmer and more curved than the external branch, with serrulate denticulations on the latero-internal edge. Subgenital plate rectangular, with a u-shaped emargination. Length of styli twice the depth of emargination.

Female: Similar in shape and size as the male. Ovipositor 1.5 times as long as the metazonal spine of the pronotum, curving sharply in the basal third, maintaining a uniform curvature from there; upper valve with dorsal margin smoothly denticulate from the medial region to the apex, lower valve shorter than the upper valve, with ventral margin softly denticulate from the distal third to the apex. Subgenital plate triangular with expanded basal region and truncated apex.

PLATE 3. Markia hystrix ( Westwood, 1844) . (A)— Female in living condition (Second color form). Photo: R. I. Romero. (B)— Head and pronotum in lateral view. (C)— Head and pronotum in dorsal view.

Specimens examined. — COLOMBIA. 13 Antioquia Departament, Rionegro, 28 November 1989 (J. Hernandez). 13 Antioquia Departament, Bolivar, June 1943. F. Gallego leg. 1Ƥ Antioquia Departament, San Vicente, August 1986. R. Ortiz leg. 13 Antioquia Departament, Santa Helena, January 1985 F. Gallego leg. 13 Antioquia Departament, Piedras Blancas, September 1972. L.C. Perez leg. (Catalogue 999). 13 Antioquia Departament, Medellín, February 1985. A. Venegas leg. 13 Antioquia Departament, Frontino, June 1965 F. Gallego leg. [MEFLG]. 13 Valle Departament, Yotoco, 1565 m, 11 November 2005, D. Torres leg. (Cod. 23163). 13 Valle Departament, Road to the sea near to Saladito km 18, 25 March 1980, 1800 m. (Cod. 20780). 13 Valle Departament, Road to the sea near to Saladito Km 18, January 1980, 1800 m. (Cod. 20779) (MUV). 13 Valle Departament, Naranjal, 15 July 2006, 1300 m. P. Robledo leg. (Cod. 22322). 13 Valle Departament, Villa Camelo, April 2001, 1600 m. J. Bueno leg. (Cod. 2098). 13 Cauca Departament, La Gallera, P.N.N. Munchique, 1736 m. 2º47’66’’N, 76º54’89’’W, 18 October 2006, Y. Mera leg. (Cod. 22321). [MUV]. 23 Valle (det. Montealegre-Z). 13 Valle Departament, Palmira, 22 June 2007, 1000 m. J. Burbano leg. 13 Valle Departament, Yotoco, August 1986. R. Segura leg. 13 Valle Departament, La Rivera, Mpio Viges, May 1961. O. Solanile leg. 13 Cauca, San Joaquin, 1 June 1979. C. Gomez leg. 13 Cauca Departament, Morales, 1700 m, 27 April 2009, H. Castellanos leg. [CEUNP]. Antioquia Departament, Medellin. 1Ƥ. [MENT-UT]. 1Ƥ Quindio Departament, Reserva Bremen, 4 June 2009. R. Romero leg. [CIBUQ]. 13 Risaralda Departament, Pereira, Vda La Suiza, 2 March 2005. S. Jansen leg. (det. J. Chamorro ICN-MHN ORT-00762). 13 Antioquia Departament, Medellin, July 1985. J. Quiroz leg. (det. Montealegre-Z, ICN-MHN ORT-00708) [ICN].

Measurements: Total length: 46–48, Pronotum: 5.2–6, Tegmina: 38–40, Fore femur: 6.7–7, Fore tibia: 8–9, Middle femur: 9.2–10, Middle tibia: 11–12, Hind femur: 22.3–24, Hind tibia: 26–27, Subgenital plate: 2–2.2, Cerci: 1.8–2.0.

Remarks: Among specimens in entomological collections of Colombia and specimens observed on various field trips to western Colombia were found two different colour morphs of M. hystrix . Each form seems to be related to a particular species of the lichen genus Usnea (see discussion). One form is milky greenish and the eyes are in life light purple. It occurs in the Pacific Region of Colombia (Choco Biogeográfico), and was found between Usnea cf. scabrata . The other form is dark green with whitish green stripes and reddish eyes. This form was found in higher elevations of the central cordillera of the Andes in the departments Antioquia and Caldas, feeding on Usnea cf. subfloridiana and Usnea cf. subscabrosa . The coloration of each form matches the coloration of the corresponding lichen species. Where the distribution ranges of the three lichen species overlap, both forms of Markia hystrix can be found. This is possible in the departments Cauca and Valle del Cauca. Both forms can occur in the same area, depending on the local abundance of the lichen species. Where Usnea cf. scabrata was most abundant was found the milky greenish form, and where Usnea cf. subfloridiana or Usnea cf. subscabrosa were most abundant was found the dark-and-whitish green form. At localities where the three lichen species occurred sympatrically, sometimes both forms of M. hystrix were found.