Neduba arborea Cole, Weissman, & Lightfoot, 2021

Cole, Jeffrey A., Weissman, David B., Lightfoot, David C., Ueshima, Norihiro, Warchałowska-Śliwa, Elżbieta, Maryańska-Nadachowska, Anna & Chatfield-Taylor, Will, 2021, A revision of the shield-back katydid genus Neduba (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini), Zootaxa 4910 (1), pp. 1-92 : 59-61

Neduba arborea Cole, Weissman, & Lightfoot sp. n.

Fig. 19 (distribution), Fig. 25 (male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, karyotype), Plate 3B (live habitus), Plate 5F (male calling song), Plate 8C (male ventral sclerite), Plate 12C (female subgenital plate).

Common name. Arboreal Shieldback.

History of recognition. None.

Type material. HOLOTYPE MALE: USA, CA, Colusa Co., SR20, mile marker 11.36, 39.1056N, 122.31903W, 129 m, 19-VII-2015, JA Cole, DB Weissman, JAC000001958 [specimen barcode], JCR150803_01 [recording], DNA159 [tissue], SING0501 [extraction], JCT15-05 [karyotype], tegmen removed in gelcap below specimen, 219 [tooth count], 3.4 mm [file length], genitalia in vial below specimen, deposited in CAS, Entomology type #19707.

PARATYPES (n = 6): Colusa Co., 2♀, SR20, 11.5 miles west of I-5 at mile post 11.22., 39.10567N, 122.32102W, 150 m, 22-IV-2007, DB Weissman, LACM ; 1♁, 1♀, SR20, mile marker 11.36, 39.1056N, 122.31903W, 129 m, 19-VII-2015, JA Cole, DB Weissman, CAS ; 1♁, SR20, mile marker 11.4, 39.10547N, 122.31759W, 423 m, 5-VIII- 2014, JA Cole, DB Weissman, LACM ; 1♀, same data except CAS .

Measurements. (mm, ♁n = 3, ♀ n = 2) Hind femur ♁22.23–23.27, ♀ 22.44–24.09, pronotum total length ♁10.54– 11.60, ♀ 10.09–10.49, prozona length ♁4.55–5.19, ♀ 4.94–5.76, metazona dorsal length ♁5.58–6.41, ♀ 4.33–5.55, pronotum constriction width ♁3.10–3.56, ♀ 3.08–3.58, metazona dorsal width ♁7.00–7.35, ♀ 6.72–6.80, head width ♁5.87–6.08, ♀ 5.72–5.87, ovipositor length ♀ 16.40–16.60.

Distribution. East slopes of the North Coast Ranges bordering the California Central Valley. The type locality is along the Cortina Ridge.

Habitat. Oak woodland. Topotype males sang from ground level or from oak branches 1 m or more above the ground.

Seasonal occurrence. Limited records show that nymphs occur in April (11-IV-2007, DB Weissman, CAS) and adults are active by mid-July (19-VII-2015, JA Cole and DB Weissman, CAS) into August (5-VIII-2014, JA Cole, DB Weissman, CAS) .

Stridulatory file. (n = 3), length 3.2–3.5 mm, 190–219 teeth, tooth density 60.9 ± 3.1 (58.9–64.4) teeth/mm.

Song. (n = 4) Similar to N. sierranus in consisting of several OPT (10.6 ± 3.7 (5.0-15.3)) that are interspersed between MPT. The PTR of 1.20 ± 0.03 is intermediate: slower than N. sierranus , faster than N. radocantans , and statistically indistinguishable from N. inversa . PTF is 16.9 ± 0.5 kHz.

Karyotype. (n = 3) Unique. 2n♁ = 19 (16t + XmXtYm). JCT14-06, S14-61, paratopotype.

Recognition. Both sexes have the largest body size (pronotum length more than 10 mm) of any Sierranus Group species and are noticeably robust in comparison with the typical fusiform shape of Neduba . The male pronotum is weakly constricted as in N. prorocantans and N. sierranus , but not only is N. arborea larger than those species but the stridulatory file tooth density is greater (59–62 teeth/mm) than the former (47–52 teeth/mm) and less than the latter (62–70 teeth/mm). N. inversa is also separated from this species by a higher tooth density (64–68 teeth/mm) and a strong pronotum constriction. The oval, highly convex female subgenital plate is distinctive. Song PTR will separate this species from all others in the Sierranus Group, but not from N. inversa in the Sequoia Group, a smaller species with a strong pronotum constriction. The karyotype is unique. This is the only extant Sierranus or Sequoia Group species known from the Coast Ranges of California.

Etymology. l. arborea “of the trees” in reference to the male habit of singing from oak branches above the understory.

Notes. The discovery of a member of the Sierranus Group in the Coast Ranges is significant as N. extincta , the only other species in either the Sierranus or the Sequoia Group distributed west of the Central Valley is, as the name suggests, extinct ( Rentz 1977). Female nymphs were the first individuals of this species to be encountered. DNA from these females indicated that the population was distinct from known Sierranus Group taxa. Once males were collected the unique karyotype provided more evidence for specific distinction. Further investigation of the North Coast Ranges should be undertaken as the Sierranus Group may have crossed the Central Valley on multiple occasions.

Material examined. Type series only. See Type material above.

Figures

PLATE 3. Live habitus of the Sequoia Group. A. N. radocantans paratype male, B. N. arborea paratopotype male, C. N. inversa paratype male, D. N. prorocantans paratype male, E. N prorocantans paratype female, F. N. sequoia paratype male, G. N. sequoia paratype female, H. N. duplocantans paratopotype male singing.

PLATE 5. Male calling songs of the Castanea, Lucubrata, Sierranus, and Sequoia Groups. A. N. castanea, B. N. macneilli, C. N. lucubrata, D. N. sierranus, E. N. radocantans, F. N. arborea, G. N. inversa, H. N. prorocantans, I. N. sequoia, J. N. duplocantans. Left column shows 4 s oscillogram windows, right column are 1 s windows.

PLATE 8. Ventral sclerites: Sierranus and Sequoia Groups. A. N. sierranus, B. N. radocantans, C. N. arborea, D. N. inversa, E. N. prorocantans, F–H. N. sequoia.

PLATE 12. Female subgenital plates of Lucubrata (A), Sierranus (B–D), and Sequoia (E–H) Group species.

FIGURE 19. Distribution of Propsti, Castanea, Lucubrata, Sierranus, and Sequoia Group species mapping records reported in this work.

FIGURE 25. N. arborea male and female habitus, calling song, male and female terminalia, karyotype.