Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957

Hugel, Sylvain, 2010, New and little known predatory katydids from Mascarene islands (Ensifera: Meconematinae and Hexacentrinae), Zootaxa 2543, pp. 1-30 : 18-19

Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957

( Figs. 51–56 , 63–64 , 67–69 , 73 ; Tab. 5)

Brachtyphisis viettei Chorpard, 1957: 38 (original description), Jin & Kevan, 1992: 29 (redescription).

Type locality. Indian Ocean, Mascarene archipelago, île de la Réunion, Saint-Philippe, forêt du brûlé de Mare Longue.

Holotype. Female. Saint-Philippe, forêt du brûlé de Mare Longue, 3.II.1955, MNHN (MNHN- ENSIF 649).

Neallotype. Male. la Réunion, Saint Philippe, Mare Longue, départ sentier botanique, 190 m alt., 21°21’20’’S 55°44’23’’E, 23.IV.2007, S. Hugel, MNHN (MNHN-ENSIF2656).

Other specimens examined. Males. 23, same as male neallotype, 23.IV.2007, S. Hugel leg. and coll.. 13, same as neallotype, 11.XI.2009 (REU2009 040), S. Hugel leg. and coll.. 13, la Réunion, Saint Philippe, hauts de Mare Longue, 421 m alt., 21°20’47’’S 55°44’22’’E, 11.XI.2009 (REU2009 042), S. Hugel, CIRAD Réunion. 13, la Réunion, Ravine de la Grande Chaloupe, petit Bon Dieu (remontée sur la crête), Alt. 570 m, 20°55’41’’S, 55°23’18’’E, 4.XI.2009 (REU2009 039), S. Hugel. Females. 1Ƥ, same as neallotype, 11.XI.2009 (REU2009 041), S. Hugel leg. and coll.. 1Ƥ, same as neallotype, 15.XII.2005, S. Hugel, CIRAD Réunion. 1Ƥ, same as neallotype, IV.2004, S. Hugel leg. and coll. ab larva. 1Ƥ, la Réunion, Piton Montvert, N. Cliquennois, S. Hugel coll..

Description. See Jin & Kevan, 1992: 29.

Description complement. In addition to generic characters.

Male. Wings. ( Fig. 67–68 ). Left FW with 88–102 (average: 96) lamellar teeth ( Fig. 69 ). Terminalia. Paraproct. Only slightly exceeding the epiproct ( Fig. 51, 53 ). Cerci. Bent inward in the middle ( Fig. 51 ). Subgenital plate. With a wide emargination (i.e. inter styli width; Fig. 52, 53 ); lateral margins moderately converging towards distal end. Genitalia. Epiphallus cephalic lobe distal end broadly rounded (dorsal view; Fig. 56 ); with a sub apical enlargement of the neck (more or less distinct depending on the specimen; moderately visible on Fig. 53 ); the general curvature in side view varies on different specimens and seems not a reliable character ( Fig. 55 ).

Bioacoustics. Fig. 73 . Males are singing by night hours usually on the higher branches of endemic Sapotacae. Males are sometimes moving while calling. Above 20°C, the call of B. viettei consists of long echeme-sequences (> 1 min); echeme-sequences are made of disyllabic echemes repeated at the rate of 4.7– 8.3 disyllabic echeme/s (average: 6.4); disyllabic echeme duration: 57–82 ms (average: 71.9 ms); interdisyllabic echeme interval: 39–103 ms (average: 75.8 ms). Echeme sequences are seldom interrupted by short breaks. Trains of waves forming the disyllabic echemes are not resolved in natura with our recording setup (n = 5 specimens recorded). The fundamental peaks between 17–20 kHz.

Distribution. This species is distributed in some patches of preserved forest areas of the western side of Réunion. Curiously, I failed to record it on eastern Réunion, but this might be due to undersampling. Most of the localities are below 700 m, but I recorded the species at higher altitudes (917 m at Serré de Grand Coude). The localities are both on the most humid places of the island (Mare Longue) and in very dry areas (Grande Chaloupe) and ridges (Serré de Grand Coude), indicating the wide tolerance of this species regarding precipitations.

Biology. As its sister species from Mauritius, adults of B. viettei were always observed on endemic Sapotacae trees. Males were singing by night near trees tops. Juvenile specimens are apparently occurring in lower strata (undergrowth vegetation, ferns or 1–2 m plants). In captivity juveniles eat various insects (trigonidiine crickets, Diptera, Moths). The specimens are usually not falling (grasping the leaves) when branches are shaken, this species is therefore difficult to collect by beating techniques.

Body Head Pronotum Tibia Femora FW O

I II III I II III III

L L W L W H L L L L L L W L W L W

3Neallotype 15.5 1.8 3.6 5.0 4.2 2.6 7.5 7.0 12.6 7.0 5.5 12.2 2.5 15.7 3.8 ƤHolotype 19.0 5.5 14.0 17.5 11.0 3 (n=4) min 15.5 1.8 3.2 5.0 4.0 2.3 7.5 6.6 12.6 7.0 5.5 12.0 2.5 15.7 3.8 max 17.9 2.1 3.6 5.1 4.3 2.7 9.5 7.4 13.6 7.7 6.2 13.0 2.7 17.2 4.3 average

16.5 2.0 3.4 5.0 4.2 2.5 8.1 7.1 13.1 7.3 5.9 12.4 2.6 16.5 4.1

Ƥ (n=5) min 16.5 1.8 3.2 4.7 3.9 2.1 8.0 7.4 13.2 7.2 5.3 13.0 2.5 17.3 4.0 10.5 1.3 max 19.5 2.3 3.6 5.5 4.5 2.5 8.5 7.6 14.5 7.7 6.5 14.0 2.8 18.0 5.2 12.2 1.4 average

18.2 2.1 3.5 5.2 4.2 2.3 8.2 7.5 13.9 7.6 6.0 13.4 2.6 17.6 4.6 11.4 1.4

Pronotum W: maximal width, including the lateral lobes. Femora W: maximal width. FW W, O W: width on the middle.

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 62. Brachyphisis male terminalia and genitalia. 51 – 56, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 57 – 62, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 51, 57, terminalia (dorsal view). 52, 58, subgenital plate. 53, 59, terminalia (ventral view). 54, 60, paraprocts (side view). 55, 61, epiphallus right side view. 56, 62, epiphallus dorsal view (head on top). Bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 63 – 66. Brachyphisis female terminalia. 63 – 64, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 65 – 66, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 63, 65, subgenital plate; bar: 1 mm. 64, 66, ovipositor (right side view).

FIGURES 67 – 72. Brachyphisis male wings and stridulatory files (scan electron microscope pictures). 67 – 69, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957. 70 – 72, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp. 67, 70, left fore wing. 68, 71, right fore wing. 69, 72, stridulatory files. Bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 73 – 74. Brachyphisis stridulation in natura. 73, Brachyphisis viettei Chopard, 1957, la Réunion, Mare Longue, départ du sentier botanique, 11. XI. 2009, 21 h 30, 24 ° C. 74, Brachyphisis nattecantor n. sp., Mauritius, Macabé, belvédère terminus, 5. V. 2009, 22 h 35, 24 ° C.