Comorocolya, Hugel, 2012

Hugel, Sylvain, 2012, New and little known Phisidini from Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Meconematinae), Zoosystema 34 (3), pp. 525-552 : 534-536

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2012n3a3
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C287D4-0120-FFA2-FCBA-FCA7D75BFAF1
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Comorocolya
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Comorocolya View in CoL n. gen.

( Figs 5-10 View FIG View FIG View FIG View FIG View FIG View FIG ; Tables 3-5)

TYPE SPECIES. — Comorocolya ngazidja n. sp., by present designation.

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean, Comoros: Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mohéli.

DIAGNOSIS. — This new genus has the unique and striking peculiarity of lacking front coxal process and having distinct mid dorsal subbasal spurs. In addition, Comorocolya n. gen. is characterised by: the prosternum unarmed (within Phisidini , only Paraphisis Karny, 1912 , Meiophisis Jin, 1992 , and Comorophisis n. gen. share this peculiarity); mid trochanter spine present; mid dorsal apical spur present; FW reduced, not reaching hind knees; male epiproct small, semicircular, not specialised; male cerci not cylindrical, specialised; male paraprocts reduced; females tergite VIII with hindward projecting folds on lateral lobes.

DESCRIPTION Body size moderate (12-17 mm). Pro: anterior margin weakly concave; lateral lobes shallow; ventral margin rimmed; prosulcus distinct, mesosulcus distinct on lateral lobes. Prosternum unarmed; mesosternal processes forming inconspicuous bulge; metasternum unarmed. Thoracic opening of small to medium size. FW and HW reduced. Fore leg without distinct coxal spine. Tympanal area of T1

inconspicuously inflated. Mid leg with a distinct trochanter spine.T2 with one dorsal subbasal spur; with dorsal apical spur. Ventral spur formulae: T1 7 (rarely 6)/7 (rarely 6) subapical spurs; F1 6/5 (in one specimen 6/6) spurs;T2 5-6/5-6 (proximal spur often minute) subapical spurs; F2 4/1-2 spurs. F3 with 5-11 ventral spines.T3 with: 9-15/7-10 ventral spines and 17-23/16-20 dorsal spines.

Males

Wings ( Fig. 7 View FIG ): left mirror area circular or D-shaped. Terminalia ( Fig. 5 View FIG ): epiproct small, semicircular, not fused with last tergum. Paraprocts very small, hardly visible dorsally, apical end bent forward. Cerci: widened in basal half; curved and narrowed distally.SGP:broad; posterior margin sinuate, almost strait; with minute styli. Phallus without obvious sclerified plates on dorsal phallomeres. Epiphallus ( Fig. 6 View FIG ) with single undivided rod, cephalic lobe widened or not (dorsal view); head ventrally with distinct tubercles (side view).

Females

SGP without emargination or with minute median notch.Tergite VIII with hindward projecting folds on lateral lobes (cf. remark below). O weakly gradually curved upwards with serrated margins apically.

Colour

No obvious lateral lines on Pro; males left mirror area with dark spot.

BIOACOUSTICS

Only the song of two out of three species is known ( Fig. 10 View FIG ). Echeme-sequences are lasting tens of seconds. Echemes are usually disyllabic and irregularly repeated. Fundamental peaks in ultrasound range between 30-40 kHz.

REMARKS

As already pointed by Rentz (2001), the hind and ventral margins of females tergite VIII appear as a valuable often neglected character at both generic and specific levels.

In this genus, species are well defined by the male cerci but male epiphallus does not seem a very stable character.