Diponthus puelchus Pictet & Saussure, 1887

Pocco, Martina E., Lange, Carlos E. & Cigliano, María Marta, 2023, Relationships and taxonomy of the genus Diponthus Stål (Orthoptera: Acridoidea Romaleidae), Zootaxa 5336 (1), pp. 33-81 : 46

Diponthus puelchus Pictet & Saussure, 1887

( Figs. 2e, f , 6h , 7a, b , 8c , 9a, b , 10c , 11c , 12a, b , and 13 ).

Diponthus puelchus Pictet & Saussure, 1887: 375 (Hololectotype, male, “Republ. Argentine ”, MHNG Geneva Museum), Bruner, 1900; Pocco et al. 2014; Carbonell et al. 2023; Cigliano et al. 2023.

Diagnosis. Pronotal disk with three dorsal longitudinal bands, one short oblique and irregular band in the upper part of lateral lobe of prozona, and one wide oblique band in the lower margin of the lateral lobe of prozona ( Fig. 7a, b ). Caudal margin of pronotal disk red colored. Prosternal tubercle prominent, with rounded apex. Tegmina with prominent and irregular transverse veins, not delimiting cells, with conspicuous light-yellow spots on the transverse veins ( Figs. 2e, f , and 8c ). Male epiproct subtriangular, with acute apex, median sulcus deep, tubercles in posterior half, furculae prominent with sub-acute tips ( Fig. 9b ). Male cerci curved downwards, wide at base, blunt/truncate apex, surpassing the tip of epiproct ( Fig. 9a ). Dorsal valves of aedeagus strongly curved downwards ( Fig. 10c ). Valves of cingulum sub-triangular, with anterior margin of apex prominent and posterior margin slightly concave in lateral view ( Figs. 10c , and 11c ). Epiphallus with lophi placed perpendicular to the bridge ( Fig. 12a ), subtriangular with wide base and rounded apex, in frontal view ( Fig. 12b ).

Redescription and chromatic characters, and material examined. See Appendix 1

Measurements (in mm). Body length: males: 27.1 (25–28.5); females: 38.8 (38–41); femur III length: males: 14.1 (13.5–15); females: 19.8 (19–20.5); tegmen length: males: 23.8 (22–25.5); females: 31.1 (30.5–32).

Distribution. This species is found in Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, San Luis, Tucumán, Catamarca, Salta) ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Diponthus species. Males, habitus lateral views (a, c, e, g, i, k) and dorsal views (b, d, f, h, j, l). Species as indicated. Scale bar= 1 cm. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 6. a–c, Diponthus argentinus: male and female, color morph green (a), female (b), male (c); d, D. paraguayensis, male; e, f, D. pycnostictus: e, yellow and gray color morph; f, red and gray color morph, male; g, D. festivus, male (photo credits: Elio Castillo); h, D. puelchus, male; i, D. crassus, male and female

FIGURE 7. Head and pronotum, in lateral views (a) and dorsal views (b). Diponthus species as indicated. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 8. Tegmina, color pattern of venation. Diponthus species, as indicated. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 9. Male abdominal terminalia, in lateral views (a) and dorsal views (b). Diponthus species as indicated. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 10. Distal portion of aedeagal valves, lateral view. Diponthus species, as indicated.

FIGURE 11. Distal portion of aedeagal valves, dorsal view. Diponthus species, as indicated.

FIGURE 12. Epiphallus, dorsal views (a) and frontal views (b). Diponthus species, as indicated. Numbers indicate characters and states used in the cladistics analysis.

FIGURE 13. Distribution map of Diponthus species.