Diponthus crassus Bruner, 1910

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 : 60-61

Diponthus crassus Bruner, 1910

( Figs. 4a, b , 6i , 7a, b , 8m , 9a, b , 10m , 11m , 12a, b , and 13 ).

Diponthus crassus Bruner, 1910: 303 (holotype, female, Paraguay, Puerto Bertoni, UNSM Lincoln); Rehn, 1913: 335; Rehn, 1920: 72; Carbonell et al. 2023; Cigliano et al. 2023.

Diagnosis. General body coloration bluish-black ( Figs. 4a, b , and 6i ) with a wide mid-dorsal longitudinal band on head and pronotum ocher or cream color ( Fig. 7a, b ). Hind femur cream color, with a bluish-black longitudinal band on outer face ( Fig. 4a ). Tegmina with dark brown background and veins ocher-yellow ( Fig. 4a, b ); Transverse veins conspicuous delimiting large sub-square cells ( Fig. 8m ). Prosternal tubercle straight, with rounded apex. Tegmina and hind wings barely reaching (males) or not reaching (females) the end of abdomen, with apex rounded. Male epiproct with rounded lateral margins, and angulate apex; furculae placed apart from the midline, tips thick and directed inwards ( Fig. 9b ). Male cerci short, tapering towards the apex, straight ventrally and slightly concave dorsally, not exceeding the end of epiproct ( Fig. 9a ). Dorsal valves of aedeagus short and thick, curved downwards ( Fig. 10m ). Valves of cingulum with expanded distal portion, anterior margin straight, upper margin with slight emargination ( Fig. 10m ). Zygoma of cingulum wide ( Fig. 11m ). Epiphallus with lophi parallel to the bridge, extended but not reaching the posterior processes of lateral plates ( Fig. 12a ), triangular shape in frontal view ( Fig. 12b ).

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

Measurements (in mm). Body length: males: 25.3 (24–27); females 34 (32.5–35.5). Hind femur length: males:

13.6 (12.5–15); females: 17.3 (17–18). Tegmina length: males: 16.25 (15–17); females: 19.7 (18–22).

Distribution. This species is distributed in Argentina (Misiones, Corrientes), Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina) and Paraguay (Alto Paraná) ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Diponthus species, as indicated. Males, habitus lateral views (a, c, e, g) and dorsal views (b, d, f, h). 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.