Phalangopsis araguaia, Junta & Castro-Souza & Ferreira, 2020

Junta, Vitor Gabriel Pereira, Castro-Souza, Rodrigo Antônio & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2020, Five new species of Phalangopsis Serville, 1831 (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) from Brazilian caves in the Amazon Forest, Zootaxa 4859 (2), pp. 151-194 : 161-166

Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp.

( Figures 30–35 , 36–42 , 43–46 , 47–51 , 52–56 , 148 ; Table 1 and 3)

Material examined. Holotype ♂, code ISLA 65748, Brazil, Pará, municipality of São Geraldo do Araguaia , Re- manso dos Botos cave (6°22’6.96”S; 48°23’38.04”O), 20.ii.2018, Sperandei, V. F., leg . Holotype condition: integrate, legs detached and stored in microtubes. Paratypes, 4 ♂ ♂ ( ISLA 65746; 65747; 65753; 65754), same data of holotype; municipality of São Geraldo do Araguaia , Macacos cave (6°25’19.30”S; 48°24’34.88”O), 20.ii.2018 , 4 ♂ ♂ ( ISLA 65745; 65750; 65751; 65752) and 1 ♀ ( ISLA 65749), Sperandei , V. F., leg .

Distribution. Remanso dos Botos and Macacos cave in the municipality of São Geraldo do Araguaia, Pará, Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ araguaia ” make mention to the Araguaia river, to which Remanso dos Botos and Macacos caves are close.

Diagnosis. Combination of the following characteristics: paramere 2 underdeveloped, concave and presenting equal size that paramere 1 (dorsal view) ( Figs 31–33 , Ps.P2); pseudepiphallic arm long and inclined internally ( Fig. 30 , Ps.arm); pseudepiphallic median lobes developed and widely projected dorsally, tilted towards the exterior in dorsal view, shape sub-quadrangular in both lobules (front view) ( Figs 30, 32–33 ; Ps.m.l); pseudepiphallic branch developed, forming an acute projection sclerotized covering the endophallus (dorsal view) ( Figs 30, 32–33 ; Ps.b); upper central part of the ectophallic arc with two vestigial vertical projections, lower part curved horizontally ( Fig. 31 , Ect. arc); endophallic distal portion developed in thickness, forked and with a small vertical furrow ( Fig. 34 , a, End.d).

Description, male holotype. Body color: general body coloration uniformly brownish; dorsal head light yellow ( Fig. 36 ); pronotum dark yellowish brown with more accentuated whitish discoloration spots than in Phalangopsis quartzitica ( Fig. 38 ); abdomen brownish dorsally, translucent and yellowish white ventrally; legs yellowish brown, whitish at the femur’s proximal region ( Figs 43–46 ); cerci uniformly whitish brown. Head: lightly pubescent; elongated in front view (4.364 and 3.113 mm, length and width respectively); vertex marked with four vertical dark stripes reaching the occiput, two starting from the antenna base and two starting from the compound eyes ( Fig. 36 ); gena and labrum whitish, clypeus greyish white, mandibles brownish yellow; all maxillary palpomeres slightly pubescent, first and second shorter than the others and whitish, third and fourth palpomeres similar size, the forth lightly larger and whitish yellow, fifth palpomere a little longer than fourth, claviform, curved, yellowish and whitish at the tips ( Fig. 36 ); all labial palpomeres whitish, pubescent and increasing in size, third palpomere claviform ( Fig. 36 ); scape pubescent, yellowish at the base and brownish toward the pedicel, pedicel light brown, antennomeres uniformly light brown; compound eyes black, with a small depigmented region near the scape insertion; ocelli absent ( Figs 36 and 37 ). Thorax: pronotum dark yellowish brown; anterior, medial and posterior portion with whitish spots distributed along the sagittal axis in dorsal view ( Fig. 38 ); dorsal disk broader than long, lateral lobe rounded, posterior and anterior margins sub-straight and with long bristles ( Fig. 38 ). Legs. In general, femur, tibia and tarsus pubescent; first tarsomere serrulated; femur always smaller than tibia (μ=17.619 ± 4.052 mm; μ= 20.408 ± 5.001 mm, femur and tibia respectively, Leg III, n=9) ( Figs 43–46 ). Leg I ( Figs 43 and 44 ): tibia armed with two apical spurs and ventrally serrulated, tympanum absent; first tarsomere thrice bigger than the second and third together. Leg II ( Figs 43 and 44 ): tibia serrulated ventrally, armed with two same-sized ventral apical spurs; first tarsomere ventrally serrated and almost thrice longer than the second and third together. Leg III ( Figs 45 and 46 ): femur dilated; tibia serrulated, armed with three subapical spurs on inner ( Fig. 46 ) and four on the outer side ( Fig. 45 ), three apical spurs on outer ( Fig. 45 ; a, b, c) and four on inner side ( Fig. 46 ; d, e, f, g), the inner ones are the longest; first tarsomere almost thrice longer than the second and third tarsomeres together, armed with two apical spurs. ( Figs 45 and 46 ). Right Tegmen: developed, stridulatory file absent, covering the first abdominal tergite, presenting more clearly marked veins than the other species in this study and bigger glandular thickening at the distal margin ( Fig. 39 ). Abdomen: cerci pubescent and slender, with bristles at its base; supra-anal plate short, subquadrangular with bristles at the distal region, base with two lateral projections, apex sub-straight and base curved inside ( Figs 40 and 41 ); subgenital plate oval, sub-quadrangular, base sub-straight, apex with a rounded reentrancy ( Figs 41 and 42 ).

Observations in Paratypes. Male phallic sclerites (paratype ISLA 65746, Figs 30–34 ) Pseudepiphallus: dorsal branch well sclerotized, thin and developed, projecting to the interior of the sclerite as an arched shape ( Fig 30–33 , Ps.db), similar to Ps.db of Phalangopsis kyju n. sp.; paramere 1 cambered triangular, with depressions in all its faces, connected to the paramere 2 and sclerite A by a membranous tissue ( Figs 31–33 , Ps.P1); paramere 2 underdeveloped, concave and presenting equal size that paramere 1 ( Figs 31–33 , Ps.P2); pseudepiphallic arm elongated and inclined internally ( Fig. 30 , Ps.arm); A sclerite vestigial and fused with Ps.arm, reaching the paramere1 and visible at the ventral view ( Fig. 31 , A); pseudepiphallic medium lobes very developed, lightly rounded and projected dorsally, tilted towards the exterior in dorsal view, lobes sub-quadrangular at frontal view ( Figs 30, 32 and 33 ; Ps.m.l), in this species this structure is more developed than in Phalangopsis quartzitica n. sp.; pseudepiphallic branch developed, forming an acute projection sclerotized covering all the endophallus and part of the proximal region of the ectophallic apodeme at dorsal view ( Figs 30, 32 and 33 ; Ps.b). Ectophallic invagination: apodeme thin, curved internally but with its distal portion slightly curved externally and apex little sclerotized ( Figs 30–32 , Ect. ap); lateral bar developed, broad and lightly rounded, external face slightly projecting out of the genitalia ( Fig. 31 , Ect.lb); median projection undeveloped ( Fig. 31 , Ect.mp); upper central part of the ectophallic arc with two vestigial vertical projections, lower part curved horizontally ( Fig. 31 , Ect.arc). Endophallus: endophallus curved dorsally in lateral view ( Fig. 34 , b, End); endophallic distal portion developed in thickness, forked and with a small vertical furrow ( Fig. 34 , a, End.d); medium portion short and lightly narrow ( Fig. 34 , a–c, End.mp); apodeme reduced ( Fig. 34 , a–c, End.ap).

Female: body size bigger than the male (♀ 24.041 mm); apterous; femur always smaller than tibia; supra-anal plate pubescent, with rounded distal portion, showing long bristles, base curved inside with two small lateral projections ( Fig. 47 ); subgenital plate short, lightly pubescent, V-shaped, presenting a slight indentation ( Fig. 48 ); ovipositor elongated, strong yellowish brown, sword-shaped with sharp apex (16.454 mm) ( Figs 49–51 ). Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla triangular shaped, thinner than in P. quartzitica n. sp., lightly flattened dorsoventrally ( Fig. 35 , a and c); edges lightly bulged in the middle portion ( Fig. 35 , a and c); presents a dorsal opening of triangular shape in the proximal portion and a little rounded orifice in the distal portion ( Fig. 35 , a–c).

Ecological Remarks: Specimens of Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. were found in two quartzite caves in a region locally known as “Serra das Andorinhas”, located in São Geraldo do Araguaia municipality (Pará state). Such caves are relatively small (Remanso dos Botos cave is 125 meters while Macacos cave is 80.5 meters of extension), and are inserted at the base of the massive quartzite outcrop, which correspond to the Serra das Andorinhas mountain ridge. Specimens were mainly observed in the deeper portions of the caves (aphotic and with high moisture content). The main organic deposits within the caves are guano piles produced by bats with distinct feeding habits, as frugivory ( Carolia sp.) and insectivory ( Peropteryx sp. and Natalus sp.). In one of the caves (Remanso dos Botos cave, Fig. 53 ), the seeds transported by the bats germinate, resulting in sprouts that were also consumed by the crickets ( Fig. 54 ). Specimens of P. araguaia are mainly observed in the cave walls ( Figs 55 and 56 ). Although the caves are quite preserved (only few signs of human use were observed, especially stepping), the external area is partially altered, exhibiting signs of deforestation and fire ( Fig. 52 ). Furthermore, access to the caves is quite easy, since their entrances are located close to each other and close to a road (around 100 meters). As mentioned for P. quartzitica , no samplings were conducted outside caves in this study. Furthermore, P. araguaia do not present any troglomorphic traits. Hence, despite the fact that specimens of P. araguaia were only found in two caves, they are probably not troglobitic. Therefore, further studies including external samplings are needed to better understand the actual distribution of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 148: Pictorial key for the species of Phalangopsis Serville, 1831, based on known adult male specimens (some images were modified from Desutter-Grandcolas, 1992, page 129, figs 42, 43, 46 and 47; Mews & Sperber, 2008, page 649, fig. 1-C, page 650, fig. 2-A, page 652, figs A, C and D, page 653, fig. 5-A; dorsal pic of P. flavilongipes available in https://science. mnhn.fr/ (Credit - Guy Le Corvec 2016).

FIGURES 30–35. Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. Phallic sclerite of paratype ♂ (ISLA 65746). 30—dorsal view; 31—ventral view; 32—lateral view; 33—frontal view; 34—endophallic sclerite in dorsal, lateral and ventral view, respectively. 35—copulatory papilla of paratype ♀ (ISLA 65749). a—dorsal view; b—lateral view; c—ventral view. Abbreviations: Ps.db, psudepiphallic dorsal branch; Ps.P1, pseudepiphallic paramere 1; Ps.P2, pseudepiphallic paramere 2; Ps.m.l, pseudepiphallic median lobes; A, sclerite A; Ps.arm, pseudepiphallic arm; Ps.b, pseudepiphallic branch; Ect.ap, ectophallic apodeme; Ect.lb, ectophallic lateral bar; Ect.mp, ectophallic median portion; Ect.arc, ectophallic arc; End, endophallus; End.d, endophallic distal portion; End.mp, endophallic median portion; End.ap, endophallic apodeme.

FIGURES 36–42. Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. Holotype morphology. 36—head in lateral and superior view; 37—head in frontal view; 38—pronotum in dorsal view; 39—right tegmen and metanotal glands, dorsal view; 40—supranal plate, dorsal view; 41—supranal and subgenital plates, lateral view; 42—subgenital plate, ventral view.

FIGURES 43–46. Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. Holotype legs morphology. 43—legs I and II, outer view; 44—right legs I and II, inner view; 45—right leg III and apical spurs (a; b; c), outer view; 46—right leg III and apical spurs (d; e; f; g), inner view.

FIGURES 47–51. Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. ♀ ISLA 65749. 47—supranal plate; 48—subgenital plate; 49, 50 and 51—ovi- positor apex, dorsal, lateral and ventral view, respectively.

FIGURES 52–56. Study area and habitats of Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp.. 52—external environment of Macacos cave; 53—entrance of Macacos cave; 54—Macacos cave’s internal environment; 55 and 56—♂ and ♀ of Phalangopsis araguaia n. sp. from Macacos cave.