Platytettix pilosus Cadena-Castañeda & Tavares, 2025

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., Quintana-Arias, Ronald Fernando, Infante, Ivette Coque, Silva, Daniela Santos Martins & Tavares, Gustavo Costa, 2025, Studies on pygmy grasshoppers: On the current Metrodorinae sensu lato classification (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) with emphasis on American and Malagasy taxa, Zootaxa 5597 (1), pp. 1-265 : 28-30

Platytettix pilosus Cadena-Castañeda & Tavares , sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–11, Map 1)

Type material. Holotype. Male. BRAZIL, Bahia, Ilhéus, Cabruca [an agroforest system where shade cocoa is planted]; 12-14.VIII.2021; Pitfall; Souza, C. & Albuquerque, F. leg. ( MPEG).

Description. (In addition to the characters of the genus). Male. Small-size (9 mm). Body robust, granular, and moderately rugose, covered by bristles, mainly on the pronotum and legs ( Fig. 9). Coloration. Antennae with scapus and pedicel ocher, last three antennal segments (12th, 13th, and 14th segments) whitish, and remaining antennomeres brown and dark brown, but with the distal edge outlined in yellow ( Figs. 10B, C). Tibiae and tarsi of all legs with yellowish stripes, usually located in the middle of the tibiae and on the second tarsomere ( Fig. 9). Head taller than wide, eyes occupying a quarter of the cephalic capsule, medial carina not very elevated, and as tall as to the lateral carinae; scutellum wide; fascial carinae almost straight and parallel, protruding in lateral view and rounded; lateral ocelli located near the fork of the frontal costa ( Fig. 10A). Antennae with 14 unmodified segments ( Figs. 10B, C). Thorax. Anterior margin of the pronotum straight and with the prozonal carinae developed ( Figs. 9B, 10C); posterior apex acuminated and reaching the last abdominal segment ( Fig. 9). Pronotal hump progressively rising, and later truncating ( Fig. 10B); lower edge of lateral lobes angled, not pointed at all ( Fig. 10C). Legs. Fore and mid femur moderately undulated, without conspicuous projections ( Figs. 10D, E); fore tibia armed with small spinules on the distal third of the ventral margins; mid tibia unarmed; antegenicular tooth moderately developed; genicular tooth well developed ( Fig. 9A); hind tibia armed with three small spines on each dorsal margin. Abdomen unmodified. Epiproct rhomboid, dividing most of the tenth tergite ( Fig. 11A); cerci cylindrical, but distally conical, thinner, and diverging to the sides ( Figs. 11A, B). Pallial plates fused into a single plate, with the anterior margin truncated, lateral edges rounded, narrowing towards the proximal region where it connects with the subgenital plate; with a furrow originates near the proximal region of the plate, which bifurcates in the shape of a “Y,” with the apex of each branch armed with the pallial hooks ( Fig. 11C). Subgenital plate rounded and apically with a shallow “V” shaped notch ( Fig. 11D).

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (in mm.). CFP: 9. PL: 7.5. PLB: 4.7. FF: 1.9. FL: 1.9. MFL: 2. MTL: 2. HL: 4.8. HW: 2. HTL: 4.

Comparison. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by the conspicuous bristles covering its body. Furthermore, in comparison to other species, it does not have such a pronounced hump, as observed in the others (except P. uniformis comb. rev.). Most Platytettix species have a well-developed antegenicular tooth; P. pilosus sp. nov. has it moderately developed, although more pronounced compared to P. uniformis comb. rev. The anterior margin of the pronotum is uniformly colored, resembling most species, but differing from P. gibbosulus comb. nov. which has a conspicuous yellow stripe “like a necklace” running along the anterior margin of the pronotal disc and the lateral lobes of pronotum. However, this new species meets the diagnostic characteristics to be included in Platytettix stat. resurr.

Remarks. This is the easternmost Platytettix species known (Map 1).

Etymology. The name of this new species derives from the Latin word pilosus (hairy), which refers to the abundant hairs of this species on the pronotum.