Pandanagraecia, Naskrecki, Piotr & Rentz, David C. F., 2010

Naskrecki, Piotr & Rentz, David C. F., 2010, Studies in the orthopteran fauna of Melanesia: New katydids of the tribe Agraeciini from Papua New Guinea (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae), Zootaxa 2664, pp. 1-35 : 29-30

Pandanagraecia n. gen.

Type species: Pandanagraecia porgera sp. n., here designated.

Differential diagnosis. In the overall body shape, the smooth surface of the frons, and the presence of prosternal spines this new genus resembles genera Gonatacanthus and Anthracites , but is unique among the Oriental and Melanesian Agraeciini in the development of the male subgenital plate, which is always extremely enlarged, flattened laterally, and bent upwards posteriad to the position of the styli, often forming a spine the protrudes above the posterior margin of the 10th abdominal tergite. In certain species of Anelytra Redtenbacher the male subgenital plate may be somewhat enlarged, but the styli always remain in the apical position; the male subgenital plate in Eumacroxiphus Ingrisch may have a dorsal projection, but it is also never expanded posteriad of the styli. The styli in the males of the new genus are usually absent, or reduced to minute knobs.

General. Body cylindrical, small to medium size for subfamily; brachypterous ( Fig. 13 C) to macropterous ( Fig. 13 A).

Head. Frons flat to weakly convex, oblique, smooth ( Figs. 13 E–H); lateral carinae absent. Fastigium of frons separated from fastigium of vertex by small, poorly defined gap; fastigium of vertex triangular, very narrow, only as wide as 1/4–1/3 of scapus, shorter than half of scapus. Eyes globular, moderately protruding; median ocellus present, circular; lateral ocelli strongly reduced; antennal scapus unarmed; antennae about twice as long as body.

Thorax. Pronotum surface smooth; anterior margin of pronotum straight, flat; metazona flat to slightly raised, posterior edge of metazona straight to weakly rounded; lateral lobe more than twice as long as high; humeral sinus of pronotum absent; marginal fold of pronotum very narrow, smooth. Thoracic auditory spiracle narrowly oval, completely hidden under pronotum, with short setae on inner margin. Sternum slightly concave; prosternum armed with two long spines; mesosternum and metasternum unarmed.

Legs. Front coxa armed with short spine; front femur weakly compressed laterally, armed on both ventral margins; genicular lobes of front femur with spine on anterior (inner) side only; front tibia unarmed dorsally, with both ventral margins armed with several spines; tympanum bilaterally closed, with narrow, forward facing slits; ventral spines on front tibia from about half as long to as long as tibia diameter. Mid femur armed on both ventral margins, but posterior (inner) margin with only 2–3 small, spines at base; genicular lobes of mid femur armed on posterior (inner) side only; mid tibia unarmed dorsally. Hind femur armed on anterior (outer) ventral margin only; genicular lobes of hind femur armed with single spine on both sides; hind tibia armed on both dorsal and ventral margins.

Wings. Tegmen nearly fully developed and reaching apex of abdomen to strongly reduced, not reaching posterior margin of first abdominal tergite. Costal field not dilated at base; tegminal venation normally developed to reduced; right stridulatory area with large, fully developed mirror; mirror roughly rectangular to nearly round. Stridulatory file flat, straight. Hind wing fully developed to extremely reduced. Female tegmina fully developed to shorter than half of pronotum, always overlapping at base.

Abdomen. Tenth tergite with two strongly developed posterior lobes; paraprocts unmodified. Cercus relatively long; armed or unarmed ( Figs. 12 A, F, J, N); epiproct unmodified, triangular. Phallus with weakly developed, paired, very slender titillator, its apex always narrowly acute ( Figs. 12 E, I, M, Q). Subgenital plate extremely modified, strongly sclerotized, its posterior enlarged, laterally flattened, and extended upwards; apical part of plate may extend above posterior margin of 10th tergite; styli strongly reduced to absent. Female subgenital plate triangular, with small, triangular apical incision, posterior lobes acute ( Figs. 13 I, K).

Ovipositor. Ovipositor about as long as hind femur; slightly curved, apex with both valvulae smooth, dorsal edge of upper valvula parallel to lower valvula; apex pointed ( Figs. 13 J, L).

Etymology. This new genus is named in reference to the frequent occurrence of its species among the leaves of Pandanus trees in mid- to high elevation forests of New Guinea; feminine gender.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Pandanagraecia n. gen.: P. stylata n. sp.: A. male cerci, dorsal view; B. male cerci and subgenital plate; C. ditto, lateral view; D. styli; E. titillators; P. bifurcata n. sp.: F. male cerci, dorsal view; G. male cerci and subgenital plate; H. ditto, lateral view; I. titillators; P. p o rg e r a n. sp.: J. male cerci, dorsal view; K. male cerci and subgenital plate; L. ditto, lateral view; M. titillators; P. a r m a t a n. sp.: N. male cerci, dorsal view; O. male cerci and subgenital plate; P. ditto, lateral view; Q. titillators.

FIGURE 13. Pandanagraecia n. gen.: A. P. s t y l a t a n. sp., paratype female; B. P. a r m a t a n. sp., holotype male; C. P. porgera n. sp., paratype male; D. P. bifurcata n. sp., paratype male; E. P. porgera, face; F. P. a r m a t a, ditto; G. P. stylata, ditto; H. P. bifurcata, ditto; I. P. s ty l a t a, female subgenital plate; J. ditto, ovipositor; K. P. p o rg e r a, female subgenital plate; L. ditto, ovipositor; M. ditto, male left tegmen; N. P. s tyla ta, ditto.