Pterodichopetala geovanyi, Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Yazmín, Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina & Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro, 2015

Rocha-Sánchez, Aurora Yazmín, Barrientos-Lozano, Ludivina & Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro, 2015, Additional new species of the genus Pterodichopetala (Phaneropteridae: Phaneropterinae) from Northeastern Mexico, Zootaxa 3956 (3), pp. 301-344 : 318-328

Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Barrientos-Lozano & Rocha-Sánchez

( Figs. 49 –58; 59–65)

Type material. Holotype ♂ and allotype ♀. Mexico, Tamaulipas, Victoria, Peregrina Canyon , 1,055 m., Lat. 23°45’18.31”N, Long. 99°18’21.21”W, 30.IV.2014, Barrientos-Lozano L., Rocha-Sánchez A.Y., Fernández- Azuara G. & Carrillo-Martínez J.G.

Paratypes. 7 ♂ and 5 ♀ adults, 3 ♀ nymphs, same data as type material, coll. L. Barrientos-Lozano-ITCV; 1 ♂ and 1 ♀, Tamaulipas, Victoria, Peregrina Canyon, Ejido (Ej.) Vicente Guerrero, 500 m., Lat. 23°46’21.31”N, Long. 99°15”12.33’’W, 10.V.2010, Sánchez-Reyes U.J., coll. L. Barrientos-Lozano-ITCV.

Diagnosis. P. geovanyi n. sp., resembles P. alfredoi at first sight, close examination shows it is a very distinctive species. It is easily distinguished by its larger size (male’s average 22.4 mm, females 24.4 vs. 16.6 and 17.0 mm in P. alfredoi males and females, respectively). The general color is green ( Figs. 49 , 50; 59, 60, 61) but both, males and females, bear prominent black marks dorsally (on head, pronotum sides, proximal on stridulatory area, margins of tegmina and distal tergites), these set of characters are not so in P. alfredoi ( Figs. 67 , 76 ). The stridulatory area (Fig. 52 vs. 70), the stridulatory file ( Fig. 53 vs. 71) ), tegmina ( Figs. 49–50 vs. 67–68), the last abdominal tergite ( Fig. 54 vs. 72), the epiproct ( Fig. 54 b vs. 73b), the cerci ( Fig. 54a , 55, 56 vs. 73a–74), the subgenital plate ( Fig. 56 vs. 74) and internal genitalia (Figs. 57–58 vs. 75) are clearly different.

Description of males (alive). General color green ( Figs. 49–50 ), antennae’s scape and pedicel light brown, first two basal segments black, flagellum mostly light brown-with white annulus followed by some black segments; fastigium of vertex moderately compressed, sub-conical, frontal fastigium broad sub-conical; a delicate white stripe from hind margin of eyes extending onto pronotum sides; occiput ( Figs. 49 , 51 ) anterior half light browngreenish, posteriorly black; pronotal disc sub-pentagonal (in dorsal view), anterior and posterior margins lightbrown, slightly emarginated, carina media conspicuous whitish creme; typical sulcus on pronotal disc evident, creme, shallow wide u shaped, cutting acutely the white lateral carinae and extending to middle of lateral lobes; lateral lobes of pronotum ( Fig. 50) sub-rectangular, humeral sinus obsolete. The proximal portion of tegmina is black ( Figs. 49 , 50); stridulatory area ( Figs. 49 , 52) transparent/whitish-creme with black edge. Stridulatory file ( Fig. 53 ) with ca 110 teeth, 6.7 mm in length and 16 teeth/mm (15–17). Tegmina ( Figs. 49 , 50) ovate, with prominent venation, upper margin slightly overlaps beneath the stridulatory area, tergites 6–10 of abdomen exposed, upper margin of tegmina brownish-creme, lower margin whitish-creme with black spots; hind wings vestigial. Terminal tergite ( Fig. 54a ) exhibits a dark-brown-black stripe on each side and two distal subtriangular projections. Male cerci ( Figs. 54a , 55, 56 ) made up of three processes: the main axis is broader and stout basally, it tapers towards mid portion and bends inwards towards the distal broad rounded apex (dorsal view), about mid length (ventral view) gives rise to a an elongated, undulated and curved inwards arm which is slightly broader proximally and tapers delicately towards the moderately acute apex; about ¼ of the distal portion the main axis branches (ventral view) and gives rise to a ventral process which looks proximally swollen, then tapers abruptly towards its dark-brown cuneiform apex, this process is embodied within the sister process which in ventral view is distally expanded, rounded and concave. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 56 ) distally produced, wide-v shape emarginated with broad angles. Internal genitalia (Figs. 57–58) made up of two broad sub-triangular processes, each process more produced proximal than distally, each proximal projection possesses a small crown of denticles on top, distal projections are broad and bear a row of tick spines; each process possesses, about mid portion, a large crown of tick spines.

Measurements (mm) males. Body length from vertex to end of abdomen: 22.4 ± 0.8 (21.8–23.0). Pronotum length: 3.6. Tegmen length: 9.3 ±0.4 (9.0–9.6). Fore femur length: 5.7 ± 0.07 (5.7–5.8). Mid femur length: 6.9 ± 0.14 (6.8–7.0). Hind femur length: 15.5 ± 0.3 (15.3–15.8).

Description of females (alive). Similar to the males (Figs. 59, 60, 61), almost completely green; occiput with black marks posteriorly; tegmina ventral margin white with feeble brown-black spots above, beneath the whitishcreme dorsal margin a row of delicate black spots (Fig. 59). The humeral sinus is absent. Ovipositor (Figs.59, 61, 63) longer than head and pronotum together, evenly curved upward, lower margin straight on basal 3/4, distal fourth spinulated on upper and lower margins; basal lobe of ovipositor sub-triangular and robust (Figs.63, 64). The Subgenital plate (Fig.65) represented by a sub-circular structure, projected distally and divided by a median suture; basal sclerites ( Figs. 64, 65) large, sub-triangular, projected distally, sculptured with transversal grooves.

Measurements (mm) females. Body length from vertex to end of abdomen: 24.3±3.0 (21.1–27.2). Pronotum length: 4.0±0.4 (3.4–4.3). Tegmina length: 13.0±1.1 (11.5–13.9). Cephalic femur length: 6.1 ±0.9 (5.3–6.9). Mid femur length: 7.0 ± 0.8 6.0–7.7). Caudal femur length: 16.3±2.2 (13.5.0–18.1). Ovipositor: 8.5±0.5 (7.8–8.8).

Distribution ( Fig. 112 ). This species has been collected in two localities climbing the mountain range (Eastern Sierra Madre-ESM) surrounding Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas. Elevation range between 500 and 1,055 m.

Habitat ( Fig. 66 ). P. geovanyi n. sp., inhabits the Natural Protected Area (NPA) Atlas Cumbres which embodies 30,327 ha subject to conservation. This NPA is located in the Municipality of Victoria, Tamaulipas within the Physiographic Province of the Eastern Sierra Madre-ESM. Its altitude ranges between 450 and 2,100 m. The area is characterized by a diverse flora and fauna and abundant endemics. Nine vegetation types are reported: Pine-oak and oak forest, cloud forest, sub montane scrub, scrub rosette, low deciduous forest, riparian and aquatic vegetation, grassland and Palmar. P. geovanyi n. sp., inhabits the oak forest at 500m and pine-oak forest at 1,055m, typical host plants are annual grasses, particularly Cestrum dumetorum Schlecht. (Solanacea) .

Etymology. This species is named after Geovany Fernández-Azuara, who generously collected a good number of specimens at the highlands of the ESM, during his field work on reptiles.

FIGURA 69. Pterodichopetala alfredoi Barrientos & Rocha, 2013 . Male head and pronotum in dorsal view. FIGURE 70. Pterodichopetala alfredoi Barrientos & Rocha, 2013 . Male stridulatory area.

Figures

FIGURE 49. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male alive.

FIGURE 51. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male head and pronotum in dorsal view. FIGURE 52. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male stridulatory area.

FIGURE 53. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male’s stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen.

FIGURE 56. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male’s cerci and subgenital plate, ventral view.

FIGURE 66. Habitat of Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Oak forest. Tula, Tamaulipas. Mexico.

FIGURE 67. Pterodichopetala alfredoi Barrientos & Rocha, 2013. Male alive.

FIGURE 76. Pterodichopetala alfredoi Barrientos & Rocha, 2013. Female alive.

FIGURE 112. Distribution of Pterodichopetala monternach n. sp., P. c i e l oi Buzzetti, Barrientos & Rocha, P. tuliensis n. sp., P. geovanyi n. sp., P. alfredoi Barrientos & Rocha., P. rob e r t oi n. sp., P. pityophyla Cohn, Swanson & Fontana.

FIGURE 54 a. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male’s cerci and terminal tergite, dorsal view. FIGURE 54 b. Pterodichopetala geovanyi n. sp. Male’s epiproct, frontal view.