Megacris lipsae, Desutter-Grandcolas, 2012
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2012n2a7 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BA34A14E-FFEB-0922-FEB1-FC1E67E3CC3C |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Megacris lipsae |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Megacris lipsae View in CoL n. sp.
( Figs 5 View FIG , 6 View FIG ; Table 2)
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Vanuatu, Butmas, Puits sans Nom, 15°23.583’S, 166°57.247’E, 370 m alt., 1 ♀ (Karst sample SK05-Lips47/2016), 25-VIII-2005, J. Lips ( MNHN-ENSIF 2898, alcohol collection vial 552). Paratypes (2 ♀♀): Vanuatu, Nambel, Millenium, 15°26.31’S, 167°03.40’E, 200 m alt., 1 ♀ (without hindlegs), 1♀ (Karst sample SK05-Lips19/1747-1759), J. Lips, 8.VIII.2005 ( MNHN-ENSIF 2899, 2900, alcohol collection vials 553, 554).
OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 1 ♀, 2 juveniles. Vanuatu, Nambel, Millenium, 15°26.31’S, 167°03.40’E, 200 m alt., 2 juveniles (Karst sample SK05-Lips19/1747), 8.VIII.2005, J. Lips ( MNHN-ENSIF 2900, alcohol collection vial 554). — Same locality, date and collector as the holotype, 1 ♀ (ovipositor broken) ( MNHN- ENSIF 2901, alcohol collection vial 555).
ETYMOLOGY. — Species named after the speleologist Josiane Lips, who collected the specimens in Santo caves.
DIAGNOSIS. — In addition to the characters of the genus, species characterised by its size, pattern of colouration
(head, pronotum, tergites, legs), very short ovipositor and detailed shape of female genitalia.
DESCRIPTION
Species large and robust. Global colouration yellowish, with brown spots and marks.
Head
Vertex and fastigium not separated by a steep slope ( Fig. 5A View FIG ). Fastigium as wide as the scapes ( Fig. 5B View FIG ); median ocellus subapical in position, but located in a shallow depression, not in a deep furrow ( Fig. 5B, C View FIG ). Eyes slightly protruding, relatively small (only slightly longer than the scapes). Maxillary palpi long; joint 5 longer than joint 4, itself longer than joint 3; joint 5 slightly widened apically, truncated obliquely ( Fig. 5D View FIG ).
Pronotum
Slightly transverse; dorsal disc distinctly longer than the lateral lobes ( Fig. 5E View FIG ); anterior angles of lateral lobes raised dorsally ( Fig. 5F View FIG ).
Legs
TI with two ventral apical spurs; inner spur the longest.TII with three apical spurs (no outer dorsal spur); inner ventral spur the longest.TIII with four pairs of subapical spurs ( Fig. 5G View FIG ), the inner of each pair slightly lower on tibia than the outer; subapical spurs otherwise arranged symmetrically along a median, serrulated keel; outer subapical spurs all of equal size; inner subapical spurs increasing in length toward tibia apex; distance between subapical spurs 1 and 2 equal to the distance between subapical spur 1 and tibia apex ( Fig. 5G View FIG ); three pairs of apical spurs: outer apical spurs small, the median the longest; inner apical spurs very long, the median longer than half basitarsus III, the dorsal (the longest) at least ⁄₄ as long as basitarsus III ( Fig.5G View FIG ).TIII serrulation made of extremely small spines: median keel without spine between apex and spurs 1, 3-5 between spurs 1 and 2; 3-5 between spurs 2 and 3; four between spurs 3 and 4; lateral serrulation above subapical spurs: 9-10 inner and 7-10 outer teeth. Basitarsi III flattened dorsally, with 0-1 spine dorsal on inner margin, five on outer margin, in addition to a small apical outer spine. Tarsal claws long and acute.
Cerci very long.
Colouration
Very light colouration, perhaps due to preservation in alcohol. Head dorsum light yellow ( Fig. 5B View FIG ); four longitudinal brown lines, joining anteriorly along posterior margins of antennal pits, lateral lines bordering the inner margins of the eyes. Eyes black, lower margin lighter. Ocelli whitish; median ocelli connected by a transverse whitish line on the face. Fastigium yellow laterally; behind median ocellus, a median longitudinal brown line, subdivided into two transverse lines separate from lateral ocelli by a white transverse line. Face yellowish ( Fig. 5C View FIG ); two longitudinal dark brown lines on each side of median ocellus, along antennal pits; antennal pit lower margins marked with brown. Cheeks light yellow, except for lower third and posterior margin, lightly mottled with brown; a wide brown spot behind each eye ( Fig. 5A View FIG ). Mouthparts yellow; clypeus whitish. Palpi white, last three joints densely covered by strong black setae, except in basal fourth. Scapes light yellow; a median whitish spot, a lower light ochre spot and an upper brown line on ventral side ( Fig.5C View FIG ). Antennae light yellowish brown.Pronotum brown with yellow pattern ( Fig. 5E, F View FIG ); anterior and posterior margins yellowish, with numerous strong black setae (except on lower margins of lateral lobes); dorsal disc otherwise with a thin, longitudinal, light yellow line, a pair of yellow rounded spots more or less distinct just behind anterior margin, another pair in posterior third, and a very large yellowish fleck in anterior half, including brownish muscular inscriptions and a pair of small brownish lines; lateral lobes with a wide transverse yellow band. Legs light yellow with brown marks, densely covered with short black setae.TI,TII with a brown fleck near the knee and three brown rings, one subapical surrounding tympana, one at about mid length and one apical. TIII with a distal and an apical brown rings, and brown flecks around each pair of subapical spurs. FI, FII with four brown marks on each side, the most apical on the knee and prolonged along femur ventral margin, the subapical at about �⁄₄ of femur length, extended dorsally as an almost complete ring and often connected to apical fleck. FIII with brownish knees; two subapical brown rings; basal half with brown stripes on dorsal side, light yellow on lower part.Apical spurs light yellow, apex brown. Basitarsi light yellow, apex brown. Tarsomeres 2 brown. Tarsomeres 3 light yellow, marked with brown basally. Tarsal claws light yellow, brown apically.Tergites yellow dorsally, with a light-brown median dotted band; anterior and posterior margins bordered with light brown, this colouration getting darker toward abdomen tip; tergites brown laterally, with a pair of whitish dots on each side, more or less conspicuous along abdomen. Supra-anal plate brown. Cerci brown on basal half, somewhat lighter basally; yellowish on distal half.
Male
Unknown. Most probably winged.
Female
HWs vestigial. FWs not reaching posterior margin of tergite III.Dorsal field venation ( Fig.5H View FIG ) comprising eight regularly spaced, faint, longitudinal veins, with many, very faint, transverse veins in distal half: 3 anal veins (2A and 3A bifurcated 2-3 times each, 1A straight), CuP bifurcated twice, CuA straight, MP clearly visible only after its connection to MA on FW apical fourth and delimiting a small vanal fan; area between CuA/MP and MA thus wide and regular, without transverse veins. Lateral field ( Fig. 5I View FIG ) delimited by MA; MA and R much stronger than other veins; area between MA and R wide, crossed by numerous transverse veins; R bifurcated 8 times; many transverse veins in lower half of R bifurcations. FWs brown, perhaps yellowish on dorsal basal third, area between CuA and MA lighter (whitish?); densely covered by short, golden setae. Sternites light yellow; posterior margin of sternite 8 light brown. Subgenital plate as on Figure 5J View FIG ; posterior margin concave; yellowish brown. Ovipositor very short, only ⅓ as long as FIII; apex small and acute; dorsal valves with transverse crests, ventral valves with three main teeth, in addition to smaller ones ( Fig. 6 View FIG A-C).
Female genitalia
Copulatory papilla only slightly sclerotised, very long and thin, somewhat plicated ( Fig. 6D, E View FIG ); lateral margins subparallel, apex rounded. Spermathecal duct very short, thin between papilla and spermatheca, but wider within papilla, and with a large, trench-like aperture; gonopore located at spermatheca mid length, not apical. Spermatheca large, bean-shaped ( Fig. 6E View FIG ).
Juvenile
Colouration similar to that of females.
Measurements
See Table 2.
Variation
Head dorsum: longitudinal brown lines very thin; on the face, brownish area under the eyes and antennal pits, perhaps (partially?) prolonged down to epistemal suture. Pronotum: yellowish spots near dorsal disc anterior third more or less conspicuous, sometimes absent; posterior margin bordered with yellowish brown. Joint 3 of maxillary palpi brown basally.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.