Aclella troxalis ( Otte, 2006 )

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure, 2014, New taxa and data for Neotropical Phalangopsidae (Orthoptera, Grylloidea), Zootaxa 3866 (3), pp. 398-420 : 415-419

Aclella troxalis ( Otte, 2006) , n. comb.

( Fig. 6 A, B, 7 A–D, G, J)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName: 28629 Selvacla troxali s Otte, 2006: 374.

Type locality. Costa Rica, Prov. Heredia, 16km SSE of La Virgen, 10 ° 16 ’N 84 °05’W, 1050–1150 m, INBio-OET ALAS transect.

Type material. Holotype, 1 male, april 2001 ( INBio).

Examined material. Costa Riva, Heredia province, Finca Murillo, 1500 m, 1 male, jour, 16.iii. 2005, fnLD 34, under raised bark of a dead trunk not lying on the ground; same locality, 1 male, by night, 14.iii. 2005, fnLD 50, at about 1m high on a liana set against a trunk 1,20m in diameter with many holes and epiphytes; same locality, 15.iii. 2005, night, 1 female, fnLD 84, on a bent trunk with many lianas, 1 female, fnLD 85, on a mossy trunk 30cm in diameter at 30 cm high; same locality, 18.iii. 200, 1 male, fnLD 50, night, on a hollow standing dead tree, 1 female, fnLD 49, on a broken trunk 6 cm in diameter at 1.50 M high, 1 female, fnLD 52, on a horizontal twig at 1.20m high, L. Desutter-Grandcolas, MNHN-EO-ENSIF 3589-3595.

Emended diagnosis. In addition to the characters given by Otte (2006: 374), Aclella troxalis has a dark brown face (mostly yellow in A. isthmiensis ), with a distinctive yellow longitudinal median band, this band extending from median ocellus to beyond epistemal suture, abruptly widened at distal third of its length and including a dark spot located above and below the epistemal suture; two additional yellow spots under each eye ( Fig. 6 A); palpi entirely brown. The lateral lobe of pronotum is also entirely dark (lower margin yellow in A. isthmiensis ) and without a yellow longitudinal band on upper margin (present in A. isthmiensis ). In male genitalia, the median process of pseudepiphallic sclerite ( Fig. 6 B) is entirely sclerotized (membranous in A. isthmiensis and A. matilei ), and it is clearly widened before apex laterally (compared to A. nova Desutter-Grandcolas , n. sp., see Fig. 6 B and 6 D); in lateral view, peudepiphallus as in Fig. 7 G; in ventral view, the lateral processes of pseudepiphallus are apically truncate ( Fig. 6 B, 7 J). Female ovipositor shorter than FIII. Female copulatory papilla short, clearly bifid at apex ( Fig. 7 B); ventral invagination lower than in A. isthmiensis and A. matilei .

Emended description. In addition to the characters of the genus:

Female. Subgenital plate wider than long; distal margin convex ( Fig. 7 A). Ovipositor smaller than FIII, about 10 mm long (see measurements below); ovipositor apex slightly widened ventrally and dorsally, without ornementation.

Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla small ( Fig. 7 B–D), its apex membranous and clearly bifid; its ventral sclerotization only shortly longer than dorsal one; inner ventral invagination clearly present, but much lower than in other species of the genus.

Measurements.

Aclella brevipennis Desutter-Grandcolas , n. sp. ( Fig. 6 C, 7 E, F, H, K)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName: 465868

Type locality. Costa Rica, Pocayas, volcan de Irazu.

Type material. Holotype: Costa Rica, Pocayas, eastern slopes of volcan de Irazu, 6000–6250 ft, 1 male, 6.ix. 1923 (Rehn & Lankester), ANSP. Allotype, same data as the holotype, 1 female, ANSP. Paratype, 1 male: same locality and collector as the holotype, 1 male, 8.xi. 1923, MNHN-EO-ENSIF 3596.

Diagnosis. Species very close to A. troxalis , but of bigger size and with slightly different male genitalia ( Fig. 6 C, size larger; pseudepiphallic sclerite with a longitudinal crest clearly convex before apex, see Fig. 7 H; pseudepiphallic lateral lobes sclerotized and rounded at apex ( Fig. 7 K)). Female copulatory papilla very short and deeply emarginate ( Fig. 7 E, F).

Description. Size large for the genus, and coloration darker than in A. isthmiensis and A. matilei , but very similar to A. troxalis . Eyes, fastigium, scapes, pronotum, tympanum, TI apical spurs, TIII serrulation, basitarsomere III length as in all the species of the genus, but: Inner margin of antennal pits not as high as in A. isthmiensis and A. matilei . TII with 3 apical spurs, the inner ventral spur the longest. TIII with 4 outer and 3 inner subapical spurs, the inners lower on the tibia than the outers; inner serrulation: no spine before spur 1, between spurs 1 and 2, and between spurs 2 and 3, 10 (female) to 13 (male) spines above spur 3; outer serrulation: no spine before spur 1 and between spurs 1 and 2, no (female) or 1 spine (male) between spurs 2 and 3, 1 (female) or 2–4 (male) spines between spurs 3 and 4, 8– 10 (female) or 12 (male) above spur 4. Basitarsomeres III with no (female) or 1 (male) inner dorsal spine, and 4 (female) or 2–4 (male) outer dorsal spines, in addition to apical spines.

Male. FWs as in other winged species of the genus; stridulatory file with 39–47 teeth (n= 2).

Male genitalia. Very similar to that of A. troxalis ( Fig. 6 C), but the genitalia bigger, the median process of pseudepiphallic sclerite distinctly convex ( Fig. 7 H), and the lateral processes longer and apically rounded (compare Fig. 7 J and 7 K).

Female. Ovipositor longer than FIII.

Female genitalia. Copulatory papilla more or less as in A. troxalis , very small, deeply indented at apex; ventral invagination low.

Measurements.

Lpron wpron LFIII LTIII Lovip Allotype: 2.7 3.5 11.9 9.9 12.1 Aclella nova Desutter-Grandcolas , n. sp. ( Fig. 6 D, 7 I, L, M)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName: 465869

Type locality. Costa Rica, Province Heredia, 11 km SE La Virgen, 10 ° 20 ’N 84 °04’W, 450– 550 m.

Type material. Holotype: Costa Rica, Province Heredia, 11 km SE La Virgen, 10 ° 20 ’N 84 °04’W, 450–550 m, 1 male, 23.v.2003, 05/TH/06/016, INBio-OET ALAS transect, INBio (in alcohol).

Diagnosis. Species very close to A. troxalis , from which it can be separated by its smaller size and its male genitalia (pseudepiphallic sclerite very narrow distally ( Fig. 6 D) and lateral processes abruptly narrowed before apex: compare Fig. 6 B and 6 D, 7 J and 7 L). General coloration and morphology as in A. troxalis (see above).

Description. Size small. Head, tympana, male FWs, TIII spurs as in the genus description. TII with 3 apical spurs (outer dorsal spur lacking). TIII serrulation: inner serrulation: no spine before spur 1 and between spurs 1 and 2, 1 spine between spurs 2 and 3, 14 spines above spur 3; outer serrulation: no spine before spur 1 and between spurs 1 and 2, 2 spines between spurs 2 and 3, 2 spines between spurs 3 and 4, 10 spines above spur 4. Basitarsomeres III with 1 inner dorsal spine, and 3 outer dorsal spines, in addition to apical spines.

Coloration. Unclear (specimen in alcohol). General coloration brown abundantly marked with yellow; dorsum (abdomen, FWs) probably lighter. Face brown with yellow as in A. troxalis , but brown spot within the longitudinal yellow band of the face elongate and thin. Palpi brown, their dorsal edge ivory. Tibiae with 4 brown rings. Cerci with a light basal ring. Subgenital plate with a with clear longitudinal median band, wider anteriorly.

Male. FWs very short, highly setose; on the thickened right FW, venation hardly distinct, only the stridulatory file clearly visible in a deep depression; stridulatory file with about 51 teeth; on the left FW, dorsal field soft and thin with a complete stridulum (harp with 5 or 6 parallel veins, mirror triangular). Subgenital plate longer than wide, slightly emarginate distally ( Fig. 7 M).

Male genitalia. Pseudepiphallic sclerite as an acute triangle, with a thin, high and not bifid apex ( Fig. 6 D). Lateral processes of pseudepiphallus sclerotized ventrally; distinctly narrowed at distal half ( Fig. 7 L). Ectophallic apodemes short and straight, not reaching the anterior margin of endophallic apodeme ( Fig. 6 D).

Female. Unknown.

Measurements.

Field work in Costa Rica was supported by the program ALAS ( OTS, NGS, INBio) and I thank Jack Longino for inviting me in 2005 to collect and study crickets at Finca La Selva and at the Finca Murillo field station. I also thank the staff of the ALAS project, and particularly Flor Cascante Gomez, for their great help in working with ALAS insect collections. Photographs of collection specimens have been taken by Guy Lecorvec ( MNHN).