Paraxantia bicornis Liu & Kang

Liu, Chun-Xiang & Kang, Le, 2009, A new genus, Paraxantia gen. nov., with descriptions of four new species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from China, Zootaxa 2031, pp. 36-52 : 51

Paraxantia bicornis Liu & Kang sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 , 25, 36, 37, 43, 47, 54, 59, 64)

Holotype: male, CHINA: Guangxi: Jinxiu, Sliver fir Spot, 1100m, 10.v.1999, no. 1341829, Coll. Li Wenzhu ( IZAS).

Paratype: 1 male, CHINA: Guangxi: Jinxiu, Jinzhong Road, 1100m, 10.v.1999, no. 1341828, Coll. Xiao Hui ( IZAS).

Description: Male (holotype). Size large for typical phaneropterines, but distinctly smaller than Paraxantia tibetensis . Pronotal disk ( Figs.10 , 15 ) with deeply engraved anterior transverse groove, lying at basal fifth, and distinct middle transverse groove, lying slightly before middle; one oblique slightly granular line beginning in middle of each lateral carina, then ending in middle of posterior margin. Anterior femur armed with 6 small spines on ventro-anterior margin; median femur armed with 9–10 small spines on ventroanterior margin; posterior femur with 26–28 anterior and 0–2 subapical posterior spines on ventral margins. Anterior tibiae with 2–4 dorsal spines on posterior margins; median tibiae with 7 dorsal spines on posterior margin; posterior tibiae with 25 anterior and 27–28 posterior dorsal spines. Tegmen: Wings developed well. Hind wing longer than tegmen. Tegmen extending beyond apex of hind femur. Radial vein of tegmen with two other oblique branches reaching posterior margin after radial sector vein. Left stridulatory area (Fig. 36) with posterior margin obtusely angular, greatest width between CuM vein and posterior margin small, about 4.5 millimeters. Stridulatory vein short, with straight fine stridulatory file composed of 27 distinct teeth, among which apical 13 large teeth are of equal size, and widely arranged, remaining 14 teeth are gradually becoming smaller and sparsely arranged from middle to base ( Figs. 43 , 47 ). Right stridulatory area with distinct irregular quadrangular mirror (Fig. 37).

Epiproct sharp triangular. Cerci robust, bifurcate at apical fourth, dorsal one conical, produced inwards and upwards, with apex rounded; ventral one produced and horizontally inwards, abruptly tapering into a long sharp spine ( Fig. 59 ). Subgenital plate wider than long, with distinct middle carina; apical margin with a wide triangular notch at middle; styli small, just slightly longer than notch (Fig. 54). Unpaired lower sclerite of phallus with sheet-like upper arm, which slightly longer than conical corn-like spinous lower one, notch between lower lateral arm widely obtuse angular ( Fig. 64 ).

Female unknown.

Color: Green, just compound eyes, tip of tibial spines, spines of internal cercal fork and sclerites of genitalia brown.

Measurements of male (mm): Length of body 29.5; length of pronotum 9.5; length of tegmen 55.5; width of tegmen 20.2; greatest width of tegminal dorsal part 4.5; length of hind wing 60.0; length of anterior femur 9.2; length of middle femur 14.1; length of posterior femur 26.5.

Etymology: The name is illustrative of the shape of the sclerite of the phallus.

Discussion: The new species resembles Paraxantia sinica ( Liu, 1993) in the general view, including the structure of head, common characteristics of pronotum, wings, legs and abdominal apex in the genus Paraxantia . These two species differ in the details of stridulatory area of tegmen, and male abdominal apex. Paraxantia bicornis differs from P. sinensis by obtusely angular stridulatory area, stridulatory file on underside of the left tegmen, specific cerci and genitalia.

Distribution: China: Guangxi.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. head Paraxantia gen. nov. in caudal view. Fig. 1, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 2, P. sin ica (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 3, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 4, P. p a r a s i n i c a sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 5, P. bicornis sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 6 – 10. head and pronotum of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 6, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 7, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 8, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 9, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 10, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 11 – 15. head and pronotum of Paraxantia gen. nov. in lateral view. Fig. 11, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 12, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 13, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 14, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 15, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 16 – 25. Photograph of head of Paraxantia gen. nov. Figs. 16, 21, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 17, 22, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Figs. 18, 23, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 19, 24, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 20, 25, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 16 – 20, head in caudical view; Figs. 21 – 25, head of Paraxantia sp. in dorsal view. (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 38 – 43. male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen of Paraxantia gen. nov. Fig. 38, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Figs. 39, 40, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (Fig. 39, paratype from Fujian; Fig. 40, another paratype from Fujian); Fig. 41, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 42, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 43, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype).

FIGURES 44 – 47. male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen of Paraxantia gen. nov. Fig. 44, P. s i n i c a (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 45, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 46, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 47, P. bicornis sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 55 – 59. male cerci of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 55, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 56, P. sinica (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 57, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 58, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 59, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)

FIGURES 60 – 64. male concealed sclerotized genitalia of Paraxantia gen. nov. in dorsal view. Fig. 60, P. tibetensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 61, P. s i n i ca (Liu) (paratype from Fujian); Fig. 62, P. hubeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 63, P. parasinica sp. nov. (holotype); Fig. 64, P. b i c o r n i s sp. nov. (holotype). (scale bar = 1 mm)