Eumecopoda Hebard, 1922

Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, Baker, Ed, Ingrisch, Sigfrid, Korsunovskaya, Olga, Liu, Chun-Xiang, Riede, Klaus & Warchałowska-Šliwa, Elżbieta, 2021, Bioacoustics and systematics of Mecopoda (and related forms) from South East Asia and adjacent areas (Orthoptera, Tettigonioidea, Mecopodinae) including some chromosome data, Zootaxa 5005 (2), pp. 101-144 : 131-132

Genus Eumecopoda Hebard, 1922

(Fastigium verticis blunt, with transverse keel; gap between fastigium frontis and fastigium distinct; Fig. 16 )

Paramecopoda Gorochov 2020, syn. nov.

The genus Eumecopoda was introduced by Hebard (1922) with E. cyrtoscelis Karsch, 1888 as type species. Hebard listed several supposed genus-specific characters. However, not all of them are diagnostic. Interestingly, the shape of the fastigium is described as looking as in M. dilatata and M. divergens , but Hebard did not mention these species. Also with regard to the distinct gap between fastigium frontis and fastigium verticis E. cyrtoscelis is similar to these species ( Fig. 16 ). In Eumecopoda according to Hebard (1922) „the tips of the tegmina are somewhat falcate“. This characteristic, however, is also seen in M. platyphoea ( Fig. 19 ). Hebard mentions also the structure of the tympana in the fore tibiae, open in Mecopoda and partially closed in Eumecopoda . However, according to Griffini (1908), E. cyrtoscelis „has considerable variability in the structure of the tympani of the front tibiae, now almost concave, now rhymed, often differently made to the front side and the back side, being able to be in the open side and in this somewhat closed or even vice versa“ ( Griffini 1908, translated). A similar or even larger variation is seen in M. dilatata , where specimens with open tympana and with the condition as in E. cyrtoscelis have been found ( Fritze 1900, Griffini 1908). Gorochov (2020) used this character to differentiate his new (sub)genus Paramecopoda. All Eumecopoda species (no information available for E. walkeri ) seem to have femora supplied dorsally with blunt tubercles, a characteristic not found outside the genus and also not found in Paramecopoda granulosa (no information available for M. platyphoea ).

We will use the character from Hebard’s (1922) description „the tips of the tegmina are somewhat falcate“ as differential character of Eumecopoda (see Fig. 19 und figs. 20–21 in Gorochov 2020) to unite a group of species similar to, but different from Mecopoda . Based on this definition, the genus Eumecopoda includes the Philippine species E. reducta Hebard, 1922 , E. walkeri Kirby, 1891 and E. granulosa ( Gorochov, 2020) stat. nov., the four species E. cyrtoscelis Karsch, 1888 , E. moluccarum Griffini, 1908 , E. superba Bolívar, 1898 and E. spinosa ( Gorochov, 2020) stat. nov. occurring around New Guinea ( Fig. 21 ; Tab. 6 ), and E. platyphoea Walker, 1871 stat. nov. from Sri Lanka. Future studies have to show if this biogeographic pattern is reflected in phylogeny. Mecopoda kerinci with its single known male specimen may remain in Mecopoda for the moment.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Frontal view of the head in Mecopoda and Eumecopoda species. A M. angusta, male, B M. angusta, female, C M. dilatata, male, syntype, D M. divergens, male, NMW, E M. divergens, female, holotype, F E. cyrtoscelis zhantievi subsp. nov., male, holotype.

FIGURE 19. Tegmina in Mecopoda and Eumecopoda species. A M. angusta, male, B M. angusta, female, C M. divergens, female, holotype, photo without scale, size according to the description, D E. platyphoea stat. nov., female, holotype, E E. cyrtoscelis zhantievi subsp. nov., male, holotype, F E. cyrtoscelis zhantievi subsp. nov., female, paratype. Scale 10 mm.

FIGURE 21. Distribution map of Eumecopoda species in and around Northwestern New Guinea. 1 type locality of E. cyrtoscelis zhantievi subsp. nov., 2 type locality of E. cyrtoscelis aru (Gorochov 2020, Redtenbacher 1892, Willemse 1933), 3–6 E. cyrtoscelis cyrtoscelis (3 type locality, 4 Hebard 1922, 5, 6 Helfert & Sänger 2007), 7–8 E. superba (7 Griffini 1908, Gorochov 2020, 8 type locality), 9–11 E. moluccarum (9 type locality, 10 Hebard 1922, 11 Gorochov 2020), 12 type locality of E. sp. spinosa Gorochov 2020, 13 type locality of E. spinosa supiori Gorochov 2020. Map based on SimpleMappr (Shorthouse, 2010).