Tettigonia caudata subsp. caudata, Charpentier, 1842

Nagar, Rajendra & Swaminathan, R., 2017, First report of the genus Tettigonia Linnaeus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae) and record of Tettigonia caudata caudata (Charpentier, 1842) from India, Zootaxa 4258 (3), pp. 294-300 : 295-299

Tettiigonia caudata caudata (Charpentier, 1842)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:1737

Material examined: Northwestern India, Rajasthan ; Bikaner; 15.xi.2014, Coll. Rajendra Nagar (SKRAU, Bikaner); 28 0 10’ N Latitude; 73 0 35’ E Longitude, 235MSL.

Description. Male—Fastigium of vertex narrower than the first antennal segment. Pronotum with broad U-shaped transverse sulcus in dorsal view; prozona with a lateral sulcus, anterior margin rounded, concave, posterior margin rounded; metazona punched about as high as long, lateral margin rounded. Auditory spiracle opening is large and without obstruction by the posterior lateral extension of the pronotal shield. Tegmina length is 24mm and longer than abdomen; greatest width of tegmina wider than length of pronotum; tegmina with base and apex margins slightly narrow; PLATE I. Tettigonia caudata caudata (Charpentier, 1842) male 1–11: 1. Lateral view; 2. Tegmina; 3. Dorsal view of head; 4. Dorsal view of pronotum; 5. Lateral view of pronotum; 6. Dorsal view of stridulatory file; 7. Mirror on right tegmina; 8. Ventral view of stridulatory file on left tegmina; 9. Dorsal view of fore tibia (a. tympanum); 10. Dorsal view of middle tibia; 11. Hind tarsus (Plantula).

PLATE II. Tettigonia caudata caudata (Charpentier, 1842) male 1–14: 1. Ventral view of fore femur; 2. Ventral view of middle femur; 3. Ventral view of hind femur; 4. Fore knee (genicular lobe on inner margin); 5. Middle knee (genicular lobe on inner margin); 6. Hind knee (genicular lobe on inner margin); 7. Middle fumur (genicular lobe on outer margin); 8. Sternum lobes; 9. Dorsal view of cerci; 10. Ventral view of cerci; 11. Apical spur on hind tibia; 12. Dorsal view of tenth abdominal tergite; 13.Ventral view of subgenital plate; 14. Titillators.

radius sector branching about in the middle of tegmina, rarely before middle, costa vein with 5 sub branches, subcostal vein with 10 sub branches, radial vein with 2 sub branches (1-0), the second ramified further into 4 (R1, R2, R3, R4); MP un-branched, MA 4-branched. Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmina with about 80 large teeth, 30 small teeth (total 110), which are spaced in basal half, gradually becoming narrower and denser towards the apex. Tenth abdominal tergite broadly prolonged behind in middle and slightly curved ventrad, forming an inverted-U [Π-shaped] incision in middle, apex rounded. Supra anal plate small, tongue-shaped, furrowed in middle, with apex rounded. Cerci conical, long, base half flattened suddenly narrowing apically, apex with two spines; one spine strongly curved upwards at base when viewed ventrally, second internal spine strongly curved downwards, apex pointed, acute. Subgenital plate with apex extended, wide roundly excised in middle (our hand specimen subgenital plate is somewhat damaged); styli long, flattened suddenly slightly narrowing towards apex. Knee genicular lobes of fore femora with 2 spines on internal margin and 1 small black spine on external margin. All legs (fore, middle & hind) with small coxal spines. Anterior femur with 5–7 spines on ventro-internal margin; no spines on ventro-external margin. Anterior tibiae frontally rounded, but laterally flat; 3 dorso-external spines; no spine dorso-internally; 6-6 spines on ventro-internal and external; no spines on apical margin. Knee genicular lobes of middle femora with 2 spines on internal margin and 1 small spine on external margin. Middle femora with 3-3 spines on ventro-external, 6–8 spines on ventro-internal; tibia with 2-2 spines dorsointernally, 4-4 spines dorso-externally; 6-6 spines on ventro internal and external part; no spines on apical margin. Knee genicular lobes of hind femora with 1 spine each on internal and external margin, 11-11 spines on ventro-internal and external; hind tibia with 17–19 spines on dorso-internal, 20–24 spines on dorso-external; 6-6 spines on ventro-internal; 11-11 spines on ventro-external with 6 apical spurs. Titillators with two highly sclerotized sclerites, apically slightly curved (hooked) towards apex; narrowing distal portion very organized rows of very small serrate ventrally, beak like projected, apex view black.

Measurement (mm). Pronotum 8.10; Tegmina length 47.00; I Femur 9.50; II Femur 13.00; III Femur 31.00; I Leg 24.50; II Leg 29.50; III leg 67.00; body length up to genitalia; 32.00; Body up to wing 56.00.

Habitat. The katydids are found amidst sub-tropical primary grasses, especially sorghum together with secondary vegetation as shrubs and grasses. Often nocturnal, but are encountered during the day on vegetation at rest.

Colouration. Brown with irregular light and dark patterns; with light brown spots. Frons including fastigium frontis and antennal scrobae, flagellum light brown with pedical light brown spots; sometimes less dark in middle; mouthparts whitish or brown; labrum partly light dark brown; palpi brown, apices of most segments pale; antennae brown with spaced white annulation, first two segments with black marks. Hind area of genae brown; compound eyes light black; ventral margin and a spot near scapus black. Pronotum on black spot, median carina white and lateral margins of disc white; anterior half of metazona yellowish with light brown; lateral lobes with an approximately round brown spot, in basal part below dorsal margin, ventrally marginated by a brown spots. Tympana of anterior tibiae with outer portions brown, inner portion concolorous, transparent. Tegmina brown, anterior margin some with aggregation of smoke black dots mainly between radius and anal margin. Stridulatory area brown, mirror light transparent. Fore, medium legs with various shades of brown spots, hind femur whitish dots of variable size, hind tibia black brown spots; all femur spines black, tibia spines light brown tip dark brown.

Depositories. The specimen has been deposited in the Reference Chamber of the Insect Museum (Kushwaha Keet Sangrahalaya), Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan, INDIA .

Distribution. Northwestern India, Rajasthan; Bikaner.