Itara (Bornitara) spinosa Tan & Wahab, 2020

Tan, Ming Kai, Japir, Razy, Chung, Arthur Y. C. & Wahab, Rodzay Bin Haji Abdul, 2020, New taxa of crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phaloriinae, Phalangopsinae Itarinae and Podoscirtinae) from Borneo (Brunei Darussalam and Sandakan), Zootaxa 4810 (2), pp. 244-270 : 255-259

Itara (Bornitara) spinosa Tan & Wahab , sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–11 )

Material examined. Male holotype (KB.19.9), Temburong District, Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre, attracted to light, 12 July 2019, coll. M. K. Tan & H. Yeo ( UBDM) .

Diagnosis. This new species differs from congeners by epiphallus fairly broad, with a distinct dorsal spine (ds) at middle of epiphallus, with large ventral spine (vs) and fairly long and slightly hooked apex (ap), ectoparameres (ec) with distinctly shaped anterior half and long and cylindrical posterior half; and tegminal venation with welldeveloped additional vein connecting all oblique veins near CuA.

Comparison with congeners. The new species resembles I. (B.) sabahensis Gorochov, 1997 from Sandakan (Sabah), as well as I. (B.) latipennis Chopard, 1930 and I. (B.) matangi Gorochov, 2012 most, both from the southern part of Sarawak relatively far from Brunei Darussalam, by shape of male genitalia and tegminal venation; but differs from I. (B.) latipennis by ventral spine (vs) on epiphallus longer in profile (more similar to I. (B.) matangi and I. (B.) sabahensis ), apex of epiphallus more strongly hooked (ap) in profile (similar to I. (B.) matangi and I. (B.) sabahensis ) and anterior emargination (ae) narrower; from I. (B.) matangi by posterior half of epiphallus not so strongly concave and narrow in dorsal view; differs from I. (B.) sabahensis , I. (B.) latipennis and I. (B.) matangi by epiphallus with distinct dorsal spine (ds) at middle of epiphallus and ectoparameres (ec) posterior process slenderer and more elongated, touching each other at apex in ventral view. This new species also differs from I. (B.) chopardi Gorochov, 1997 from Murud (not too far from Brunei) by presence of well-developed additional vein connecting all oblique veins near CuA (instead of interrupted near the longest oblique vein).

Description. Habitus very typical of the genus, relatively large and somewhat dorsoventrally compressed ( Fig. 9A ). Head rounded, very finely pubescent; rostrum 1.7 times as wide as scapus, with apex truncated (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 9B ); scapus stout; maxillary palpi slender and elongated, with apical segment longest, obliquely clavate and apex truncated ( Fig. 9C ); eyes oval in dorsal view ( Fig. 9B ), oblong in lateral view ( Fig. 9C ); median ocellus round and small; lateral ocelli oblong and large, located near eyes ( Fig. 9D ). Pronotal disc 1.8 times as wide as long, distinctly widening posteriorly (anterior margin 0.6 times as wide as posterior margin); finely pubescent with strong hairs along anterior and posterior margins; anterior margin of disc straight to slightly concave (when dried); posterior margin of disc slightly convex ( Fig. 9B ). Pronotal lateral lobe 1.6 times as long as high, with ventral margin straight ( Fig. 9C ). Fore and middle legs generally pubescent (especially along ventral margin), with a few stout setae usually located along dorsal margin; tarsus with a row of stout setae on ventral surface. Fore tibia with distinctly swollen on inner side, with inner tympanum very elongated slit-like, with outer tympanum open and having large, elongate, oblong tympanal membrane. Hind femur finely pubescent, without ventral spines; hind tibia also pubescent, with about 8 small and stout denticules at anterior half on each dorsal side, with 5 long dorsal subapical spurs on inner and outer margins; hind basitarsus with about 6 inner and 6 outer denticles.

Metanotal gland ( Fig. 9E ) with roundly curved transverse concavity in anterior part of metanotum, large and low median convexity on middle part, rather large and shallow concavity (approximately coincident with much lighter area at centre of metanotum) at apex of this concavity, and an oval whitish tubercle and keel-like structures behind this concavity.

Tegmen ( Fig. 10 ) very finely pubescent, extending beyond abdominal apex, with dorsal field longer than lateral field; with four oblique veins in harp area, and well developed additional vein connecting all oblique veins near CuA; tegminal mirror large, 1.5 times as wide as long, with anterior margin angular, with posterior margin widely rounded, with a sinuous dividing; anal area of tegmen longer than length of mirror; lateral field wide, with 10 parallel strong branches of Sc and about 7 cross-veins (often indistinct) between R and M ( Fig. 10 ); R and M mostly parallel, strongly diverging towards apex; hind wings slightly surpassing tegmina ( Fig. 10 ).

Anal plate tongue-shaped, with lateral keel distinct in anterior half ( Fig. 11A ). Subgenital plate elongated, gradually narrowing to subacute apex ( Fig. 11A ).

Male genitalia as shown in Figs. 11 B–D: Epiphallus in dorsal view elongated but fairly broad, gradually narrowing to apex, lateral margin slightly concave after middle, apex somewhat truncated; in ventral view with platelike structure in apical half, this plate with anterior margin faintly sinuous and narrowly emarginated in middle, laterally produced into ventrad-pointing spine (vs); in profile with characteristics S-shaped dorsal edge, with a distinct dorsal spine at middle of epiphallus (ds), lacks row of denticles on ventral surface, apex strongly curved upwards and faintly hooked (ap), ventral margin with a relatively large spine in middle, anterior emargination (ae) narrow. Ectoparameres (ec) with anterior half wide, inner lobe rounded; posterior half cylindrical, elongated (as long as length of anterior half), slightly curved with apex obtuse.

Female. Unknown.

Colouration. Body generally brown ( Fig. 9A ). Head and pronotum dark brown ( Fig. 9B ); scapus and pedicel slightly lighter in colouration; frons yellow brown; gena whitish immediately ventral of eye and then dark brown; maxillary palpi greyish. Tegminal dorsal field mostly transparent with tint of grey, veins usually darker (but not always), anal area infumated yellow brown; area between M, R and Sc infumated dark brown; lateral tegminal field pale mostly transparent with darker brown veins ( Fig. 10 ). Hind wings infumated dark. Legs generally with coxae pale, femora pale brown except near knees which are darker, tibiae and tarsi brown. Abdominal tergites grey brown, sternites yellow brown.

Measurements (in mm). Male holotype BL = 15.9; HL = 1.9; PL = 2.4; PW = 4.3; TL = 14.8; TW = 6.4; HWL = 4.1; HFL = 7.0; HTL = 5.8.

Etymology. The species name refers to the characteristic distinct dorsal spine (ds) at middle of epiphallus (spinosa = point or spike, feminine).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Itara (Bornitara) spinosa sp. nov. male holotype habitus in dorsal view (A), head and pronotum in dorsal (B) and lateral (C) views, face in anterior view (D) and metanotal gland in dorsal view (E). Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Itara (Bornitara) spinosa sp. nov. male holotype tegmen in dorsal view. Scale bar: 5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Itara (Bornitara) spinosa sp. nov. male holotype abdominal apex in dorsal view (A), genitalia in lateral (B), dorsal (C) and ventral (D) views. Scale bar: 1 mm.