Ornebius bioculatus, Tan & Ingrisch & Baroga-Barbecho & Yap, 2019

Tan, Ming Kai, Ingrisch, Sigfrid, Baroga-Barbecho, Jessica B. & Yap, Sheryl A., 2019, New species of Ornebius (Orthoptera: Mogoplistidae; Mogoplistinae) from Siargao Island of the Philippines, Zootaxa 4590 (1), pp. 166-176 : 170-173

Ornebius bioculatus , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–5 )

Material examined. Holotype (male, Siargao18_73): Philippines, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Municipality of Del Carmen, Barangay Maayahay , N9.86294, E126.03391, 46.9± 5.7 m, on fern near ground, 16 October 2018, 20 42 hours, coll. M. K. Tan & J. B. Baroga-Barbecho (UPLBMNH).

Diagnosis. The new species differs from congeners by the combination of these characters: tegmen pale yellow, apex with broad black margin interrupted by two pale spots; paraproct process white, flattened on the proximal surface, with basal half slender and apical half expanded; genitalia with lobe of lateral valve folded dorsoventrally, forming a spiral at the apex.

Comparison with congeners. The new species belongs to a group of species, which includes O. flori Ingrisch, 1998 , O. citrus Ingrisch, 2006 and O. rubidus Ingrisch, 1998 from Sabah that have the medial valves of the male phallic complex strongly sclerotized, compressed internal sclerites with acute apex and the base bent dorsad to support the spermatophore sac, while the lateral valves are largely membranous. The new species differs from the three species by the ejaculatory duct surpassing the tip of the lateral valves instead of not surpassing the tip of the lateral valves and the apex of the lateral valves is stout and folded instead of tapering narrowly or being obliquely truncate.

The paraproct of O. bioculatus sp. nov. has a similar colouration as that of O. flori but differs by the widened apical area of the projection, while it is simple cylindrical in O. flori . O. citrus and O. rubidus differ from the new species by black paraproct projections that are anterior-posteriorly compressed in more basal area and the proximal surface is more or less pale except for the tip.

From these three species, O. bioculatus sp. nov. also differs by its pale yellow tegmen ornated in apical area by a broad black band interrupted by two pale spots in middle while in O. flori the dark band is not interrupted by light spots, O. citrus has the tegmen bright yellow with dark apical band, and O. rubidus has uniformly orange tegmina.

The paraproct process of the new species with its widened apical area is also similar to those in O. xinyao Tan, 2015 from Singapore and O. dowwiangkanae Tan et al., 2015 from Thailand. It differs by the internal genitalia with the membranous lateral valve forming lobe at apex and the medial valve compressed instead of lateral valve tapering narrowly in O. xinyao or without distinct lobe but the medial valve thin in O. dowwiangkanae .

The new species also has four dark small spots on each tergite, similar to O. minusculus (Chopard, 1929) from Sipura near Sumatra from which it differs by tegmen colouration being not very dark smoky brown with posterior margin nearly black and maxillary palps without few brown spots. The genitalia of O. minusculus were not described.

Comparison with sympatric congeners. O. bioculatus sp. nov. differs from O. alvarezi sp. nov. by the shape of the apical and subapical segments of the maxillary palps, the shapes of paraproct and genitalia, and by colouration of tegmen and paraprocts. The new species differs from O. cucullatus (Bolívar, 1889) and O. abdominalis (Stål, 1877) in similar manner as O. alvarezi sp. nov.

Description (male holotype). Habitus of male as shown in Figs. 3 , 4 . Head very similar to O. alvarezi sp. nov. ( Fig. 5A ), frontal rostrum also 1.3 times wider than scapus. Maxillary palps with apical (= fifth) and third segments of subequal length, subapical (= fourth) segment shorter than apical segment; apical segment widened apically, subapical segment stout and widened apically ( Fig. 5B ). Pronotum similar to O. alvarezi sp. nov.; also about 1.3

times longer than wide, not covering base of mirror of tegmen ( Fig. 5C ). Tegmen about feebly wider than posterior area of pronotum; mirror roughly triangular, 1.3 times wider than long ( Fig. 5C ). Fore tibia with internal tympanum oval; without external tympanum. Hind femur 1.4 times longer than hind tibia; hind tibia 3.0 times longer than hind metatarsus.

Male. Supra-anal plate with last abdominal tergite and epiproct distinctly separated by a transverse suture; last abdominal tergite transverse, posterior margin slightly concave, with some setae; epiproct broadly tongue-shaped, apex somewhat truncated ( Figs. 5D, 5E ). Paraproct process long with flattened proximal surface, basal half slender, apical half expanded ( Fig. 5E ); with setae on distal surface ( Figs. 5E, 5F ). Male genitalia as in Figs. 5 G–I. Epiphallus membranous. Lateral valves partly sclerotized, forming separate lobes; lobe weakly sclerotized; at apex folded dorsoventrally, forming a spiral. Medial valve curved at base forming a semi-circle, basal margin emarginate in middle; apex pointed, reaching apex of lateral valve. Ejaculatory duct surpassing both medial and lateral valves.

Female. Unknown.

Colouration. Generally yellow brown with black pattern. Head yellow brown, with some dark scales; frons, scapus, and frontal rostrum yellow brown, genae and lateral parts of head with white scales ( Figs. 3 , 4 ). Maxillary and labial palps yellow brown, slightly darker. Pronotal dorsal disc yellow brown, basal part darker, apical margin with white scales; lateral lobes white. Male tegmen pale yellow, in dorsal view apex with broad black margin, interrupted by two pale spots in middle ( Figs. 3A , 4 ); black band does not continue onto lateral field, lateral field black at apex ( Fig. 3B ). Legs pale with dark bands, typically two or three wide bands on fore and mid femora and tibiae; setae on legs also pale. Hind femur with inner and dorsal part with dark pattern, ventral part pale ( Fig. 4 ). Hind tibia with black scales; with pale rings at base, in middle and at apex ( Fig. 4 ). Abdomen with tergites yellow brown with four dark small spots on each tergite ( Fig. 4 ); sternites white ( Fig. 2C ). Abdominal apex yellow brown. Cercus yellow brown.

Measurements. BL = 6.1; FRW = 0.4; SW = 0.3; EW = 0.3; PL = 2.9; PW = 2.2; TL = 3.5; TW = 2.3; HFL = 4.3; HTL = 3.0; HML = 1.0 mm.

Etymology. The species name refers to the two pale spots that resemble a pair of eyes, interrupting the black band along the apex of the tegmen. From Latin, bi = two, oculatus = eyed)

Figures

FIGURE 2. Ornebius alvarezi sp. nov. holotype: head in dorsal view (A), maxillary palps in lateral view (B), tegmen in dorsal view (C), abdominal apex in dorsal (D) and dorso-lateral (E) views, paraproct in lateral views (F, G), male genitalia in dorsal (H), ventral (I) and lateral (J) views. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, C), 0.5 mm (B, D, F), 0.2 mm (H–J).

FIGURE 3. Ornebius bioculatus sp. nov. holotype habitus: dorsal (A), lateral (B). Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Ornebius bioculatus sp. nov. holotype in natural environment. The individual was found on the fern leaf.

FIGURE 5. Ornebius bioculatus sp. nov. holotype: head in dorsal view (A), maxillary palps in lateral view (B), tegmen in dorsal view (C), abdominal apex in dorsal (D) and dorso-lateral (E) views, paraproct in lateral view (F), male genitalia in dorsal (G), ventral (H) and ventro-lateral (I) views. Scale bars: 1mm (A, C, D, F), 0.5 mm (B), 0.2 mm (G–I).