Alloteratura (Alloteratura) belalongensis, Tan & Gorochov & Wahab, 2017

Tan, Ming Kai, Gorochov, Andrej V. & Wahab, Rodzay Bin Haji Abdul, 2017, New taxa and notes of katydids from the tribe Meconematini (Orthoptera: Meconematinae) from Brunei Darussalam, Zootaxa 4337 (3) : -

Alloteratura (Alloteratura) belalongensis , new species

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:499448 ( Fig. 1 )

Material examined. Holotype (male, KB.16.61), Brunei Darussalam, Ulu Temburong National Park, Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre , N4.54727, E115.15804, 115.0±9.0 m a.s.l., attracted to light, 26 September 2016, 2126 hours, coll. M. K. Tan (in ethanol, ZRC).

Diagnosis. This species differs from all known congeners by basal half of male cercus flattened laterally and concave on inner margin and apical third of cercus flattened dorso-ventrally; male genitalia with rectangular upper sclerite (paired, hook-like lower sclerites with long denticles along inner margins) and sternites bright blue.

Description. Male (holotype). Medium-sized Meconematini with habitus typical for the genus ( Fig. 1A ). Eyes globular and distinctly protruding ( Figs. 1B, 1C ). Frontal rostrum conical, small (shorter and much narrower than scapus), with median sulcus feebly distinct ( Fig. 1C ). Fifth (apical) segment of maxillary palpus much shorter than fourth (subapical) segment, broadened apically and truncated. Fourth and third segments of subequal length, both longer than second segment. Pronotum barely covering the base of mirror of tegmen, dorsal disc roundly turned into lateral lobes, transverse sulcus poorly visible; pronotum barely raised in the posterior half (when viewed in profile) ( Fig. 1B ). Anterior margin of pronotal disc convex, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 1C ). Humeral sinus distinct ( Fig. 1B ). Ventral margin of pronotal lateral lobe nearly straight ( Fig. 1B ). Thoracic auditory spiracle (= thoracic foramen) large, elongated; only slightly covered by lateral pronotal lobe ( Fig. 1B ). Macropterous, tegmen extending well behind the hind knees, hindwing extending a little beyond tegmen ( Fig. 1A ). Coxal spur of fore leg slightly curved with apex blunt. Both tympana ovoid and open. Fore tibiae each with 4 outer and 4 inner subapical spines. Middle tibiae each with 4 outer and 3 inner subapical spines. Inner and outer genicular lobes of hind femora with obtuse lobe but ventral lobe with spinule. Hind tibiae ventrally and dorsally with numerous outer and inner spines as well as 2 ventral and 1 dorsal apical spurs on each side. Tenth abdominal tergite with posterior margin produced into two stout lateral lobes. Epiproct small and broadly rounded. Cerci stout, flattened ( Figs. 1D–1G ); basal half of cercus flattened laterally and concave on inner margin ( Figs. 1D, 1F ); apical third of cercus flattened dorso-ventrally, with apex obtuse ( Figs. 1D–1F ). Subgenital plate tongue-shaped, longer than broad; apical margin rounded between styli; styli stout ( Figs. 1D–1G ). Genitalia with rectangular upper sclerite; paired, hook-like lower sclerites with long denticles along inner margins ( Figs. 1H–1K ).

Colouration. Green when alive ( Fig. 1A ); yellow (discoloured) in alcohol. Head yellow green, frontal rostrum black at apex, with a longitudinal stripe dorsally ( Fig. 1C ). Eyes red brown. Scapus brown with inner side dark; pedicel and antennae yellow brown with posterior half of each segment dark brown to black ( Fig. 1C ). Pronotal disc green. Tegmen light green; anterior margin orange. Fore and middle legs generally very pale green to brown. Thoracic segments green to yellow green. Abdomen green, sternites bright blue ( Fig. 1A ).

Female. Unknown.

Measurement (in mm). BL = 10.1, BWL = 20.4, PL = 2.8, TL = 16.2, HWT = 0.6, HFL = 9.4, HTL = 10.5.

Comparison. The male of this new species is similar to Alloteratura (Alloteratura) karnyi Kästner, 1932 from northern Sumatra and Thailand by blue sternites and also by structure of abdominal apex and genitalia but differs from it in the following characters: male cercus less robust; the upper sclerite rectangular basally (not rounded), more curved (when viewed laterally) and with longer spines.

Etymology. The new species was named after the type locality, Kuala Belalong.

Remarks. It is possible that this new species from Borneo and populations of A. (A.) karnyi Kästner, 1932 from northern Sumatra (see Kästner, 1932 and Gorochov, 1998) and Thailand (see Sänger & Helfert, 2000) represent different subspecies of the same species owing to the similarities in morphology. However, without additional data, we tentatively describe the taxon from Borneo as a new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Alloteratura (Alloteratura) belalongensis sp. nov.: Habitus in lateral view (A); Head and prOnOtum in lateral (B) and dOrsal (C) views; abdOminal apex in dOrsO-lateral (D), lateral (E), ventrO-lateral (F) and ventral (G) views; male genitalia in dOrsal (H), pOsteriOr (I), ventral (J) and lateral (K) views. Scale bars: 1 mm.