Scelimena bellula Storozhenko et Dawwrueng

Storozhenko, Sergey Yu. & Dawwrueng, Pattarawich, 2015, New and little-known pygmy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 4052 (5), pp. 527-554 : 543-546

Scelimena bellula Storozhenko et Dawwrueng , sp. nov.

Figs 32–42

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:472694

Material examined. Holotype—female, Thailand: Surat Thani Province, 40 km SW of Phanom City, environs of National park Khao Sok, 20–29 July 1996, coll. A.V. Gorochov ( ZISP). Paratypes: 3 males, 3 females and 3 larvae, same data as in holotype; 1 male, 3 females, Thailand: Phang Nga Province, 25 km W of Phang Nga sity, 25–28 December 1997, coll. V.M. Grigorenko ( ZISP); 4 males, 6 females, Thailand: Prajuab Kirikhan Province, Huai Pa La-U stream, Hua Hin, 200–400 m, 24–27 April 2013, coll. P. Dawwrueng (THNHM-I-2015-00244–THNHM-I- 2015-00253).

Description. Female. Body large-sized for the genus. Antennae filiform, 14-15-segmented, 1.4–1.6 times as long as the fore femur; middle segments (7–9th) 9.5–10.0 times as long as wide. Antennal sockets situated slightly below the lower margins of the eyes. Fastigium of the vertex equal or 1.1 times wider than one eye seen from above; median carina of the fastigium long; tranverse carina in frontal view V-shaped; supraocular lobes small. Eyes protruding above the pronotum in lateral view. Lateral ocelli situated slightly above the lower margin of the eyes. Frontal ridge broadly rounded in lateral view. Width of the frontal ridge near the base of the antennae 0.7 times the width of the 1st antennal segment. Pronotum in dorsal view with weakly triangular anterior margin; posterior process of the pronotum surpassing much the apex of the hind tibiae. Median carina of the pronotum in profile low, distinctly raised in the prozona, weakly arched near the shoulders, and almost straight in the posterior part. Lateral carinae in the prozona well defined and almost straight; prozona elongated, its width 0.9 times its length. Disc of the pronotum gently depressed between the prozona and the humeral angles, as well as behind the base of the hind femora, without interhumeral carinae; posterior process of the pronotum long and narrow. Hind margin of the lateral lobes of the pronotum with a tegminal (upper) sinus as deep as the lower sinus; lower side of the lateral lobes of the pronotum in dorsal view forming a long and almost straight spine with the apex gently curved ahead. Tegmina elongated, with a narrowly rounded apex; visible part of the tegmen 3.2–3.4 times as long as wide; width of the visible part of the tegmen 1.6–1.8 the width of the mid femur. Hind wing almost reaching the apex of the posterior process of the pronotum. Upper and lower sides of the fore and mid femora straight and weakly serrate. Fore femur 6.5–7.1 times, and mid femur 6.9–7.5 times as long as wide. Upper side of the hind femur smooth, lower side weakly serrate. Hind femur 3.8–4.0 times as long as wide. Upper side of the hind tibia with margins distinctly lamellate and finely serrated, without outer and inner teeth. First tarsal segment of the hind leg 1.6–1.7 times as long as the 3rd segment (without claws); dorsal side with lamellate margins, width of the 1st segment 1.1 times the width of the mid femur; ventral side of the 1st segment with 3 pads, apical pad slightly longer than the other pads; 3rd segment not swollen. Epiproct triangular, with pointed apex. Subgenital plate elongated, 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide; posterior margin of the plate with a triangular lobe near the middle. Cerci conical, with pointed apices, 2.5 times as long as wide near the base. Valves of the ovipositor elongated, dentate; length of the upper valve 3.3–3.4 times its maximum width; length of the lower valve 4.5–4.6 times its maximum width.

Head dorsally brown; eyes light brown (dry specimen) or black (specimen in alcohol); ocelli yellowish or light brown; antennae brown. Genae and frons blackish with yellowish marks; labrum blackish brown; mandibles black, maxillary palpi yellowish brown. Disc of pronotum blackish brown with two lateral yellow stripes; lateral lobes of pronotum blackish, spine yellow with brown apex. Visible part of the tegmina black. Anterior margin of hind wings black. Fore and mid femora black with indistinct small light marks. Fore and mid tibiae black with 3 narrow brown rings. Fore and mid tarsi black. Hind femur black. Hind tibia black with light lamellate margins. First tarsal segment of hind leg pale, 2nd segment blackish, 3rd segment pale with black base and apex. Tergites, epiproct and cerci black. Sternites and subgenital plate brown with blackish marks. Ovipositor brown.

Male. Similar to the female. Antennae 13-14-segmented, 1.6 times as long as the fore femur; middle segments 10.0 times as long as wide. Fastigium of the vertex 1.1 times wider than one eye seen from above. Width of the frontal ridge near the base of the antennae 0.6–0.7 times the width of the 1st antennal segment. Pronotum as in the female. Visible part of the tegmen 3.2 times as long as wide; width of the visible part of the tegmen 1.8 the width of the mid femur. Hind wing almost reaching the apex of the posterior process of the pronotum. Upper and lower sides of the fore and mid femora almost straight. Fore femur 7.5 times, and mid femur 7.4 times as long as wide. Hind femur 3.6–3.8 times as long as wide. Hind tibia as in the female. First tarsal segment of the hind leg 1.6 times as long as the 3rd segment (without claws); width of the 1st segment 1.2 times the width of the mid femur. Epiproct triangular. Subgenital plate elongated, 1.7–1.8 times as long as wide; posterior margin of the plate excised. Cerci conical, with pointed apices, 2.0 times as long as wide near the base.

General coloration of body as in the female, in dried specimens blackish brown ( Figs. 34, 35 ), in alive ones bluish black ( Fig. 36 ).

Measurements (in mm). Length of body: male 13.5–13.8, female 15.5–17.8; pronotum: male 25.2–26.3, female 28.1–29.2; antenna: male 5.9–6.5, female 6.5–6.9; fore femur: male 3.6–3.9, female 4.4–4.5; mid femur: male 3.7–4.1, female 4.5–4.8; hind femur: male 7.6–8.7, female 9.6–9.8; ovipositor 2.0–2.3.

Distribution. Thailand (provinces Surat Thani, Phang Nga and Prajuab Kirikhan).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Scelimena melli Günther, 1938 from the Chinese province Guangzhou ( Günther, 1938a) in the shape of the tooth situated on the posterior margin of the lateral lobes of the pronotum and in the wide basitarsus of the hind legs, but easy recognizable from the latter in the shape of the anterior margin of the pronotum and in the color of the hind tibia (in S. melli the anterior margin of the pronotum is straight and the hind tibia has a light brown basal part, while the apical part is blackish brown with a light brown median spot). The new species also differs from Scelimena discalis ( Hancock, 1915) in the external lateral carinae of the pronotum provided with a series of minute denticles (in S. discalis the carinae have a series of distinct teeth), and from Scelimena india Hancock, 1907 in the shape of the lateral lobes of the pronotum (in S. india the lateral lobes have a short tooth at the posterior margin).

Etymology. The name of new species is derived from the Latin adjective ‘ bellulus ’ (elegant).

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 35. Scelimena bellula sp. nov. 32, female body, lateral view; 33, the same, dorsal view; 34, male body, lateral view; 35, the same, dorsal view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 36 – 42. Scelimena bellula sp. nov. 36, alive male on the stone, dorsal view; 37, female head, frontal view; 38, the same, male; 39, apex of male abdomen, ventral view; 40, the same, lateral view; 41, apex of female abdomen, ventral view; 42, male hind tarsus, lateral view. Scale bars 1 mm.