Kuzicus (Kuzicus) bicurvus Cui & Shi, 2019

Cui, Peng, Liu, Yuanhe & Shi, Fuming, 2019, Notes on the genus Kuzicus Gorochov, 1993 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae Meconematini) in China with description of one new species, Zootaxa 4651 (3), pp. 555-564 : 556-558

1. Kuzicus (Kuzicus) bicurvus Cui & Shi sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Description. Male. Body small, medium-large size for the tribe Meconematini . Fastigium verticis conical, apex bluntly rounded, with a median sulcus ( Fig. 1C ). Eyes semiglobular and distinctly protruding outward. Apical (fifth) segment of maxillary palpus equal to subapical (fourth) one in length, slightly swollen apically. Pronotal disc curved into lateral lobes, posterior transverse sulcus in mid length ( Fig. 1C ); anterior margin of pronotum nearly straight, posterior margin triangularly rounded ( Fig. 1C ); lateral lobes longer than deep, posterior margin slightly undulated, humeral sinus indistinct. Thoracic auditory spiracle (= thoracic foramen) large, oval and exposed ( Fig. 1A ).

Tegmina extending beyond apices of hind femora, anterior and posterior margins parallel, apices obtusely rounded; hind wings distinctly longer than tegmina. Procoxae with a spine; tibial tympana open on both sides. Protibiae with 6 outer and 5 inner spines on ventral surface. Mesotibiae with 6 outer and 5 inner spines on ventral surface. Posttibiae with 26–34 outer and inner spines on dorsal surface separately as well as 1 pair of dorsal apical spurs and 2 pairs of ventral apical spurs.

Posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite with a pair of generally symmetrical and long posterior processes, faintly bent ventrad and caudad, split from the base ( Fig. 1B, F ); proximal half broad, irregular, expanded outward and with a concavity on outer margin; in the middle with a deep concavity connected with distal half; distal half narrow, dorsal and ventral margins lamellate, expended outward, and curved dorsad and ventrad distinctly with apices obtusely rounded ( Fig. 1B, F ). Cercus stout and short; basal area with a blunt protuberance externally; internal margin feebly longitudinally concave; apex with a curved spine directed mediad on interodorsal margin ( Fig. 1E ); middle area on internal surface with a process, apical area spine-shaped, apex acute visible from dorsal view ( Fig. 1 E–F).

Genitalia long and stout, symmetrically arranged and typical of the genus, base broad, slightly thin in the middle area, each lateral margin of dorsal surface expanded outward and folded ventrad (forming a groove respectively), subapical area at lateral margin on dorsal surface with a pair of triangular sclerotized processes, apices acute; subapical area on ventral surface with a pair of pyramid-shaped sclerotized spines; apical area with a pair of nearly bulbous sclerotized titillators, covered with dense thin teeth on the surface, area between them tongue-shaped ( Fig. 1 D–E, G–H). Subgenital plate broader than long, with some folds and a pair of sinuate ridges near lateral margins, posterior margin with a broad and shallow excision, slightly produced in the middle ( Fig. 1D, G ). Styli short and conical, curved ventrad and outward ( Fig. 1D ).

Colouration. Probably yellowish green when alive; whitish to ochre in alcohol ( Fig. 1B , D–H), yellowish brown when dried and pinned ( Fig. 1A, C ). Eyes reddish brown. Fastigium verticis with lateral margins black, median sulcus pale ( Fig.1C ). Internal margin of antennal socket with lamellate eminentia blackish brown. Apical internal margin of scape black. Pedicel yellowish brown and apically blackishly annulated ( Fig. 1C ). Antennal flagellum with sparse black markings. Disc of pronotum with a median carina pale and inconspicuous on metazona, a pair of stripes near median carina light brown on prozona; disc with anterior and posterior margins black in the middle ( Fig. 1C ). Left tegmen with stridulatory field light brown; tegmina with some small rounded light brown spots, randomly and widely scattered; with cells near posterior margin faintly infumated. Hind wings hyaline-colourless.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, Mangkuan, Baoshan , Yunnan, 18 August, 2018, coll. Peng Cui. Paratype: 1♂, Mangkuan, Baoshan , Yunnan, 18 August, 2018, coll. Yuanhe Liu.

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂ 11.1–12.5; pronotum: ♂ 4.6–4.7; tegmina: ♂ 19.5–20.0; postfemora: ♂ 13.2– 14.2.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Discussion. The new species slightly resembles Kuzicus (Kuzicus) scorpioides Sänger & Helfert, 2006 , but it differs in male by: the middle of posterior margin of tenth tergite with one pair of morphologically complex posterior processes, and the distal area without a conspicuous spine like a “scorpion’s poison sting” ( Fig. 1B, F ); genitalia and cerci are obviously different ( Fig. 1D , G–H).

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the morphology of posterior processes of male tenth abdominal tergite. Latin “ bi- ” means dorsal and ventral margins; Latin “ curv -” means curved.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kuzicus (Kuzicus) bicurvus Cui & Shi sp. nov., male: A, C. head and pronotum: A. lateral view; C. dorsal view; B, D–H. apex of abdomen: B. lateral view, D, G. ventral view; E. apical view; F. dorsal view; H. ventro-lateral view.