Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis, Shi, Jian-Ping, Liu, Zhi-Wei & Li, Bao-Ping, 2016

Shi, Jian-Ping, Liu, Zhi-Wei & Li, Bao-Ping, 2016, Two new species and a key to nine species of the genus Mongolotettix Rehn, 1928 from China (Acrididae, Acridoidea, Orthoptera), Zootaxa 4117 (3), pp. 421-428 : 422-424

Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Holotype: Ƌ, Paratypes 1♀, Hunan, Zhangjiajie City, Wulingyuan Area, Suoxiyu, 29º22´N, 110º40´E, 1986-VIII- 0 6, collected by Zhiwei Liu. The area is now part of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Male Body medium in size. Head shorter than pronotum. Face oblique in profile. Frontal ridge widened downward. Antennae ensiform, 20 segmented, extending distinctly beyond hind margin of pronotum. Eyes oval, vertical diameter 1.7 times horizontal diameter and 1.3 times length of subocular furrow. Pronotum median keel visible, cut by hind transverse sulcus distinctly, lateral keels almost parallel, prozona 1.5 times metazona in length. Tegmina shorter, not reaching epiproct, distal margin concave in the middle, maximum width of cubital area 2.0 times maximum width of medial area. Interspace of mesosternum narrow in the middle, length 3 times minimum width. Lateral lobes of metasternum separated. Upper keel of hind femur smooth, length of hind femur 5.7 times its maximum width, end of lower knee lobes angular, inner side with 129 stridulatory pegs. Hind tibia with 12 spines on inner side and 13 spines on outer side, external apical spine absent. Second metatarsomere shorter than the first. Tympanum large and round. Epiproct scutiform. Furculae small. Cercus long conical, almost reaching tip of epiproct. Subgenital plate conical, sides concave, apex acute. Both outer sides of epiphallus without acute projection in the middle ( Fig.3 ).

Female: Body more robust. Vertical diameter of eyes 1.6 times horizontal diameter and slightly shorter than length of subocular furrow. Prozona 1.5 times metazoan in length. Tegmina extending over the hind margin of first abdominal tergum, length 2.8 times its maximum width, not concave apically. Length of hind femur 5.8 times its maximum width. Cercus short-conical, not reaching epiproct. Subgenital plate oblong, hind margin prominently acute in the middle. Upper ovipositor valve slender, length 3.9 times its maximum width, hooked apically, with small teeth on outer margin.

Coloration: Body brown. Antennae yellow. Pronotum yellowish brown. Tegmina of male without a white stripe on the fore margin at base. Tegmina of female with a black longitudinal stripe before the middle. Abdomen yellowish brown, with a broad dark longitudinal stripe on both sides. Subgenital plate of male brown.

Measurement (in mm): Length of body: Ƌ 25.6, ♀ 39.1. Length of tegmina: Ƌ 13.3, ♀ 6.1. Length of hind femur: Ƌ 13.5, ♀ 18.3.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. angustiseptus Wan, Ren & Zhang, 1998 . The major differences are listed in Table 1 .

Habitat and remarks. The species was discovered at the end of the Golden Whip Creek, which runs through the narrow, deep mountain canyon of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and opens up in the Souxiyu National Nature Reserve, forming a relatively wide, obviously seasonally flooded sandy alluvial riverbed covered with small rocks and various grasses. The habitat of the type specimens is now completely flooded below the Suoxi Lake and thus eradicated due to the construction of the dam of the Suoxi Hydro Station. Habitats resembling the type location also existed at where the Ten Miles Gallery Canyon (Shi Li Hua Lang) meets the Golden Whip Canyon. However, the site has been dramatically modified now, with concrete roads and a rail road constructed and shade trees planted, as the collector of the type specimens revisited the park in 2011. It is unclear whether M. wulingyuanensis is still found in the national forest park, and it is certainly of interest to try to collect the species in the park and nearby areas.

Etymology. The specific epithet is named after the type locality Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Zhangjiajie City, in Northwestern Hunan Province, China.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis sp. nov. 1. body in lateral view Ƌ; 2. head in front view Ƌ; 3. epiphallus, Ƌ; 4. mesosternum Ƌ; 5. body in lateral view ♀; 6. tegmen ♀; 7. ovipositor valves.

Tables

TABLE 1. Comparison of Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis sp. nov. to M. angustiseptus Wan, Ren & Zhang, 1998.

Characters	Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis sp. nov.	M. angustiseptus Wan, Ren & Zhang, 1998
Body	Larger, length of body (mm): ♂ 25.6, ♀ 39.1	Small, length of body(mm): ♂ 15.0–16.6, ♀ 22.8–24.4
Tegmina of male	Without a white stripe on the fore margin at base	With a white stripe on the fore margin at base
Subgenital plate of male	Conical, sides concave, apex acute	Short conical, sides not concave, apex not acute
Both outer sides of epiphallus	Without acute projection in the middle	With acute projection in the middle