Dissonulichen Cadena-Castañeda, 2011

Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J., Braun, Holger & García, Alexander García, 2022, The tribe Dysoniini part VI: Phylogeny, biogeography and evolutionary trends of the lichen katydid genera (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae). Eleventh contribution to the suprageneric organization of Neotropical phaneropterines, Zootaxa 5166 (1), pp. 1-93 : 44-47

Dissonulichen Cadena-Castañeda, 2011 n. stat.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized and slender, white with black spots varying in intensity, size, and number according to the different species ( Figs. 25A , 26A ). Head broad with a small and little elevated fastigium, often slightly divided in frontal view, frontal ocellus developed, antennae smooth. Wings with the apical area not broadened and rounded apex. Hind femora with four or five medium-sized triangular spines, sometimes with an additional broad flattened spine with slightly dentate edge. Male cerci with main branch curved inward at an 90-degree angle, in most cases hook-shaped, secondary or inner branch triangular and smaller in size ( Figs. 25F , 26B,D,F,H ). Ovipositor robust and as long as the pronotum, curved upward with slightly serrated margins.

Type species. Aphidnia simplicipes Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878 , by original designation.

Distribution. From northeastern Mexico to the south of Brazil, most diverse in South America, from Mexico and Central America only D. simplicipes simplicipes is known ( Maps 10–12 ).

Comments. This genus has originally been described as a subgenus of Valna Walker, 1869 . After the transferral as subgenus to Dysonia , with Valna becoming a synonym ( Gorochov 2012b), there remain species that do not agree with the characteristics of that genus. The original classification proposed by Cadena-Castañeda (2011) is consistent. The only problem was to reinstate Valna , whose type species V. melaleuca really belongs to Dysonia . The other species assigned to the former subgenera Valna (Valna) and Valna (Dissonulichen) show a true relationship. To reconcile the discrepancy, Dissonulichen n. stat. is elevated to full genus with two subgenera coinciding with the former subgenera of Valna ( sensu Cadena-Castañeda 2011 ). The species of the former subgenus Dissonulichen remain in the now nominate subgenus whereas the species of the former subgenus Valna are placed in the new subgenus Dissonulichospinus n. subgen., except for Dysonia melaleuca . The genus exhibits a broad range of camouflage, since the same species can mimic foliose lichens of the genera Lobaria , Lobariella , and Parmotrema .

Two names are considered synonyms: 1) Dysonia cuiabensis Piza & Peres Filho, 1982 n. syn. is the same species as Dissonulichen (Dissonulichen) hebardi ( Costa Lima & Guitton 1960). No differences in the male terminalia can be found. The cerci are characteristic in comparison to the other species of the genus: The main branch is strongly curved inward, enclosing with the inner branch a deep U-shaped curvature. This species has small and abundant spots on the tegmina that also distinguish it from the other species of the genus. 2) Dysonia similis Piza & Wiendl, 1967 n. syn. is found to be identical to Dissonulichen (Dissonulichen) minensis ( Piza & Wiendl, 1967) . Here also no differences in the male terminalia can be found. According to the description there are differences in the spots on the body and the shape of the ventral spines on the hind femur, but these characters vary intraspecifically. It is common to find individuals with more spots than others and the spines of the hind femur may differ slightly in size and spacing..

Nomenclatural comment. In accordance with the Latin word lichen the grammatical gender of the name Dissonulichen is masculine.

Key to subgenera and species of Dissonulichen n. stat.

1. Hind femur with broad, flattened, laterally projecting spine with a slightly toothed margin ( Fig. 25A )...................................................................................... D. ( Dissonulichospinus ) n. subgen. … 2

- Hind femur without flattened or foliose spine, only with medium-sized triangular spines on ventral margin ( Fig. 26A )...................................................................................... D. ( Dissonulichen ) …4

2. Body with black spots covering a large part of the pronotum, tegmina, and legs; outer branch of male cerci not curved inward and conical ( Fig. 25B ), male subgenital plate with reduced and conical styli ( Fig. 25C )...................................................................................... D. (Dissonulichospinus) ornatus ( Piza, 1951) n. comb.

- Body with black spots partially covering the pronotum, tegmina, and legs; outer branch of male cerci curved inward...... 3

3. Base of inner branch of the male cerci with a protuberance, apex of outer branch bare ( Fig. 25D ); emargination of male subgenital plate V-shaped; styli tiny ( Fig. 25E ).................... D. (Dissonulichospinus) diffusus ( Piza, 1981) n. comb.

- Base of inner branch of male cerci without protuberance, apex of outer branch obliquely truncated, flattened, and with small submarginal denticulations ( Fig. 25F ); emargination of male subgenital plate U-shaped, styli medium-sized ( Fig. 25G )............................................. D. (Dissonulichospinus) elegans ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878) n. comb.

4. Outer branch of male cerci curving abruptly inward at middle region, then straight, forming with the inner branch a broad emargination at the inner margin ( Fig. 26B )................. D. (Dissonulichen) hebardi ( Costa Lima & Guitton, 1960)

- Outer branch of male cerci curving gradually inward close to the apex, forming a concave emargination at the inner margin (not as wide as in the previous species), flattened in dorsal view.................................................... 5

5. Outer branch of male cerci with dorsal margin of distal part undulate ( Fig. 26D ); styli of male subgenital plate asymmetric ( Fig. 26E )............................................ D. (Dissonulichen) simplicipes ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878)

- Dorsal margin of distal part of the outer branch concave; styli of male subgenital plate symmetric..................... 6

6. Emargination of male subgenital plate V-shaped; styli conical and almost as long as depth of emargination ( Fig. 26G ); outer branch of the cerci without denticulations on the ventro-apical margin ( Fig. 26F ).............................................................................................. D. (Dissonulichen) minensis ( Piza & Wiendl, 1967)

- Emargination of male subgenital plate shallow and rectangular; styli cylindrical ( Fig. 26I ); outer branch with denticulations on the ventro-apical margin ( Fig. 26H ).................................... D. (Dissonulichen) satipo (Gorochov, 2012)

Figures

Map 10. Distribution map of Dissonulichen s.s. species.

Map 11. Distribution map of Dissonulichen (Dissonulichen) simplicipes simplicipes and D. (D.) simplicipes meridionalis in Colombia and Ecuador.

Map 12. Distribution map of Dissonulichospinus n. gen. species.

FIGURE 25. Dissonulichospinus n. subgen. species. A–C. D. (D) ornatus n. comb. D–E. D. (D) difussa n. comb. F–G. D. (D) elegans. A. Male habitus in lateral view. B, D, F. Cerci. C, E, G. Subgenital plates (Figs. B, C, F, G. after Costa-Lima & Guitton, 1960).

FIGURE 26. Dissonulichen s.s. species. A, D–E. D. (D) simplicipes s.s. B–C. D. (D) hebardi. F–G. D. (D) minensis. H–I. D. (D) satipo. A. Male habitus in lateral view. B, D, F, H. Cerci. C, E, G, I. Subgenital plates. (Figs. B–E. after Costa-Lima & Guitton, 1960; H–I. after Gorochov, 2012).