Ornebius tampines, Kai & Robillard, 2012

Kai, Tan Ming & Robillard, Tony, 2012, Two New Cricket Species (Orthoptera: Gryllidae And Mogoplistidae) From The Mangrove Areas Of Singapore, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 60 (2), pp. 411-420 : 418-420

Ornebius tampines , new species

( Fig. 6 )

Material examined. — Holotype: male ( ZRC), Singapore, Pasir Ris Park , Sungei Tampines, along mangrove boardwalk, 17 Jun.2011, coll. M. K. Tan.

Paratypes – Singapore: 3 males ( ZRC), Pasir Ris Park, Sungei Tampines, along mangrove boardwalk, 17 Jun.2011 (preserved in alcohol, specimen badly damaged during dissection of male genitalia) , 15 Sep.2011, coll. M. K. Tan.

Diagnosis. — Similar to O. cibodas Ingrisch, 2006 , O. aureus Ingrisch, 2006 , and O. peniculatus Ingrisch, 2006 in the presence of two spots of strong hairs on the epiproct, but differs by shorter maxillary palpi, swollen apices of paraproct processes, and male genitalia.

Description. — General appearance typical for the genus. Male habitus as Fig. 6A . Vertex plain, with transverse swelling. Frontal rostrum about as wide as, if not narrower than, scape; not furrowed medially. Maxillary palpi with apical segment distinctly widened; all three apical segments of subequal length, second apical segment shortest, followed by third and first apical segments respectively; fourth and fifth segments short, shorter than second apical segment ( Fig. 6B ). Pronotum 1.3 times (n = 3) longer than wide; with anterior dorsal margin feebly concave; lateral margins slightly widening posteriorly; posterior margin convex. Fore tibiae with internal tympanum, small and slightly oval; without external tympanum. Hind femora 1.6 times (n = 3) longer than hind tibiae; hind tibiae 2.0 times (n = 3) longer than postmetatarsi.

Male: Pronotum slightly produced backwards, not covering base of mirror in most specimens. Tegmina reduced to stridulatory apparatus; about 1.5 times (n = 3) longer than wide; barely wider than posterior area of pronotum; posterior margin convex ( Fig. 6C ). Supra-anal plate with tenth abdominal tergite and epiproct completely fused; basal area with two spots of strong short setae standing together as in a brush at the end of the groove; strongly converging margins in basal two thirds, both areas separated by folds; apical area tongue-shaped, swollen in middle, faintly converging margins; apex transverse, if not feebly convex ( Fig. 6D ). Paraproct process emerging medially, long, cylindrical, black, a little compressed at base, slightly swollen apically, sparsely setose ventrally ( Fig. 6D ). Subgenital plate triangular; basal half with parallel margins, apical half broadly rounded with upcurved margins; apex setose, gently rounded ( Fig. 6E ). Epiphallus membranous. Sclerotised part of male genitalia as in Fig. 6F . Lateral valves dorsoventrally compressed, separate; apices of valves curved ventrally together almost forming a tube with dorsal and ventral areas open, granular along external apical areas. Apex of medial valve pointed and bifurcate. Internal sclerite of medial valve elongate, tapering smoothly from base to apex, apical half straight and apex obtusely pointed. Ventral lobes gently curved upwards.

Female: Unknown.

Colouration: Yellow brown in fresh specimens, red brown after scales removed. In fresh specimens, head red brown, scales yellow brown with black marmoration; tip of frontal rostrum, antennae and scapes red brown; maxillary palpi light brown, apex of apical segments infumated black. Pronotum red brown covered with yellow brown scales; posterior margin covered with a band of pale yellow scales. Tegmina infumated pale yellow transparent; basal area covered by pronotum infumated black; apex with broad black margin ( Fig. 6C ); lateral field pale yellow transparent, lower margin black. Mesosternum and metasternum pale yellow. Legs, including tarsi, generally pale yellow with fairly dense dark scales; internal surface of femora mostly pale yellow basally, with dark scales near the knees; tibiae sometimes brown. Hind femora outer surface with dark scales forming a longitudinal stripe in middle, irregular black pattern above stripe and near knees. Abdomen dorsum mostly covered with black scales, silvery light brown and pale yellow scales in about equal proportions, supra-anal plate covered with mostly black scales; ventrally with anterior segments covered mostly with silvery light brown scales and pale yellow scales, posterior segments covered mostly with black scales. Cerci yellowish brown with black marmoration, sometimes black marmoration appears as band.

Measurements: See Table 2.

Etymology. — The species is named after type locality Sungei Tampines, Pasir Ris Park, Singapore; noun in apposition.

Biology. — This species is found in environment similar to S. chekjawa . So far, all specimens were collected from the leaves and branches of Bruguiera species (family Rhizophoraceae ).

Remarks. — The term supra-anal plate, according to Ingrisch (2006), refers to the unit consisting of the complete or incomplete fusion of epiproct and tenth abdominal tergite, found in the genus Ornebius .

Figures

Fig. 6. Ornebius tampines: Dorsal habitus of male holotype (A); maxillary palpi of male paratype in profile view (B); dorsal field of tegmen of holotype (C); male supra-anal plate and paraproct of holotype in dorso-lateral view (D); male subgenital plate of holotype in ventral view (E); male phallic complex of paratype in dorsal (F) view. Scale bars = 1 mm.