Parapyrrhicia guytonae, Naskrecki & Guta, 2019

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 77-81

Parapyrrhicia guytonae sp. n.

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:506819

( Figs. 3A , 34 A–K, 55G–I)

Type locality. MOZAMBIQUE: Sofala, GNP, Chitengo Camp (-18.98194, 34.35122), 29 m, 17.iii.–5.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki—male holotype ( MCZ)

Differential diagnosis. P. guytonae is identifiable among its congeners by the unique shape of the male cercus, which carries a distinct inner process near the base, and the strongly curved apical part with a characteristic, thin and nearly membranous expansion ( Figs. 34 A–C). It also differs in the shape of the titillator ( Figs. 34D, E ) and the characteristics of the stridulatory apparatus. The frequency modulated call of this species appears to be unique. This new species is most closely related to P. niloensis Hemp, 2016 from East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, sharing a similar general structure of the male cercus, but differs in the much smaller inner process, and more strongly curved and dilated apex of the cercus.

General. Body of medium size, robust, cylindrical, macropterous; legs elongate ( Figs. 34J, K ).

Head. Antennae slightly longer than body; antennal scapus unarmed; eyes globular, moderately protruding. Fastigium of frons small, separated from fastigium of vertex by small gap; fastigium of vertex triangular, blunt apically, as wide as 1/3 of antennal scapus, barely reaching base of scapus, concave dorsally; frons weakly convex; lateral carinae absent; lateral and median ocelli circular.

Thorax. Anterior margin of pronotum straight, flat; metazona flat, posterior edge of metazona broadly rounded; lateral lobe about as high as long, humeral sinus of pronotum present; lateral carinae of pronotum absent. Pronotum surface smooth. Thoracic auditory spiracle large, narrowly oval, completely hidden under pronotum, without any setation on inner margin; sternum unarmed.

Legs. Legs slender. Front coxa armed with distinct dorsal spine, front femur unarmed ventrally; genicular lobes of front femur armed with 2 spines on posterior and 1 spines on anterior side; front tibia with 1–3 spines on posterior dorsal margin, with 4–6 spines on posterior and 4–7 on anterior ventral margin; apex of front tibia 1 pair of ventral spurs and single dorsal spur on posterior margin; tympanum bilaterally open, oval, about twice as long as wide; subtympanal pits poorly developed. Mid coxa unarmed; mid femur armed with 3–4 spines on anterior ventral margin; genicular lobes of mid femur armed with two small spines on both sides; mid tibia with 4–5 spines on posterior dorsal margin; apex of mid tibia 1 pair of ventral spurs and single dorsal spur on posterior margin. Hind femur armed on both ventral margins; genicular lobes of hind femur armed with 2 spines on each side (lower spine minute); hind tibia armed on both dorsal and ventral margins; dorsal spines of hind tibia of equal size on both edges; consecutive spines of similar size; apex of hind tibia with 1 pair of dorsal and 2 pairs of ventral spurs.

Wings. Tegmen surpassing apex of hind femur; veins Sc and R close together and parallel, diverging only towards apex of tegmen; mirror poorly developed, approximately triangular. Stridulatory file flat, weakly bent, 1.8 mm long, 0.1 mm wide, with 83 teeth ( Fig. 33F ); hind wing slightly longer than tegmen; posterior margin of female tegmen with 3 short stridulatory files.

Abdomen. Tenth tergite unmodified. Epiproct unmodified; paraprocts unmodified. Phallus with well developed, strongly sclerotized titillators ( Figs. 34D, E ); titillators with apical part forming two serrated, divergent disks, clearly exposed in resting position ( Figs. 34A, B ). Cercus with apex strongly bent inwards, subapically with thin and nearly membranous expansion, with short inner process near base ( Figs. 34A, B ), straight when seen from side; subgenital plate distal end narrowed and forming two divergent lobes; apex distinctly bent upwards; styli absent ( Fig. 34C ). Female subgenital plate widely trapezoidal, posterior margin straight ( Fig. 34I ).

Ovipositor. Ovipositor approximately as long as 1/2 of hind femur; slightly curved; apex rounded, with strong apical teeth on both valvulae ( Fig. 34H ).

Coloration. Coloration light green with dense, fine punctation; face same color as rest of head; eyes with distinct vertical stripes, antennae unicolored; legs unicolored; abdominal terga green; abdominal sterna without markings; tegmen green with posterior edge contrastingly darker; stridulatory area light brown, bordered dark brown.

Bioacoustics. The call of P. guytonae consists of a series of short, 2–5 syllable echemes and is unique in the frequency modulated aspect of the echemes; mean syllable duration is 0.0047 s (SD=0.00182, n=57) ( Figs. 53G, H ). Within each echeme the first syllable starts with the dominant frequency of 12.24–16.99 kHz (mean 14.88 kHz) and each successive syllable progressively increases its dominant frequency by approximately 2 kHz, with the last syllable reaching 18.16–22.26 kHz (mean 20.0 kHz) ( Fig. 55I ). It is possible that the function of such frequency shift is similar to that discussed by Heller & Hemp (2017) for Gonatoxia helleri , which apparently serves to mimic the call of a female in order to make it more difficult to locate her for other conspecific males. Females of P. guytonae have well developed stridulatory files on the posterior margin of the right tegmen, which implies a call-and-response behavior in this species. Unfortunately, the female call is yet unknown.

Distribution and natural history. This species is common in lowland woodland savanna of central Mozambique and specimens of P. guytonae were also collected in Lengwe National Park in southern Malawi. It is usually found on dense bushes and in crowns of deciduous trees. Mating in this species has been observed in April; males produce a large spermatophylax that is subsequently eaten by the female ( Fig. 3A ).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Jennifer Guyton, a conservation biologist, an accomplished photographer, and the collector of some of the specimens of the new species.

Measurements (6 males, 6 females). body w/wings: male 30–36 (34.52.3), female 31.5–36 (33.81.8); body w/o wings: male 20–24 (211.6), female 24–26.5 (25.31); pronotum: male 3–5.5 (4.4.9), female 3–5 (4.2.8); tegmen: male 22–30 (25.82.5), female 25–29 (26.31.5); hind femur: male 15.5–20 (18.31.7), female 17–20.5 (18.91.3); ovipositor: 7–10 (91.2) mm.

Material examined (44 specimens). Malawi: Lengwe National Park , elev. 170 m (-16.26667, 34.65), 28.iii.1986, coll. Otte, Glenn & Ruffin (170)— 5 females, 2 males (paratypes) ( ANSP) ; Mozambique: Sofala, Cheringoma, Coutada 12, road to Marromeu , elev. 218 m (-18.21613, 35.31432), 28.iii.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male (paratype) ; Coutada 12, road to railway, elev. 201 m (-18.30323, 35.33324), 29.iii.2017, coll. P. Naskrecki & J. Guy-ton— 2 females, 2 males (paratypes) ( EOWL) ; Gorongosa , GNP, Bunga Inselberg, Camp 1, nr. Bunga ranger outpost, elev. 75 m (-18.59989, 34.33686), 21.iv.–5.v.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki— 8 females, 1 male (paratypes) ( MCZ) ; GNP, Chitengo , E.O. Wilson Laboratory, elev. 48 m (-18.977722, 34.351333), 9.ii.–4.iii.2015, coll. P. Naskrecki and R. Guta— 2 females (paratypes) ( EOWL, MCZ) ; Gorongosa Dist., Archway Gorge , campsite, elev. 63 m (- 18.95336, 34.61089), 22–29.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 1 male (paratypes) ; GNP, Chitengo , elev. 29 m (-18.98194, 34.35122), 17.iii.–5.iv.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 female, 3 males (incl. holotype, 3 paratypes) ; same locality, 17–31.iii.2013, coll. P. Naskrecki— 1 male (paratype) ( MCZ) ; same locality, 11–25.ii.2014, coll. R. Guta & T. Castigo— 2 males (paratypes) ( EOWL) ; GNP, on Rt. 2, elev. 18 m (-18.95386, 34.42897), 20.v.2012, coll. P. Naskrecki— 2 females, 1 male (paratypes) ; GNP, Picada 1, nr. P3, elev. 25 m (-18.94906, 34.37336), 6.ii.2014, coll. P. Naskrecki, F. Artur & R. Guta (212)— 4 females, 3 males (paratypes) ( MCZ) ; Gorongosa Distr., Chitengo , (-18.981944, 34.351222), 13–31.i.2015, coll. R. Guta— 1 female (paratype) ; GNP, E.O. Wilson Lab Chitengo , (- 18.9783, 34.3514), 12–31.i.2015, coll. R. Guta— 1 female (paratype) ( EOWL) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Mating behavior in Mozambican Tettigoniidae: A. Parapyrrhicia guytonae; B. Enyaliopsis iaculator; C. Conocephalus maculatus; D. Conocephalus conocephalus; E. Ovonotus abreuae, female with a spermatophylax.

FIGURE 33. Mozambican Phaneropterinae: A. Corymeta amplectens, male abdominal apex, dorsal view; B. ditto, male abdominal apex, lateral view; C. ditto, male lateral; D. ditto, ovipositor; E. Catoptropteryx aurita, ovipositor; F. ditto, male abdominal apex, latral view; G. ditto, male lateral; H. Materuana eriki, male abdominal apex, lateral view; I. ditto, male abdominal apex, dorsal view; J. ditto, male lateral; K. Melidia brunneri, male abdominal apex, dorsal view; L. ditto, male lateral; M. ditto, ovipositor.

FIGURE 34. Parapyrrhicia guytonae sp. n.: A. male abdominal apex, lateral view; B. ditto, dorsal view; C. male subgenital plate; D. titillator, lateral view; E. phallic complex, posterior view; F. stridulatory file; G. base of male tegmina; H. ovipositor; I. female subgenital plate; J. male, dorsolateral view; K. female, dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 53. Oscillograms and power spectra of Mozambican Phaneropterinae: A–C. Melidia brunneri; D–F. Catoptropteryx aurita; G–I. Plangia graminea; J–L. P. satiscaerulea.

FIGURE 55. Oscillograms, power spectra, and spectrograms of Mozambican Phaneropterinae:A–C. Arantia fasciata; D–F. A. tanzanica; G–I. Parapyrrhicia guytonae; J–L. P. abdita.