Ovonotus, Naskrecki & Guta, 2019

Naskrecki, Piotr & Guta, Ricardo, 2019, Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) of Gorongosa National Park and Central Mozambique, Zootaxa 4682 (1), pp. 1-119 : 35-36

Ovonotus gen. n.

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:506814

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:71C01EF8-81A8-4707-AB95-2C3ACCDDAB6B

Type species: Ovonotus abreuae sp. n., here designated

Included species: Ovonotus abreuae sp. n. and Ovonotus incisus ( Naskrecki, 1996)

Differential diagnosis. This new genus is uniquely identified by the structure of the male subgenital plate, apically divided into two long, narrow, incurved lobes; a greatly enlarged sclerotized portion of the epiphallus (titillator), which always projects outside of the membranous portion of the internal genitalic structures ( Figs. 13G, H ); and by the strongly dorso-ventrally flattened cercus ( Figs. 13K, L ). The female can be distinguished from other Acilacridina by the unique shape of the subgenital plate ( Figs. 14C , 16B ).

General. Body of medium size, robust; male brachypterous, female apterous ( Figs. 14D, E , 16 C–E).

Head. Antennae 1.5 times as long as body, antennal scapus unarmed; eyes globular, moderately protruding. Fastigium of frons not developed, fastigium of vertex small, peg-like, about 1/3 as wide as scapus, convex dorsally, barely reaching base of scapus; frons flat, vertical; lateral carinae absent; lateral and median ocelli present and well developed, circular.

Thorax. Pronotum convex, its surface smooth, distinctly ovoid when seen from above ( Figs. 14A , 16C ), twice as long as wide; lateral carinae of pronotum weakly developed, more distinct in metazona than prozona; metazona weakly convex, anterior margin of prozona rounded, posterior edge of metazona broadly rounded; lateral lobe almost 3 times as long as high; humeral sinus absent; marginal fold of pronotum smooth. Thoracic auditory spiracle minute, circular, completely hidden under pronotum, with short hair on inner margin. Pro-, meso, and metasternum unarmed.

Legs. Legs relatively robust. Front coxa armed with long spine, front femur armed on both ventral margins; genicular lobes of front femur unarmed; front tibia unarmed dorsally, except for apical spine on posterior margin. Tympanum bilaterally open, oval, about twice as long as wide; subtympanal pits present as deep, long grooves. Mid coxa armed with small but distinct spine; genicular lobes of mid femur unarmed, mid tibia unarmed on anterior, armed with 2–3 spines on posterior dorsal margin. Hind femur robust, about twice as long as mid femur, armed on both ventral margins with small spines; genicular lobes of hind femur armed with single small spine on both sides; hind tibia armed on dorsal margins only; apex of hind tibia with 1 pair of apical ventral spines and 2 pairs of apical ventral spurs; dorsal surface with 1 pair of apical spurs. Wings. Tegmen reduced, completely hidden under pronotum; hind wing absent; female apterous; tegmen approximately rectangular; anterior margin rounded; tegminal venation strongly reduced ( Figs. 15K , 17K ). Stridulatory file elevated on thickened vein A1, nearly straight, bent in proximal fifth.

Abdomen. Tenth tergite with two distinctly developed posterior lobes ( Fig. 13H ); female 10th tergite with distinct posterior emargination. Cercus short, strongly flattened dorso-ventrally, less than twice as long as wide; with blunt inner tooth at base and small, blunt subapical tooth ( Figs. 13K, L ). Epiproct unmodified. Phallus with well developed, strongly sclerotized, unpaired titillator; titillator elongate, with apex laterally flattened and with two horizontal apical lobes ( Figs. 13I, J ); titillator relatively very large, fully exposed at rest and reaching or almost reaching apex of subgenital plate ( Figs. 13G, H ). Subgenital plate with posterior part strongly elongated, diverging into two narrow, incurved terminal lobes; dorsal part of subgenital plate with two small, vertical protrusions at base of apical lobes; styli minute and stub-like, about as long as wide. Female subgenital plate about twice as wide as long, with two lateral pointed posterior lobes and shallow median incision.

Ovipositor. Ovipositor strongly curved, as long as 1/2 of hind femur, with distinctly dilated apex; apex pointed, with strong apical teeth on both valvulae; dorsal edge of upper valvula smooth, parallel to lower valvula ( Figs. 14B , 16A ).

Coloration. Coloration variable, green to brown, frequently with small dark dots on metazona of pronotum.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from Latin roots ovo- (egg) and noto- (back) to draw attention to the distinctly ovoid shape of the pronotum in the know species of the genus. The generic name is masculine.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Diagnostic characters in Acilacris and Ovonotus: A–F. Acilacris obovatus. A. male abdominal apex, dorsolateral view; B. ditto, dorsal view; C. titillator, lateral view; D. ditto, ventral view; E. male cercus, dorsal view; F. ditto, interior view; G–L. Ovonotus incisus gen. et sp. n.. A. male abdominal apex, dorsolateral view; H. ditto, dorsal view; I. titillator, lateral view; J. ditto, ventral view; K. male cercus, dorsal view; L. ditto, interior view.

FIGURE 14. A–E. Ovonotus abreuae gen. et sp. n.: A. male head and pronotum, dorsal view; B. ovipositor; C. female subgenital plate; D. female, lateral view; E. male, lateral view; F. Gonamytta occidentalis, female, lateral view.

FIGURE 15. Ovonotus abreuae gen. et sp. n., male: A. abdominal apex, dorsal view; B. subgenital plate; C. abdominal apex, ventral view with the subgenital plate removed; D. abdominal apex, lateral view; E. cercus, dorsal view; F. cercus, inner view; G. titillator, lateral view; H. titillator, ventral view; I. subgenital plate, dorsolateral view; J. stridulatory file; K. right tegmen.

FIGURE 16. Ovonotus incisus: A. ovopositor; B. female subgenital plate; C. male, dorsal view; D. female, lateral view; E. male, lateral view.

FIGURE 17. Ovonotus incisus, male: A. abdominal apex, dorsal view; B. subgenital plate; C. abdominal apex, ventral view with the subgenital plate removed; D. abdominal apex, lateral view; E. cercus, dorsal view; F. cercus, inner view; G. titillator, lateral view; H. titillator, ventral view; I. subgenital plate, dorsolateral view; J. stridulatory file; K. right tegmen.