Axylus mabinii Tan & Robillard, 2018

Tan, Ming Kai, Ingrisch, Sigfrid, Robillard, Tony, Baroga-Barbecho, Jessica B. & Yap, Sheryl A., 2018, New taxa and notes on spine-headed katydids (Orthoptera: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 4462 (3), pp. 331-348 : 338-341

Axylus mabinii Tan & Robillard new species

( Figs. 6 , 7 )

Material examined. Holotype (male, TR347): Philippines, Luzon, Laguna, UPLB University Land Grant , secondary forest at night, N14°23'56.9" E121°32'47.2", 376 m. a.s.l., 4 July 2011, coll. T. Robillard (UPLBMNH).

Allotype: 1 female (TR348), same locality as holotype, mating with holotype on palm tree, coll. T. Robillard (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4390).

Paratypes: 1 female (TR398) and 1 male (TR399), Philippines, Luzon, Laguna, UPLB University Land Grant, herbaceous area near station, N14° 24' 02.5" E121° 32' 30.3", 327 m. a.s.l., mating, 5 July 2011, coll. T. Robillard (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4391-43920).

Diagnosis. The new species differs from all known congeners by black patterns on the pronotum: two black spots on the anterior angle of disc and two larger black lateral bands on the posterior area of disc, and by the male cercus that is very stout and conical, laterally compressed with obtuse apex and provided with a broad baso-internal process and a slender ventral process. The new species is most similar to Axylus taylori (Hebard, 1922) from Luzon and Axylus nigrifrons (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1898) from Lombok in the shape of the female ovipositor and in the colour patterns on frons and pronotum, but differs by shape and processes of the male cercus and the titillators. Also the colour pattern on pronotal disc differs from that of A. taylori by the anterior and posterior pairs of spots being not continuous and from that of the A. nigrifrons by additional posterior pairs of black spots. The shape of the female ovipositor is also similar to that of Axylus inferior (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1898) from Sulawesi but A. mabinii sp. n. differs distinctly by the male cercus and by colour pattern.

Description. Habitus of male as shown in Fig. 6A . Fastigium verticis compressed laterally ( Fig. 7A ), in dorsal view conical, shorter than scapus, apex obtuse, with ocelli at base ( Fig. 7B ); ventral area compressed and ventral margin separated by a weak sinuosity from fastigium frontis ( Fig. 7A ). Vertex with a pair of irregular sulci ( Fig. 7B ). Frons shining with few shallowly impressed dots and wrinkles especially towards clypeus. Pronotum subsmooth, disc rounded into paranota, apical area subflat and shouldered; two transverse sulci not interrupted in middle; anterior margin faintly emarginated in middle; posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 7B ). Paranota strongly descending posteriorly (typical of genus), with anterior angle rounded; ventral margin concave and considerable descending posteriorly; posterior angle angularly rounded; auditory swelling long-ovoid; humeral sinus weak ( Fig. 7C ). Macropterous, tegmen surpassing abdominal apex and slightly longer than hind wing, apex rounded. Prosternum with two long acute spines. Mesosternal lobes long-conical, apex subacute; metasternal lobes short conical, apex obtuse; medial plate with an obtuse tubercle. Anterior coxa with a long and curved spine ( Fig. 7C ). Internal and external tympana on anterior tibia conchate with narrow openings. Femora with the following number of spines on ventral margins: anterior femur 7 external, 7 internal; middle femur 6 external, 3 small internal at the base; posterior femur 10–13 external, 7 internal (2 distal spinose and 5 basal minute nodular). Knee lobes of anterior and middle femora obtuse externally and short spinose internally; of posterior femur bispinose on both sides. Tibiae with the following number of spines on ventral margins: anterior tibia 7 external, 7–8 internal; middle tibia 9 external, 8 internal.

Male. Stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen slightly sinuous; about 1.55 mm long; with teeth increasingly wider and more widely spaced towards middle compared to basal end; with about 64 teeth ( Fig. 7D ). Tenth abdominal tergite at posterior margin truncated, faintly and broadly emarginated in middle, forming faint lateral lobes ( Figs. 7E, 7F ). Epiproct broadly tongue-shaped, concealed by tenth abdominal tergite ( Fig. 7F ). Cerci very stout and conical ( Fig. 7G ), laterally compressed; apex obtuse; with a broad baso-internal process pointing anteriorly and internally; ventral of this process with a slender process pointing internally; both processes with apex sclerotised and acute ( Figs. 7E, 7F, 7H ). Subgenital plate barely surpassing cerci, with rounded lateral carinae and a narrow but distinct median carina; apex widely excised; styli short with apex obtuse. Titillators large, elongate, separate; basally with rounded apex; converging in middle and nearly parallel to one another before diverging apically; slender posteriorly and produced into an acute apex, curved dorsad just before apex ( Fig. 7I –K ). Dorsal sclerites slender and curved, with posterior margin undulated ( Fig. 7I ). Lateral sclerites semi-membranous, with a rounded nodular sclerite ( Fig. 7K ).

Female ( Fig. 6B ). Tenth abdominal tergite excised in midline, apical margin on each side truncate. Epiproct broadly rounded. Cerci with apex pointing. Subgenital plate small, broad, triangular, with apex rounded. Ovipositor compressed, elongo-falcate but basal area substraight; dorsal margin substraight in middle, only slightly curved apically; ventral margin curved after basal area; widest slightly after middle, margins smooth ( Fig. 7L ).

Colouration. Yellow brown. Face black, fastigium verticis yellow brown, median ocellus yellow, genae yellow brown; scapus and antennae yellow brown; maxillary palpi yellow brown, clypeus and labrum orange, mandible black ( Fig. 7A ). Pronotum yellow brown, with two black spots at anterior angles of disc and two larger black lateral bands in posterior area of disc; all black spots slightly continue onto paranota ( Figs. 7B, 7C ). Tegmen yellow brown ( Fig. 6 ). Legs mostly yellow brown ( Fig. 6 ). Abdominal tergites and sternites yellow brown. Ovipositor ventro-basally yellow, otherwise red brown ( Fig. 7L ).

Measurements (1 male holotype, 1 female paratype). BL: male 34.5, female 34.6; BWL: male 54.9, female 56.3; PL: male 11.7, female 11.0; PW: male 7.5, female 8.8; TL: male 42.8, female 44.8; HFL: male 28.0, female 28.8; HTL: male 27.1, female 28.2; OL: female 21.1 mm.

Etymology. This species is named after Apolinario Mabini y Maranan (1864–1903), a Filipino revolutionary leader and hero who confronted both the Spanish and American colonial rules.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Axylus mabinii sp. nov. male (A) and female (B) habitus in lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.

FIGURE 7. Axylus mabinii sp. nov.: face in anterior view (A); head and pronotum in dorsal (B) and lateral (C) views; stridulatory file of left tegmen in ventral view (D); male abdominal apex in dorsal (E), dorso-posterior (F), lateral (G), and posterior (H) views; titillators in posterior (I), ventral (J) and dorsal (K) views. Scale bars: 5 mm (B, C, L); 2 mm (A, E–H); 1 mm (D, I–K).