Macromotettixoides amplifronta, Fan & Li & Mao, 2023

Fan, Cheng-Mei, Li, Miao & Mao, Ben-Yong, 2023, Descriptions on two new species of the genus Macromotettixoides (Orthoptera Tetrigidae: Metrodorinae) from China, Zootaxa 5306 (1), pp. 127-134 : 129-131

1. Macromotettixoides amplifronta sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 : A–K)

Description. Female. Body size small, surface densely covered with numerous small granules. ( Fig. 1A ).

Head. Head at the same level of anterior margin of pronotum. In dorsal view, vertex broad, 1.5–1.6 times as wide as one eye, with paired fossulae; anterior margin broadly arcuate and slightly protruding before anterior margin of eyes; lateral carinae retrad reaching supraocular lobes, folded upward and slightly surpassing upper margin of eye in profile; median carina conspicuous and erected in occiput, above the upper margin of eyes in profile ( Fig. 1A ). In lateral view, vertex finely exserted above the level of upper margin of eyes; frontal costa visible before eyes and together with medial carina of vertex nearly obtusely rounded; fascial carina concave between lateral ocelli and protruding arcuately between antennal grooves ( Fig. 1B–C ). In frontal view, frontal costa bifurcated above lateral ocelli, longitudinal furrow widely divergent between antennae, width of longitudinal furrow of frontal ridge is 1.1– 1.2 wider than antennal groove diameter; lateral ocelli placed at middle of inner margins of eyes ( Fig. 1D ). Antennae filiform, inserted between lower margin of eyes, 15 segments, 8th–10th segments longest and 7.6–8.3 times as long as wide. Eyes globose, slightly lower than the top of vertex and anterior margin of the pronotum.

Thorax. Pronotum tectiform, roof-shaped. In dorsal view, disc covered with granules; anterior margin straight; lateral carinae of prozona constricted backwards and erected; mid-keel entire and thick; humeral angle obtuse angled, interhumeral carina expanded retrad; internal lateral carina indistinct; exteral lateral carina clearly constricted behind humeral angle; hind process of pronotum short and broad, apex broadly rounded, reaching the 1/2 of hind femur ( Fig. 1A–B ). In lateral view, median carina of pronotum high, arched and lamellar at first half and slightly lowered at second half; lateral lobe of pronotum with posterior angle turning downwards, apex truncated, posterior margin of lateral lobe only with ventral sinus, tegmen and hind wing extremely degenerated, both hidden beneath pronotum and externally invisible ( Fig. 1B –C ). Fore and middle femora with margins finely serrated; fore femur with lower edge almost straight, 3.5–3.6 times as long as wide; middle femur with lower edge slightly undulated, 3.6–3.7 times as long as wide ( Fig. 1E – F ). Hind femur stout, 2.6–2.7 times as long as wide, with carinae and margins finely serrated, antegenicular denticle acute and genicular denticle nearly right angled. Hind tibia with 6 spines on outer side, 4–5 spines on inner side; first tarsal segment 1.5 times as long as the third one, first tarsal segment with first pulvillus as long as second one, third pulvillus longest, all apexes obtuse ( Fig. 1G–I ).

Abdomen. Ovipositor narrow and long, upper valve 3.6 times as long as wide, upper margin of upper valvula and lower margin of lower valvula armed with strong and sparse saw-like teeth. Length of subgenital plate longer than its width, hind margin straight with a strongly triangular protection in the middle ( Fig. 1J–K ).

Coloration. Body brown-yellow; antennae brown and the last two segments black. Hind femur brown, the outside of lower side black; hind tibia dark brown, with light rings in the base and middle.

Male. Unknow.

Measurements. Length of body ♀ 8.5–9.0 mm; length of pronotum ♀ 5.2–6.0 mm; length of hind femur ♀ 5.0–6.0 mm.

Type material. Holotype. ♀, China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Menghai , 22°03’ N, 100°33’ E, alt. 1202 m, 16- VIII-2019, leg. Yu-Peng Han. Paratypes. 3♀, leg. Yu-Peng Han & Juan He, other data same as holotype ; 1♀, China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Mengla , 21°31’ N, 101°28’ E, alt. 1241 m, 29-VII-2019, leg. Yu-Peng Han ; 4♀, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Jinghong , alt. 1600 m, 2-VIII-2006, leg. Ji-Shan Xu. Type specimens are deposited in the BMDU .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. curvicarina Deng, 2020 , but differs from the latter by: 1) antennal grooves inserting between inferior margins of eyes (antennal inserting below inferior margins of eyes in the latter); 2) anterior margin of vertex broadly arcuate (anterior margin of vertex undulated in the latter); 3) the apex of pronotum broadly rounded (narrowly rounded in the latter); 4) pronotum with a pair of interhumeral carinae between shoulders (without a pair of interhumeral carinae in the latter).

Etymology. The specific epithet “ amplifronta ” refers to the longitudinal furrow of frontal ridge being relatively wide.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–K. Macromotettixoides amplifronta sp. nov. A–C. female habitus, dorsal, dorsolateral and lateral views; D. Head, frontal view; E–G. Left fore, middle and hind femora, lateral view; H. Left hind tibia, lateral view; I. Left hind tarsulus, lateral view; J–K. Female subgenital plate and ovipositor, ventral and lateral views. Scale bar = 1 mm.