Deltonotusoides, Deng, 2021

Deng, Wei-An, 2021, New genus and new species of leaf-mimic pygmy grasshoppers from China (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Cladonotinae), Zootaxa 4995 (3), pp. 573-580 : 574-576

Genus Deltonotusoides gen. nov.

Type species: Deltonotusoides strictivertex sp. nov., here designated.

Description. General characters and coloration. Small size, body surface interspersed with granules and small notches. Body yellow-green.

Head. Head and eyes below anterior margin of pronotum. In dorsal view, vertex short, fastigium of vertex between eyes narrower than width of an eye, anterior margin of fastigium truncate, not surpassing anterior margin of eye; lateral margins turned backward. In lateral view, frontal costa nearly straight, not visible between eyes and lightly protruded anteriorly and broadly rounded between antennal grooves ( Figure 1D ). In frontal view, frontal costa long, bifurcation of frontal costa between the eyes (in the middle), scutellum (longitudinal furrow) widely forked between antennae, the rami strongly divergent, width of longitudinal furrow of frontal costa distinct wider than antennal groove diameter ( Figure 1E ). Antennae short, 15-segmented, filiform, antennal grooves inserted far below inferior margin of compound eyes. Eyes globose, lateral (paired) ocelli located between lower margins of compound eye or lowest third of compound eye height.

Thorax. Pronotum with leaf-like appearance and with lower crest, median carina compressed and strongly elevated; In lateral view, dorsum of pronotum spherically elevated above the tegmina; anterior margin of the pronotum nearly right angle, projected above the occiput and reaching half the longitudinal diameter of an eye. In dorsal view, anterior margin of pronotum enlarged, middle acute and projected above the occiput; widely rounded humeral angles; pronotal apex either 1) nearly reaching knee of hind femur (brachypronotal and brachypterous specimens) ( Figure 1A–B , Figure 3A–B ) or 2) surpassing knee of hind femur and reaching two-thirds of hind tibia (macropronotal and macropterous specimens) ( Figure 3C–D ). Posterior angles of lateral lobes slightly produced outwards, end of posterior angles slightly truncate or obtuse-rounded, posterior margins of each lateral lobe of pronotum with ventral sinus and tegminal (upper) sinus. Tegmina either 1) are small (brachypronotal and brachypterous specimens) or 2) normal (macropronotal and macropterous specimens). Hind wings either 1) are degenerate and very short, only reaching one-third of hind femora (brachypronotal and brachypterous specimens) ( Figure 1B , Figure 3B ) or 2) are well developed, extending beyond the apices of hind femora and surpassing the pronotal apex (macropronotal and macropterous specimens) ( Figure 3 C-D). Ventral surface of thorax with dense long hair.

Legs. Fore and middle femora wide and distinct compressed, margins finely serrated; ventral margins of fore femora undulated or straight. Hind femora robust and short, with carinated and margins finely serrated, antegenicular denticles and genicular denticles right angle, antegenicular denticles lamellar and larger than genicular denticles. Length of first segment of posterior tarsi longer than third.

Diagnosis. The new genus is allied to Deltonotus Hancock, 1904 ( Figure 4 A-B), but differs by follows: anterior margin of the pronotum projected above the occiput and reaching half the longitudinal diameter of an eye ( Figure 1B , Figure 3B , Figure 3C ) (anterior margin of the pronotum projected above the whole vertex and before the head in Deltonotus Hancock ( Figure 4A–B )); tegmina and hind wings present (tegmina and hind wings absent in Deltonotus Hancock ); posterior margins of each lateral lobe of pronotum with ventral sinus and tegminal (upper) sinus (posterior margins of each lateral lobe of pronotum only with ventral sinus). The new genus is similar to Stegaceps Hancock, 1913 ( Figure 4C ), but differs by follows: anterior margin of the pronotum projected above the occiput and reaching half the longitudinal diameter of an eye (anterior margin of the pronotum projected above the whole vertex and before the head in Stegaceps Hancock ( Figure 4C )); pronotum with lower crest (pronotum with high crest in Stegaceps Hancock ( Figure 4C )).

Etymology. The generic epithet is derived from “ Deltonotusoides ”, meaning new genus is similar to Deltonotus .

Figures

FIGURE 1A–E. Deltonotusoides strictivertex sp. nov., holotype female. A—body, dorsal view; B—the same, lateral view; C—head and anterior part of pronotum, dorsal view; D—the same, lateral view; E—head, frontal view.

FIGURE 3A–E. Deltonotusoides strictivertex sp. nov., paratype male: A—body (brachypronotal and brachypterous), lateral view; B—body (brachypronotal and brachypterous), dorsal view; C—body (macropronotal and macropterous), left lateral view; D—body (macropronotal and macropterous), right lateral view; E—head (macropronotal and macropterous), frontal view.

FIGURE 4A–C. Genera Deltonotus Hancock and Stegaceps Hancock. A—Deltonotus subcucullatus (Walker, 1871) (syntype, photo Tumbrinck); B—Deltonotus hainanensis Zheng & Liang, 1985 (photo Deng); C—Stegaceps brevicornis Hancock, 1913 (holotype, photo Weintraub).