Pseudoplangia, Massa, Bruno, 2014

Massa, Bruno, 2014, A new genus of Phaneropterinae (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Tettigoniidae) from Central Africa, Zootaxa 3764 (2), pp. 197-200 : 198

Pseudoplangia n. gen.

( Figs. 1–15 )

Type species: Plangia laminifera Karsch, 1896 , here designated

Description. Fastigium of vertex sloping steeply to frons, broader than the first antennal segment, with median sulcus ( Figs 7, 14 ). Eyes oval and elongate, moderately prominent ( Figs 3, 6, 14, 15 ). Head without fronto-genal carinae ( Fig. 7 ). Pronotum without lateral carinae, well-developed humeral excision on the lateral lobes ( Figs 3, 6, 14, 15 ). Upper and lower borders of legs densely covered by hairs ( Figs 7, 12, 13 ). Fore coxae armed, fore and mid femora and tibiae laterally compressed ( Figs 6, 7 ); fore femora with ventral spines ( Fig. 7 ), fore tibiae with ventral spines and open tympanum on each side ( Fig. 7 ). Mid femora and tibiae with ventral spines, mid femora shorter than pronotum length. Hind femora with ventral spines, hind tibiae with broad-based spines on upper side, small spines on lower side, and three apical spurs on each side ( Figs 1, 2, 12, 13 ). Fore and mid tarsi very short. Wings well developed, fore wings slightly shiny and shorter than hind wings ( Figs 1, 2 ). Male tenth abdominal tergite unmodified, sub-genital plate without styli ( Fig. 5 ). Ovipositor well developed, clearly up-curved, with fine teeth ( Fig. 9 ).

Diagnosis. The general aspect is similar to that of the gen. Plangia Stål, 1873 , but it differs remarkably in the vertex width, in the shape of eyes, that in Plangia are oval but not elongate, in the presence of broad-based spines on the hind tibiae, in the length of mid legs, that in Plangia are longer than pronotum length, and in the shape of fore and mid legs, that are very much laterally compressed ( Figs 16, 17 ). In Plangia the fastigium of vertex is less broad than in Pseudoplangia , fore and mid tibiae are not so compressed, hind tibiae have small and not broad-based spines, and styli, even if very small, are present in the sub-genital plate of the male. Eurycorypha Stål, 1873 has oval and more elongate eyes, fronto-genal carinae, very broad fastigium of the vertex and frons, mid legs longer than pronotum length, and much pronounced pronotum borders ( Figs 18, 19 ). Plangiodes Chopard, 1954 also has fronto-genal carinae and is very similar to Eurycorypha in most other characters, but has a narrower fastigium. Finally, Plangiopsis Karsch, 1889 is easily recognizable, because it has closed tympana on inner side of fore tibiae.

Etymology. After its faint resemblance with the African genus Plangia .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 19. Pseudoplangia laminifera (Karsch, 1896) n. comb. 1. Habitus of the male. 2. Habitus of the female. 3. Lateral view of male pronotum. 4. Stridulatory apparatus of the male. 5. Sub-genital plate of the male. 6. Lateral view of the female pronotum. 7. View from above of male head and fore legs. 8. Stridulatory file of the male. 9. Lateral view of the ovipositor. 10. Sub-genital plate of the female. 11. Left tegmen of the male. 12. Detail of spines of hind tibiae of the male. 13. Hind femora and tibiae of the male. 14 – 15. Male head and pronotum from above (14) and in lateral view (15). Figs. 16 – 17. Plangia deminuta Griffini, 1908. Male head and pronotum from above (16) and in lateral view (17). Figs. 18 – 19. Eurycorypha canaliculata Karsch, 1890. Male head and pronotum from above (18) and in lateral view (19).