Paraxantia rubripes Wu & Liu, 2021

Wu, Chao & Liu, Chun-Xiang, 2021, Two new species of Paraxantia Liu & Kang (Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae Vosiini) from Eastern Himalayas, Zootaxa 5016 (1), pp. 117-126 : 120-121

Paraxantia rubripes Wu & Liu sp. nov.

Figs. 1C, 1F , 2B, 2E , 3C , 4A, 4C , 5A–B , 6B

Type Material. Holotype. 1♂, China: Tibet Autonomous, Linzhi City , Medog County, Bo’nong’gong, N 29.6547° E 95.4861°, 2149m, 2012.VII.17, leg. Chao Wu ( IZCAS) . Paratypes. 1♂, ditto ; 5♂, China: Tibet Autonomous, Linzhi City , Medog County, Hanmi , N 29.3647° E 95.1284°, 2130m, 2013.VII.13–VII.20, leg. Chao Wu ( IZCAS) .

Description. Male.

Measurements (mm). length of pronotum: ♂ 12.0–12.4; length of tegmen: ♂ 68.5–69.3; width of tegmen: ♂ 22.1–22.8; length of anterior femur: ♂ 11.0–11.7; length of middle femur: ♂ 13.5–13.9; length of posterior femur: ♂ 31.1–31.4.

Head. Ovoid, elongate, occiput convex and smooth. Compound eyes elongate, protruding ( Fig. 6B ). Antennae slender, long and flexible, shorter than body.

Pronotum. Normal. Pronotum gradually tilting and widened backwards; anterior margin concave, posterior margin convex with a small middle notch; first transverse groove strongly impressed; lateral carinae finely denticulate on pronotum; one oblique slightly granular line beginning in middle of each lateral carina, then ending in middle of posterior margin. Lateral lobes of pronotum deeper than long; anterior margins straight, posterior margin slightly arc ( Fig. 6B ).

Legs. Fore femur shorter than pronotum, widened in apical half, external margin with 9–11 spines ( Fig. 5A ). Middle femur normal, swollen in apical half, external margin with 10–12 spines. Fore and middle leg tibia normal, slightly flat, with sparse small spines; fore tibia with tympanum conchate on both sides, opening of the tympanum very narrow, slit, slight swelling at tympana area. Hind legs elongate; hind femur widened in basal half and gradually narrows towards the top, slight swelling near knee; external ventral margin with 24–26 spines, sparse. Hind tibia with both dorsal margins slightly swollen in basal half, dorsally carrying 24–25 external and 28–30 internal spines ( Fig. 1F ). The tarsus of each legs short and wide.

Wings. Tegmen and hind wing fully developed, tegmen conferring a leaf-like appearance. Tegmen noticeably longer than abdomen, opaque, with numerous faint cross veinlets. Tegmen widened in the middle before and tapering to rounded apex. Costa normal, costal field widened with oblique cross veins; subcostal vein and radial vein joined at base, then separated but closely abutted together till before apical part of tegmen. Hind wing projecting beyond tegmen, wide, colorless and transparent except for the tip, with pale green veins. Stridulatory file of left tegmen slim, elongated, cambered, apically decurved, about 6.6–7.0 mm long, with 120–130 densely arranged teeth; teeth densely arranged, those teeth in distal area weak ( Fig. 3C ).

Abdomen. Tenth abdominal tergum broad, concave in middle; anal flap tongue-shaped, hairy. Subgenital plate elongate, anteriorly wide, tapering sharply into a narrow apical half, with notch at apex. Subgenital plate with rather short, robust styli. Cerci robust, hairy, bifurcate apically; dorsal arm directed inwards, not tapering upward, with conical apex; ventral tooth incurved, ventral tooth produced horizontally inwards, with sharp apex directed downwards ( Fig. 4A ).

External genitalia ( Fig. 4C ). Phallic complex reduced and pigmented; titillator elongate, narrow, with numerous tubercles and larger teeth on the ridges the arms closely separated, narrowing apically. Phallic lobes slightly ossified, more or less pigmented on the edges.

Coloration. Overall yellow-green, and yellow color on head and thorax more prominent. Thorax laterally with some purple-brown spots at alive. Antennae pale brown. Base of femur rose. Hindwings hyaline except for yellow apex; veins pale green. Abdomen and cerci yellow-green.

Female. Unknown.

Discussion. The new species is different from other congeners by its distinctive coloration, swollen hind tibia, and features of the phallic complex.

Etymology. The new species is named for the rose-colored gloss at the base of the legs, most obvious in living individuals.

Distribution. China: Tibet, Medog.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Xantia and Paraxantia. A, D: X. borneensis Brunner von Wattenwyl; B, E: P. parasinica Liu & Kang; C, F: P. rubripes sp. nov.; A–C: body, lateral view; D–F: right hind tibia, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Male external genitalia and maxillae palpus of Xantia and Paraxantia. A–C: male external genitalia; D, E: maxillae palpus; A, D: X. borneensis Brunner von Wattenwyl from Borneo, Malaysia; B, E: P. rubripes sp. nov. from Tibet, China; C: P. tibetensis Liu & Kang from Tibet, China.

FIGURE 3. Male stridulatory file on underside of left tegmen. A: Xantia borneensis Brunner von Wattenwyl; B: Paraxantia tibetensis Liu & Kang; C: Paraxantia rubripes sp. nov.; D: Paraxantia kaquewa sp. nov..

FIGURE 4. Paraxantia spp., A, C: P. rubripes sp. nov.; B, D: P. kaquewa sp. nov.; A, B: male cerci, multi-angle view; C, D: titillator.

FIGURE 5. Paraxantia spp. in nature, male. A, B: P. rubripes sp. nov.; C: P. tibetensis Liu & Kang.

FIGURE 6. Paraxantia spp., male. A: P. tibetensis Liu & Kang; B: P. rubripes sp. nov..