Malagasopus meridianus, Ünal, Mustafa & Beccaloni, George W., 2017

Ünal, Mustafa & Beccaloni, George W., 2017, Revision of the Madagascan genera Oncodopus Brongniart and Colossopus Saussure (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae; Euconchophorini), with description of Malagasopus gen. nov., Zootaxa 4341 (2) : 212-214

Malagasopus meridianus sp. nov.

( Figs. 70–75 , 111 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:499691

Type locality. Madagascar, Toliara, Raharizonina. Holotype male ( MNHN).

Description. Male (Holotype): Head wide, 1.3 times longer than its width. Fastigium of vertex ( Figs. 70, 71 ) with tridentate, lateral 2 denticles very small, but probably not developed sufficiently (its normal form is probably as in M. desutterae , but it may has been damaged during immature stages); its basal part 1.5 times narrower than eye, 1.3 times wider than antennal scape. Face slightly convex, with distinct tubercles. Fastigium of frons with a small spiniform tooth. Pronotum ( Figs. 70, 71 ) slightly longer than wide, 3.1 times longer than its height; anterior margin convex, posterior margin with a strong median incision; depression of typical sulcus wide and shallow; prozona 3.4 times longer than metazona in middle. Tegmina ( Figs. 70, 71 ) strongly protrude from under pronotum, a large portion visible from above, reaching to slightly beyond posterior margin of metanotum. Prothoracic auditory spiracle concealed under lateral lobe of pronotum. Mesothoracic auricle small, inner gap elliptical, ventral lobe distinct. Fore femur ( Fig. 70 ) with a small inner spine on anterio-lateral margin; with 5 ventral spines on inner side, no apical spine ventrally; outer side of fore femur without ventral spines. Fore tibia ( Fig. 70 ) with 5 large inner and 5 smaller outer spines ventrally. Mid and hind femora without spines. Hind tibia with 5 dorsal spines on outer side, without dorsal apical spur; with 4 apical spurs ventrally, inner 2 slightly shorter than outer ones. Prosternum with 2 U-shaped spines, not reaching to level of ventral margin of fore coxa. Fore coxa with a dorsal spine projecting forward. Last abdominal tergite long and broad, 2.2 times longer than wide, posterior margin elongated with a small, very narrow median incision, like a split. Cercus short and broad, strongly incurved apically; with 2 incurved arms, dorsal arm short and broad, pointed with a distinct tooth, ventral arm longer, pointed with a larger tooth. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 75 ) 1.3 times longer than wide, with a distinct median carina; posterior margin with a narrow triangular median incision; its styli small and rounded, almost as long as depth of posterior incision of plate.

Female: Unknown.

Colour (dry specimens). Body light brown with some darker shades. Lower margin of frons and mandibles dark reddish brown. Spines of forelegs dark. Wing membrane between veins of apical part of tegmina dark. Hind margins of abdominal tergites with transverse light milky brown bars.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to M. desutterae sp. nov. in the structure of its legs, last male tergite, subgenital plate and cercus. It different from M. desutterae in the shape of male pronotum with shorter metazona (1.9 mm in the middle), the length of the male tegmina (a large part visible from above, not fully covered by pronotum), structure of the male cercus, the spine number of the fore tibia (it has 5 inner and 5 outer spines ventrally whilst M. desutterae has 4 inner and 4 outer spines). Whilst the pronotum and tegmina of M. meridianus are similar to Colossopus spp. there are many other differences (see the generic characters given in the Table 1 and under the genus Malagasopus ).

Material examined. Madagascar, Sud Quest, Tulear, P. K. 860, Raharizonina, 7.1959, 1 male (Holotype) ( MNHN).

Measurements (mm). Holotype (male): Body length: 33.1; pronotum length: 10.6; width of pronotum: 9.9; fore femur length: 8.9; width of fore femur: 3.3; fore tibia length: 9.4; hind femur length: 13.6.

Etymology. The new species name “ meridianus ” means southern in Latin. This species in common with many of the other species in this paper, is found in South Madagascar.

Distribution. South-west of Madagascar ( Fig. 111 ). Toliara Province: S.E. Toliara, Raharizonina.

Habitat. The region in which this species occurs has spiny forest. Living specimens have not been studied.

Phenology. This species has been found in July as an adult.

Remarks. Lateral denticles of fastigium of vertex are very small and not in natural forms. Possibly they may have been damaged during immature stages.

Figures

FIGURES 70 – 75. Malagasopus meridianus gen. nov. et sp. nov. Male: 70 forelegs, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 71 head and pronotum, lateral view, 72 habitus, dorso-lateral view, 73 last abdominal tergite, 74 cercus, 75 subgenital plate. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 109 – 111. Maps. 109 map of Madagascar, 110 distributions of Oncodopus spp., 111 distributions of Malagasopus spp. and Colossopus spp.