Malagasopus, 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) : 209-210

Malagasopus gen. nov.

Type species. Malagasopus desutterae sp. nov., here designated.

Description and Diagnosis. Body slightly depressed dorso-ventrally ( Fig. 62 ). Head wide. Fastigium of vertex ( Figs. 2 , 60 ) relatively elongated, with 3 short spiniform arms all of which are slightly directed upwards. Face almost flattened, with distinct tubercles, four of which larger, spiniform. In M. desutterae a large portion of the male tegmina is covered by the pronotum and only the apical parts are visible from above ( Fig. 60 ), while in the other species, M. meridianus , a large apical portion of the male tegmina is visible from above ( Fig. 70 ). Mesothorax with a large seashell-shaped mesothoracic auricle. Tympanal organ on fore tibia slit shaped. Forelegs ( Figs. 60, 66 ) strongly developed, large, with very strong and large spines. Fore femur ( Figs. 5 , 60 ) strongly widened, with a large inner spine on anterio-lateral margin; its outer and inner sides without apical spine ventrally. Hind tibia without apical spur dorsally ( Fig. 8 ). Last male tergite ( Fig. 63 ) long, with a narrow median incision on posterior margin. Ovipositor ( Fig. 68 ) slightly shorter than abdomen. For more details, see the descriptions of M. desutterae sp. nov. and M. meridianus sp. nov. below.

This new genus appears to be closely related to Oncodopus judging by the structure of pronotum, fore femur, hind tibia and by the slightly protruding male tegmina in M. desutterae . It differs from Oncodopus in the tridentate fastigium of its vertex (one simple, elongated spine in Oncodopus ), protruding male tegmina (almost covered by pronotum in Oncodopus ), the elongated hind margin of the last male tergite (very short in Oncodopus ) and the wider head especially in the female. It shares with Colossopus the tridentate fastigium of the vertex, the elongated hind margin of the last male tergite and the strongly protruding tegmina of the male in one species, M. meridianus . It differs from Colossopus in the morphology of the fastigium of the vertex (with very short arms all of which are directed slightly upwards whilst in Colossopus the longer 2 lateral arms are parallel and directed slightly downwards and the longer middle arm is upcurved), the shape of pronotum, the structure of the fore femur (the new genus lacks an apical spine on both sides ventrally whilst Colossopus possesses such spines), the hind tibia without apical spur dorsally ( Colossopus , has an apical spur dorsally on inner side), the shorter ovipositor and the wider head especially in female.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from “Malagasy” meaning Madagascan.

Figures

FIGURES 60 – 69. Malagasopus desutterae gen. nov. et sp. nov. Male: 60 forelegs, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 61 head and pronotum, lateral view, 62 habitus, dorso-lateral view, 63 last abdominal tergite, 64 cercus, 65 subgenital plate. Female: 66 forelegs, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 67 head and pronotum, lateral view, 68 habitus, dorso-lateral view, 69 subgenital plate. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 9. Fastigium of vertex from above. 1 Oncodopus zonatus, 2 Malagasopus desutterae, 3 Colossopus grandidieri. Figs. 4 – 6. apical half of left fore femur, inner view. 4 Oncodopus zonatus, 5 Malagasopus desutterae, 6 Colossopus redtenbacheri. Figs. 7 – 9. apical part of left hind tibia from above. 7 Oncodopus zonatus, 8 Malagasopus desutterae, 9 Colossopus grandidieri. Scale bars 1 mm.

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.