Larnaca (Larnaca) squamiptera, 2018

Ingrisch, Sigfrid, 2018, New taxa and records of Gryllacrididae (Orthoptera, Stenopelmatoidea) from South East Asia and New Guinea with a key to the genera, Zootaxa 4510 (1), pp. 1-278 : 208-209

Larnaca (Larnaca) squamiptera sp. nov.

Figs. 71 O–P, 73G–I, 101G

Material examined. Holotype (female): Thailand: Tak, Ban Mae Salit, Monkrating resort, elev. 700–800 m (17°30'N, 98°5'E), 11–13.x.1990, leg. S. Ingrisch—(Bonn ZFMK).

Diagnosis. L. squamiptera sp. nov. is characterized by the strongly reduced, lobate, lateral tegmen that still show a distinct venation, so far unique within the genus, and by the light brown color with a distinct hieroglyphic pattern of black lines and dots on vertex and pronotum. In female characters, it has the seventh abdominal sternite with a large oval groove in the apical half open behind and the apical margin rounded throughout without the lateral angles of the groove projecting behind as in L. vietnamensis Gorochov, 2003 , L. phetchaburi Gorochov, 2003 , or L. tenuis sp. nov., from the latter it also differs by the narrower groove. Moreover, the transverse subgenital plate is distinct on both sides but strongly reduced in middle, even more so than in L. vietnamensis or L. tenuis . The new species differs from L. samkos sp. nov. by the oval instead of triangular groove on seventh sternite and a much shorter subgenital plate.

Description. Head: Face not particularly large; in frontal view ovoid; forehead nearly smooth; fastigium verticis little wider than scapus; ocelli distinct but of same color as areas around them: Median ocellus distinct ( Fig. 71P ). Abdominal tergites two and three without stridulatory pegs. Wings: squamipterous, tegmen very narrow and shorter than pronotum, just surpassing hind margin of metanotum, with 8 parallel veins; hind wings absent ( Fig. 73G ). Legs: Fore coxa with small spine at fore margin; fore and mid femora unarmed; fore tibia with 4 pairs of moderately large ventral spines and 1 pair of smaller ventral spurs; mid tibia with 3 pairs of large ventral spines and 1 pair of minute ventral spurs; hind femur with 7–9 external and 8–9 internal spines on ventral margins, on external margin irregularly spaced; hind tibia with spines on both dorsal margins, ventral margins each with one rather short pre-apical spine; with 3 apical spurs on both sides.

Coloration ( Fig. 101G ): General color yellowish brown; vertex and pronotum with black hieroglyphic marks; meso- and metanotum and first abdominal tergite with darkened hind margin; hind legs with black genicular area, dorsal spines of hind tibia black and sitting on black spots, joint area of hind tibia and tarsus also black. Face with median ocellus and area above including fastigii yellowish brown, area below including margin of antennal scrobae and genae black; margin of clypeus and palpi yellowish. Tegmen yellowish transparent with darker veins.

Male unknown.

Female. Seventh abdominal sternite wide with little elevated central area, in about mid-length with an angular step, behind step with a deep, wide groove in midline; apical margin convex. Subgenital plate transverse, very short especially in middle, pressed against seventh sternite with basal margin concave, giving room for the extension of seventh sternite ( Figs. 73 H–I). Base of ovipositor laterally at very base with a short obtuse cone at each side, in between covered by a short membranous triangular area, with concave anterior margin and rounded tip. Ovipositor sickle- or hook-shaped; with margins narrowing towards tip ( Fig. 73G ).

Measurements (1 female).—body w/o wings: 23; pronotum: 4.5; tegmen: 3; hind femur: 12.5; antenna: 70; ovipositor: 7.5 mm.

Remark. The right fore leg and both mid legs are smaller than the left fore leg and the tibial spines of lower number and much smaller size. It is highly probably that at least the right fore leg is a regenerated leg for a leg lost or damaged during post-embryonic development and therefore has less and shorter spines.

Figures

FIGURE 71. Genus Larnaca: A–C, L. nigricornis sp. nov. male holotype (A–B) and paratype (C); D–G, L. eugenii (Griffini, 1914) male holotype (D–E) and male from Tay Yen Tu (F–G); H–I, L. tenuis sp. nov. female holotype; J–K, L. samkos sp. nov. female holotype; L–N, L. subaptera sp. nov. male holotype; O–P, L. squamiptera sp. nov. female holotype; Q, L. larnacoides (Karny, 1937) female in Karny collection (not a type).—Habitus dorsal view (A, D, F, H, K, L, O), do. lateral view (M, Q), face (B–C, E, G, I–J, N, P).—Scales 10 mm (habitus), 5 mm (face), not all images to scale.

FIGURE 73. Genus Larnaca: A–C, L. tenuis sp. nov. holotype; D–F, L. samkos sp. nov. holotype; G–I, L. squamiptera sp. nov. holotype.—Female habitus lateral view (A, D, G); ovipositor (B); female sixth to seventh abdominal sternite, subgenital plate and base of ovipositor in ventral view (C, E, H), female end of abdomen in apical view on base of ovipositor and subgenital plate (F), end of abdomen in lateral view (I).

FIGURE 101. A, Capnogryllacris (C.) sakaerat toxica ssp. nov. female paratype; B, Furcilarnaca salit sp. nov. male holotype; C, Ultragryllacris triangula sp. nov. male; D, Ultragryllacris pulchra nan ssp. nov. male holotype; E, Larnaca (L.) nigricornis sp. nov. female; F, Ocellarnaca angulata Gorochov, 2004 female; G, Larnaca (Larnaca) squamiptera sp. nov. female holotype; H, Siamgryllacris rufa sp. nov. female. Photos E–F by Jérome Constant.