Cercoteratura repens, Tan & Jin & Wang & Japir & Chung, 2022

Tan, Ming Kai, Jin, Xingbao, Wang, Hanqiang, Japir, Razy & Chung, Arthur Y. C., 2022, Taxonomy and bioacoustics of some katydids of the tribes Meconematini and Phisidini (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Meconematinae) from eastern Sabah, Zootaxa 5209 (4), pp. 463-475 : 465-468

Cercoteratura repens sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Material examined. Holotype: EAST MALAYSIA • 1♂; Sabah State, Sabah State, Tabin Wildlife Reserve ; flying among grasses near the resort check-in area; 17 May 2022, 10h; coll. M.K. Tan; SBH.22.120 ( FRC)

Diagnosis. This new species differs from the other congeners by the posterior end of the 10 th abdominal tergite being deeply notched in the middle and with spatulate posterior lateral lobes; the posterior end of the epiproct having a large truncated medial lobe which is narrowly emarginated in the middle; the lamellate cercus with a small rectangular lamellate lobe in the middle along the inner margin; the apex of the cercus acute, pointing anteriorly; the epiphallus consisting of a medial large plate (with two dorso-lateral and two ventro-lateral lobes) and two smaller lateral plates.

The new species is most similar to Cercoteratura abbreviata (Karny, 1924) from Sumatra by the uniform yellow (light green when alive) colouration, shapes of the epiproct and cercus; but differs by the cercus stouter (slenderer and longer in C. abbreviata ) and more angularly upcurved (more broadly upcurved in C. abbreviata ) at the apical half, and by the cercus not emarginated at the apex. The new species also has similar uniform yellow (light green when alive) colouration as Cercoteratura modesta Gorochov, 2019 from Sumatra but differs by the shapes of the male epiproct and cercus. From a Bornean congener, the new species differs from Cercoteratura mirabilis (Tan & Wahab, 2018) from Brunei Darussalam by the colouration (without dark markings) and the shapes of epiproct and cercus.

Remarks. The new species should be compared with Xiphidiopsis (Xiphidiopsis) phyllocercus Karny, 1907 from Borneo, but its original description is very brief and the types could not be located. This species is characterised by its compressed leaf-shaped cercus, perhaps not too different from the new species, but nothing else is known about the abdominal apex and phallic complex.

Etymology. The species name refers to the ventrad spreading of the strong, dark sclerotization on the medial plate of the epiphallus, characteristics of the species. In Latin, ‘repens’ means ‘spreading’ and ‘creeping’.

Description. Habitus typical of Meconematini ( Fig. 1A ) Generally green when alive. Head pale green to green, with tint of yellow brown on antennal scapus and pedicel. Eyes globular ( Fig. 1 ). Frontal rostrum conical, stout, with rounded apex of upper tubercle having median sulcus feebly present ( Fig. 1B ). Antennal segments with apical parts black. Mouthparts generally light coloured. Apical segment of maxillary palpi long and slender, faintly widened apically and blackish at the apex; fourth slightly shorter than third segment in length ( Fig. 1A ). Pronotum covering most part of tegminal mirror ( Fig. 1B ), green with margin yellow brown. Pronotal disc roundly turned into lateral lobes, transverse sulcus distinct but very shallow; dorsal edge of pronotum almost straight in profile; anterior margin of pronotal disc faintly convex, posterior margin angularly rounded ( Fig. 1 ); Ventral margin of pronotal lateral lobe short and rounded. Thoracic auditory spiracle (= thoracic foramen) large and bean-shaped; not covered by pronotal lateral lobe ( Fig. 1A ). Tegmen rather narrow, with narrowly rounded apex, reaching basal part of hind tibiae; with a few irregular black spots after basal third. Hind wing slightly surpassing tegminal apices. Legs generally pale green; tarsi and apex of tibiae black. Femora without spine; fore and middle tibiae each with 4 outer and 4 inner subapical spines; inner and outer knees of hind femora with rounded lobes each with a small apical spine; hind tibiae ventrally and dorsally with numerous outer and inner spines as well as 2 ventral and 1 dorsal apical spurs on each side. Spines on legs mostly black. Knees not darkened.

Male. Abdominal apex as in Fig. 2 . 10 th abdominal tergite and epiproct somewhat fused together. 10 th abdominal tergite with posterior end deeply notched in the middle, with posterior lateral lobe produced between the notch; posterior lateral lobe slender, dorso-ventrally compressed with spatulate apex. Epiproct with posterior end a large medial lobe; this lobe surpasses posterior lateral lobes of 10 th abdominal tergite, narrowly emarginated in the middle, with apex truncated. Cercus with basal third dorso-ventrally flattened but rather narrow, angularly incurved. Cercus in the middle with a small rectangular lamellate lobe along inner margin, with apex truncated. Posterior of the inner lamellate lobe, cercus lamellate and widened, strongly upcurved and then incurved. Apex of cercus acute, pointing anteriorly. Subgenital plate broad at basal half; lateral margins narrow and converge considerably at apical half; apical margin narrow and truncated. Styli inserted at the apical margin of subgenital plate short and slender. Phallic complex as in Fig. 3 . consists of membranous ventral lobe with apex narrow and little emarginated. Epiphallus sclerotized, consisting of a medial large plate and two smaller lateral plates. Medial plate with two dorso-lateral lobes and two ventro-lateral lobes; dorso-lateral lobes pointing antero-laterally with subacute apices; ventro-lateral lobes broader and stouter, lamellate, pointing ventrad with truncated apices. Medial plate also more strongly sclerotized in the middle; this sclerotization forked into the two ventro-lateral lobes, each broadly forked again.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (1♂, in mm). BL = 13.2, BWL = 23.9, PL = 4.0, TL = 17.4, HWT = 2.3, HFL = 11.3, HTL = 13.1.

Ecology. Unknown.

Distribution. Borneo: Sabah State: Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

Type locality. EAST MALAYSIA, Sabah State, Tabin Wildlife Reserve .

Calling song. Not recorded.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Cercoteratura repens sp. nov. ♂ holotype preserved in ethanol in lateral view (A); head and pronotum in dorsal view (B). Scale bars: 5 mm (A); 1 mm (B).

FIGURE 2. ♂ abdominal apex of Cercoteratura repens sp. nov. in dorsal (A), ventral (B, C), lateral (D, E) and dorso-lateral (F) views; without (B, D) and with (C, E) phallic complex. 10th = 10th abdominal apex; ep = epiproct; sg = subgenital plate. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. ♂ epiphallus of Cercoteratura repens sp. nov. in posterior (A), ventral (B) and dorsal (C) views. vm = membranous ventral lobe; lp = lateral sclerotized plate; mp = medial sclerotized plate; dl = dorso-lateral lobe; vl = ventro-lateral lobe. Scale bars: 1 mm.