Moncheca pretiosa (Walker, 1869)

Piotr Naskrecki, 2000, Katydids of Costa Rica / Vol. 1, Systematics and bioacoustics of the cone-head katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae sensu lato)., Philadelphia, PA: The Orthopterists Society at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, : 104-105

Moncheca pretiosa (Walker, 1869)

Figs. 26 D-G, 47E, Map 12

1869 Walker, Cat. Derm. Salt. Brit. Mus. 2: 289; type locality: Honduras; type depository: The Natural History Museum, London >> holotype female

1906 Kirby, Syn. Cat. Orth. 2: 233 >> Exocephala , as syn. of E. bisulca

1912 Karny, in Wytsman, Gen. Ins. 139: 16 >> Moncheca , as syn. of M. bisulca

1999 Naskrecki and Otte, Illustr. Cat. Orthop. I (CD ROM) >> holotype illustrated

Diagnostic description.— General characteristics as described above. Stridulatory file of male almost perfectly straight, 1.8 mm long, with 86 narrow and relatively thick teeth, maximum width of file 84 μm ( Fig. 47 E); teeth of file uniform in thickness, evenly spaced and smoothly narrowing towards proximal end. Mirror of stridulatory apparatus with vein AA 1 only slightly oblique. Male cercus straight, cylindrical, with small, apical, hook-like tooth ( Fig. 26 G); male 10th tergite with large, dark patch but its posterior margin always lightly colored; posterior margin of tergite with wide incision ( Fig. 26 F). Ovipositor longer than hind femur (ratio ovipositor/hind femur 1.21-1.37), perfectly straight.

Coloration.— Body coloration of live individuals dark turquoise green, turning light green in preserved specimens. Face shiny black; clypeus and labrum crimson red; pronotum olive green, with narrow, white band in prozona and wide one in metazona ( Figs. 26 D-E). Costal field of tegmina yellow to pink (crimson underneath), remainder of tegmina dark olive green with yellow venation. Abdomen turquoise; sometimes lower valvula of ovipositor yellow.

Measurements.— Table 19 .

Bioacoustics.— Song unknown; see discussion under M. elegans .

Distribution.— This species occurs from southern Mexico, through Guatemala, Honduras, Belize to southern Costa Rica (Osa Peninsula) ( Map 12 ). It is possible that this species also occurs in Panama but all specimens collected south of Costa Rica (ANSP collection), and identified by M. Hebard as M. pretiosa , belong to M. elegans .

Material examined.— COSTA RICA: Limón Prov., Suerre, Atlantic Side, 20 July 1923 (coll. A. Alfaro) - 1 female ( ANSP); Puntarenas Prov., Albergue, Cerro de Oro, ACOSA, elev. 270 m, 14 - 18 March 1995 (coll. A. Picado) - 1 male, 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Agujas, elev. 300 m, 15 - 22 April 1996 (coll. A. Azofeifa) - 1 female ( INBio); Estac. Agujas, Sendero Zamia, Río Agujas, elev. 300 m, 9 - 28 March 1996 (coll. A. Azofeifa) - 2 females ( INBio); Estac. Carara, R.B. Carara, elev. 200 m, 15 March 1990 (coll. R. Zuniga) - 1 male ( INBio); Fila Cerro de Oro, elev. 260 m, 14 - 19 March 1995 (coll. F. Alvarado) - 1 female ( INBio); Fila Guerra, Península de Osa, elev. 1 - 100 m, 15 March 1991 (coll. J. Quesada) - 1 female ( INBio); Penisula de Osa, Rancho Quemado , elev. 200 m, 15 April 1992 (coll. D. Brenes) - 1 male ( INBio); HONDURAS: 1 female (lectotype) ( BMNH); GUATEMALA: Piedras Negras, 1 April - 30 June 1937 (coll. T. Proskouriakoff) - 1 male ( ANSP); Piedras Negras, Petén, 1 April - 30 June 1936 (coll. L. Satterthwaite Jr.) - 1 male ( ANSP); MEXICO: South Mexico, - 1 female ( ANSP).

Figures

FIG. 26. Costa Rican species of Sphyrometopa and Moncheca. A. S. femorata - male left tegmen, B. S. atlantica- male left tegmen, C. S. femorata - titillators, everted, D-F. M. pretiosa: D. female head and pronotum, lateral view, E. female head and pronotum, dorsal view, F. male cerci, dorsal view, G. male cerci, lateral view.

FIG. 47. Stridulatory files of Costa Rican species of Conocephalinae s. l. A. Vestria punctata, B. ditto, enlarged fragment, C. Moncheca elegans, enlarged fragment, D. ditto, entire file, E. Moncheca pretiosa.

MAPS 7 - 12. Distribution of species of Conocephalinae s. l. in Costa Rica. 7. Neoconocephalus affinis, N. triops, 8. Neoconocephalus punctipes, N. cf. spiza, 9. Bucrates capitatus, B. clausus, Metacaputus brenesi, 10. Pyrgocorypha rogersi, P. hamata, 11. Caulopsis cuspidata, C. microprora, 12. Moncheca elegans, M. pretiosa, Vestria punctata.