Tukunha Mendes & Rafael, 2021

Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello & Rafael, José Albertino, 2021, Two new and rare genera of angle-winged katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae Phaneropterinae: Microcentrini) from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, Zootaxa 4999 (6), pp. 553-572 : 562-564

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4999.6.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:35374ADF-6423-4A3F-91DF-BAD8E30C7868
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5119800
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6958878F-E172-F56B-FF7C-5803FBB2FD14
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tukunha Mendes & Rafael
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Tukunha Mendes & Rafael View in CoL gen. nov.

Figures 11–19 View FIGURE 11 View FIGURE 12 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 View FIGURE 19

Type-species. Tukunha pinimauna sp. nov.

Grammatical gender. Feminine.

Diagnosis. Fore tibia with open tympanum ( Figs. 12F View FIGURE 12 – 14F View FIGURE 14 ). Thorax laterally with a dark purple spot ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ). Tegmina lanceolate broad, with rounded apex ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein MP and MA with two branches each ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). First branch of MP vein and last branch of CuA vein connected by two transverse veins, forming a pentagonal or hexagonal cell ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein CuA with three bifurcated branches reaching the wing margin ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Main branches of the CuA, MP and MA veins associated with hyaline regions, laterally with small rounded black spots ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 , 16 View FIGURE 16 ). Legs with dark (dark purple or black) and light (dark yellow or light gray) bands ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 , 14 View FIGURE 14 , 16 View FIGURE 16 )

Description. Head dorsally round and frontally slightly rounded, in lateral view ( Figs. 12D View FIGURE 12 , 14D View FIGURE 14 ). Globular eyes ( Figs. 12B–D View FIGURE 12 , 14B–D View FIGURE 14 ). Dorsal region of the head with numerous small bristles and small black spots ( Figs. 12B–D View FIGURE 12 , 14B–D View FIGURE 14 ). Pronotal disc rectangular, without carina, anteriorly concave with median triangular projection, laterally straight and posteriorly convex, in dorsal view ( Figs. 12C View FIGURE 12 , 14C View FIGURE 14 ); pronotal disc with several small black spots, in dorsal view ( Figs. 12C View FIGURE 12 , 14C View FIGURE 14 ). Dorsal-lateral suture straight and concolorous ( Figs. 12C–D View FIGURE 12 , 14C–D View FIGURE 14 ). Furcal suture rounded concolorous with pronotal disc ( Figs. 12C–D View FIGURE 12 , 14C–D View FIGURE 14 ). Mesobasisternum triangular-shaped, anteriorly straight ( Figs. 12E View FIGURE 12 , 14E View FIGURE 14 ). Metabasisternum diamond-shaped, laterally with two small triangular projections ( Figs. 12E View FIGURE 12 , 14E View FIGURE 14 ). Thorax laterally with a dark purple spot ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ). Tegmina lanceolate broad, with rounded apex ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein R sinuous and with small branched branches near the apex ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein MP and MA with two branches each ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein CuA with three bifurcated branches reaching the wing margin ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Vein CuP with a single branch ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Main branches of the CuA, MP and MA veins associated with hyaline regions, laterally with small rounded black spots ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 15 View FIGURE 15 , 16 View FIGURE 16 ). Fore femur straight with seven small ventral spines ( Figs. 12F View FIGURE 12 , 14F View FIGURE 14 ). Fore tibia with open tympanum and three spines in ventral region ( Figs. 12F View FIGURE 12 , 14F View FIGURE 14 ). Mid femur straight and with six small ventral spines ( Figs. 12G View FIGURE 12 , 14G View FIGURE 14 ). Mid tibia with enlarged basal half, two dorsal spines and four ventral spines ( Figs. 12G View FIGURE 12 , 14G View FIGURE 14 ). Hind femur enlarged at basal half with several small ventral spines ( Figs. 12H View FIGURE 12 , 14H View FIGURE 14 ). Hind tibia slightly enlarged in basal half ( Fig. 12H View FIGURE 12 , 14H View FIGURE 14 ). All legs with short bristles ( Figs. 12F–H View FIGURE 12 , 14F–H View FIGURE 14 ). Cercus weakly curved, apex acuminate ( Figs. 12I–K View FIGURE 12 , 14I–K View FIGURE 14 ). Subgenital plate triangular, apex rounded and stylus absent ( Figs. 12I View FIGURE 12 , 14I View FIGURE 14 ). Ovipositor curved; apex of ventral valve the same size of dorsal valve; ovipositor with small apical teeth ( Figs. 12K View FIGURE 12 , 14K View FIGURE 14 ).

Additional taxonomic notes. Among the Microcentrini , Tukunha gen. nov. appears most closely related to Lobophyllus Saussure, 1859 and Capiguara Mendes, Chamorro-Rengifo & Rafael, 2020 . Tukunha gen. nov. differs by both genera for having hyaline regions in the main branches of the CuA, MP and MA veins with small round lateral spots (versus absent in Lobophyllus and Capiguara ).

Comments. Tukunha gen. nov. is a mysterious katydid from Central Amazon. For more than one decade of collections focused on katydids, Tukunha gen. nov. was rare to find and up until now only females were collected. This pattern of a female predominance in collections conflicts with the majority of Amazonian Phaneropterinae , which males are more abundant in collections and preserved collections. In some cases, even genera with many species that are easily collected, such as Caauara Mendes, Chamorro-Rengifo & Rafael, 2020 , are without females. We thought that Tukunha gen. nov., as the majority of Amazonian Phaneropterinae , was a canopy dweller and that traditional collecting methods that did not reach the canopy would not be effective. This could explain why they are so rare in collections. However, in February 2021, we found a last-instar nymph of Tukunha piminauna sp. nov. on bushes in a Terra Firme forest (at ca. 50cm height). This record corroborates the rarity of Tukunha gen. nov., as that kind of bush is always examined during collecting (because it is the most accessible throughout the manual collecting at night), being normally habited by species of Conocephalinae , Pseudophyllinae and Pterochrozinae .

Etymology. The epithet is in apposition, Tukunha comes from the Brazilian indigenous language Tupi: Tuku [tukura] meaning “katydid” + kunha meaning “women, female”, meaning “female katydid”. The name is given in reference to the curious fact that only female specimens in this genus are known.