Xuanwua, He, Zhuqing & Gorochov, Andrej V., 2015

He, Zhuqing & Gorochov, Andrej V., 2015, A new genus for a new species of Podoscirtini from southeast Tibet (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Podoscirtinae; Podoscirtini), Zootaxa 4033 (2), pp. 259-264 : 259-263

Orthoptera

Gryllidae

Podoscirtinae

Podoscirtini

Xuanwua gen. nov. Type species Xuanwua motuoensis sp. nov., here designated

Diagnosis. Size and external structure of body typical for tribe Podiscirtini but with following features: body medium sized; head rather small, shining, dorsoventrally depressed, with angular rostrum in profile, and with scape somewhat wider than minimum space between antennal cavities; pronotum also shining, transverse, clearly narrowing to head, and with rather low lateral lobes ( Figs 1 , C, D; 2, A, B); male metanotal gland with two shallow concavities occupying most part of metanotum and laterally and posteriorly outlined by more or less developed but partly obliterated ridges (these concavities with numerous short hairs: Fig. 3 , A); fore and middle legs moderately short and robust, with fore tibia almost quadrangular in transverse section and having outer tympanum open (ovoid) and inner tympanum slit-like; hind legs moderately long and less robust (femur rather weakly thickened in proximal part), with tibia having rather short articulated spines and no unarticulated denticles between them, and with basitarsus having 3 pairs of dorsal denticles; tegmina shining, long (almost reaching apices of hind tibiae) but somewhat shorter than hind wings ( Figs 1 , C, D; 2, A, B); in male, tegmina with transverse and almost straight stridulatory vein, normal structure of oblique veins and of chords, rather large and almost ovoid (slightly longitudinal) mirror having one dividing vein in middle part, long and narrow border-like cell around distal half of mirror, very long apical area of dorsal field ( Figs 2 , A; 4, A), and several almost parallel branches of Sc situated more or less obliquely in lateral field (costal area of this field with numerous crossveins in proximal part, with crossveins located only between basal parts of Sc branches in middle part, and almost without crossveins in rest part); in female, dorsal tegminal field with several oblique longitudinal branches and wide areas between them having dense net from irregular small cells forming by modified crossveins, and lateral tegminal field with Sc branches situated as in male and with cross venational most as in dorsal field ( Figs 1 , C; 2, B); male anal plate symmetrical, with two pairs of short lobes in posterior half (outer lobes rounded and smooth, inner ones almost angular and covered with numerous punctures; Fig. 3 , B and Fig. 4 , E); male genital plate large and nearly triangular.

Male genitalia very characteristic ( Figs 3 , C – E; 4, B – D), with a pair of massive and long anterolateral sclerites (probably rami) which longer than half of general length of genitalia and having anterior part strongly curved upwards and slightly backwards ( Figs 3 , C; 4, B); epiphallus divided into a pair of posterolateral sclerites partly curved upwards and having apical spine and subapical tooth directed upwards ( Fig. 3 , C, D; 4, B, C); ectoparameres lobe-like, partly semimembranous and with two spine-like sclerotized processes on each ectoparamere (longer and somewhat hooked upper process, and smaller lower one; Figs 3 , C, E and 4, B, D); rachis (= guiding rod) rather large, somewhat S-shaped in profile, and with bifurcate apical part ( Figs 3 , C – E; 4, B – D); endoparameres with very long and thin apodemes reaching anterior part of genitalia ( Figs 3 , D, E; 4, C, D). Ovipositor rather long and with low rounded tubercles in apical part.

Included species. Known only from the type species.

Comparison. The new genus clearly differs from all the other genera of Podoscirtini in a very characteristic structure of the male genitalia (especially in the development of massive and very long anterolateral sclerites having their anterior part strongly curved upwards) and in the crossveins of female dorsal tegminal field forming a dense net from irregular small cells.

Etymology. Xuanwu is a legendary animal in East Asia. It is characterized by a turtle shell, which is vaguely reminiscent of the hard tegmina in female of this cricket.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A—environment in Motuo; B—male of Valiatrella bimaculata (Chopard, 1928) in living condition; C, D— Xuanwua motuoensis sp. nov. in living condition: C—female, D—male. A, B, D photographed by Wu Chao and B by Bi Wenxuan.

FIGURE 2. Xuanwua motuoensis sp. nov., general view of dry specimens: A—male, dorsolateral view; B—female, dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 3. Xuanwua motuoensis sp. nov., male: A – metanotal gland, dorsal view; B—anal plate, posterodorsal view; C – Egenitalia, lateral (C), dorsal (D) and ventral (E) views.

FIGURE 4. Xuanwua motuoensis sp. nov., male (schematic pictures): A—dorsal field of right tegmen with outlines of hind wings in rest position; B – D—genitalia, lateral (B), dorsal (C) and ventral (D) views; E—anal plate, posterodorsal view.