Skejotettix Subedi, 2022

Subedi, Madan, 2022, A new genus and a new groundhopper species from Nepal (Orthoptera: Tetriginae Skejotettix netrajyoti gen. et sp. nov.), Zootaxa 5205 (1), pp. 35-54 : 38-40

Genus Skejotettix Subedi gen. nov.

Justification of the subfamily assignment for the new genus

The new genus is assigned to Tetriginae as it fulfills the criteria to the subfamily, mentioned in Podgornaya (1992) and Devriese (1996): Lateral lobes directed downwards and contiguous with the body (never transversely truncated); fascial carinae of frontal costa diverge a very little with scutellum narrower than a scapus; dorsal margin of anterior and mid femora with a well-developed carina; median ocellus below the lower margin of the eyes and presence of a filiform antenna. Besides, the species of the genus have post-humeral spots and L-shaped carina of vertex which are typical characters among Tetriginae ( Tumbrinck 2019) .

Type species. Skejotettix netrajyoti Subedi species nova by original designation

Composition. Two species. S. netrajyoti gen. et sp. nov. and S. muglingi ( Ingrisch, 2001b) comb. nov. are currently known. There may be other species in the genus from the subtropical areas of Nepal awaiting to be explored and described.

Distribution. Endemic to Nepal, the genus (with its two species) is known from subtropical regions. S. netrajyoti gen. et sp. nov. is known only from the locality of type species as of now (subtropical Sal Forest, Churlingtar, Ghyalchok, Gorkha, Nepal) ( Figure 1G, H ). S. muglingi comb. nov., apart from its type locality (Trishuli river near Mugling Bazar, river bed) is known from stream banks of Buldi khola, Vyas Municipality, Tanahun, Nepal ( Figure 1B ), vicinity of manmade ponds of Ghadiyal Breeding Center, Kasara amidst the subtropical Sal forest ( Figure 1D ), and vicinity of manmade ponds of Umari, Kapilvastu ( Figure 1E ).

Etymology. Patronymic. The genus is named after Dr. Josip Skejo, a Tetrigidologist from Croatia and a good friend of mine. The suffix -tettix is a commonly used suffix with Tetrigidae and is considered here to be of masculine gender.

Diagnosis

The new genus is morphologically similar to Ergatettix but can be differentiated by the following characters: (i) wider vertex with parallel lateral borders (narrow vertex with the lateral borders usually converging towards the front in Ergatettix ); (ii) frontal costa (in lateral view) visible in front of the eyes (not visible in front of the eyes but curved outwards in front of antennas in Ergatettix ); (iii) vertex convex in frontal view without horns (vertex concave in frontal view with the presence of horns in Ergatettix ; (iv) more robust middle femora (very slender middle femora in Ergatettix , an exception is Ergatettix minutus Ingrisch, 2001 which has the middle femora as robust as Skejotettix gen. nov.). Skejotettix gen. nov. differs from Lamellitettigodes in being brachypronotal and brachypterous ( Lamellitettigodes being typically macropronotal and macropterous) and absence of vertex horns. Skejotettix gen. nov. is also related to Coptotettix , however Coptotettix lacks clear characters. So, it is compared to the type species, C. asperatus and can be differentiated by following characters: (i) median carina entire (median carina broken in C. asperatus ) (ii) middle and hind femora robust (slender in C. asperatus ) (iii) Brachypronotal and brachypterous ( C. asperatus typically macropronotal and macropterous). Eastern apterous genus Hainantettix Deng, 2020 is morphologically close to Skejotettix gen. nov.. However, Skejotettix gen. nov. can be differentiated from Haintettix by following characters: (i) lateral carinae of the vertex L-shaped (U-shaped in Hainantettix ) (ii) infrascapular area narrow (wider in Hainatettix) (iii) head more exserted (almost in the level of the pronotal discus in Hainantettix ) (iv) Wings reduced (absent in Haintettix) (v) shorter prozona (and prozonal carinae) (longer in Haintettix) (vi) interhumeral carinae weakly visible (clearly visible in Hainantettix ).

Notes on Hainantettix ( Figure 2 ). The genus Hainantettix Deng, 2020 was considered monotypic till now. Two species from PR China that were assigned to the genus Macromotettixoides are here transferred to the genus Hainantettix as they are morphologically very close to the type species of Hainantettix , H. strictivertex Deng, 2020 . Those are Hainantettix angustivertex ( Zha et Peng, 2021) comb. nov. = Macromotettixoides angustivertex Zha et Peng, 2021 and Hainantettix hainanensis ( Liang, 2002) comb. nov. = Macromotettixoides hainanensis Liang, 2002 . The three species of Hainantettix have very similar head morphology, except for the width of the vertex, but also pronotal morphology, except for the shape of pronotal tips. Legs morphology is also very similar between them. The three species are easily distinguishable by the following characters: (i) vertex width narrowest in H. strictivertex , almost as wide as a compound eye in H. angustivertex ( Zha et Peng, 2021) comb. nov., while visibly broader than a compound eye in H. hainanensis ( Liang, 2002) comb. nov. (ii) the shape of the tip of pronotum (pointed in H. strictivertex and H. angustivertex ( Zha et Peng, 2021) comb. nov., while oblique in H. hainanensis ( Liang, 2002) comb. nov.). All three Hainantettix species live in Hainan.

Description

General characters. Small-sized, brachypronotal Tetriginae genus with wings reduced, hidden, or absent; cryptic in coloration (mottled green with yellowish bands in pond banks/river bed species to rusty brown coloration in forest species) and in appearance (integument tuberculate or granular).

Head. Antennae. Filiform, Scapus with a large notch in lateral view. Frontal view. Vertex slightly narrower in width than a compound eye; Upper point of insertion of the antenna in line with the lower margin of compound eye; Frontal costa bifurcates at around one-third of an eye with the scutellum as wide as or slightly narrower than the scapus. Lateral view. Head very slightly exserted above the pronotum (this trait may vary among alive and museum specimens); Frontal costa projecting in front of eyes rounded together with vertex but slightly concave above lateral ocelli Dorsal view. Vertex with truncated with an anterior margin not completely reaching the anterior margins of the eye; medial carina distinct, running to the end of fossulae; fossulae deep, elongated; lateral carinae raised to the dorsal margin of eyes.

Pronotum. Brachypronotal, wingless or apterous, pronotum not covering whole abdomen. Anterior margin truncated; dorsum undulated. Lateral lobes directed downwards and with truncated apex. Infrascapular area can be wider or narrower; wings visible or not visible; pronotum tip can be wide or narrow.

Wings. Tegmenula (forewings). small, lanceolate to large oblong; Alae (hindwings). reduced, never reach the tip of pronotum or hidden or absent.

Legs

Forelegs. Femora. setose, stout, and elongated, 2.7-3.4 times as long as wide, dorsal margin and ventral margins indistinctly to faintly undulated; Tibia. setose, dorsal and ventral margins faintly undulated; Tarsus. first segment short (dark brown to black in color), second segment elongated and bears claws.

Mid legs. Femora. setose, compressed and widened, 2.4-3.2 times as long as wide, dorsal margin and ventral margins indistinctly to faintly undulated; Tibia. setose, dorsal and ventral margins faintly undulated, ventral margin with large spines; Tarsus. first segment short (dark brown to black in color), second segment elongated and bears claws.

Hind legs. Femora. robust, with fine serrations on the dorsal margin, 2.2-2.7 times as long as wide, surface finely tuberculate with transverse ridges, ventral margin sparsely setose Tibia. dorsal and ventral margins indistinctly to faintly undulated, ventral margin with large spines; Tarsus. first segment long (dark brown to black in color), bears pulvilli with tip spinose, second segment small, third elongated and bears claws.

Taxonomic note. Presence of a large notch on the scapus of antenna (clearly seen in the lateral view) ( Figure 3A, B ) in Skejotettix gen. nov. is an interesting character I have not seen mentioned in the literature. Upon further examination, I found this character present in the individuals of Ergatettix dorsiferus (Walker, 1871) ( Figure 3C ), Coptotettix annandalei ( Figure 3D ), and Coptotettix coniopticus ( Figure 3E ). This character could be of taxonomic importance and seems promising for future work as the head characters are preserved more during the course of evolution ( Skejo et al. 2019).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Investigated localities from different parts of Nepal: A—Bhottar khola, Ghyalchok, Gorkha; B—Buldikhola, Vyas, Tanahun; C—Tirtire khola, Ghyalchok, Gorkha; D—Ghadiyal Breeding Center, Kasara, Chitwan; E—Umari, Shivaraj, Kapilvastu; F—Shree Netrajyoti Basic School, Churlingtar, Ghyalchok, Gorkha and adjacent Sal forest; G-H—Type locality, subtropical Sal forest, Churlingtar, Ghyalchok, Gorkha.

FIGURE 2. Hainantettix spp.: A-C—H. strictivertex; D—H. angustivertex (Zha et Peng, 2021) comb. nov.; E-H—H. hainanensis (Liang, 2002) comb. nov. Images were taken from iNaturalist with the permission of corresponding authors (imagesA–C courtesy of Fan Gao, username: xiaodoudou and images D–H courtesy of Ruiyang Wang, username: seventeennature)

FIGURE 3. Lateral view of some tetrigids with a notch on the scapus of the antenna (indicated by a white arrow): A—Skejotettix netrajyoti gen. et sp. nov.; B—Skejotettix muglingi comb. nov.; C—Ergatettix dorsiferus; D—Coptotettix annandalei; E— Coptotettix coniopticus