Yalvaciana allowpora, Shah & Usmani, 2021

Shah, Muzamil Syed & Usmani, Mohd Kamil, 2021, First record of the genus Yalvaciana (Tettigoniidae; Tettigoniinae; Platycleidini) with the description of a new species from India, Zootaxa 4966 (5), pp. 591-595 : 592-593

Yalvaciana allowpora sp. nov.

( Fig. 1–15 )

Description. Male: Body large and heavy. Dorsally depressed pronotum with a median carina visible at metazona. Lateral lobes of pronotum more or less oval, black colored with a white striped border. Fastigium broad and convex, slightly extending beyond the scapus. Eyes large and spherical, bulging. Prosternum without process. Mesosternum divided at the middle by a deep incision into two triangular lobes. Metasternum also triangular with a shallow groove in the middle. Tegmina longer than hind wings with a rounded apex. Hind wings nearly rudimentary. Fore tibia: dorsal 3 spines, inner and 6 outer large spines. Mid tibia: dorsal 2 spines, 4 inner and 6 outer spines. Hind tibia: with 22 inner spines and 28 on outer spines on dorsal side and 10 ventral spines. Subgenital plate broad with two carinae, the outer margin black; apical margin with a triangular incision; styles moderate-sized with small hairlike spines. Tenth tergite with two short and broad processes separated by a V-shaped incision; middle portion of the tergite covered with hairs. Cercus thick basally and tapering at the end pointed at apex, the tooth placed at base. Titillators toothed apically, basal portion of arms smooth.

Female: Supra-anal plate with two pyramidal processes separated by a V-shaped incision. Female VI– VIIth abdominal sternities unmodified. Subgenital plate bilobate separated by a wide, shallow U-shaped incision. Ovipositor is weakly curved at the apex, black with light brownish base.

Material examined: India: Jammu and Kashmir; Kashmir, Shopian, Now Pora , Allowpora (33.7317° N, 74.8938° E), 2 ♂, 2 ♀ specimens, 20.09.2019, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah) .

Distribution: India, Kashmir.

Remarks: The new species is placed in Yalvaciana Ciplak et al. (2002) , as it does not show the excision on the lateral lobes of the pronotum which is typical of Platycleis Massa et al. (2011) . The male cercus is distinctive as with other members of the tribe. The new species differs from the only previous known species in the following: male anal tergite with two short and wide processes separated by a triangular incision, male subgenital plate with a two lateral carina, male cercus apically acute with small tooth basally, female subgenital plate with two lobes separated by obtusely rounded incision, apical margins pointed.

Etymology: The name of the species is given from the area (Allowpora) where the specimens were collected.

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. 1) Lateral view of pronotum, 2) Dorsal view of pronotum, 3) Fastigium, 4) Sternum, 5) Male tenth tergite, 6) Male subgenital plate, 7) Female anal tergite, 8) Female subgenital plate, 9) Titillators, 10) Male cercus, 11) Ovipositor, 12) fore tibia, 13) mid tibia, 14) Hind femur, 15) Hind tibia.